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Everyone has a story about a teacher who impacted their life in some immeasurable way.

Teachers — educators — are among society’s greatest assets.

But being an educator is hard — and, in the face of global pandemic, that job isn’t getting any easier.

Our educators want and need better resources to help them work through the litany of challenges and opportunities students face, from social-emotional learning to equity to accountability to stronger family engagement.

The old sit-and-get approaches of the past never were much good — and certainly won’t work now.

We built RocketPD because school leaders told us they wanted more from their professional learning experiences.

At RocketPD, we focus on doing three things really well.

  1. Connecting our school partners to the top thought leaders
  2. Delivering professional learning on the topics that matter
  3. Creating experiences focused on outcomes

Unlike traditional professional learning, which stops when the session ends, each of our programs is designed to take your team on a deep, multi-phased exploration of their topic of interest.

We vet each of our thought leaders and design their programs to ensure the value they provide quickly moves from theory to practice within your organization.

That’s because all of programs are:

  • Learning forward and/or standards-aligned
  • Practical and applicable
  • Sustainable over time
  • Job embedded (with opportunities for collaboration)
  • Measurable

And the best part?

If you’re a PD coordinator or curriculum director, all of our resources are available in one place and customizable to the needs of your schools. No more fruitless Google searches or worries over quality or consistency of programming. We offer everything from multi-district cohort experiences, to full and half-day sessions built specifically for your team.

If you’re looking for ways to better engage your teachers and staff this year, and you’re tired of the same old, boring no-good PD experience, we hope you’ll stick around and explore our growing universe of professional learning. If you have questions, or want an introduction to any of our rockstar thought leaders, fill out the short form below to join our newsletter and start your journey!

Who we are

At RocketPD, our mission is to create the world’s most-engaged community of K-12 school leaders committed to providing stronger support and training for teachers and staff.

Jesse Leib

Co-founder

Thought leader & district relationships

Having struggled with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder throughout childhood, Jesse says it was his teachers who helped him stay the course. Jesse has spent more than 20 years helping K-12 school leaders explore innovations in technology and learning. At RocketPD, he connects educators to new professional learning opportunities.

Chris Dekmar

Co-founder

Operations & program management

After chasing his dreams in the school band, and later earning his MBA at the University of West Georgia, Chris went on to lead sales operations for an education technology startup in Vermont before launching his own digital marketing agency. At RocketPD, he runs the team that keeps the lights on and the machines humming.

Corey Murray

Co-founder

K-12 program strategy, audience & content

A proud product of K-12 public schools, and someone with Cerebral Palsy, Corey credits the educators in his life with teaching him how to turn his differences into strengths. An education journalist and K-12 marketing executive, Corey works with RocketPD’s roster of thought leaders to showcase their strengths and grow their audiences.

Our Advisors

John Gamba

Entrepreneur in residence & director of special programs
University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education

Shannon Cox

Superintendent
Montgomery County Educational Service Center, Ohio

Dr. Luvelle Brown

Superintendent
Nationally-recognized school leader &
author of Culture of Love

Dr. Steve Constantino

Author, 5 Simple Principles to Engage Every Family
Former superintendent, chief academic officer, state superintendent,
VA Department of Education

Dr. Stacey Butterfield

Superintendent
Jenks Public Schools, Okla.

Stephen F. Murley

Assistant Professor (University of Iowa)
Retired Superintendent (Green Bay WI, Iowa City IA, Wausau WI)

Launch an entirely new professional learning experience that meets the needs of teachers & staff