Author Archives: Jim Warford

About Jim Warford

Jim Warford is the author of, The Chemistry of Culture: Strategies You Can Use to Create a Culture of Learning. For 15 years Jim Warford was Senior Advisor and Keynote Speaker for the International Center for Leadership in Education. Jim is an author, speaker, Leadership and Instructional Coach. He was named in March 2003 as Florida’s first Chancellor of K12 Public Schools. He stepped down in September, 2005 to become Executive Director of the Florida Association of School Administrators, representing over 10,000 Florida school leaders. As a Senior Advisor for the International Center for Leadership in Education, he works with states, districts and schools to provide coaching and executive training and support to school leaders and their staffs. As Florida’s Chancellor, he led the creation and state-wide implementation of Florida’s Continuous Improvement Model, FCIM, which resulted in that state’s dramatic gains in student achievement and an 80% reduction in the number low-performing schools. FCIM remains Florida’s required intervention for all low-performing schools. As Superintendent of the Marion County, Florida Public Schools, he first implemented the Continuous Improvement Model district-wide. As a result, school grades went from three “F”, eight “D” and only one “A” school in 1999 to twenty “A”, 16 “B” and no “F” schools in 2003. Under his leadership the high school dropout rate was cut in half. He taught applied technology courses at the high school level for 17 years and created a Computer Graphics/Video Production program that won many national and state awards. He was named Vanguard High School Teacher of the Year three separate times.

The Culture Framework… Continued

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Jim Warford

How trusting is the staff in your school? Do they collaborate freely and effectively? How innovative are they? Do they feel empowered to participate in the decisions that impact them the most? Are they committed to your school’s vision, or … Continue reading →

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The Culture Framework

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Jim Warford

In my new book, The Chemistry of Culture, out this month from Rowman and Littlefield, I introduce The Culture Framework. Building on ICLE’s original Rigor/Relevance Framework®, the Culture Framework is a new Mental Model, or map, that can guide a … Continue reading →

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The Importance of Mental Models

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Jim Warford

Improving school culture really is a journey. A never ending one. And when setting out on any journey to a place we’ve never been before, the first thing we need is a good map. A good map is not just … Continue reading →

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Praise for The Chemistry of Culture

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Jim Warford

My sincere thanks to all those at the 2019 Model Schools Conference who attended my “Chemistry of Culture” session or Farrington HS’s “Transforming Learning Through Culture” this week. To order the book and learn more, you can receive a 20% … Continue reading →

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The Chemistry of Culture Book Release

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Jim Warford

I’m proud to announce the publication of my new book, The Chemistry of Culture: Brain-Based Strategies to Build a Culture of Learning.  Pre-order discounts and information are available now on Amazon at: amazon.com/author/jimwarford.  The book will be released September 15th … Continue reading →

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Emphasize Empathy

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Jim Warford

Empathy in students entering college has declined a jaw-dropping 40% Since 2000! Think about that a minute… This finding from a study of empathy in over 14,000 college students, by University of Michigan researchers, caused quite a stir when it … Continue reading →

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The Chemistry of Culture White Paper

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Jim Warford

My new White Paper, The Chemistry of Culture, was released at the 2018 Model Schools Conference in Orlando, FL. It is available at the link below: https://goo.gl/87RrjR

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If Your Culture is Broken, You Can’t Fix Anything else

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Jim Warford

The most important question a student will ask a teacher is, “Why do I need to know this?” The most important question a teacher can ask a principal is, “Why do I need to do this?” If we don’t have … Continue reading →

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Culture is Destiny

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Jim Warford

I started writing this Blog because I’ve been thinking about and studying how best to use technology in the classroom for over 30 years, and I thought I could contribute to the topic. After all, I was “flipping” my classroom … Continue reading →

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Rigor and Relevance in Asia

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Jim Warford

Rigor and Relevance in Asia Recently I returned from doing extended work in Asia. This trip was one of the most unique and exciting learning experiences of my career. I was invited by the government of Taiwan to lead a … Continue reading →

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