Educators in successful schools and districts have found that implementing professional learning communities at the school level can be effective for sharing vision, beliefs, and strategies that align with their system’s overall strategic plans. I work in Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools, where professional learning communities have become the norm as a model of a changed culture and shared vision. As Frances Ivey, assistant superintendent at Fairfax County Public Schools, notes, “Our emphasis on professional learning communities has emphasized the need to work collaboratively, study the data, and focus on each child, by name and by need.” For a professional learning community to take hold across an organization and become self-sustaining, it must be part of a shared vision and leadership model. Parents, teachers, staff,