SASD Leadership Development Institutes - Sheboygan Area School District

By investing in leadership at every level, the Sheboygan Area School District ensures that our educators are empowered to lead effective school improvement.

The Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) is committed to building leadership capacity of our staff at every level of the organization. To support this commitment, SASD offers a coordinated set of Leadership Development Institutes designed to elevate professional voice, strengthen practice, and drive continuous improvement across schools.

Together, these institutes form a districtwide leadership pipeline that builds educators to scale their leadership from the classroom across the SASD system.

Strong schools are built by strong educators. That’s why the Sheboygan Area School District continues to invest in developing teachers and school leaders from within.

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Teacher Development Institute

The Teacher Development Institute (TDI) is SASD’s signature teacher leadership program. This two-year experience blends instructional leadership learning experiences with teacher-driven action research. Participants study real problems of practice, collaborate within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and apply evidence-based strategies to positively impact their school communities.

Teachers begin an action research project in their first course, continue refining their work across the program, and culminate their experience by sharing findings during a Leadership Research Presentation Night.

Meet some of the 160+ teachers shaping the future through the SASD Teacher Development Institute.

Principal Development Institute
School Counselor Development Institute

Principal Development Institute

PDI is designed to develop current and aspiring school leaders. The institute focuses on instructional leadership, systems thinking, staff development, and continuous improvement to ensure strong leadership at the building level.

Please join us in congratulating our PDI Leaders for the 2025-2026 School Year:

Tiffany Diven – North High School
Tiffany brings instructional expertise and leadership experience through her work in English education, extracurricular advising, and professional advocacy. Her passion for fostering joyful, supportive learning environments shines in everything she does.

Caiti Dust – Horace Mann Middle School
Caiti is a relationship-driven educator who creates inclusive classrooms and contributes meaningfully to school culture and curriculum development. She brings a passion for student-centered learning and collaborative problem-solving.

Rodney Stoehr – North High School & Lincoln-Erdman Elementary
Rodney draws on a rich background in school social work and cross-school service to support student well-being and build strong school communities. His commitment to supporting the whole-child will greatly strengthen our leadership pipeline.

Each of these leaders will engage in professional learning, job-embedded leadership experiences, and mentorship as they continue developing the skills while serving within our district.

Learn more about this year's participants

School Counselor Development Institute

SCDI supports school counselors in strengthening leadership skills related to student support systems, social-emotional learning, equity, and college and career readiness. Participants engage in professional learning through the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) that aligns counseling practice with district priorities while contributing to data-informed improvement efforts.

School Counselors also engage in action research that is presented during a Research Presentation Night.

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A Coherent Leadership Pipeline

While each institute is tailored to specific roles, all SASD Leadership Development Institutes (LDIs) share common commitments:

Actionable, practice-based learning
Alignment to district programmatic priorities
Data-informed decision making
Collaboration and professional learning communities
Leadership development grounded in real work
Public sharing of learning and outcomes

This approach ensures leadership development is intentional and impactful across the district.

Alignment to District Priorities

Across all leadership institutes, participants focus their learning and inquiry on district priorities, including:

Academic growth toward standards
Social-emotional learning and student well-being
Evidence-based curriculum and assessment practices
Multi-Level Systems of Support (MLSS) and data-driven PLCs
Student belonging and inclusive school climates
College, career, and life readiness

Why Leadership Development Institutes Matter?

SASD’s Leadership Development Institutes:

Build internal leadership capacity
Strengthen instructional and support systems
Generate research-informed improvement strategies
Elevate educator voice in district decision-making
Support sustainable, system-wide growth

Sharing Teacher and Leader Learning

SASD values transparency and educator voice. Action Research findings are shared to inform professional learning and school district improvement.

Previous Action Research

Teachers from TDI Cohort #8 (Spring 2025) completed action research projects focused on instructional improvement, student engagement, assessment practices, and inclusive learning environments.

🔗 [View Cohort #8 Action Research Projects – Spring 2025]

To learn more or apply, please contact:

Rachel Ledezma, Assistant Superintendent of Student & Instructional Services
(920) 459-4030
rledezma@sasd.net