By Tricia Protzman and Amy Tarantino Jones, Ed.D
When districts across Madera County began turning to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a strategy for improvement, they did so from distinct contexts and with clear intentions for growth. Yosemite Unified School District engaged through technical assistance and selected PLCs to strengthen outcomes. Madera Unified School District pursued the Intensive Assistance Model (IAM) through the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), launching a multi-year partnership focused on systems alignment and instructional coherence. Together, this work extended across six schools, each bringing its own strengths, history, and readiness for improvement.
To scale the IAM model, Matt Navo, Executive Director of CCEE, approached the Madera County Superintendent of Schools (MCSOS) with a proposal for countywide implementation. County Superintendent Tricia Protzman embraced the opportunity to build capacity through an intensive model grounded in professional learning communities. With CCEE’s partnership, PLCs became the structure supporting district improvement efforts across the county.
The MCSOS Educational Services team assumed leadership of the countywide effort. Led by Program Director Amy Tarantino Jones and strengthened through PLC training facilitated by Rich Smith of Engaged Learning Center, the team established a shared understanding and operational plan. By aligning varied leadership experiences and clarifying roles, the team deepened its PLC expertise while functioning intentionally as a county guiding coalition.
Work with Madera Unified and Yosemite Unified began in late spring 2025. From the outset, the MCSOS team prioritized foundational knowledge of professional learning communities, recognizing that sustainable PLC practices require more than just structures — they require shared understanding. The PLC at Work framework emphasizes mission, vision, and collective commitments as the starting point and as implementation unfolded in each district, it became clear why that sequence matters. Sustainable change begins with culture.
Although teams were eager to begin content standards work early on, we invested substantial time in strengthening the four pillars of the PLC model: mission, vision, collective commitments, and goals. This deliberate “go slow to go fast” approach was critical before beginning the technical work.
Developing collective commitments required honest dialogue and thoughtful collaboration. Guiding coalitions engaged in meaningful conversations that surfaced shared beliefs about student learning and clarified expectations for adult practice. The result was a set of commitments that provided accountability to move the work forward.
With those foundations in place, teams turned to building units of study, but identifying essential standards proved more nuanced than anticipated. In one district, districtwide essential standards created opportunities for school teams to collaborate and strengthen ownership. In the other, teachers expanded their capacity in identifying essential standards and unpacking them effectively.
Eight months into implementation, there is so much to celebrate! Teachers are collaborating more intentionally and reflecting on practice. Principals are monitoring teamwork with greater clarity and guiding coalitions continue to clarify roles while strengthening collective leadership, particularly at the district level. Conversations are increasingly centered on student learning, and the use of data to inform instruction is becoming more consistent.
For MCSOS, this work has required growth as well. While supporting districts, we strengthened our own collaborative structures and internal alignment. One lesson stands out: productive dissonance is a natural part of meaningful improvement. When foundations are strong, tension becomes a catalyst for clarity rather than a barrier to progress.
At the county level, coherence guides our work as we align state priorities, county support, and district practice. Within that alignment, PLCs serve as the structure connecting leadership expectations to classroom instruction and student outcomes.
Our partnership with CCEE and the trust built alongside Madera Unified and Yosemite Unified have strengthened Madera County’s capacity to deliver a coherent system of support. Over the next two years, we will deepen that coherence—ensuring structures for student learning are increasingly aligned, collaboration is seamless, and responsibility for results is shared. Together, we will continue strengthening alignment across our system while maintaining a clear and disciplined focus on student outcomes.
For more information about Madera County’s PLC efforts, please contact Amy Tarantino Jones, Ed.D., Program Director, Madera County Superintendent of Schools, at 559-673-5569 or [email protected]
