John Gould bio

Dr. Gould has more than 30 years of in-depth experience in the educational field, in which he has specialized on issues surrounding systemic change, curriculum development and the effective implementation of new technologies in the classroom. His studies and work in these areas are a natural outgrowth of his advanced degrees in education, including both an M.S. from Duquesne University and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. He has recently retired from the Superintendencey and is teaching on-line educational and technology courses for Master and Doctorial classes at Drexel University.

His research is informed by a first-hand familiarity with organizational issues, having worked for over 20 years as a superintendent and assistant superintendent with several Pennsylvania school districts. His other experiences range from a public school Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Intermediate Unit experience, and a project manager for the PA Governor’s Office of Information and Technology.

Dr. Gould has penned many articles on school change and presented workshops at the local, state, and national levels. He also has served as the project manager in charge of crafting a "shared vision and action plan" for Governor Tom Ridge's Pennsylvania Education Network (PEN). Dr. Gould coordinated the efforts of the PA Link-to-Learn management team to incorporate community and business ideas into an action plan for effective use of technology for both teachers and students as a “tool” for learning. Presently, he consults for the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Classrooms For the Future.

He has served as the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development and served as a member of the National Board of Directors of ASCD. He also is a member of the Legislative Committee of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrtors.

Dr. Gould is grounded in “systems thinking” and has a strong commitment to the concepts of a “learning organization.” The essential question he asks all to consider, against the backdrop of NCLB, is, given the changes in technology, medicine, social interactions, the environment, and international events, how do we cope in designing learning environs to meet these changes for the next generation of both students and teachers?