Schlechty Center

What Schlechty Center does

Schlechty Center is a private, non-profit education consulting organization founded in 1987 by Dr. Phillip C. Schlechty and based in Louisville, Kentucky. The Center partners with K-12 public school districts and education leaders to design engaging student experiences, build organizational capacity, and develop leadership at the teacher, principal, central-office, superintendent, and school-board levels. Its core delivery rests on proprietary educational frameworks developed over 37+ years — Strategic Change Agenda, Taking Stock, School and Classroom Standards, Walking to Learn, Six Indicators of Capacity, Images of School Framework, and Six Critical Systems Framework — rather than on a software platform.

Services are organized around three pillars (Designing Experiences, Building Capacity, Developing Leaders) and delivered through customized professional learning experiences conducted onsite, online, or in conference and academy settings. The Center also operates recurring learning networks, including the Superintendents Leadership Network (now in its 27th year), the Standard-Bearer School District Network, and the legacy National Superintendents Roundtable, which provide peer-learning and continuous engagement for member districts. A small team of senior associates executes the work.

Revenue is generated through two streams: bespoke professional learning and consultation services (custom-quoted, multi-year contracts) and recurring network memberships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored to each district's scope, format, and customization level. The customer base is concentrated in K-12 public school districts across more than 30 U.S. states.

Name

Schlechty Center

Legal name

Schlechty Center

Website

https://schlechtycenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Schlechty Center is a non-profit education consulting organization partnering with K-12 public school districts and education leaders to design engaging student experiences and develop leadership, delivering customized professional learning and recurring superintendent networks across more than 30 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Consulting and Professional Learning Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

School District Central Administration (Superintendent & Cabinet Offices) (EDADABAF), Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDAJAJAH)

Keywords

• Professional learning services
• Education leadership coaching
• School district consulting
• Superintendent leadership networks
• Student engagement design

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Learning and Consultation Services: Custom consultation, coaching, and facilitation services offered to school districts. Services are co-designed with district and school leaders and delivered onsite, online, or in conference/academy settings.
2. Network Memberships: Ongoing network participation including the Superintendents Leadership Network (SLN) with three in-person meetings annually, and the Standard-Bearer School District Network (SBSD). Regional networks allow districts to share experiences and manage professional learning budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Schlechty Center partners with K-12 school district and school leaders to transform classrooms, schools, and districts through customized professional learning, coaching, and consultation. Its work centers on proprietary frameworks for designing engaging student and staff work, delivered through three pillars — Designing Experiences, Building Capacity, and Developing Leaders — and supported by ongoing superintendent networks (SLN, SBSD, NSR) and a Strategic Change Agenda planning process.

Product overview

Schlechty Center is a private, non-profit education consulting organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services focused on increasing student engagement and profound learning. The core offerings include three main pillars: Designing Experiences (creating engaging learning experiences), Building Capacity (organizational transformation and strategic planning), and Developing Leaders (leadership development at all levels). These are supported by professional networks including the Superintendents Leadership Network (SLN), National Superintendents Roundtable (NSR), and Standard-Bearer School District Network (SBSD). Additional services include coaching programs, the Strategic Change Agenda planning process, and various professional learning opportunities delivered virtually or in-person. The organization, founded in 1987 by Dr. Phillip C. Schlechty, provides these services to school districts and educators across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Standard-Bearer School District Network (SBSD): A network designed for school district leaders committed to guiding principles, providing tools and resources for building organizational capacity.
• Superintendents Leadership Network (SLN)
• National Superintendents Roundtable (NSR)
• Strategic Change Agenda (SCA)

Products and services

• Designing Experiences
• Building Capacity Strategic planning and organizational transformation service for K-12 schools and districts that uses the Schlechty Center's proprietary frameworks — Strategic Change Agenda, Taking Stock assessment, School and Classroom Standards, Walking to Learn observation system, and Six Indicators of Capacity — to build system-wide capacity for change.
• Developing Leaders Leadership development service for K-12 education leaders that addresses roles at every level of the system: Teacher as Leader, Principal as Leader of Leaders, Central Office as Capacity Builders, Superintendent as Moral and Intellectual Leader, and School Board Engagement.
• Superintendents Leadership Network (SLN) Signature peer learning network that convenes school superintendents for three in-person meetings each year and a reception at AASA's National Conference on Education, providing intellectually stimulating professional development and access to the Center's premium resources.
• Standard-Bearer School District Network (SBSD) Membership network for school district leaders committed to guiding principles, offering a collaborative environment to think, reflect, and learn using tools and resources that support building organizational capacity for continuous innovation.
• National Superintendents Roundtable (NSR) Legacy membership community hosted by the Schlechty Center that convenes one national symposium, a reception at AASA's National Conference on Education, and several virtual learning sessions each year for sitting superintendents.
• Strategic Change Agenda (SCA) Customized strategic planning engagement for K-12 schools and districts that maps a path to positive and lasting change, combining a discovery phase, system capacity audit, and co-created strategic frameworks built around the district's specific context.
• Professional Learning Experiences Customized consultation, coaching, and facilitation services co-designed with school districts and staff, delivered onsite, online, or in conference and academy settings, and focused on engaging students and staff.
• Leadership Coaching Specialized coaching service delivered by Schlechty Center senior associates to address specific client concerns and develop education leaders at the district, school, and classroom levels.
• Virtual Leadership Series Virtual professional learning series giving districts and educators flexible online access to Schlechty Center leadership development content.
• Coaching for Administrators Coaching service designed specifically for school administrators to support leadership development and the adoption of engagement-focused practices.
• Coaching to Increase Engagement Coaching service focused on helping educators increase engagement for students and staff through design-focused approaches grounded in Schlechty Center frameworks.
• Designing with an Engagement Focus (Online Course Bundle) Self-paced online course bundle hosted on Thinkific that teaches educators how to design learning experiences with an engagement focus, using Schlechty Center principles.
• Linking Leaders Professional learning offering that connects and develops educational leaders across districts through structured Schlechty Center programming.
• School Board Engagement Program Learning program focused on engaging school boards in their role of supporting — rather than directing — engagement-focused district transformation.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Allerton Hill CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for communicating strategic plans. If districts choose to engage their services, Allerton Hill Communications provides expertise to ensure strategic plans are visually compelling and clearly communicated to communities and stakeholders. The Schlechty Center refers clients but the partnership is optional for SCA clients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Learning Forward: National professional association dedicated to effective professional learning for educators; provides standards, training, and networks for K-12 instructional leaders — comparable as a peer-network and PD-standards body for superintendents.
• Battelle for Kids: Non-profit partnering with districts on leadership development, strategic planning, and educator effectiveness — closely comparable in mission, customer (districts), and non-profit structure.
• Solution Tree: A leading K-12 professional development and consulting firm offering conferences, books, and on-site coaching for school leaders on instructional leadership and school improvement — directly comparable as a high-touch PD/consulting partner to district leadership.
• McREL International: Non-profit education research and consulting organization providing professional development, evaluation, and strategic planning services to K-12 districts — directly comparable non-profit consultancy model serving school leaders.
• Marzano Resources: Provides K-12 professional development, coaching, and resources grounded in Robert Marzano's instructional frameworks — directly comparable methodology-driven consulting and PD approach to Schlechty's framework-led model.
• Center for Educational Leadership (University of Washington): University-based center providing principal and district leadership development, coaching, and strategic support to K-12 systems — directly comparable leadership-focused consulting practice.
• Insight Education Group: K-12 professional development and consulting firm offering coaching, evaluation, and strategic services to schools and districts — comparable as a district-facing instructional leadership and PD provider.
• Corwin: Education publisher and PD provider delivering professional learning, coaching, and consulting to K-12 districts and educators on instructional leadership and school improvement — closely overlaps with Schlechty's district-level PD practice.
• International Center for Leadership in Education: Consulting organization focused on transforming K-12 schools and districts through leadership development and rigorous engagement-focused practices — directly comparable in target customer and transformation methodology.

Broad incumbents

• ASCD: Established association serving educators with publications, PD, and conferences; overlaps with Schlechty's K-12 leadership development mission but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SchlechtyCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/schlechtycenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schlechty-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schlechty Center