Richard W. Lemons

Richard Lemons is the Executive Director of Partners for Educational Leadership and teaches in both the Yale Education Studies Program and the Broad Center's Master's in Public Education Management at the Yale School of Management. He earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University and both his master's and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he focused on educational leadership and school improvement.

Over the course of his career, Richard has served as a high school teacher, literacy coach, change coach, policy advocate, nonprofit leader, and professor. In his current role at Partners, he leads capacity-building partnerships with dozens of school districts, supporting large-scale instructional improvement, leadership development, systems change, and the creation of more equitable opportunities and experiences for young people. He also facilitates the Connecticut Superintendents' Network, a community of practice launched through a partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education twenty-five years ago and now among the longest continuously operating superintendent networks in the nation.

At Yale, Richard teaches courses on educational leadership and courage, design thinking, school improvement, and policy for system leaders. He has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books on school leadership, educational equity, systemic reform, and change.

Outside of work, Richard is a husband and proud father of two young adults. He is based in northern Virginia and works closely with colleagues and partners in Connecticut, where the organization's main office is located.