Philip E. Poekert
Director, Lastinger Center for Learning
Phone
352-273-4103
Address
618 SW 12th Street 0711 Norman Hall
PO Box 117052
Gainesville, FL
32611
Website
Connect
About
Phil Poekert, Ph.D., is the Director of the UF Lastinger Center for Learning. As Director, he leads a large portfolio of research and service projects, including Math Nation and Flamingo Learning, which collectively serve over 1,000,000 children and 50,000 educators across 26 states each year. His work has centered on supporting and developing educators to become master teachers who implement research-based practices and leaders who help support the continuous professional learning of their colleagues. He has presented at numerous state, national and international research conferences and has published in national and international journals, including the Teacher Education Quarterly, Educational Leadership and Professional Development in Education. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida, his Master of Science for Teachers from Pace University, and his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from New College of Florida.
Affiliations
- Education Policy Research Center
- Lastinger Center for Learning
- Leadership Florida
- International Professional Development Association
- Professional Development in Education
- Consortium of Florida Education Foundations
- Leadership for Professional Learning
Research Interests
Professional Development, Teacher Education, Teacher Leadership
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2005 - 2008
- Master of Science for Teachers, Pace University, New York, NY, 2001 - 2003
- Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, 1997-2001
Professional Appointments
- Director, Lastinger Center for Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 6/2018 - Present
- Visiting Academic, Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland, 07/2022
- Visiting Scholar, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, 07/2019
- Assistant Director, Lastinger Center for Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 9/2015 - 5/2018
- Partnership Manager, Lastinger Center for Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Miami, FL, 1/2014 - 8/2015
- Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Miami, FL, 1/2009 - 12/2013
Activities and Honors
- Top Principal Investigator at the University of Florida, 2023
- Top Principal Investigator at the University of Florida, 2022
- Pahara Institute Fellow, 2022
- Champion for Education, Florida Association of School Administrators, 2022
- Leadership Florida, Leadership in Education Program - Class III, 2017
- Leadership Florida, Connect Florida Program - Class VI, 2015 - 2016
- The Miami Foundation, Miami Fellows Program - Class VII, 2013 - 2014
- University of Florida, Outstanding Young Alumus, 2011
Selected Grants
Alabama Math Nation
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- US Department of Education
Project Period
- 05/2022 - 09/2024
Award Amount
- $6,000,000
New Worlds Reading Initiative
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- US Department of Education
Project Period
- 07/2021 - 06/2023
Award Amount
- $102,175,459
Vinik Early Learning Initiative for the Lastinger Center
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Vinik Family Foundation
Project Period
- 07/2021 - 06/2024
Award Amount
- $3,000,000
StrongStart Early Childhood Support Organizations
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- New Profit
Project Period
- 03/2020 - 06/2024
Award Amount
- $1,000,000
Enhancing Access through Algebra Nation Phase 2
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Period
- 08/2021 - 08/2023
Award Amount
- $1,000,000
Early Learning Florida
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Administration for Children and Families
Project Period
- 12/2018 - 08/2023
Award Amount
- $15,000,000
Reading by Third Innovation Demonstration Project - Berkeley
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Berkeley County School District
Project Period
- 07/2017 - 07/2020
Award Amount
- $201,250
Reading by Third Innovation Demonstration Project - DD2
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Dorchester School District Two
Project Period
- 07/2017 - 07/2020
Award Amount
- $198,750
Reading by Third Innovation Demonstration Project - DD4
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Dorchester School District Four
Project Period
- 07/2017 - 07/2020
Award Amount
- $166,250
Reading by Third Innovation Demonstration Project - CCSD
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Charleston County School District
Project Period
- 07/2017 - 07/2020
Award Amount
- $161,825
Instructional Coaching Certification - Cohort 2 and Facilitator Training for Coaching Certification
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Orange County Public Schools
Project Period
- 07/2017 - 06/2019
Award Amount
- $171,661
Leading for Equity: Transforming the Educational Experiences and Opportunities of Students of Color in Mt. Vernon School District
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Mt. Vernon School District
Project Period
- 05/2017 - 08/2018
Award Amount
- $98,750
Clay County Certified Instructional Leadership Coaching Program
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Clay County
Project Period
- 07/2017 - 06/2018
Award Amount
- $60,060
Gates Educational Reform and the Teacher Perspective Survey
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Period
- 11/2016 - 06/2018
Award Amount
- $75,004
Professional Learning Community Facilitation and Coaching
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Project Period
- 08/15 - 12/17
Award Amount
- $213,066
Validating the SunBay Digital Mathematics Initiative
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund, U.S. Department of Education
Project Period
- 01/14 - 12/17
Award Amount
- $2,241,002
Florida Teacher Leader Fellows
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Period
- 11/15 - 09/17
Award Amount
- $827,277
Turnaround School Support
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Alachua County, Florida
Project Period
- 09/16 - 06/17
Award Amount
- $90,200
Certified Coaching Program
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Orange County, Florida
Project Period
- 07/16 - 06/17
Award Amount
- $138,138
Palm Beach STEM Initiative
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Robert and Mary Pew Public Education Fund, Quantum Foundation, Farris Foundation
Project Period
- 05/13 - 06/17
Award Amount
- $3,188,352
Certified Coaching Program
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Duval County, Florida
Project Period
- 06/15 - 06/17
Award Amount
- $317,176
Math Science Partnership
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Duval County, Florida
Project Period
- 09/15 - 06/16
Award Amount
- $222,500
Certified Coaching Program, Accelerating the Common Core through Teacher Networks
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Seminole County, Florida
Project Period
- 07/13 - 06/16
Award Amount
- $360,000
Algebra Nation Teacher Professional Development
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Period
- 07/13 - 06/15
Award Amount
- $250,000
Florida Master Teacher Initiative
Role
- PI
Funding Agency
- nvesting in Innovation (i3) Fund, U.S. Department of Education, School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida
Project Period
- 10/10 - 09/14
Award Amount
- $3,311,123
Miami Counts: Job-embedded Professional Development and Graduate Education
Role
- Co-PI
Funding Agency
- School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida
Project Period
- 10/09 - 06/13
Award Amount
- $2,400,000
Selected Publications
Books / Book Chapters
- Swaffield, S. & Poekert, P. (Eds.) (2023). Leadership for professional learning: Perspectives, constructs, and connections. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-032-41297-9.
Articles
- King, F., Poekert, P., & Pierre, T. (2023). A pragmatic meta-model to navigate complexity in teachers’ professional learning. Professional Development in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2023.2248478
- Diaz, R., Poekert, P., & Bermudez, P. (2021). “The cookie”: A recipe for effective collaboration through communities of practice. Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/25783858.2021.1886835
- Poekert, P., Swaffield, S., Demir, E.(g), & Wright, S.(g) (2020). Leadership for professional learning toward educational equity. Professional Development in Education, 46(4), 541-562. DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2020.1787209
Presentations
- Poekert, P. (2022). Leadership for professional learning: A systematic review and conceptual framework. Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide, Australia.
- Swaffield, S., Poekert, P., Clarke, S., Patterson, C., Jones, K. (2022). The transformative potentional of leading professional learning differently: Developing thinking together. Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide, Australia.
- Poekert, P., & Alexandrou, A. (2018). The rise and fall of the Florida Teacher Leader Fellowship program: The phantom menace of professional learning. European Conference on Educational Research, Bolzano, Italy.
- Cavanaugh, C. & Poekert, P. (2021). Voices of Students, Families, Educators, and Leaders in Florida School Districts during COVID-19: A Two-Year Study. Digital Learning Annual Conference. Austin, TX.
- Block, S., Patton, K., Poekert, P., & Villanueva-Beard, E. (Chair). (2020). State of the Community Summit: Early Learning and Education. NaplesNEXT Ideas Festival. Naples, FL.
Other
- De León-Alejandro, J.D., Cugini, S., Paolucci, C., Jones, A., Poekert, P., & Sutter, L. (2021). Creating a Formula for Success: Recommendations from an Evaluation of Florida’s Mathematics Professional Development Landscape. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning. Available at https://lastinger.center.ufl.edu/wpcontent/ uploads/2022/03/Math-Landscape-Analysis-Report-2-1.pdf
- Zhao, P., Poekert, P., Cugini, S., Jones, A., Schroeder, C., & Cavanaugh, C. (2020). COVID-19 Virtual Listening Tour: Final Report. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning. Available at https://lastinger.center.ufl.edu/wpcontent/ uploads/2022/03/Virtual-Listening-Tour-2020-Report.pdf
- Clark, M. & Poekert, P. (2020, November 26). Make the Needs of Florida’s Teachers a Top Priority. Gainesville Sun. Available at https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2020/11/26/mandy-clark-and-phil-poekertmake- needs-floridas-teachers-top-priority/6361627002/
Other Publications
- Poekert, P., Alexandrou, A., & Shannon, D. (2016). How teachers become leaders: The international validation of a theory of teacher leadership development. Research in Post-Compulsory Education. 21(4), 307-329.
- Poekert, P. (2012). Examining the impact of collaborative professional development on teacher practice. Teacher Education Quarterly, 39(4), 97-118.
- Poekert, P. (2012). Teacher leadership and professional development: Examining links between two concepts central to school improvement. Professional Development in Education, 38(2), 169-188.
- Poekert, P., Boynton, S., Castañeda, M., Diaz, R.M., Grosland, T., & Spillman, C. (2011). The professor as coach. Educational Leadership, 69.
- Poekert, P. (2011). The pedagogy of facilitation: Teacher inquiry as professional development in a Florida elementary school. Professional Development in Education, 37(1), 19-38.