How professional development turned two educators into school leaders

Embracing technology in the classroom doesn’t come naturally to all teachers. But for two Verizon Innovative Learning School Coaches — Jennifer Doherty at William Sheppard Middle School in San Jose, California, and Dr. RoseMarie McCandless at the Grace M. James Academy of Excellence in Louisville, Kentucky — a passion for tech integration and supporting other teachers became the cornerstone of their professional careers.

This focus on how technology elevates learning drove them to new heights in leadership roles and on to new positions in administration at their respective schools. Doherty was named principal in 2021 and McCandless became assistant principal in October 2024.

For both women, the Verizon Innovative Learning professional development resources — which are available for free to all as part of Verizon Innovation Learning HQ — were foundational. “I was nervous being out of the classroom,” says McCandless, referring to her initial experience with remote teaching. “But once I got into the professional development lessons, I felt a lot more confident. A lot of what I learned there, especially the micro-credentials courses, was really how to coach and how to support teachers — and that’s what I do all day as an assistant principal.”

Before joining William Sheppard Middle School, Doherty already had experience working on classroom tech integration which made her a strong candidate to become the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach when Sheppard became part of the program in 2017. “In my previous experience, the technology itself was never the thing that mattered most,” Doherty says of classroom tech integration. “It was the pedagogy,” she says, how technology as a tool enhances learning, increasing engagement for both teachers and students. “And because the Verizon professional development shared that focus, the 40 hours of training was really key and really spoke to me,” she says.

When a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab was installed at Sheppard, all 22 teachers participated in the professional development micro-credential series. This training helps educators infuse technology into their teaching in increasingly sophisticated ways, all with the goal of creating learning experiences that increase student engagement and achievement.

“We really leaned into that professional development piece,” says Doherty. She wanted to make certain teachers were doing more than simply swapping a book for a screen. “It was important to make sure the teachers were using digital tools beyond substituting,” she explains. Thanks to the course work, teachers didn’t have to come up with ideas all on their own, but instead gathered lesson plan inspiration woven throughout the courses. One example: Instead of a traditional book report, students in an English Language Arts class could make a movie trailer about a book. “The teachers were so inspired. They were all like, ‘YES.’ It was so beautiful,” Doherty says.

In 2021, when the school’s principal went on leave, Doherty was asked to step in as interim principal. “Principal had never been on my trajectory,” says Doherty. But since she was a Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach, and already in a leadership position, other teachers felt comfortable with her stepping up. “I was a known entity and people trusted me—and I had been doing a lot of the roles of job with [the principal],” Doherty explains. “So in terms of skills, taking on the role of principal wasn’t a big reach. But it was a confidence issue,” Doherty says. “Can I lead? Can I do this?”

The answer was a clear ‘yes’. After a year in the interim role, she received positive feedback from the district and went on to secure the needed credentials to officially take the position.

While Doherty had focused on technology as a teaching tool that drove student and teacher engagement, McCandless prioritized doing the best for her students. “When I first started teaching, I didn’t think I would ever want to be a teacher leader, because I loved what I was doing with my kids,” she says. “But then I figured out that the more that I learned, the better I can be for my kids. And then if I help the teachers succeed, then I will be helping more kids.”

The professional development coursework gave McCandless new ways to understand her own skills. “One of the first things I ever did was make a coaching menu, so I could talk about what I offer and market myself to my teachers,” she says. “The exercise helped me understand how I’m valuable to others and how I could support teachers.”

As assistant principal, McCandless has taken that core idea and applied it to her work in building up her teachers’ confidence. “We had a brand-new teacher who had literally taught for just one semester and he presented to all the other teachers about engaging ways to present social studies source content, and I just had chills,” she says. “Seeing their development, sharing what they’re good at with the other teachers — it just doesn’t get better than that.”

Verizon Innovative Learning is a key part of the company’s responsible business plan to help move the world forward for all. As part of the plan, Verizon has an ambitious goal of providing 10 million youth with digital skills training by 2030. Educators can access free lessons, professional development, and immersive learning experiences to help bring new ways of learning into the classroom by visiting Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.