GARY COOPER

Leadership Expert

Dr. Gary Cooper was one of the founders of the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education and serves as Executive Director. He has 29 years of experience as a school administrator including three Superintendent positions within the states of New York and Pennsylvania. He has been a manager of large ($80 million dollar) budgets and has had responsibility for overseeing over 1,500 employees in district. Gary served as the 21PSTEM team project director for the 21st Century Center for Research and Development in Cognition and Science Instruction (Cog Sci Center) . He has served as a Co-PI of the Math Science Partnership of Greater Philadelphia (MSPGP). Dr. Cooper has held numerous leadership positions in a variety of organizations including Division Chair of The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, Board President of the Niagara Frontier Industry Education Council, Board Chair of the Western New York Educational Service Council at the University of Buffalo and member of the Board of Directors of the Western New York Coalition of School Community Collaborations.

During the 2011-2013 school years, Gary mentored principals from five high schools in the City of Memphis, Tennessee. He currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Urban Principal Leadership Academy at Lehigh University as well as an executive Coach for Allentown School District principals on behalf of Lehigh.   Gary specializes in organizational analysis (systems improvement), teacher evaluation and post-observation conferencing, adult motivation theory, effective change strategies, and administrative coaching. In working with schools, he is a strong advocate of building a positive school culture starting with developing faculty consensus on Core Ideology to guide teaching and learning.

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Ed.D University of Pennsylvania, Educational Leadership
M.Ed. University of Delaware, Educational Leadership
M.Ed. University of Delaware, Curriculum & Instruction
B.S. State University of New York, College at Buffalo