Research-to-Practice LabsPhD in Education | Certified Principal | Author | Conference Speaker | OCT Certified

The Researcher Who Never Left the Classroom

I'm John Lambersky. I'm a practicing teacher with a PhD in education, published scholar, and certified principal. My book on research and writing, Style & Substance: Finding and Joining the Academic Conversation is assigned reading at several universities. My doctoral research examined key features of school culture – how to improve teacher morale, efficacy, commitment, and retention, in order to reach every student.I've been a Department Head at a CAIS/CIS schools for over a decade. I've led strategic planning, faculty development, and curriculum innovation. I've published peer-reviewed work in journals like Leadership and Policy in Schools and presented at international conferences on teaching practice and school improvement.I’ve launched new programs and evaluated existing ones. I’ve been active in every part of schools from coaching, to curriculum, to teaching, to working with leadership and boards on whole-school initiatives.I know what works in classrooms because I'm still in one. I know what the research says because I've contributed to it.I help schools bridge that gap.

Selected Experience Highlights

- Developed department strategic plan with qualitative and quantitative success metrics to track progress, closing gaps and driving improvement
- Launched AP Capstone program, scaling from pilot to 40% school-wide participation, and world-class scores
- Created peer observation protocols and student feedback systems for continuous instructional improvement
- Established regular faculty professional development focused on evidence-based pedagogy
- Founded The Young Researcher, the world's only scholarly journal for students by students; reached 300,000+ readers and built a Harvard University partnership
- Presented at NAIS, CAIS, AP, IBSC, and national AP conferences on curriculum and teacher development
- Led faculty hiring, onboarding, and mentorship initiatives

What I Offer:
Evidence-Based School Improvement

Most schools are so busy they make important decisions based on anecdotes and intuition. Let's do better than that.Let's see clearly through systematic research and data, understanding what's actually happening with your people, your programs, and your outcomes.

Understand Your People and Programs

School Culture

Now, more than ever, teacher retention is your competitive advantage. Through systematic surveys and in-depth interviews, I help you understand what's actually happening in your school culture. You receive a comprehensive diagnostic report with specific, actionable recommendations grounded in both data and research.Ideal for schools facing turnover, leadership transitions, or wanting to strengthen faculty morale and commitment.

Curriculum Coaching

Curriculum work is at the heart of our mission. Improving it requires both pedagogical expertise and implementation savvy. I work with schools and departments to refresh curriculum, strengthen instructional practice, and build capacity for ongoing improvement. It is targeted, evidence-based support for your specific challenges.Ideal for schools undergoing curriculum review, launching new programs, or strengthening assessment practices.

Graduate Outcomes Research

Most schools are aware of inputs – what we do for students, what our programs look like overall – but they don't have the time or the objectivity to systematically track the results: how well they're preparing students for what comes next.Through surveys and interviews with recent graduates, I help you understand what's working, what isn't, and how your current curriculum and programming should evolve based on the student experience. Without an eye on these results, the day-to-day decision making can be untethered to the needs of your students.This key information – student experience, student success, student struggles – informs strategic planning, accreditation self-studies, curriculum development, and advancement messaging with evidence rather than assumption.Ideal for schools preparing for accreditation, strategic planning cycles, or wanting to close the feedback loop between your program and student outcomes.

Approach

My work is driven by passion, not the need for scale. I take on only a few projects per year. I focus on schools that are serious about improvement and ready to act on findings. I believe in the moral necessity of building better schools, for now and for the future.I believe in evidence-based practice, and professional development that doesn't make teachers roll their eyes. We are looking for quick wins alongside longer-term sustainable change, rooted in data, not merely gut instinct.