The Curriculum Leadership Institute is a non-profit organization that works with school districts, consortia, service centers, state departments, and other education agencies to provide training and leadership for improving student learning.
Our Vision
To partner with school districts to ensure that all students have access to the high quality, effective education they deserve.
CLI was founded in the early 1980s by Stu Ervay, a professor at Emporia State University, in response to the increase of state mandates requiring schools to delineate curriculum and instructional programs more thoroughly than had been in the past. He found that school districts sought support for this work and therefore he created the CLI Model. Through this model, CLI provides processes for the governance and management of curriculum, instruction, and assessment work, as well as processes for working through these three critical areas to improve student learning.
Our Mission
To provide leadership in the processes for academic governance and for the creation, implementation, and assessment of curriculum that results in quality student learning.
Meet our amazing team.
Experience is key to what we do. All of our consultants began using the CLI Model as teachers and use that experience to work through issues and concerns with the districts they help.
Stacey Bruton
President & Consultant
Stacey loves the challenge of working with the unique strengths and needs of each district and says she stays organized by using copious Post-it notes. Her favorite pastime is spoiling her two bulldogs!
Laura Hatch
Consultant
Laura’s experience as a K-12 administrator, Curriculum and Instructional leader, and educational technology consultant contributes to her track record of success. It is Laura’s passion to build, develop, and facilitate teams to transform student learning.
Michael Moore
Consultant
Michael has been teaching for the past 25 years in both California and Wyoming. He has taught in a wide range of settings from public to private to homeschools to virtual. He has had the pleasure of serving on his current district’s Subject Area Committee for English Language Arts as well as on the Curriculum Coordinating Council where he has practiced the CLI Model for the past several years.
Emily Makelky
Vice President, Consultant, & Media Specialist
Just like when she was in the classroom, Emily loves it when the “lightbulb” comes on for teachers. Whether at work or in her personal life Emily enjoys making things better, which is why she likes consulting so much!
Andi Vineyard
Consultant
Andi LOVES school and LOVES seeing the connection between curriculum, assessments, and teaching strategies come together to enhance student learning. There’s nothing better than seeing the success of what is done behind the scenes in education come out as success for students!
Kiera Strecker
Project Specialist
Seeing the connection between curriculum, instruction, and assessment come alive for both teachers and students is what drives Kiera’s passion for the CLI Model. She enjoys navigating the curriculum roadmap and exploring how all of the various components fit together, complement one another, and make a lasting impact on students, teachers, and learning. She is a National Board Certified teacher as well as an Apple Learning Coach!
Ilah Gilreath
Manager of Administrative Services
Ilah has been with CLI since 1993. She has a memory like a steel trap and remembers districts from 25 years ago! She is responsible for managing the finances of CLI, including contracts and invoices, and providing support for consultants and staff as our human resources department.
Tiffany Kohl
Consultant
Tiffany has been an educator in Illinois for 19 years. She has been committed to sharing her passion for curriculum and instruction with teachers in order to make sure all students have equitable access to the highest levels of learning. She believes in making education relevant for all students and is committed to transforming instructional practice through this process. She currently serves as the leader of her district’s Curriculum Coordinating Council and has been using the CLI process since 2013.
Board of Directors
CLI is a non-profit organization committed to partnering with schools and districts to improve the quality of student learning. To accomplish that goal, CLI’s management structure must be cohesive and collaborative. Therefore, CLI’s Board of Directors has a diverse membership that includes education and community leaders who serve various constituencies, as well as selected members of the CLI staff who are in the position to know client needs and serve as advocates for the field. That unique administrative structure allows the CLI to be more open to new and emerging educational priorities, as well as to consider and help solve local issues experienced by clients.
Carol Roach – CLI Board Chairperson, former CLI President
Dan Lumley – CLI Board Vice-Chairperson, consultant/speaker, retired school district administrator
Stacey Bruton -President & Consultant
Doug Christensen – Professor of Leadership in Education, Doane College
Tim Clothier – Director, Business and Industry Center, Washburn University Institute of Technology
Dale Cushinberry – Retired school administrator
Theresa Davidson – Retired superintendent
Stuart Ervay – Former Executive Director of CLI, Professor Emeritus, Emporia State University
Kelly Gentry – District Curriculum Coordinator
Ilah Gilreath – Board Secretary/Treasurer, CLI Manager of Administrative Services
Emily Makelky – Vice President, Consultant, & Media Specialist
Ken Weaver – Professor of Psychology, Emporia State University
Interested in learning more about how CLI can help you?
Let’s talk about it.