As the head of Suffolk, Virginia-based Successline, Inc., Deborah Wahlstrom has engaged with school improvement teams spanning seven states and trained more than 500 educators through a year-long coaching program focused on fact-based analysis of teaching and student achievement. Deborah Wahlstrom took on emergency superintendent responsibilities with the Mt. Clemens Community School District in Michigan in 2012, when it faced a serious deficit and the possibility of closure, and managed to turn the priority district around.

As the superintendent, Ms. Wahlstrom has employed sophisticated data analysis as a way of increasing student achievement. She has emphasized building strong relationships with community organizations while overseeing the development of school improvement tools.

Successful partnerships Ms. Wahlstrom has led include Pathways to Potential in tandem with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Through this program, professionals from the agency are provided to the school to fulfill targeted goals. Through a Winner’s Circle Church partnership, district volunteers are presented with awards for their sustained school improvement efforts. Students are also eligible to receive cash awards for behavioral success and academic achievement.