Richard DuFour, Renowned Author and Educator, Dies at 69

BLOOMINGTON, IN--(Marketwired - February 08, 2017) - Dr. Richard DuFour, a renowned and beloved education expert and author, died on February 8, 2017 at the age of 69, following a long battle with cancer.

In a distinguished career spanning four decades, Dr. DuFour was a public-school educator, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. A prolific author and consultant, he was recognized as one of the leading authorities on helping school practitioners implement the Professional Learning Communities at Work™ process in their schools and districts. Over the course of his career, he was the author of numerous books, including the best-selling Professional Learning Communities at Work™, Learning by Doing, and In Praise of American Educators.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Rick DuFour," said Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO of Solution Tree, an educational publisher and professional development provider. "Improving schools was his life's passion, and his impressive body of work has touched the lives of thousands of students and educators. I have no doubt his work will continue to impact teaching and learning around the world for years to come."

During his 19-year tenure as a leader at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Stevenson was one of only three schools in the nation to win the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award on four occasions and the first comprehensive high school designated a New American High School as a model of successful school reform.

Dr. DuFour was named one of the Top 100 School Administrators in North America by Executive Educator magazine, was presented the Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award from the University of Illinois, and was the 2004 recipient of the National Staff Development Council's Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. DuFour is survived by his wife, Rebecca DuFour; as well as his son, Matthew; daughter-in-law, Kristin; daughter, Hannah; son-in-law, Brandon; and grandsons, Sam and Lee.

ABOUT SOLUTION TREE

For nearly 20 years, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide, empowering educators to raise student achievement. Every year we help teachers and administrators confront essential challenges, with more than 30,000 educators attending our events and more than 3,000 on-site professional development days in schools. Solution Tree has a catalog of over 400 books, videos and online courses and is the creator of Global PD, an online tool that facilitates the work of professional learning communities.