Clara Sale-Davis accepts no excuses for low performance. Well known for her mantra "all means all," Clara Sale-Davis inspires students to rise and meet their full potential. Born, raised, and educated in Texas, she began working in the Brazosport Independent School District in Freeport, Texas, in 1983. Clara spent the last 13 years as principal of an Intermediate School, where she elevated the underperforming middle school to a nationally recognized example of success.

Clara Sale-Davis began her career as a classroom teacher at Jane Long Elementary in Freeport, Texas. She served as principal of two different elementary schools before her leadership caught the attention of the district superintendent. Clara was then appointed principal of FIS. With her spirit of collaboration and her skill of dispersed leadership, her school evolved from a "low-performing school" to one that has commanded nationwide attention, earning the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2002. In addition, it was one of four schools nationwide to be chosen by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform as a "National School to Watch."

The best practices that define her school are featured in the books Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn; Breaking Ranks in the Middle; and Closing the Achievement Gap: No Excuses. The success of her school is reflective of Clara's determination to do whatever it takes to help students achieve. Her approach demonstrates the strategies defined in the Professional Learning Communities at Work model.

In addition to her school's accolades, Clara Sale-Davis holds numerous professional distinctions. She served on the panel of the American Institute for Research in Washington, D.C., and continues to serve on the Advisory Committee on Education. She was awarded Region IV Principal of the Year (1997-1998), and she also received the Texas Alpha Delta Kappa Excellence in Education Award. These accomplishments were noticed by the Public Education Foundation, a nonprofit reform support organization that provides leadership development, family involvement, and teacher quality programs in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Clara Sale-Davis now serves as director of the Benwood Initiative, a collaborative reform effort among the Public Education Foundation, Hamilton County Schools, and the Benwood Foundation in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Clara's current challenge is to assist and support school leaders in moving students from proficient to advanced. Still a practitioner, she works collaboratively with schools to create a PLC blueprint in order to help leaders improve their schools. A compelling and approachable speaker, Clara Sale-Davis effectively demonstrates the reality of a culture of collaboration.