Phillip A. Smith is a mid-career, Ph.D. candidate in Education Leadership, and a member of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME) at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA. Phillip joins Columbia University from the United Kingdom with over two decades of experience in senior-level school district administration, including significant experience in the leading and project management of nationally and locally driven educational transformational change management. A key and essential element of his work and experience has been working with and supporting the development and training of teacher leaders, school principals and student communities in a variety of contexts.