Jim Warford, senior advisor and keynote speaker for the International Center for Leadership in Education, works with states, districts, and schools to provide coaching and executive training and support to school leaders and staff.

Jim was named in March 2003 as Florida’s first chancellor of K-12 public schools. He served until September 2005 when he stepped down to become executive director of the Florida Association of School Administrators, representing more than 10,000 Florida school leaders.

As Florida’s chancellor, he led the creation and state-wide implementation of the Florida Continuous Improvement Model (FCIM), which resulted in the state’s dramatic gains in student achievement and an 80 percent reduction in the number of low-performing schools. FCIM remains Florida’s required intervention for all low-performing schools.

As superintendent of Marion County Public Schools in Florida, he first implemented the Continuous Improvement Model district-wide. As a result, school grades went from three Fs, eight Ds, and only one A in 1999, to 20 As, 16 Bs, and no Fs in 2003. Under his leadership, the high school dropout rate was cut in half.

Jim taught applied technology courses at the high school level for 17 years and created a computer graphics/video production program that won many national and state awards. He was named Vanguard High School Teacher of the Year three separate times.