Tom Schimmer

Tom Schimmer is an independent education author, speaker, and consultant from Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). He is recognized as a leader and expert in the areas of assessment for learning, sound grading practices, educational leadership, and positive behavior interventions and supports.

Tom has been an educator since 1991. His teaching career began at Vancouver College in Vancouver, BC where he spent 7 years (1991-1998) as a full-time classroom teacher having taught a variety of subjects from grades 7-12. He then spent the next 11 years as a school administrator. After spending one-year (1998-99) as the Assistant Principal for the Senior School (10-12) at Vancouver College, Tom moved to School District No. 67 in Penticton, BC (Canada) where he was a middle school (6-8) Assistant Principal for 7 years (1999-2006) and a High School (9-12) Assistant Principal for three (2006-2009). In 2009, Tom was appointed to the position of District Principal (2009-2011) where he was a member of the senior management team and was responsible for overseeing the efforts to support & build the instructional capacities of teachers & administrators throughout the district.

Tom is an experienced, sought-after presenter who has delivered both keynote and workshop sessions and major conferences, as well as for schools and/or school districts, internationally. Highlights include (in no particular order):

• A regular keynote and breakout presenter at the Pearson-ATI Summer Assessment Conference (July) and Sound Grading Practices Conference (December) in Portland, OR since 2007.
• Keynote presentations at the Kentucky Leadership Academy (June 2012) as well as the Alberta Math Teachers’ Conference (Oct. 2012).
• Intensive workshops for Saigon South International School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (August 2011) and Shanghai American School in Shanghai, China (March 2012), Yangon International School, Myanmar (Sept. 2013), and Shanghai United International School in Shanghai, China (August 2014).
• Featured presenter on the BCELC’s province-wide webcast on Assessment for Learning (October 2008)
• Lead PBIS facilitator for the Departments of Education in both Nova Scotia (2004-08) and Newfoundland (2005-07).
• Lead facilitator for the British Columbia PBIS Coaches’ Training (2003-2006)
• Tom’s first book, Ten Things that Matter from Assessment to Grading, was published by Pearson Canada (May 2011) and Pearson ATI (January 2013). Tom’s next book, Grading from the Inside Out: Developing a Standards-Based Mindset,is scheduled to be published in the fall of 2015 (Solution Tree).

Tom holds a Teaching Degree from Boise State University (1990) and a Master’s Degree (Curriculum & Instruction) from the University of British Columbia (1999).