Richard DuFour

Richard DuFour (1947–2017) was an American educator, author, and consultant known for his work on professional learning communities in K–12 schools. He earned a B.A. from Illinois State University and spent 34 years as a public-school educator, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent; he later worked as an educational consultant based in Moneta, Virginia.

DuFour co-authored influential PLC titles including Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, and Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work: Proven Insights for Sustained, Substantive School Improvement. He was widely recognized as one of the leading authorities on helping schools implement the PLC at Work™ process and also contributed articles and video resources on school improvement.