PowerSchool Academic Advisory Board

Dr. Jeffrey Felix

Dr. Jeffrey Felix has been an educator for over 30 years, serving 19 as a superintendent. Named Superintendent of the Year twice by the Association of California School Administrators, he continues to serve the Classroom of the Future Foundation, which named him Innovative Superintendent for 2016.  He retired from Coronado Unified School District in July 2016. He also served as Superintendent for the Bonsall USD and for the San Pasqual USD. Dr. Felix earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UCSD. He is considered an expert in 1:1 computer implementation, BYOD, Open Educational Resources (OER), and managing cultural change for the Digital Age. He is passionate about helping leaders communicate effectively to all stakeholders using a variety of methods that serve our digital society.

Jim Hodges

Governor Hodges is a partner with McGuireWoods LLP and a senior advisor with McGuireWoods Consulting LLC. He advises clients on energy, healthcare, education, economic development, and other issues, dividing his time between Washington, D.C., and Columbia, S.C.

Governor Hodges provides strategic and policy advice to a wide range of clients dealing with issues with the nation’s governors and state level Cabinet agencies. He has assisted clients on matters in all fifty states, and regularly works with clients having matters at the National Governor’s Association, Democratic Governors Association, Democratic Attorneys General Association, and National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Governor Hodges served as a national co-chair of the Obama for President Campaign in 2008, and regularly advises political and business leaders on a wide range of state, regional and national policy issues.

As governor of South Carolina, he led efforts to improve the state’s education system, including establishing the education lottery that is credited with providing more than 100,000 scholarships. He is also responsible for funding “First Steps,” a public-private preschool readiness program. Under his leadership, the South Carolina Department of Commerce achieved record breaking economic development results. Since 2003, he has been the CEO of Hodges Consulting, a business, government relations, and economic development consulting firm.

Jim received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina, South Carolina State University, The Citadel, Winthrop University and Francis Marion University. While earning his law degree at the University of South Carolina, he was a member of the mock trial team and received the Compleat Lawyer Silver Medallion. As an undergraduate, he was named Outstanding Senior in Economics.

Dr. Lorraine S. Lange

Dr. Lorraine S. Lange is the Strategic Academic Advisor for PowerSchool. She previously worked for Interactive Achievement until it was acquired by PowerSchool in February 2015. Dr. Lange is the former superintendent of Roanoke County Schools in Roanoke, VA. In 2009, Dr. Lange was named a TECH Savvy Superintendent by E-News. She was instrumental in bringing a one-to-one laptop program and a virtual high school to Roanoke County Schools twenty years ago. In 2011, Lange was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year and was selected as one of four finalists for National Superintendent of the Year. She was also selected by the U.S. Department of Education as one of 100 superintendents nationally to attend the National Connected Superintendents Summit at the White House in 2014. She is excited to support the PowerSchool organization.

Dr. Richard Middleton

Dr. Middleton served as Regional Vice President of the Southwest Region of The College Board from 2011 to 2016. He served as Superintendent of the North East Independent School District from 1990 to 2011, leading the district to develop the award-winning comprehensive Wellness and Environmental Health. His honors include 2011 State Superintendent of the Year for Texas (AASA) and the Texas Health Champion Award from the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at the University of Texas and Live Smart Texas. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. He served on the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Ken O'Connor

Ken O’Connor is widely recognized as an industry expert in issues related to the communication of student achievement, especially K-12 grading and reporting. He has been a staff development presenter and facilitator on assessment, grading and reporting in 47 states, 9 Canadian provinces and 1 territory, and 25 countries outside North America. Ken enjoyed a 23-year classroom teaching career and for 10 years was the Curriculum Coordinator responsible for Student Assessment and Evaluation and Geography for the Scarborough (Ontario) Board of Education. He is the author of How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards (4^th edition), The School Leaders Guide to Grading, A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades, and Fifteen Fixes for Broken Grades: A Repair Kit. Articles written by Ken have appeared in the NASSP Bulletin, Educational Leadership, and School Administrator. Ken has an M.Ed. from the University of Toronto as well as a B.A. (Hon) and a Diploma of Education from the University of Melbourne.

Tim Throne

Tim Throne has over 27 years of experience in diverse academic and corporate settings. He currently serves as Superintendent of Oxford Community Schools, where he has spearheaded several of Oxford’s signature programs. In the private sector, he worked for Andersen Consulting, Whirlpool Corporation, and Data Management Consultants, in positions that allowed him to help organizations implement executive information systems. Tim’s work experience with many clients in the education sector led him to secure his first position inside of a public school district. He has been in education ever since, completing his MSBO Technology Management certification, Executive MBA, Central Office certification, and the MASA’s Courageous Journey program.