Hi, I'm Heather Clayton Staker.
I study the schools reinventing education, and help educators build what comes next.
About me
For more than 20 years, I've been asking one question: what does it take to give every child a joyful, high-performing education?
That question took me from Harvard to McKinsey to the Clayton Christensen Institute, where I co-authored Blended with Michael Horn and helped define the blended-learning models schools now use around the world. It has since led me from research into building, through Guide School, World Microschools, and Zero School in Indonesia.
Today I split my time between studying the new generation of schools and helping educators put the best ideas into practice.
What I'm working on now
I'm writing a new book. Schools like Acton Academy, Alpha School, Khan Lab School, Prenda, Ad Astra, and Zero School are replacing conventional instruction with AI-powered learning apps, human mentorship, and hands-on projects. I'm visiting, interviewing, and comparing them to understand what works, what doesn't, and what the rest of education can learn.
I'm also building. Through Guide School, I help train the adults, whom we call Guides, who coach and mentor students while software handles direct instruction.
Where I've been
- Clayton Christensen Institute
Senior Research Fellow, now Adjunct Fellow; co-authored Classifying K–12 Blended Learning with Michael B. Horn - Author
Blended and The Blended Workbook, plus research on micro-credentials and Singapore and Malaysia case studies - Ready to Blend
Founded a training group that certified blended-learning facilitators - McKinsey & Company
Strategy consultant - California State Board of Education
Student member under Governor Pete Wilson - Harvard
BA magna cum laude in Government; MBA with distinction, Harvard Business School
Read my research
Blended
The book on blended learning and disruptive innovation in schools, co-authored with Michael B. Horn.
Blended Workbook
A companion workbook of annotated blended-learning plans for schools.
How to Create Higher-Performing, Happier Classrooms in 7 Moves: A Playbook for Teachers
A practical playbook for teachers ready to redesign their classrooms, published by the Clayton Christensen Institute.
Microcredentialing
Research on student-centered educator competencies and micro-credentials.
Malaysia
A case study of Malaysian teachers implementing a student-driven learning model.
Singapore Pilot 2
A case study of a second Singapore pilot, this time with six schools.
Singapore Pilot 1
A case study of a pilot at Fairfield Methodist School in Singapore.
Disruptive?
Christensen, Horn, and Staker on whether blended learning is disruptive.
Classifying K-12
An early paper defining blended learning and its taxonomy of models.
Western Governors
An investigation of the information system behind a competency-based education model.
Learn with me
Two ways to keep learning with me, if you would like to go further.
Live webinar: Alpha School: Hype, Hope, or the Future of Education?
Nov 18, 2026, 4pm PT / 7pm ET, $17, live only.
RegisterCourse: From Teacher to Guide
A self-paced, 15-hour course developed with Arizona State University and the Christensen Institute, with an ASU certificate, for $147.
Explore the courseWant me to speak, consult, or partner with your school?
Follow the reinvention of school.
Occasional essays, research notes, and updates as I write my next book.
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