Charting a Clear Path to Success
With decades of experience and cutting-edge, research-based strategies, Compass PD provides the tools and insights you need to impact learning.
Our Mission
At Compass PD, we believe that transforming student learning starts with empowering educators through a systems approach that ensures every stakeholder—teachers, leaders, and administrators—works in harmony. Our mission is to build capacity within school districts by delivering customized, research-driven professional learning and comprehensive resources. By focusing on foundational growth, we help districts create sustainable change, elevate confidence, and foster leadership across their teams, ensuring long-term success in student achievement.
Our Story
Dr. Carrie Hepburn, our founder, launched Compass PD after over 20 years in public education. Her experience spans more than two decades in the classroom and leadership roles in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. While working on high-stakes assessments for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Dr. Hepburn recognized a critical gap: educators were often left without the professional development needed to make lasting, systemic changes in schools. This realization became the driving force behind Compass PD.
At Compass PD, we believe that transforming student learning starts with empowering educators. Our team of expert practitioners, each with a proven track record of success, brings both research and real-world experience to every district we serve. We don't follow trends; we follow evidence. Our customized, unscripted approach ensures that the professional development we provide is tailored to the unique needs of every school, every leader, and every educator.
What makes us different is our commitment to relationships and a systems approach. We invest time in getting to know each district deeply, understanding its people, its challenges, and its goals. By focusing on the entire system—communication, curriculum, assessment, and data protocols—we create processes that drive sustainable, long-term success. At Compass PD, we don’t just deliver professional development; we build capacity, foster confidence, and inspire growth, helping educators and school leaders achieve excellence and transform student outcomes.
Our Values and Principles
At Compass PD, we are much like a compass tool, having a core value and four guiding principles:
