From Educator to Change Maker: Tammy Quist’s Vision for Leadership
- Feb 27
- 4 min read
Tammy Quist’s career journey from teacher to leadership consultant is a testament to her commitment to empowering individuals and teams. Her passion for education and transformation spans over three decades, offering valuable insights on leadership and the importance of empowering others to succeed.
In her early years as a classroom teacher, Tammy was tasked with nurturing the growth of her students, helping them excel academically. At the time, teachers were isolated in their classrooms, responsible for delivering lessons behind closed doors to 180 students within a single school day. “I was lonely—not exactly sure if I was doing it ‘right,” she recalls. The first three months of her teaching career were challenging, with sleepless nights spent questioning her abilities. However, two influential principals, Merle Fowler and Rosaria Williams, mentored her, empowering her and building her confidence. This support helped her to thrive, and soon she became one of the most active teachers on staff, serving as a coach, yearbook and newspaper advisor, and gifted and talented coordinator.
Tammy’s early success as a teacher sparked a love for professional development and leadership consulting. She was encouraged to apply for a mentor teacher position and was selected, which marked the beginning of her dedication to leadership. As she navigated her way through various roles, including principal, consultant, and school board member, Tammy learned an important lesson: the key to high student achievement lies in hiring, training, and retaining exceptional teachers.
“Empowering the people you serve is the key to leveraging success,” Tammy reflects. As her career progressed, she realized that the true hallmark of leadership was not about doing everything oneself, but about helping others develop their leadership capacity.
One of the most significant milestones in Tammy’s career has been her work through the Leadership Academy, which has facilitated remarkable transformations in schools. A standout example is her work with the Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico School District in rural Illinois. This district serves a modest student body of 743, with 62 teachers spread across three schools. When Tammy first began working with this district three years ago, it faced several challenges, including a lack of leadership structures and limited professional development opportunities.
Through the Leadership Academy, Tammy helped develop a shared vision of leadership that involved teachers and included a peer coaching model. The impact was profound. “Since then, we have seen steady growth in student outcomes,” Tammy shares. In fact, the middle school was designated as Exemplary, with the highest reading scores and most significant reading growth in the area.
The real transformation, however, was evident in the classrooms. Students became active participants in their learning journey. They set goals, tracked their progress, and took ownership of their learning.
In Angie Schroeder’s seventh-grade English-Language Arts classroom, students now work collaboratively to solve academic and social problems, with minimal teacher interference. This increased student agency has led to a 36-point increase in standardized test scores in just one year.
According to principal Kara Kullerstrand, the transformation is also visible in the elementary schools. “The transparency of telling students what they are learning has led to students gaining confidence with the content,” she explains. By encouraging students to model and teach each other, they gain confidence not only in their academics but also in their ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.
Tammy’s advocacy for women and children is deeply rooted in her own life experiences. Growing up as a child of a single mother, she saw firsthand the struggles faced by women and children, especially those from underserved communities. Her own journey as a single mother further deepened her empathy and passion for advocating for those who are most vulnerable.
“Women, children, and the underserved often are the most vulnerable in our society, which is why I have a special place for helping them,” Tammy says. Her commitment to helping others is inspired by the teachers who helped her during difficult times in her own life, providing support when her parents struggled to make ends meet. Tammy’s experience with mentorship and the assistance she received from those teachers shaped her desire to “be the helper” for others.
As a result of her experiences, Tammy has dedicated herself to serving the underserved, particularly women and children, and continues to integrate this passion into her professional life.
In addition to her work in education and consulting, Tammy is a firm believer in the power of civic engagement in fostering leadership skills. Her experiences as a social studies teacher reinforced the importance of being an active participant in one’s community.
She frequently draws on the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” to guide her work. For Tammy, leadership is not about being a victim of circumstances but about creating the world you want to live in by taking proactive steps toward change.
Tammy’s civic engagement is evident in the work she does as a community leader, where she encourages others to get involved and take action. She reminds others that change doesn’t happen in isolation—it requires collaboration and action from those who share a common purpose. By finding one’s passion, joining a tribe, and taking action, change becomes a collective effort that has the potential to transform communities.
From her early struggles as a teacher to her success as a leadership consultant, Tammy Quist has seen the power of empowerment firsthand. Through her experiences, she has learned that true leadership is not about controlling every aspect of a situation but about nurturing and developing the leadership potential of others. Her work with the Leadership Academy, her advocacy for women and children, and her belief in the importance of civic engagement have all shaped her holistic approach to leadership.
As she reflects on her journey, Tammy is reminded of the words of Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Tammy’s career has been a journey of helping others achieve greatness and empowering them to lead with confidence. Through her leadership and advocacy, she continues to inspire others to believe in their own capacity for change and transformation.
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