Michael Copland

Dr. Mike Copland joined Bellingham Public Schools in the summer of 2013 to serve as Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. He began his teaching career at Whatcom Middle School, later becoming assistant principal there and went on to lead Shuksan and Fairhaven middle schools as principal during the 1990s.

Dr. Copland served as a lead senior program officer on the U.S. team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation prior to returning to Bellingham. Copland previously served as associate professor and chair of the area of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Washington College of Education, and directed the Leadership for Learning Ed. D. program there. Earlier, Copland served as a faculty member and director of the Prospective Principals Program at Stanford University.