“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
– Nelson Mandela

An expert in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni has worked in education and human services for 20 years.  Currently the Director of School Improvement for Positive Behavior Supports Corp., he has served in a variety of positions including COO, Leadership Director, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, Behavior Analyst, and Adjunct Professor at IRSC, FAU, and NSU.  Beyond his direct work with students in poverty and those suffering from behavioral and mental health issues, Dr. Gavoni specializes in providing administrative teams, teachers, and staff with training, coaching, and consultation with analyzing and developing behavior and performance management systems to positively impact key performance indicators. As a behavior scientist, Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying organizational behavior management (OBM) strategies to establish positive environments that engage and bring out the best in people so they can bring out the best in the children they serve. 

Known for his passion and authenticity, Dr. Gavoni continues to be sought out as featured and keynote speaker at educational conferences across the country. Dr. Gavoni is co-author of Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership  and Deliberate Coaching:  A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance will be published this winter by Learning Sciences International.  In addition, he is published in academic journals on topics related to school improvement, and has published three online courses dedicated to school leadership preparation, an area he remains deeply passionate about. 

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a highly respected coach in combat sports. In 1992, he began boxing in South Florida and went on to win a Florida Golden Gloves Heavyweight Title in 1998. Since then, Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained many champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been a featured coach in the books  Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams a the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts, A Fighter’s Way, and the article Ring to Cage: How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest.  He is also an author who has has written for a variety of online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and currently for Bloody Elbow where his Fight Science series continues to bring evidenced based practices to MMA.  A co-founder of MMA Science, his current project involves the development of the first International MMA Belt Ranking System, a ground breaking process bringing tradition, organization, and science to mixed martial arts.