Projects
We work with change leaders in education. Specifically leaders who want to change the traditional factory model of education. Here are a few sample projects:
Research/Advisory
Woodrow Wilson Foundation
Project(s): In support of the foundation’s strategic priorities:
- Organized west coast and east coast school visits for the foundation President and accompanied him on the trip
- Conducted research and compiled report on the K-12 transformational landscape
- Conducted research and compiled report on new teacher competencies for the Woodrow Wilson Academy
“The results of working with Julie were better than I could have imagined and our partnership helped set the stage for our current work at the foundation. One of the limitations we all have in terms of thinking about change is our prior experience, in many ways, we are walled in by our prior experience. My experience with Julie helped to stretch those limits. Julie is terrific to work with; as well as being creative, she also does something that’s terribly traditional and important - she works on deadlines and makes those deadlines. She is creative, smart and dependable - it ain’t a bad combination. I think she is a national resource - I know no one else like her.”
EdGrow, Stockholm, Sweden and Naples, FL
Project(s): Leading Edge Assessment Practices:
- Conducted research, interviewed thought leaders and wrote report on ‘Assessing the Learning that Matters Most’. Download here. [Link to report].
- Presented findings at SNS Stockholm
- Built an open source database of assessment practices - designed by and for educators
“Julie is both smart and warm - she has a clear vision and knows how to get results. She is a great collaborator who is able to incorporate different kinds of perspectives into the process. She was able to take our ideas and draft a plan that fit our needs and area of interest. We would never have gotten these insights if it weren’t for our partnership.“
Next High School
Project(s): Advisor and support to the CEO as he launched a new model of High School in Greenville, SC
- Accompanied CEO on school visits as he drafted the vision for the school
- Presented at introductory community event, providing context to the new school model
- Designed and facilitated founding faculty summer retreat Ongoing advisory with the CEO
“Julie’s biggest impression upon our school’s DNA was challenging the batch processing paradigm. Her encouragement had us think that there is a big difference between student-centered and human-centered. This has gone deep into our processes - we will never treat our kids as students, we treat them as humans. That’s her legacy at Next High School.”
Workshops
Client: River Valley Charter School (RVCS), Newburyport MA
Project(s): In support of revitalizing the Montessori experience:
- Designed and facilitated board retreats
- Designed and facilitated 'learning history' with faculty and staff
- Designed and facilitated community meeting with RVCS families and RVCS alumni
- Consulted on process and helped facilitate meetings as teacher-led teams drafted the RVCS Habits of Learning - these habits became a schoolwide curriculum map called The Peace Education Curriculum Map
“Our partnership with Julie didn’t just help us with one initiative, it helped build habits and cultural norms that have outlived that work and allowed us to continue to learn, grow and improve our school in positive ways.
Throughout this multi-year process, Julie was vital to our perseverance and commitment. When I and my leadership team would meet with her, we would come out of those leadership meetings all fired up about the work and how far it would go. She works in a way that brings people on board. She underscores the importance of everyone having a voice in the process.”
Client: Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL), Potomac, MD
Project(s): In support of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning’s mission to create and innovate in the field of Mind, Brain and Education Science:
- Founding Faculty Member of the CTTL Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy
- Designed and facilitated workshops for school and district leaders on leading meaningful and sustainable change
“For district or state level change, the path needs to be clear and the language needs to be accessible. Julie creates that common framework and language with our participants and it helps move people along their unique path of change.”
School Partnership
Client: Tilton School, Tilton, NH
Project(s): In support of the curricular and pedagogical redesign of the Tilton Experience:
- Designed and facilitated a series of professional development sessions at the Tilton summer institutes,
- Presented assessment report and facilitated initial discussions on assessing the learning the school values
- Facilitated Mastery Transcript Consortium team role clarification
- 1:1 coaching with the Academic Dean and his team (Learning Leaders)
- Presented at a number of all-Faculty meetings
- Co-designed ‘individual growth plan’ process
- Led professional development sessions on leading change with strengths (watch video for more info)
“Through our work with Julie, pockets of deep engagement are taking root and expanding. For example, students are now leaving the school for a month to take on a real service project - now we have students in the Dominican Republic living with families in poverty and helping to build a community baseball field. More and more students are engaging in meaningful work and learning (for example, one student is currently spending half a year in Washington), these kind of things were not happening before. We keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible and Julie helps us push.
She has been our partner during this process of change and we will continue working with her; we onboard new Faculty every year and want to keep her around. Change is hard, we know that, but she also encourages us to see that it is fun work, to imagine what you might be and then to sometimes inch, sometimes motor your way towards that North Star.”
Client List:
Lawrence Public Schools, Lawrence MA
Ortiz Middle School, Santa Fe NM
Warwick Valley Central School District, Warwick NY
Watertown Public Schools
Lighthouse Academies Charter School Network
The Bolles School, Jacksonville, FL
Chandler School, Pasadena FL
Tilton School, Tilton NH
The Green Vale School, Glen Head NY
Catlin Gabel School, Portland OR
The Hill School, Pottstown PA
King Abdullah Academy, Herndon VA
Center for Transformational Leadership, Dallas TX
Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, Potomac MD
Next High School, Greenville SC
River Valley Charter School, Newburyport MA
Woodrow Wilson Foundation
EdGrow
Xplore
LearnLaunch