Experienced and trained in the latest research and best practices of teaching and learning, with a unique understanding of independent schools.
MALIKA CARTER
DE&I & K-12 Instructional Coaching
Malika is a teacher, coach, and curriculum developer. She taught for 20+ years and continues to keep her foot in the classroom. Malika has spent several summers at Harvard Ed school’s Project Zero as a participant and faculty member. She brings this expertise to her curriculum coaching and uses several of these frameworks when working with teachers and schools. Malika’s teaching practice is grounded in trust, transparency, and constructivism and she brings these values and beliefs to her coaching practice. When we build strong curriculum that engages students, they are able to bring their full selves to the classroom and own their learning. Currently Malika is the Director of Curriculum Continuity at Live Oak School in San Francisco.
ELIZABETH DENEVI
Executive, Leadership, DE&I, Team, and Instructional Coaching
Elizabeth directs East Ed, a non-profit dedicated to supporting equity and diversity in schools and community organizations. She is also the co-founder of Teaching While White. She was a classroom teacher for 10 years and served as an administrator for 15 years at several independent PreK-12 schools. As a coach, her role is to help clients gain clarity in the steps they want to pursue to make their practice more equitable. She believes that with time for reflection and critical inquiry, all teachers and leaders can identify what they need to grow and develop their practice. Her role is to listen and to reflect back what she observes and to ask questions from a place of curiosity. She coaches teachers at all grade levels as well as school leaders.
LIZA GLEASON
Leadership, DE&I, and Instructional Coaching Elementary and Middle School
Liza draws coaching experience from her 25 years in the classroom, teaching elementary and middle school students. She became increasingly focused on equity as a teacher but could only do so through coaching and mentorship. As a coach, Liza strives to help educators deepen their understanding of their identity as it connects to all aspects of their work with children. Liza believes that a trusting and empathetic relationship with a coach can enable educators to gain the courage and understanding needed to address injustices in their classrooms and schools and create environments where all children belong. Liza is an instructional coach for individuals and teaching teams and leads dialogue groups for white educators. She recently completed her Educational Doctorate at Mills College, where her research focused on white women teachers. Liza is also available to coach aspiring, new, and experienced mid-level leaders.
DANIEL GUTIERREZ
Leadership, Instructional, and Team Coaching High School, Departments
Daniel has worked as an instructional coach, consultant, and team facilitator for over ten years. Daniel's core values include collaboration, growth, support, and trust. He believes people work best when they feel supported and connected with colleagues; that people feel inspired to do their best work when they feel challenged and when their work efforts are celebrated; and that everyone is capable of growth. Daniel is currently serving as the Director of Teaching and Learning at Harvard-Westlake. Prior to his current position he served as the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Director of Professional Development and Instructional Design at Windward School. His vision for instructional coaching is informed by Wiggins and McTiighe's work on Understanding by Design, Harvard University's Project Zero (Visible Thinking), Carol Ann Dweck's Summer Institute for Academic Diversity, David Barkan's work on group facilitation, and Elena Aguilar's work on individual and team coaching. Daniel is also available to coach aspiring, new, and experienced mid-level leaders.
MEREDITH HERRERA
DE&I and Leadership Coaching
Meredith (she/ella) is a highly organized systems thinker and operational strategist with nearly 20 years of diverse experience working with young people and adults. She has a Masters of Education in Human Development focused in School Counseling and is completing her Executive Coaching certification. She is skilled in strategic planning, personnel coaching, communication management, and has served as a senior administrator in several schools. As a consultant, Meredith works with schools and leaders to co-create transformative environments that promote equity, belonging, and community. As a coach, Meredith empowers and supports educators - to achieve goals, operate strategically, enhance managerial skill, navigate thorny issues, and manage overwhelm. She is particularly passionate about helping BIPOC identifying educators thrive in primarily white institutions (PWIs) and believes that access to professional coaching for BIPOC educators by BIPOC educators is critical. Coaching engagements are influenced by data driven practices and equity design and clients can expect meetings to be lively, relevant, and pragmatic.
DR. ALYSON KANESHIRO
DE&I and K-12 Instructional Coaching
Alyson has over 15 years of experience working in public and private educational organizations. Alyson is a trained SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) facilitator and is a graduate of the first Ed.D cohort at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa; a program that prepares professionals like Alyson to become educational leaders who work collaboratively, apply research and theory to practice, reflect critically and ethically, and utilize broad, interdisciplinary perspectives to advance social justice. As a learning specialist, Alyson regularly coaches colleagues, parents, and students to develop an understanding of how students with learning challenges can overcome learning obstacles within the context of identity and systems of oppression such as ableism, classism, and racism. Alyson has a passion for helping clients honor their innate gifts and talents as they navigate the emotions and challenges associated with taking purposeful action to address inequities within our school systems. Alyson is available to coach learning specialists interested in exploring the intersectionalities of identity and oppression and educators looking to create more equitable opportunities for neurodiverse learners in their classrooms.
SHELLEY LAWRENCE M.Ed
Executive, Leadership, and Instructional
Shelley is the founder of Schoolhouse Collaborative and an educational consultant in Los Angeles who works with both schools and families. With over 30 years of experience in teaching and school leadership, Shelley assists administrators in creating long range strategic plans, planning and implementing teacher evaluation systems, and structuring and implementing curricular change. Her deep and broad understanding of all areas of the curriculum, best practice pedagogy and social emotional learning assist her in evaluating educational programs and working with school administrators to identify areas of curricular and instructional weakness and plan and implement change. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in History, California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and M.Ed from UCLA. She is currently completing certification in coaching with the Co-Active Training Institute. When she is not thinking about education and coaching, Shelley enjoys baking sourdough bread, cheering on the Dodgers and UCLA and exercising.
ERIN NORDLUND
Leadership and Instructional
Erin is currently a K-12 Director of Teaching and Learning at Chadwick School. Prior to her current position she was Chadwick's Curriculum Specialist and, before that, the English Department Chair and Interim Dean of Students. Erin has developed, led, and presented on a wide range of school-wide, divisional, and departmental curriculum, instruction, grading and assessment, leadership, and wellness initiatives and programming and has 20 years of teaching experience. Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California.
DR. ROCHELLE REODICA
Executive, Leadership, Instructional, and DE&I Coaching
Rochelle is a DEIB consultant and leadership coach who brings over 20 years of experience as an educational leader in both the public and private sectors including the NYC Board of Education, Sylvan Learning Centers in Manhattan, and various independent schools in New York and California. She has served as a Division Head, Director of Learning Services, Middle School Diversity Coordinator, Grade Dean, Human Development instructor, and learning specialist in K-12 schools. Rochelle uses a strengths-based approach and applies deep listening to amplify clients’ strengths while acknowledging their blindspots and growth edges. Her intersectional identities as a woman of color, mother, scholar, and leader influence the equity lens she brings to her coaching practice. Through self-reflection and inquiry, she aims to develop leaders who are culturally responsive and anti-racist. Rochelle is available to coach instructional teams and aspiring, new, and experienced leaders.
REBECCA RUSSELL
Leadership, Instructional, and Team Coaching Elementary and Middle School
Rebecca brings 15 years of classroom teaching, integrated curricular design, team facilitation, and a background in vocal performance to her work as an instructional coach. She currently serves as the Director of Teaching and Learning at Saint Mark’s School in Altadena and was previously the Director of Curriculum (K-8) at Westside Neighborhood School. She has worked in both public and independent schools, and she started her career as an advertising account executive specializing in Broadway musicals. This diversity of experience grounds her coaching practice in empathy, perspective, and partnership, and centers her pedagogy in equity, belonging, authentic application, and joy. Rebecca holds a B.A. in drama from Tufts University and a Master of Arts in education from Pepperdine University. Rebecca is also available to coach aspiring, new, and experienced mid-level leaders
TAMISHA WILLIAMS
Leadership and DE&I Coaching
Tamisha is an equity practitioner with a background in art, education, and counseling. Tamisha’s core values include equity, health, and integrity. These show up in her coaching practice as a focus on the whole individual, their health and wellness central to the conversation, while supporting educators as they stretch themselves to have their actions closely aligned with their intentions and aspirations. Tamisha is a dynamic facilitator, transformational leader, coach, and practitioner in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through the use of movement and storytelling, Tamisha inspires educators to deepen their equity and racial-literacy skills. Tamisha is also available to coach aspiring, new, and experienced mid-level leaders.