WHO WE ARE
We are a team of NYC based professional educational leadership consultants committed to enriching, encouraging, educating and empowering imaginative, influential, inspired educators with sustainable skills for strong schools.
OUR MISSION
Through a curious and collaborative spirit, we listen, learn, and leverage our exceptional team, with decades of NYC-based educational experience, and tailor to meet your specific needs. Our collaborative work results in tangible, positive outcomes for both schools and educators, which prepares our young people for a world that needs them.
OUR VISION
We are committed to using our extensive experience in educational leadership, including coaching, facilitating, teaching and learning, curriculum design, assessment, system creation/clarification and parent/community outreach. We draw on inquiry and research, in support of leaders who seek to co-create culturally responsive, committed, highly skilled educational teams.
OUR VALUES
We co-plan because we believe our diversity is our strength, and that collaboration forges continual progress toward our limitless potential. We equip teams with tools to uplift our young people, which in turn elevates our communities through transformative change, because we believe that the world will thrive when our youth thrive.
CO-PLAN IT IS A 501 C 3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Our Consulting Team
Abby Plump
Educational Leader, Social Studies Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
BA, History Binghamton University, 2007
MA, Teaching of Social Studies 7-12, Teachers College, Columbia University 2008
Abby has been teaching social studies in both charter and public schools for 10 years. She has crafted and implemented social studies curriculum, wrote and assessed data for Interim Assessments, and created classroom structures that have led to a 100% pass rate for NY State Regents for 3+ years in a row. Abby is passionate about infusing social studies curriculum with multiple modes of entry, establishing useful and effective classroom structures for management and rigorous learning, and infusing themes of social justice to encourage students to be more civically engaged.
Carl Oliver
Educational Leader, School Leader, Mathematics Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Master of Arts - School Leadership - Teachers College, Columbia University - 2009
Master of Education - Teaching & Curriculum - Harvard Graduate School of Education - 2005
Bachelor of Science - Economics - Michigan State University (MSU) - 2003
Bachelor of Arts - Mathematics - Michigan State University (MSU) - 2003
Carl has been a leader in New York City public education for over 13 years. He has expertise in curriculum design, instruction, programming, professional development, as well as experience building and sustaining new schools. Carl is passionate about repairing students relationships with math and helping schools to live their visions through their systems and structures.
Jen Gowers
Educational Leader, School Leader, District Leader, Literacy Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
EdD, English Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2012
-EdM, Secondary Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2005
-BA, English; BS, Elementary Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001
Jen has been a leader in New York City public and public charter education for more than 13 years. She has expertise in curriculum design, instruction, professional development, and assessment practices, as well as experience building and sustaining new schools and managing literacy at the district level. Jen is passionate about transforming systems, developing individual capacity and potential, and making a brighter and better society.
Errol Olton
Nonprofit Leader, Community Leader,, Program Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Bachelor of Science, Health Administration, CUNY Lehman College
Errol is a Nonprofit Director making significant impact in the Education and Healthcare fields over the past decade. He is currently the founding director of an Adult Education program, where he designed workforce development and family engagement programs to impact over 500 Bronx lives within 3 years of the program’s launch.
Shannon Ortiz-Wong
Educational Leader, School Leader, Literacy Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Shannon has been a leader in New York City and Connecticut schools for more than 12 years. She has worked in public, public charter and magnet schools. She has expertise in curriculum design, instruction, and culturally responsive literature and pedagogical practices, as well as literacy intervention and Advance Placement instruction to ensure all students are successful.
Kobi Skolnick
Leadership Development, Negotiation, and Conflict Resolution Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
M.S, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Columbia University, 2013
BA, Professional Studies (concentrations in Cross-Cultural Psychology, Cultural Studies, and World Religions), St. Francis College, 2010
Kobi is a facilitator, trainer, educator, and executive coach and has trained thousands of people worldwide in transformative leadership development, facilitation, and advocacy for social change. He is committed to making transformational change a reality through education and skill-based practice that empowers people to turn their beliefs into behaviors, and their goals into reality.
Laura Rigolosi
Educational Leader, Co-Planning Expert, Literacy Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Teachers College, Columbia University, English Education, 2015 (EdD), 1999 (MA)
Trinity College, Hartford, CT, English Literature and Italian, 1997 (BA)
Dr. Laura Rigolosi is an experienced and dynamic educator who has worked with hundreds of teachers to strengthen their curricula and pedagogy, through one-on-one mentorship and large-scale workshops in a variety of school environments. Laura’s research-based approach to teaching and learning have resulted in hundreds of teachers shifting their pedagogy, resulting in higher student engagement and student growth.
Jacob Dixon
Education Leader, Cultural Responsiveness, Special Education Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Jacob has been in leadership roles in public, public charter and non-profit organizations for more than 10 years. He brings expertise in family and community partnerships, special education, equity, cultural responsiveness, board development and adapting instruction to meet individual student needs. Jacob is dedicated to ensuring every child, family and school he connects with reach his/her/hir’s fullest potential.
Amrita Dennis
Educational Leader, Science Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
BA, Biology Education, 2009
MA, Secondary Science Education, 2010
Steinhardt School of Education, NYU
Amrita has been a part of the New York City public charter education system for more than 10 years. Her experience and success in developing and implementing science curricula have been essential to the growth of a new high school. She has leadership expertise in the science department as well as in master scheduling, programming, and test coordination.
Aliyah Hayes-Shepard
Educational Leader, Literacy Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Aliyah has experience teaching both middle school and high school. She’s had the unique experience of teaching in public and charter schools and being a founding staff member of two high schools. Over the past 12 years, Aliyah has developed experience as a Special Educator, ELA Teacher and an Administrator. These experiences have afforded her with the opportunity to excel in the areas of lesson planning, unit planning, curriculum planning and developing project based assessments.
Rene Bosolet, Jr.
Educational Leader, Special Education Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Rene has been a Special Educator in New York City public education for more than 13 years. He has expertise in Restorative and Transformative Practices. Rene designs creative curriculum that is both relevant and culturally responsive leading to instruction and assessment practices that create a warm yet rigorous experience for every student. He has experience building and sustaining authentic relationships with young people with diverse backgrounds and ability levels.
Lisa Romano
Educational Leader, Spanish Language Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
M.A., Educational Leadership, St. Peter's College, NJ
M.A, English and B.A., English (Minor in Spanish Language and Literature), Fordham University, NY
Certificate of Spanish Language/Culture, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Lisa has been a high school teacher for over 12 years. She has experience teaching foreign language in private, public and charter school settings. Through her teaching/administrative experience, Lisa has developed expertise in curriculum design, engaging instruction, lesson planning, professional development, and assessment creation.
Our Advantage
Because we visit schools individually, offer needs assessments, customize our support and partner with the leadership directly, we can tailor to your needs. We also provide comprehensive support for not just some, but every aspect of transforming schools, led by consultants with deep expertise in their fields, for tangible results.
Our Method
We believe that these elements make the magic happen in schools.
These components underpin our work together and our collective success.
Our Results
We have opened new schools and transformed struggling ones; dramatically increased results across networks and districts; created new community programs based on local needs; supported the creation of global policy for youth; started new university certificate programs; provided customized special education programming; led schools with excellence; and we stand at the forefront of thought leadership in our respective fields.
Our Services
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
Coaching
Facilitating
Professional Development
Parent and Community Outreach
Board Development
System and Structure Creation and Clarification
2019 Co-Plan It!