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 Plump has been teaching social studies in both charter and public schools for 15 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 Oliver has been a leader in New York City public education for over 17 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
Dr. Jen Gowers has been a leader in New York City public and public charter education for more than 17 years. She has expertise in managing principals and assistant superintendents, teaching from elementary school through graduate school, facilitation, curriculum design, instruction, professional development and assessment practices, as well as experience building and sustaining schools and networks from PreK-12. Jen is passionate about positively 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 Olton is an organizational growth strategist who has made impact in education and workforce development. Highlights of his work include pioneering the launch of a community adult education program model (recognized via a TEDx talk, N.A.A.C.P., as well as the United States Congress and Senate), building student career development programs for a city college, and supporting organizations through change management initiatives.
Shannon Ortiz-Wong
Educational Leader, School Leader, Literacy Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Shannon Ortiz Wong has been a leader in New York City and Connecticut public, public charter and magnet schools for more than 16 years. She has expertise in school leadership and teacher development, 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.
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 both 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 Dixon has been in leadership roles in public, public charter and non-profit organizations for more than 15 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 reaches 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 Dennis has been a celebrated teacher and leader in the New York City public charter education system for more than 15 years. Her experience and success in developing and implementing science curricula have been essential to the growth of a new high school. She has expertise in school leadership as well as specialization in science, master scheduling, programming, and assessment administration.
Aliyah Hayes-Shepard
Educational Leader, Literacy Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Aliyah Hayes Shepard has experience teaching middle and high school students in both public and charter schools in the Bronx. Over the past 16+ years, Aliyah has developed expertise as a Special Educator, ELA Teacher and school Administrator. These experiences have allowed her to excel in the areas of objective-driven lesson planning, Advanced Placement instruction, differentiated instruction, culturally responsive curriculum design, action-oriented data collection, liberatory teaching and project-based learning. Aliyah currently serves as the Directory of Academic Initiatives at Equality Charter School and she is most passionate about creating culturally responsive and sustaining literacy instruction, and creating transformative professional development for all educators.
Rene Bosolet, Jr.
Educational Leader, Special Education Expert and CoPlan It! Co-Founder
Rene Bosolet, Jr. has been a Special Educator in New York City public education for more than 17 years. He has expertise in Restorative and Transformative Practices. Rene designs creative curriculum that is both relevant and responsive, and which leads 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. He is currently creating internship readiness experiences for high school students looking to earn credits towards graduation at various sites around NYC.
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 Romano has been a high school teacher for over 16 years. She has experience teaching foreign languages 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. While teaching College Spanish through “SUNY University in the High School program,” Lisa also served as a department head of Language and Electives. She currently coaches and supervises 14 high school teachers as a Director of Instruction.
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
2024 Co-Plan It!