Get to know Rachel Modica-Russell!

Rachel with daughter Simone, son Quincy, and wife Alice!

Get to know our team! This month, Jess will be sharing an interview with each of the Hendy team members to help you get to know us better. Click here to read Jess’s interview with Jeremy Abarno. Next up, our newest team member Rachel Modica-Russell! Rachel joined the team in May 2023 after serving as Managing Director of Talent at Explore Schools. Rachel was also a member of Hendy’s first Chief Talent Officer cohort. Read on to get to know Rachel.

You’ve worked with many clients in your two years at Hendy. What is one project you’ve found most interesting? 

I don’t get the sense that what you’re looking for is me to respond with an, “ALL of them!” but that’s genuinely how I feel 🙂. In my two years with the Hendy team, I’ve supported work across performance evaluation practices, AI learning, skill-building, and compensation strategies. One project that particularly resonated with me was helping PAVE Academy in Brooklyn develop a compensation philosophy that would both capture their current approach and guide future efforts to compensate staff equitably and competitively.

What made this work special was the PAVE team’s thoughtfulness and their unwavering belief that students should be at the center of all decision-making. They deeply understand the critical role excellent educators and staff play in fulfilling their mission. This project aligned with what I’ve built my career around—creating the organizational infrastructure that attracts, retains, and enables staff to thrive while doing incredibly demanding work. Helping PAVE weave their organizational values into their compensation practices was so meaningful, and I’m grateful to have supported them at this pivotal point in their journey.

Your work supporting PAVE to incorporate their organizational values into their compensation practices is a great example of how the work that our clients do reflects what they deeply care about. You’ve accomplished a lot with your clients; what is one accomplishment you are most proud of?

One accomplishment I’m particularly proud of is how I’ve helped organizations translate their values into tangible policies and practices. At Hendy, I’ve worked with several clients to build systems that don’t just look good on paper but actually create environments where talented practitioners want to grow in and stay over time. 

What makes this meaningful is seeing the ripple effects—when an organization implements more equitable compensation practices or creates more effective evaluation systems, it directly impacts staff retention and satisfaction, which ultimately benefits students. Though the impact isn’t always immediately measurable, the feedback from clients about how our work has transformed their approach to talent management confirms we’re moving in the right direction. Building these bridges between organizational values and day-to-day practices is where I find the most pride in my work.

What’s your favorite part about working with the Hendy team and our clients?

It is such a privilege working alongside such talented educators, leaders, and strategists in our field. I take great comfort and pride in the fact that our team and clients are aligned around a shared mission to improve educational outcomes and opportunities for students.

What I treasure most about the Hendy team is the authentic way we show up for each other. Check-ins with Hendy teammates are this beautiful combination of celebrating personal and professional milestones, supporting one another through challenges, and providing consultative services to each other—we pack a lot into our weekly hour together! The blend of expertise, humor, and genuine care creates an environment where the work feels meaningful and sustainable, even when facing complex challenges in education.

Rachel, you are such a critical part of our team culture – you bring such joy to those weekly meetings! What might people not know about you?

Silly: I am not a boardgame person, at ALL. Am I playful? Yes! Do I love to connect with people? Yes! Will I willingly opt into rules and parameters as part of my free time? Never.

Editor’s note: Jess loves boardgames and so had to promise Rachel not to incorporate games into our next team retreat.

More sincere: I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from a four-year college. Since then, I’ve had the joy of cheerleading a sibling and both of my parents as they continue their respective educational journeys. Education has always been incredibly important to my family; we read and wrote often, debated endlessly, and were given lots of space to explore, play, and question as kids. It’s been profoundly moving to watch my parents reactivate their own educational pursuits after long careers and years of prioritizing our well-being and opportunities. Their journey reinforces my belief in education as a lifelong pursuit that can transform at any stage.

It’s so important to take inspiration from those around us, especially in challenging times. Work in education right now is difficult – what keeps you going?

My kids, your kids, all kids. Now more than ever, I feel compelled to address the hard questions related to staffing and sustaining schools. What drives me daily is the vision of schools filled with compassionate, prepared, and well-resourced adults who create spaces where all students can thrive, learn, and be academically challenged.

When the work gets particularly difficult, I remind myself that every policy we help craft, every leader we coach, or system we refine ultimately creates better conditions for students. The educational inequities in our system aren’t inevitable—they’re the result of choices, and I believe deeply in our ability to make different, better choices that create more equitable outcomes for students. That possibility is what keeps me going, even on the toughest days.

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing more about you and your work! Our team and clients are grateful for the commitment and joy you bring to our work every day. 

Get to know Jeremy Abarno!

Jeremy with his sweet family: Marlon, Lucia, Eve, and Vivian

Anyone who has worked with Hendy knows how fantastic our team is. This month, Jess will be sharing an interview each each of the Hendy team members to help you get to know us better. First up, Jeremy Abarno! Jeremy joined Hendy in 2019 and serves as a pivotal support for clients at Chicago Public Schools, Hebrew Public Schools, and more. Read on to get to know Jeremy.

You make such an impact on our clients and the students they serve. What is one interesting project you’ve worked on in your time at Hendy?

I’ve had the great fortune to work on so many great projects at Hendy. A recent example that I found very interesting was working with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of Educator Effectiveness to design training for chiefs and deputy chiefs in their role as principal supervisors. CPS launched a new school leader evaluation program 3 years ago. Through great collaborative efforts between departments they have dedicated time and resources to sharing best practices and elevating evaluation practices. The opportunity to work with the Office of Educator Effectiveness to design workshops that aim to ensure that evaluation is not just fair, calibrated and accurate but also oriented towards the growth of school leaders has been challenging and very fulfilling. 

It’s been so awesome to see the focus be on growth for school leaders, and your work supporting a system like CPS means hundreds of thousands of kids will benefit. What is one accomplishment from your time at Hendy that you are most proud of?

I have a passion for conceptual math instruction and helping school leaders and teachers understand the capacity of all students to engage in high level mathematics. Through my work at Hendy Avenue, I’ve had the chance to coach school leaders in mathematics instructional leadership at multiple schools. Some of the schools that I’ve worked with over the past years have made double digit gains in math proficiency, and have built a culture of intellectual engagement for teachers and for students. Kids are grappling with big ideas and meaningful applications of what they’re learning. It’s pretty exciting to think about how these students will apply their learning in the future. 

I know our clients really appreciate your thoughtful and compassionate coaching style as you work with math teachers and leaders. It shows in student results! What’s your favorite part about working with the Hendy team and our clients?

The camaraderie that comes from working on something very challenging but with a common goal and mutual respect. It’s pretty cool to work with folks who are both committed to confronting deep injustices and take the problem very seriously but at the same time don’t take themselves too seriously. Hendy team members and Hendy’s partners are committed to ensuring all kids are successful but they also find great joy in doing difficult work and in each other. 

What might people not know about you?

I struggled mightily in math in middle and high school. Really. At some point in pre-algebra my teachers stopped making connections to life and I couldn’t see it and I began to struggle – it had no meaning to me. I did what I could to get by. Then, in my first teaching job (shout out River East Elementary in East Harlem) I was sent to Math in the City at City College. There I was reintroduced to algebra as more than just abstract structures but as a tool to simplify and solve problems. The light bulb turned back on and I haven’t stopped thinking about how to help others make sense of math since. 

Thanks for sharing this! As someone who has helped me to support my middle schooler with math, I find your story so inspiring. Working in education and supporting leaders – especially right now – can be difficult. What keeps you going?

My wife and kids. My beautiful-in-all-senses-of-the-word wife of 21 years Eve loves and supports me unconditionally but expects me to be getting better all the time and I LOVE IT. My 19 year old Marlon and I share a love of math, Spanish, music, food, cycling, and ridiculous humor – he cracks me up. My daughter Lucia and I share the gift/curse of feeling things deeply – she’s so empathetic and caring but if you mistreat others, watch your back – she is a fierce advocate. And my youngest Vivian has taught me more than anyone else, even without language she sends a clear message every day that everyone deserves to be seen, loved, and joyously appreciated. I am so lucky.

Thank you Jeremy! The Hendy team, and our clients, are lucky to have YOU in our corner.

Get to know Hendy’s new President – Jess Wilson!

Earlier in April, we announced that Jessica Wilson is taking over as Hendy’s President. Sarah and Jess sat down (thanks to zoom) to talk about Jess’s experiences and excitement about the transition. Read below to get to know more about Jess! And read her first team spotlight here.

Congratulations on your new role leading Hendy! I am so excited about you taking the reins and leading  Hendy into the future. For folks who haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting you, can you share a bit about your background and the experiences that led you to this role? 

I’ve had the great pleasure of being a part of the Hendy team for almost 8 years, and have led client projects large and small across talent, academics and strategy. In my work, I’ve leveraged the skills and competencies that I hope will serve me well in the President role including strategic thinking, project management, communication, and change management. Even before my time at Hendy, I served in roles that required me to manage multiple priorities and projects at once, and to motivate groups large and small to take action on behalf of kids. Prior to coming to Hendy in fall 2017, I was the Executive Director of Talent Impact at Cleveland Metropolitan School District. There I led the implementation of all of our employee performance management systems, and managed our efforts in professional licensure and certification. Before CMSD, I served in various roles at TNTP where I worked with systems like Pittsburgh Public Schools, Newark Public Schools, and the Florida State Department of Education. I started my career in strategy consulting with community-based nonprofits. In addition to my “day job” I also serve as an elected member of my community’s public school Board of Education. Each of these jobs and roles has required me to use my skills and strengths, and has helped me to be ready for this new role. My biggest teaching experience so far? Parenting tweens. Nothing requires more patience and flexibility than living with an 11- and 13-year old.

Haha! Absolutely! What excites you about leading Hendy? 

My favorite part about working with Hendy is partnering with such an exceptional team. Jeremy, Erica and Rachel are top in the field, and I learn so much from each of them in our work together. I’m excited and humbled to get to step into this leadership role to support these awesome people to thrive. And to keep doing so with you, Sarah, as Executive Advisor – you have a lot of wisdom to offer me and the field.

I’m also excited to explore ways to take our business into its next phase of life. I’m a systems thinker and systems builder, and I get really excited about protocols and processes (nerd alert). I’m looking forward to flexing those muscles as we explore ways to deepen our impact for clients and our sustainability long-term.

You’ve been a part of the Hendy team for a long time. What do you think makes Hendy special? 

At the risk of repeating myself, we have the smartest and best people delivering support and solutions for our clients. But more than just support, we truly partner with the people we work with, and share their goals as our own. We are very nimble in our work, and are willing to collaborate with the organizations we serve to make sure they get the most out of our partnership. 

I’m also very proud of the work we’ve done to build cohorts for leaders. We’ve made it a priority not just to engage in project work, but to create spaces for education leaders to come together to learn, share and grow. Our work with cohorts allows us to expand our impact and serve more leaders and more kids.

We build lasting relationships with clients. Some of our past clients have become good friends – and continue to do the great work that we built together. Working in education is not easy (and seems to be getting more and more difficult) – I appreciate the communities we’ve built with our clients, cohorts and coachees. 

I couldn’t agree more. We all know that we’re in a challenging time in our country and in schools. What value do you think consultants can play to support education leaders in this particular moment? 

There is so much happening in our world, and so much that is affecting or has the potential to affect the education sector at large. School system leaders must navigate threatened or real changes to their contexts while also meeting the needs of their students and staff – and keeping the lights on. One thing I’m so proud of in how we structure our consulting work is that we are true partners to our clients. Because of the way we structure our work, a Hendy consultant can serve not just as a support person, but as a thought-partner to leaders as they encounter changes or challenges in their environment. We can distill a lot of information to what is “need to know” for our clients and their context, and ask strategic questions that help clients to navigate their challenges and make strong decisions. And, we can be an empathetic ear. I once had a client tell me he appreciated our time together because he could “take off his cape”. In this moment especially, education leaders need safe space and relationships to let their guards down and process what is happening.

Thank you so much, Jess. I’m sure folks will be eager to connect with you and the Hendy team for support. How can people connect with you if they want to learn more?

Send me an email at jessicawilson@hendyavenue.com or click here to set up a call. I love chatting with people! 

The CAO Cohort: Where Vision Meets Action

In education leadership, the role of Chief Academic Officer stands at a critical intersection: where strategic vision meets daily implementation, where data meets human experience, and where individual school success connects to systemic change. Yet too often, CAOs navigate these challenges in isolation.

A Different Kind of Professional Community

The CAO Cohort breaks this isolation by bringing together academic leaders from high-performing charter networks who share an unwavering commitment to educational equity. This isn’t just another professional development program – it’s a carefully curated community where every member brings both expertise to share and a willingness to grow.

What Sets Our Members Apart

Our cohort members share core values that drive their work:

  • They embrace the power of partnership, recognizing that collective wisdom surpasses individual insight.
  • They maintain the flexibility to adapt their thinking while staying true to their core mission.
  • They welcome productive friction, knowing that growth comes from being both challenged and supported.
  • They freely share their resources and best practices, lifting all boats in the pursuit of excellence.

Real Impact Through Structured Collaboration

Throughout the year, cohort members engage in:

  • Regular data review cycles that inform strategic planning
  • Collaborative problem-solving around shared challenges
  • Resource exchange that accelerates implementation
  • Deep discussions about equity and anti-racist practices
  • Strategic planning sessions for systematic improvement

Beyond Professional Development

What truly distinguishes this cohort is its impact beyond individual growth. When CAOs collaborate at this level, their insights and solutions ripple across multiple school networks, potentially impacting thousands of students’ lives.

Join a Community of Change-Makers

The CAO Cohort isn’t just about professional growth – it’s about joining a movement of leaders committed to transforming education through collaboration, equity, and excellence. If you’re ready to both contribute to and learn from a community of visionary academic leaders, we invite you to learn more about joining our next cohort.

The Power of Cohorts

In today’s complex educational landscape, leadership can feel isolating. Whether you’re a Chief Academic Officer driving instructional excellence, a Superintendent exploring AI implementation, or a CTE leader shaping career pathways, the challenges you face are unique to your role—and often, you’re the only person in your organization navigating them.

At Hendy Avenue Consulting, we’ve witnessed firsthand how cohort learning transforms educational leadership. Our experience has shown that the most powerful professional growth happens when leaders come together in structured, purposeful communities.

Why Cohort Learning Works

The power of cohort learning lies in its fundamental truth: leaders need other leaders. When we bring together diverse talent in similar roles, something remarkable happens. Challenges that seemed insurmountable become opportunities for collective problem-solving. Individual expertise becomes shared wisdom. And perhaps most importantly, professional isolation transforms into lasting community. From adaptive leadership skill-building to tactical strategic planning to navigating change within an organization or across the broader educational sector, our cohorts aim to create space for thoughtful engagement and planning for leaders. We currently facilitate four distinctive cohort experiences, each designed to address specific leadership needs in education:

Chief Academic Officer Cohort: For CAOs in high-performing charter networks, this cohort creates a space where academic leaders can sharpen their vision and deepen their impact. Members engage in data-driven discussions, share remediation strategies, and collaborate on achieving equitable outcomes for all students.

AI Explorers Cohort: In partnership with AI for Equity, this nationwide community of practice supports senior executives as they navigate the AI revolution in education. Participants collaborate on everything from organizational planning to product evaluation, ensuring thoughtful and equitable AI implementation in their systems.

Career & Technical Education Group: Tailored for New York state CTE leaders, this program combines strategic planning with practical leadership development. Whether you’re a principal, assistant principal, or district director, you’ll find a community dedicated to advancing career and technical education.

District Educator Effectiveness Leader Cohort: Created for senior talent leaders in large public school districts, this cohort addresses the unique challenges of managing educator effectiveness initiatives at scale. Members find crucial thought partnership among peers who understand the complexities of their role.

The Hendy Approach to Cohort Learning

What makes our cohorts different? We believe effective cohort learning combines:

  • Structured learning with organic relationship-building and thought partnership
  • Immediate problem-solving with long-term strategic thinking
  • Individual growth with collective wisdom
  • Theory with practical application

Join Our Community

Educational leadership doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. Whether you’re looking to enhance your leadership, tackle complex challenges, or find a community of fellow leaders, our cohorts offer a proven path forward.

Interested in learning more? Explore our Cohorts page and discover how collaborative learning can transform your leadership journey.

Defining and Developing Teaching Excellence: The Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric

Over the past 12 years, Hendy Avenue Consulting has partnered with numerous school systems to set a vision for excellent teaching, create and pilot instructional rubrics based on this vision, and implement those rubrics to support high-quality teacher coaching and development. These partnerships led to the creation of the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric, now freely available under a Creative Commons license on Hendy’s website. Five school systems across the country have already adopted some version of the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric. While Hendy tailors each engagement to the specific needs of the school system, Hendy’s close partnership with a large, multi-region charter school network served as the initial catalyst for what is now the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric.

The Challenge: The charter school network faced a significant challenge: their four regions were using different rubrics to define and develop excellent teaching. This inconsistency created disparities in how teachers were coached and supported across the network and missed opportunities to use the data to inform network priorities. The network reached out to Hendy to help them lead a project to create, pilot, and implement a unified vision of teaching excellence, aligning teacher development across all regions while maintaining high academic and instructional standards.

Setting the Foundation for Success: Hendy began with careful attention to organizational dynamics and stakeholder buy-in. The charter school network and Hendy established a clear RAPID decision-making framework and identified key stakeholders across departments whose participation would be crucial. This preliminary phase proved essential, establishing both the authority and the limitations within which the team would operate. This also ensured that the rubric development would center on what is most critical for students in classrooms: high-quality teaching and learning.

Creating a Common Vision of Excellence: Hendy convened a diverse subcommittee to lead the project, representing various roles (including talent, curriculum and instruction, and data), schools, tenure levels, and demographic backgrounds. This diverse representation ensured the rubric would be a practical tool for coaching and development. The subcommittee met regularly, engaging in deep discussions about what constitutes excellent teaching facilitated by Hendy team members. The group took a methodical approach to creating the new rubric. They began by discussing what excellent teaching looked like in different contexts and establishing a “blue sky” vision for teacher development. These conversations revealed both the strengths of existing approaches and the opportunities that a unified vision could provide. They conducted a detailed crosswalk of existing frameworks provided by Hendy, identifying the key elements that drove teacher growth across all contexts. This analysis helped the committee work with Hendy to create a rubric that would be both comprehensive and practical for everyday use. The team iterated on the rubric several times, testing different domains and indicators across different classrooms and contexts.

Piloting and Refining the Vision: The pilot phase demonstrated the charter school network’s commitment to thoughtful implementation. Hendy launched the pilot with an orientation webinar, introducing the rubric to the broader community and outlining its purpose, structure, and role in teacher development. This helped build understanding and buy-in. The webinar provided practical guidance for leaders to begin using the rubric while allowing for refinement based on their experiences. Recognizing the unique needs of certain teaching populations, Hendy and the charter team specifically engaged Special Education teachers, fine arts instructors, PE teachers, and preK educators through targeted surveys and focus groups. This ensured their perspectives would shape the final framework. Pilot schools used the rubric in multiple contexts. Leadership teams conducted walkthroughs using the new framework at least 2-3 times that spring, testing its effectiveness in different classroom settings. School leaders also used the framework in coaching conversations with teachers, providing valuable insights. Throughout the pilot, Hendy maintained a strong feedback loop, gathering input through structured surveys and focus groups and used this information to make adjustments. Critically, Hendy and the committee closed the feedback loop by communicating changes back to participants, explicitly connecting their input to specific modifications. Leaders found the rubric helpful in structuring coaching conversations, providing a common language for discussing teaching excellence. They also identified areas where additional guidance was needed, particularly around using the rubric to support different types of teachers and content areas.

Implementation, Training, and Capacity Building: The summer marked the transition to full implementation. In partnership with Hendy, the large, multi-region charter school network invested heavily in developing the capacity of those who would use the rubric. The implementation began with establishing clear systems and structures. Hendy worked with school leaders to determine coaching roles, the frequency of observations and coaching conversations, and how teachers would engage with the rubric. The subsequent training program facilitated by Hendy was comprehensive and sustained, extending through the summer and following school year. It began with foundation training, where coaches learned not just about the rubric’s structure but also how to use it as a tool for development. These interactive sessions included practicing with instructional video analysis and guiding coaching conversations. Quarterly practice-based sessions facilitated by Hendy throughout the school year reinforced learning. Each session followed a thoughtful progression: leaders would study specific indicators, analyze teaching videos, engage in calibration discussions, and practice coaching conversations. The embedded certification process was particularly effective. Rather than a one-time event, it was a supportive process allowing for multiple attempts and providing additional support when needed.

Legacy and Evolution: The Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric: Hendy’s work on creating and implementing this charter school network’s rubric significantly influenced the development of the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric. The Hendy rubric builds upon the successful elements of the charter school network’s process while introducing innovations. Like its predecessor, the Hendy Instructional Excellence Rubric organizes teaching excellence into four domains, each guided by an essential question. It adds “Core Teacher Skills” for each indicator, providing specific, actionable guidance for teacher development. This helps bridge the gap between identifying excellent teaching and developing teachers’ practice. The Hendy rubric also refines the approach to measuring impact, maintaining the charter school network’s focus on student outcomes while creating clearer developmental progressions. This helps teachers and coaches identify specific next steps for growth.

Want to learn more about the Hendy Instructional Excellence framework? Visit our website or email Jessica Wilson!

May 14: AI Savvy Instructional Leader Webinar

Please join us on Tuesday, May 14th from 12-1pm EST to learn more about how to develop your own AI knowledge and skills and how to lead your team to effectively access AI tools to benefit teaching and learning. Register here: https://form.jotform.com/241215454135145

What can I expect?  
The changing landscape of technology will impact all sectors – including education. In the coming years, education leaders, districts, and schools should ask, “What problems am I facing in my endeavor to improve teaching and learning, and how can AI support me in getting better and doing better?”. Generative AI is not a silver bullet; it will not fix all educators’ challenges. But, if leveraged well, it can support educators in solving common and uncommon problems more efficiently and creatively.

Join this upcoming webinar and learn how to become an AI Savvy Instructional Leader – no prior experience with AI is necessary. We will explore how you can become an AI Savvy leader now, identify the foundational work to make your organization “ready” to use generative AI, explore ‘Dos” and “Don’ts” as you start this work, and share resources to improve teaching and learning. This session will be led by Erica Murphy who leads Hendy’s CAO Cohort and our AI for Equity Instructional Leader Working Group.
Who is it good for?
– Any instructional leaders at the school or network/district level.
– No prior experience with AI is necessary.
– Leaders eager for concrete resources to develop their knowledge and comfort with generative AI.  
– Leaders seeking guidance on where to start in their AI journey (at their school or organization).

How can I join?  
Please sign up to join this FREE webinar. Space is limited so please register as soon as possible to secure your spot.

Hendy’s DEIB Vision and Definitions

Hendy Avenue Consulting is committed to diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and belonging in our client partnerships, in the cohorts we lead, and in our own team of consultants and subcontractors. In fall 2023, the Hendy team reviewed and updated our DEIB vision and definitions and how we engage with our partners to support their DEIB goals. We are sharing our vision and definitions with you in the hopes that they will be helpful in your work as anti-racist leaders and champions of equity.

Vision

Our work is about equity. We are supporting educators to create equitable opportunities for students.
Therefore, it’s our responsibility and commitment to understand and support our partners with their existing DEIB priorities and to support them to be leaders for equity in schools.

Key Definitions & Application to our Work

Diversity: Differences and variations found in a group. Differences include (1) social identities: gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disabilities, class, geography, etc. and (2) other personal attributes: expertise, values, worldviews, mindsets, ethics, experiences, etc.

  • At Hendy, we believe that bringing together diverse life experiences and perspectives strengthens our work. Therefore, we seek to have a diverse team of consultants and subcontractors, and to serve an identity diverse set of clients and cohort members.

Equity: All individuals, regardless of any social or cultural factor, have access, opportunities, and are able to achieve success by (1) removing any predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with social or cultural identity markers and (2) interrupting unfair practices and eliminating biases.

  • At Hendy, we believe education has the power to significantly improve one’s life outcomes. We seek to create and support equitable educational opportunities for students who have traditionally been underserved in communities around the country. We do this by way of our work with leaders, encouraging and modeling for them how to critically evaluate, lift up, and address bias perpetuating and inequitable practices. Through our work in partnership with leaders, we ensure diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and belonging are lenses through which we view not only what we want to accomplish, but how we get there and the processes and practices we utilize.

Inclusiveness: Valuing the perspectives and contributions of all people, incorporating the needs and viewpoints of the full diversity of the organization. A culture intentionally co-created by every member of the group, not merely the invitation for minoritized peoples to be present in an existing space. A culture that enables different people to belong and operate in self-determined authentic ways. 

  • At Hendy, we seek to continuously improve. This includes continuing to evolve our team and encouraging it to change and improve with each team member’s contributions, and where people can bring their whole selves to the work. Similarly, our cohort cultures are co-created by every member of the group. As consultants, we support our clients to create inclusive spaces and elevate diverse voices when making decisions. As educators, we create systems and structures that drive equity and inclusion for students.

Belonging: The feeling of being valued, respected, and fully accepted as one’s authentic self within a particular community, organization, or society, regardless of one’s background, identity, or differences. It involves creating an environment where every individual has a sense of ownership, connection, and the freedom to contribute their unique perspectives and talents without fear of discrimination or exclusion.

  • At Hendy, this means that within our team and for our clients, we proactively ensure that every individual not only has a seat at the table but also genuinely feels like they belong and are an integral part of the collective whole. We foster a sense of unity, safety, and empowerment that encourages diverse individuals to thrive and contribute fully to the Hendy team and to our projects and cohorts.

Announcing Alliance of AI for Equity Consortium

A National Alliance Of School Networks To Collaborate On Equity-Driven AI Implementation

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to enhance educator efficacy, efficiency, and sustainability. However, it also has the possibility of exacerbating educational inequity if school systems serving low-income students of color don’t have the support, training, and planning necessary to benefit from this technological advancement. To meet the unique moment, Hendy Avenue Consulting has partnered with Aaron Cuny, founder of the Alliance of AI for Equity.

Hendy is supporting both a Greater NYC cohort and a National cohort where system leaders will:

  1. Learn about AI
  2. Complete AI-related organizational planning
  3. Identify, pilot, and collaborate on implementation of AI use cases
  4. Review AI products
  5. Influence AI policy and funding

We are pleased to welcome the following charter school networks into the consortiums:

Greater NYC Cohort:

  • Comp Sci High
  • Democracy Prep
  • DREAM
  • KIPP: NJ
  • KIPP: NYC
  • PAVE
  • Uncommon Schools

National Cohort:

  • Aspire Public Schools
  • Breakthrough Public Schools
  • Drew Charter School
  • Ednovate
  • KIPP: MA
  • KIPP: Texas
  • Urban Community Schools
  • Vista College Prep

Team Spotlight: Meet Rachel Modica-Russell

The Hendy team is so fortunate that the talented Rachel Modica-Russell chose to join the Hendy team in Spring 2023. She is adding so much to our team and the clients with whom she’s partnering. Rachel is currently supporting leaders at Chicago Public Schools, Hebrew Public Schools, and in CMOs navigating new opportunities with AI. We are excited to share Rachel’s spotlight interview so you can learn a bit more about Rachel and the incredible consulting partner, coach, and person she is.

* The photo above is of the Oregon coast, which has quickly become one of Rachel’s favorite day trips since moving back to the west coast.

Why did you choose to work in education?  
In the early years of my education, I revered many of my teachers. They were the individuals who not only imparted knowledge and facilitated learning, but also served as role models, shaping my aspirations and values. As I entered my adolescence and became more conscious of the complexities of my intersecting identities, that changed for me quite a bit; I found it increasingly challenging to connect with my teachers, who were predominantly white identifying men and women. This period of my life made me acutely aware of the importance of fostering meaningful connections between educators and students, learning and leading across lines of difference, and ultimately, prompted me to begin volunteering and working with youth who looked like me. I realized that educational institutions should be spaces where students’ identities feel affirmed, valued, and supported across not only curriculum, but also staffing. This realization paired with my natural gravitation toward highly collaborative, mission and relationship-driven work fueled my determination to enter the field of education, and ultimately, stay in the sector.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is walking alongside my clients in the problem identification and solving process. I love knowing that the work I do to support adults in school systems has a direct impact on the learning experiences and outcomes of students. Knowing that the work I do to help to build capacity and people-centric systems and opportunities that can sustain educators translates into higher quality classrooms for students keeps me engaged and motivated.

What’s the problem in education you most want to solve? 
The problem in education that I’m most passionate about solving is the herculean challenge of improving the retention of educators while simultaneously elevating teaching as a respected and sustainable profession. In my view, it’s crucial for the infrastructure and systems in education to catch up with the ever-evolving realities of being in the classroom in 2023. So many talented educators leave the profession due to a variety of factors, including burnout, insufficient support, and inadequate resources. To address this, we need to create an environment where teachers feel valued, supported, and as though they’re able to thrive, thus helping them to stay inspired to stay in the profession long-term. Ultimately, I want to support the education sector in embracing forward-thinking, innovative strategies for teacher support and retention that address the demands and challenges of our times.

What’s a favorite book or quote? 
What an unfair question 😉 I’ll share one of each from the last year that have struck a chord with me:

  • Recent Quote: “Don’t be afraid to speak your truth, even if your voice shakes” – Cleo Wade
  • Recent Book: “Intimations” – By Zadie Smith

What do you like to do outside of work? 
My wife, Alice, and I love spending time with our lively 4 ½ and 1 ½ year olds, Quincy and Simone. You can find us wandering around our neighborhood in search of dinosaurs, a delicious snack, or collecting treasures for Quincy’s treasure box. I also love a kid-free dinner out at a great restaurant, spending time with my siblings (I’m one of three kids in my family), solo walks, and people watching.