Cohorts

Communities for learning, growth, and impact.

We believe that leaders need other leaders. Having participated in many cohort groups and learning communities ourselves, we know the power of bringing together diverse talent to challenge and support each other. We're now creating spaces where people in similar roles can think in new and big ways and can have a community of people to lean on when things get tough. We are honored to be leading several cohort programs of inspirational leaders in both academics and talent.

Male teacher working with elementary school boy at his desk

Chief Academic Officer Cohort

Our Chief Academic Officer Cohort brings academic leaders together to learn alongside trusted colleagues in similar roles. Through the cohort, cohort members sharpen their vision, build their skills, exchange resources, problem solve, build relationships, and feel more fulfilled in their roles.

This cohort brings together Chief Academic Officers from high performing charter school networks, working to solve problems and and support each other through the year. Cohort participants share a desire to create more equitable opportunities for all children.

Topics are responsive to the needs of the group, including a cycle of reviewing student achievement data, discussing remediation strategies, and problem-solving specific challenges.

Learn More About the CAO Cohort

AI Explorers Cohort

Hendy Avenue Consulting is thrilled to partner once again with AI for Equity and Aaron Cuny to facilitate a nationwide Community of Practice for senior school system executives (ED, CEO, Superintendent, etc.) as they launch their school system or CMO's work exploring the implications of Artificial Intelligence in education. The AI Explorers Cohort aims to support participants as they:

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

More coming soon!

Elementary students looking at teacher, over shoulder view

Measuring Impact

We believe there is power in people coming together to solve complex problems.

The Hendy Avenue Cohort Program has notably enhanced participants' leadership skills and professional growth. Participants have strengthened their leadership abilities and expanded their influence within their networks through the program. Additionally, they have benefited from building relationships with peers in similar roles, sharing valuable resources and tools, learning and implementing best practices, and collaboratively addressing specific challenges. The program has also provided crucial support and camaraderie during the challenges of COVID-19.

100%

of cohort members agree that:

they would recommend the cohort to another leader

the cohort has helped to strengthen their leadership and allowed them to have a greater influence on their networks

they are extremely or very likely to reach out to another cohort member for support when facing a challenging issue

their experience was extremely or very valuable

Past Cohorts

Alliance of AI for Equity

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 students from under-resourced communities don’t have the support, training, and planning necessary to benefit from this technological advancement. To meet the unique moment, Hendy Avenue Consulting partnered with Aaron Cuny, founder of the Alliance of AI for Equity.

Cohort members learned about AI, completed AI-related organizational planning, identified piloted, and collaborated on implementation of AI use cases, reviewed AI products, and influenced AI policy and funding.

Alliance of AI for Equity Cohort Members

Chief Talent Officer Cohort

The NYC Chief Talent Officer Cohort was a collaborative cohort for senior talent leaders of high-impact school management organizations to share best practices, problem-solve and leverage community to improve outcomes for students.

From 2018 - 2021, the cohort met monthly, establishing a valued space to collaborate with others wrestling with with similar obstacles. Hendy facilitators develop agendas and activities that deepen collective understanding of challenges in the field, offering ideas and resources based on research and national best practices, and guiding the group's experience to support talent leaders in our hometown. Past session topics include Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Compensation, Succession Planning, Leadership Development, and Performance Management.

In the face of Covid-19 crisis and uncertainty, the group began meeting weekly, maximizing the value of what has become a tight-knit community and trusted soundboard to tackle new challenges together.

2018 - 2021 CTO Cohort

Emilee Christopher,
Public Preparatory Network

Lisa Friscia,
Democracy Public Schools

Betsy Goldfarb,
DREAM

Jennice Hyde,
Hebrew Public Schools

Rachel Modica-Russell,
Explore Schools

Elaine Perez,
Prospect Schools

Talia Shaull,
Achievement First

Ross Thomason,
Coney Island Prep

Addressing Learning Gaps Cohort

The global pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to leaders working to make the best possible decisions for their students, families, and staff. Academic leaders are now faced with the daunting questions of understanding student learning needs and planning to address them in coming years.

We created two Spring 2021 Addressing Learning Gaps Cohorts where academic teams from seven high performing charter networks came together to create their organizational strategy to address academic learning gaps as a result of COVID. We supported them in reviewing their data, aligning their curriculum and pacing to the priority standards, and reviewing their talent structures to support their plans. Each team left with a theory of action and a concrete plan to address learning gaps as well as a training, communications and evaluation plan.

2021 Addressing Learning Gaps Cohort

“

The shifts due to COVID could've been an incredibly isolating time, as CTOs navigated so many complicated, unprecedented issues. The CTO group came together even MORE often during this time, and in addition to being able to learn from each other, it was just an amazing sense of community, where we never felt alone.

Betsy Goldfarb

DREAM

Leading in a small start up CMO can be particularly challenging because you are creating everything as you go. Relying on the wisdom, proven practice and resources of this group has made decision making and new program implementation inﬁnitely easier. I know that if ever a question arises that I can't answer on my own (which happens all the time), I have a brilliant group of colleagues in the sector who can help me work it through. I have often boasted about being a member of this group to my colleagues, and they've lamented that there isn't a similar cohort for their roles. This is an incredibly unique opportunity and one for which I am extremely grateful.

Kim Kassnove

Hebrew Public Schools

Being part of the CTO cohort experience was incredibly impactful on my leadership. It was really empowering to take ideas away form our cohort sessions and go back to my Leadership Team with thoroughly-vetted, peer-reviewed ideas to offer to whatever challenge it was that we were facing. Having the CTO cohort as a resource really amplified talent work at my school broadly. Particularly for a smaller school, to be able to workshop ideas with other talent leaders is really valuable professional development learning opportunity that is not widely available.

Ross Thomason

Coney Island Prep

The cohort is an opportunity to connect with other people in similar roles who are local and afar. It’s helpful to know that we’re all facing similar issues and use our collective brain space to come up with solutions to serve kids across the country.

Anjya Thomas

Ascend Public Schools

Learning from and with other talent leaders with such diverse skill sets and experiences has been incredibly valuable, and helped to push my own thinking and creativity in my role. In the ed space- particularly in charters- there are trainings and programs to support school leaders and their coaches, but not a lot of opportunities for those in the talent space to talk.

Lisa Friscia

Democracy Prep

I’ve considered myself so fortunate to be part of this brainstrust from the start of the year - but especially in this moment. Thank you for the warmth, advice, and space + resources to build and get better.

Rachel Modica-Russell

Explore Schools

The best part of the CAO Cohort is the ability to discuss hardships, challenges, and emotional toll of leadership with peers who truly understand.

Andrew Mcrae

Breakthrough Public Schools

I love having dedicated time to connect with other colleagues in similar roles in a confidential space—it helps me feel less alone in all of the madness. The Hendy team plans the sessions to maximize the collaboration time — they create a fantastic container for learning, problem-solving, and high quality collaboration.

Katie Severn

DC Prep

Breaking bread in fellowship with folks in similar roles is a powerful opportunity in humanizing senior level roles that are often lonely and isolating.