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.