Jana L. Carlisle, president
Jana L. Carlisle, EdD, has spent more than 30 years working to transform public education outcomes through leadership positions in the not-for-profit, public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Her roles have placed her in settings from urban districts to those focused on education advocacy, philanthropy, leadership, evaluation, and reform. She currently serves as Lead Consultant for Education Support Consulting, which provides strategy, planning, framework, and implementation support to clients. Dr. Carlisle studied political science and international relations as an undergraduate at Michigan State University’s James Madison College, Public Policy Analysis with a focus on education when earning her Masters of Science at the University of Rochester, and educational leadership for her doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania’s Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.
She is passionate about leadership and culture. As a result, she has observed, and conducted studies on, leaders who have been both effective and ineffective. Some of these studies were for clients or partners, some to keep her sane and continuously learning, some for framework or program development, and some for doctoral program requirements. To her, an in-the-thick-of-it leadership expert means she has sought to learn how to and how not to lead through self-reflection, study, observation, and feedback.
Dr. Carlisle designed her new book, Women Navigating Educational Leadership (Bloomsbury Academic, January 2024) to deliver—in an accessible manner and in one volume—new and existing knowledge, insights, interrelationships, and practices about women in educational leadership. Women Navigating includes a comprehensive equation for women pursuing and serving as educational leaders. The book will appeal to practitioners who wish to gain understanding as well as those who teach in graduate schools of education. Women Navigating presents a view of what it takes for future leaders envisioning their own journeys as well as insights into what it has taken for women to serve as educational leaders. This book fits into Bloomsbury Publishing’s Educational Leadership: Innovative, Critical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives’ series, because of its complementary and multidisciplinary objectives and distillation of cross-sector leadership models, theories, themes, standards, drivers, experiences, and support strategies.
Conducting the research and analysis for this book solidified her commitment to continuous learning & reflection, knowledge sharing, and action-based research—one must learn for to teach.
Available on Bloomsbury Academic: bloomsbury.com/9781350409989
Use code USA: GLR AQ4 at check out for 35% off
Manuel J. Rivera, Executive Vice President
Manuel Rivera brings to Education Support Consulting more than 40 years of experience and extensive knowledge in both public and private education, and a record of accomplishments as an educational leader and policymaker at the local and state levels of government.
The breadth of Manny’s experience, in a variety of roles, districts, states, and organizations brings to Educational Support Consulting’s clients a rare and broad perspective on the current United States’ education space as he has worked in the charter, independent, and public school sectors and also served in elected and appointed governance roles. In the Rochester City School District, Manny was a teacher, assistant principal, principal, coach, department head, deputy superintendent, interim superintendent, and superintendent (twice). He worked in a leadership role for the first Education Management Organization (EMO) in the United States when at Edison Schools; ran a global education company that started charter schools and provided supplemental education services in multiple states when with Global Partnership Schools; and served as Global Dean of Faculty for a private, independent school company called Whittle School & Studios.
Dr. Carlisle and Dr. Rivera draw on their broad networks of former colleagues, consultants, & experts to assist with projects as needed.
Rivera’s career in education as a teacher, principal, school superintendent (Rochester City School District, N.Y., 1991-94 and 2002-07; Norwalk Public Schools, Conn., 2013-15; and New London Public Schools, Conn., 2015-19), chief executive officer, local board of education president, and senior policy adviser to two New York State governors has received national recognition. He was named the 2005 New York State Superintendent of the Year by the New York State Council of School Superintendents in 2005, and a year later, he was named the 2006 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Superintendents.During his tenure as a school leader, Rivera’s calculated risk-taking and innovative spirit, passion for transforming public education, and knowledge of educational policy, coupled with proven practices in education and state funding formulas in both New York and Connecticut, made him an invaluable asset to the communities and organizations in which he worked and served.
As a leader, Manny embodies everything a strategic leader should be and is adept at customizing, and teaching others to use, appropriate leadership styles and skills when in different settings or with certain individuals and groups. Clients will benefit and learn from a master visionary, charismatic communicator, experienced educator, designer, and implementer—an effective and respected leader. He has an uncanny ability to develop and communicate a vision, translate it into programs and strategies, bring others along to embrace and implement visions and plans, and navigate political waters with constituents. His experience working successfully alongside constituents has included teachers, principals, community members, board members, union leaders, and local and state business, community, and government leaders. Manny will bring his own experience about which leadership styles work best in key situations and roles—from curricular and instructional leaders at the school level, school-based planning team members, building leaders, organizational department heads, district leaders, union representatives or presidents, key members of a third-party educational intermediary, elected or appointed officials, or an education advocate.
He possesses experience implementing the following:
PreK-12 education policies, laws, reforms, curriculum, and pedagogies
PreK-12 faculty and leader recruitment, selection, support, development, and evaluation
Community, school, board, and state relations
Collective bargaining unit negotiations and management;
School improvement and district plans;
Fiscally responsible school and district budgets;
School turnaround
Data and information that guides practice
New school and program start-up
Organizational and district leadership
Mentoring and coaching teachers, principals, athletes, students, superintendents, board members, and direct reports
Diversity, equity, and inclusion plans and programs
Strategic communications and messaging
Parent and educator involvement
His own first-hand experience as a: first-generation college student; student, educator, and leader of color; and role model for students, athletes, teachers, principals, superintendents, and community leaders, among others.
Rivera currently also teaches courses at the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education, in K-12 school leadership program. His interests are in improving the learning environment for students, teachers, and school leaders. Rivera is also skilled at marshalling and organizing community assets and resources in support of children, youth, and families.