Dan Anderson, Ed.D.
Education consulting marrying idealism and pragmatism
I believe that plans and policy only succeed when they are grounded in the day-to-day reality of students, teachers, and schools. I often begin a project by asking, "Have you asked your students about this issue? What have your students told you?"
With nearly twenty years of experience spanning the school building, the central office, and state leadership, I help K-12 leaders, educators, and supporters navigate the complexities of district operations and strategy. Today, I partner with school districts and non-profits to solve "wicked" problems through major strategic projects, central office refinement, and strategic action planning. Whether I am teaching education policy at Boston College or facilitating a local school committee retreat, my goal remains the same: to help schools practically and sustainably implement their values.
I am a pragmatic idealist.
Services
Systemic Planning, Strategy, and Policy: People-centric planning that starts with the educators and work at the point of implementation, accomplished either through facilitation of internal teams or direct advising
Example: Advising Salem Public Schools on elementary school reconfiguration in response to fiscal and enrollment changes
Example: Facilitating strategic planning in Arlington Public Schools
Central Office Analysis, Design, and Implementation: Check-ups on specific areas of work within central office that honors the knowledge and effort of the staff while examining ways to function better toward our goals
Example: Reviewing all data functions for Lowell Public Schools (from compliance to continuous improvement) and providing a blueprint for staffing and operations
Example: Studying a district’s out-of-school time programming and recommending ways to align programming and operations to values
Subject-Matter Expertise: Assistance with MTSS implementation, coaching and instructional improvement systems, school improvement work, district reconfiguration, and more
Example: Advising the Alabama State Department of Education on rethinking district assistance
Example: Advising Boston Public Schools on MTSS implementation, including preparation of materials, professional development, guidance, and staff assistance
Example: Providing feedback to schools through site visits
What I Bring
I might be a good fit for you if you need:
someone who starts from the perspectives of those closest to a problem or question
someone who digests the complexity to explain it simply
someone who isn’t intimidated by getting deep in the technical or operational details
someone who can “speak school committee” or translate between policy discussions and the daily work of education