Education Consulting For the Leaders Holding Public Education Together Right Now

We specialize in building student support systems, professional learning plans, new initiative design, and leadership coaching for public schools.

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Public School Leadership Has Never Been More Complex, Or More Important.

Public school leadership means navigating a constantly shifting political landscape, an increasingly unstable funding environment, and teachers carrying more than they ever have. Mental health needs are growing faster than the resources to address them. And the adults you're counting on to hold it all together are burning out

When you see a problem, solving it internally isn't always straightforward. Classroom teachers have a 30-foot view, not a 30,000-foot view. And a band-aid program dropped on an overwhelmed team doesn't fix root causes.

Every one of these challenges is solvable. They just require the right kind of support.

Over 20 Years of Solving Problems Just Like Yours

What we bring to public school partnerships is something that's genuinely hard to find: a fresh external perspective combined with deep content expertise. We build an individualized plan around your specific needs, stay through implementation, and make sure your team owns the work when we're done.

Work with us

Some of the Ways We Support Public Schools

Student Support Systems — Special Education, MTSS, and 504
This is some of the highest-stakes work in any school: legally complex, compliance-heavy, and deeply consequential for the students who depend most on these systems. We help charter schools design and strengthen integrated MTSS, Special Education, and 504 frameworks that are compliant, cohesive, and actually functional under real conditions. That means clear roles, documented decision rules, internal auditing processes, compliant recordkeeping, and leaders who understand what they're responsible for and why.
Adult and Student Culture
We help districts get to the root of culture challenges, build the systems that support belonging and shared accountability, and develop the kind of staff and student culture where real learning can thrive. This includes behavior frameworks that teach skills, adult structures that reduce burnout, and family engagement strategies that build community trust.
Professional Learning and Instructional Coaching
Teachers don't need another outside consultant in their classroom. They need leaders who know how to coach. We work with principals and instructional leaders to build that capacity by designing frameworks, walkthrough tools, and year-long adult learning structures that make strong instruction a shared expectation, not a happy accident.
New Initiative Design and Implementation
When a new state testing requirement comes, a legislative shift demands a response, or leadership decides it's time to finally tackle a systemic problem, the question isn't just what to do, it's how to do it without derailing everything else already in motion. We help public school leaders think through the full implications of a new initiative across departments, build a roadmap that accounts for your union environment and team capacity, and create the structures that keep things moving without burning people out.
Executive and Leadership Coaching
District and school leaders are being asked to navigate more complexity than ever politically, operationally, and personally. We partner with superintendents, principals, deputy superintendents, and district leaders to strengthen their decision-making and build the leadership presence that helps their entire organization move more effectively.

Schedule a call to learn more

Everything we offer is custom-built. If you don't see your exact situation here, reach out. We'd love to hear what you're navigating.

"Lauren leads with empathy, creating an environment where people feel valued and understood. Her strategic mindset helped our team navigate priorities with purpose. She brings a visionary perspective that inspires others to think big and imagine new possibilities in education."

Eliza Gabriel

Principal, Impact Public Schools

"In our partnership together, Lauren developed systems and structures to support growing programs and made significant changes that led to sustainable practices. Her experience and expertise in system design and strategic planning paved the pathway for better student services and outcomes."

Gini Sanders

Director of Specialized Services, Seneca Family of Agencies

The Respire Way: How We Partner With Charter Schools

Step 1

Start With a Conversation

Every engagement starts with a conversation. We want to understand your situation, your priorities, and what success actually looks like for your school. You'll talk directly with Lauren, our founder & lead consultant, to see how we can best support.

Step 2

Build a Customized Plan

No two schools are the same, so no two engagements look the same either. We build a plan specific to your context, constraints, and people, with clear priorities, next steps, and defined ownership so everyone knows what they're responsible for.

Step 3

Work Alongside You Through Implementation

This is arguably the most important step. We don't hand you a document and wish you luck. We stay with you through the hard part: coaching, adjusting, problem-solving, and making sure the work lands the way it was designed to.

Step 4

Build Your Team's Capacity to Own It

Our goal is never to make you dependent on us. Every engagement is designed so that when we're done, your team has the knowledge, the systems, and the confidence to carry the work forward independently. If we've done our job well, you won't need us in this area anymore, and that's exactly how it should be.

Raising Your Hand? Let’s Answer Your Questions

What does working with Respire Education cost?

We don't publish a standard rate because the work is never standard. Engagements are scoped based on the complexity of the challenge, the time involved, and what the work requires to be done well. What we can tell you is that every engagement is designed to deliver a clear return, whether that's compliance risk avoided, a leadership team that's stronger and more aligned, or a system that finally works the way it should. Every scope starts with a conversation, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

We've tried professional development before in our public school and it didn't stick. How is this different?

Because we don't just deliver content and leave. A great professional learning session is only the beginning. Without the right follow-through, even the best ideas fade the moment people walk back into their buildings. We work with leaders to build the coaching structures, observation tools, and year-long adult learning plans that embed new practice into daily life. Our focus isn't on training your teachers, it's on building leaders who know how to coach, so the growth becomes something your team owns long after our engagement ends.

How is Respire different from other education consultants or agencies?

A few things set us apart. First, you work with Lauren from start to finish, not a team of associates you've never met. Every contract matters, and we don't operate at the volume that forces handoffs. Second, Lauren has actually sat in the seats your leaders are sitting in; as a teacher, a principal, a school founder, and a senior network executive. That lived experience means we move faster, ask better questions, and design solutions that hold up in the real world. And third, our goal is never to make you dependent on us. We build capacity in your team so the work continues long after we're gone.

Our public school team is already stretched thin. How do we take on another initiative?

You don't… at least not alone. That's exactly where we come in. Bringing in outside support isn't adding to your team's plate, it's taking something off of it. We come in with the capacity, expertise, and cross-functional perspective to move the work forward while your team stays focused on what's already in front of them. Think of us as a dedicated resource for the hard thing you haven't been able to get to, so your people can keep doing the work only they can do.