ABOUT US
Abner Oakes
Abner Oakes leads Oakes Educational Consulting. He has over 35 years of experience in the K-12 education world, having taught middle and high school students for 15 years and, since 1997, working on public school improvement issues at the school, district, and state levels, both as a consultant and with national organizations such as Modern Red SchoolHouse, Learning Point Associates, and the Alliance for Excellent Education.
Partners
Dana Gillespie
Providing services around special education, Dana Gillespie, the founder of Gillespie Educational Consulting, provides families with guidance and support in the areas of special education procedures, services, and school behavior issues; with over 25 years of experience as a special educator, case manager, and inclusion specialist, Dana has provided trainings and workshops for school teams and educational and parent groups. She is the parent of two children and lives on DC’s Capitol Hill.
Regis Anne Shields
With 20 years of experience in public education reform, Regis Anne Shields is the Principal of RAS Equity Consulting. She works with small- to medium-size districts and charter schools around issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and projects include equity audits, cultural proficiency workshops and trainings, and the design and implementation of equitable systems including budgeting, hiring, and performance management.
Our services
School & District Improvement
For over 11 years Oakes Educational Consulting has worked with schools and districts in a variety of areas, from creation of an early warning system to ensure that students graduate on time to curriculum development to strategic improvement planning.
Equity
How do policies and practices treat students inequitably? Our equity audit examines student opportunity gaps and contributing institutional policies and practices of the school district, in areas such as curriculum and instruction and budget and finance. See too our equity-focused work for independent schools.
Strategic Planning
We provide a variety of corporate and non-profit entities with thoughtful and timely intelligence about the K-12 world. We know K-12 intimately, and organizations from nascent start ups to old-line education firms turn to us for help.
Research & Writing
Clients have called upon Oakes Educational Consulting to conduct timely research on topics from charter schools to online learning. And it does not end there: We know how to write too, putting that research into language that anyone can understand.
What our clients say
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Learn More about Transformative Teaching & Learning
Here is an example of work that Abner’s been involved with, this time at the Alliance for Excellent Education, heading up its outreach and partnership work around the science of adolescent learning. The video highlights the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning and its work to innovate in the field of mind, brain and education science research, so that teachers can maximize their effectiveness and students can reach their highest potential.
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Latest news
- The Habit and Importance of Reading
I read for several reasons. I like to be entertained and, for this reason, have a deep affection for Stephen King novels. In fact his book Pet Sematary was seminal for me in my early 20s, showing me that reading can be – should be! – fun, not some chore. ... read more - Guided Pathways in Rural Community Colleges: Equity and Opportunity
- The Pandemic and Rural Schools
I had a chance to chat virtually with Michael Fawcett, who teaches 5th grade geography and mathematics in a rural Virginia school district. His district chose to go 100% virtual rather than risk the possibility of exposing students to Covid-19. Here is what he had to say about the first ... read more
