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Office of Planning and Research

Planning for Success Facilitators

Detailed biographies follow after this list.

NameTitle
Cindy BohneConsultant
Susan BonaiutoConsultant
Allan CameronSuperintendent, Wrentham Public Schools
Jim CaradonioConsultant
Joseph CorazziniAssistant Superintendent of Equity, Diversity, and Community Engagement
Cathy CumminsExecutive Director, Assabet Valley Collaborative
Abbey DickELA Curriculum Coordinator, Grades 5–12, Chelmsford Public Schools
Anne DonovanCoordinator, School Consultation and Evaluation Services, ACCEPT Collaborative
Elise FrangosAssistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Old Rochester Public Schools
Ruth Gilbert-WhitnerSuperintendent, Whitman-Hanson Public Schools
Bob HarrisConsultant
Jim JolicoeurConsultant, Partners in Implementation
Lori LikisPlanning for Success and Educational Consultant
Anne McKenzieSuperintendent, Hadley Public Schools
Amy McKinstrySuperintendent, Northbridge Public Schools
LaVonia MontoutéProgram Manager, Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy
Albert MussadLeadership and Instruction Consultant, Collaborative for Education Services
Susan NicholsonConsultant
Kristan RodriguezProfessional Development Activity Coordinator, MA Organization of Education Collaboratives and Professional Development Administrator, CREST Collaborative

Facilitator Biographies

Cindy Bohne, MBA, is a previous chair and member of the Winchester School Committee and member of the Winchester Educational Facilities Planning and Building Committee. A Town Meeting member, she successfully led two debt-exclusion override campaigns, completed two teachers' union negotiations, co-chaired the redistricting committee for Winchester Elementary Schools, and served on the Advisory Board of EDCO Collaborative. Cindy is a passionate advocate for public education, and has spent decades facilitating or consulting on strategic planning, communications, policy analysis, leadership/board development and evaluation for a range of educational organizations, including: Winchester, Hopkinton, Malden and Masconomet Regional School Districts; National Geographic Education Foundation; United Way of Boston; Outward Bound; AmeriCorps; Institute for Higher Education Policy: and the Presidio Leadership Center. She has an undergraduate degree in secondary education, an MBA in social entrepreneurship, and is an Education Policy Fellow of the Institute for Educational Leadership.

Susan Bonaiuto, Ed.D., has a proven track record as a strategic thinker and results-oriented leader. She has a reputation for skillfully leading and operationalizing a vision, strategically making connections among people, programs, resources and ideas, and identifying key areas for stabilization and opportunity—readying people and organizational infrastructure for the next chapter. She has 10 years of experience in strategic planning and fund-raising at the Needham Public Schools, having led the development of a number of progressive initiatives including an entrepreneurial community education program, grant-funded special initiatives such as interdisciplinary learning, and nationally recognized programs in social/emotional learning, communicating school performance, and global education. She is the founder of Citizens for Needham Schools, a grassroots support team that has successfully supported overrides for more than ten years. She is the recipient of the Needham Steps Up award and the Superintendent's Award for Administrative Leadership. She has also worked as the Executive Director of BELL, a non-profit serving children in grades K–8 living in under-resourced, urban communities through after-school and summer extended learning time programs. Currently consulting full-time, her client list includes ACCEPT Education Collaborative, Raising A Reader, GreenLight Fund, and Single Stop. Sue has presented at numerous conferences, published in Education Leadership, and holds an EdD. In Educational Leadership from Boston College, an MA(MBA) from University of Wisconsin School of Business, and a bachelor's in Music Education from Bucknell University.

Allan Cameron, Ph.D. brings 20 years of leadership and facilitation experience to PfS. He excels at uniting people with diverse perspectives on shared goals. His facilitation style blends humor, candor, and respectful listening to ensure all participants are engaged and all voices are heard. He has received several awards for leadership and teaching, including the Milken Educator Award and two Army Achievement Medals. Currently he is the superintendent of Wrentham Public Schools.

Jim Caradonio, Ed.D., began his educational career as a bilingual (Spanish-English) teacher, counselor and administrator for ELL students in Puerto Rico and in Boston. At both school and central-office levels, he has developed plans in urban and suburban preK–12 districts as well as in vocational-technical high schools While completing his doctoral dissertation on strategic planning in public schools, he coached principals and their staff in developing school improvement plans aligned with their district's strategic plan. As deputy superintendent of the Worcester Public Schools, Jim was responsible for overseeing district and school improvement planning in 50 schools. For nine years, as Worcester's superintendent, he guided staff to develop, implement, progress-monitor, and revise the district's strategic plans. He has implemented turnaround plans in a Boston elementary school and in Holyoke's vocational high school. He has served on the boards for community-agencies and partnerships. Dr. Caradonio received a B.A. from Merrimack College, a M.Ed. from Northeastern University, and an Ed.D. from Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, in Administration, Planning and Social Policy (APSP).

Joseph Corazzini, M.S. is currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Equity, Diversity, and Community Engagement with the Framingham Public Schools. Prior to Framingham Joseph has been committed to the field of human services for over 10 years, working with youth serving organizations such as the United Way, Citizen Schools and Dynamy. He is an experienced facilitator and community organizer with a steadfast belief in positive youth development. Joseph identifies as a youth worker turned systems change agent focused on improving the formal and informal ways in which institutions work together to ensure the highest quality of access and services for youth, families, and communities.

Cathy Cummins, Ed.D., is the Executive Director of Assabet Valley Collaborative (AVC). Initially trained as an English and history teacher, Cathy was drawn in her early career to focus on the unmet needs of students and families—leading her to counseling, special education, and then leadership. She began her career over 20 years ago in an after-school center in New York City followed by work in treatment centers and schools in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts prior to leading at AVC. Cathy believes strongly that improvement planning must include the exploration of individual and institutional biases, barriers, and inequities in order to yield equitable and inclusive support of all learners. She brings this conviction to all her consultation work with districts.

Abbey Dick, M.A., is the ELA Curriculum Coordinator for grades 5–12 for the Chelmsford Public Schools. She has worked in public education for sixteen years in a variety of roles, including as a grades 6–12 ELA teacher and as a literacy specialist for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She was most recently the Director of Humanities for the Malden Public Schools. She was a member of the Assessment Development Committee for the grade 10 ELA MCAS and served as a standards-setting participant for the Next-Generation ELA MCAS for grades 7 and 8. Abbey has been an AP Reader for the Advanced Placement Language and Composition exam for three years. She performed at the 2016 Boston EdTalks, speaking about Twitter for educators and the edcamp movement. She organized edcamp Malden and has presented at National Council of Teachers of English, Massachusetts Reading Association, National Writing Project, and New England Association of Teachers of English conferences. She has led ELA curriculum building workshops for the Massachusetts Teachers' Association and for Massachusetts and Rhode Island school districts. Abbey holds a B.A. from Assumption College and an M.A. from Westfield State University.

Anne Donovan, M.Ed., BCBA, LABA, has been the Coordinator of ACCEPT Education Collaborative's School Consultation & Evaluation Services for the last 10 years. She has extensive experience working with public school districts and collaboratives to develop special education programs and services and provide professional development opportunities to build districts' capacity to meet the needs of diverse student populations. Ms. Donovan is also an adjunct faculty member at Bridgewater State University and Framingham State University, where she teaches graduate level courses in the field of Special Education.

Elise M. Frangos, Ed.D. is the current Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the 4 districts of the Old Rochester Superintendency #55 where she co-facilitated the development of their current 5 year strategic plan. For the past seven years using PLCs, she has led teams to: align curriculum, foster teacher leadership, adopt writing across the curriculum, embrace project based learning, increase family engagement, and develop standards based report cards. At Old Rochester she leads mentoring and induction, sheltered English instruction, and she helped bring district technology to 1:1. Prior to Old Rochester she was the English Director for Mass Insight for Research and Education and the Director of Reading and English for the Arlington Public schools. A frequent presenter on literacy, writing and trauma-sensitive education, Elise has provided professional development at DESE conferences and in states such as Texas, Arkansas, Virginia and Connecticut. Elise believes that through the efficient PFS process, all stakeholder voices are honored resulting in an exciting and achievable Strategic Plan customized to the district.

Ruth Gilbert-Whitner, Ed.D., is the Superintendent of Schools for the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District. The Administrative Team at Whitman-Hanson has been engaged in the Planning for Success strategic planning process since March of 2015. The school system is now in the first year of implementing the Action Plans of their Strategic Plan, which was approved on October 12, 2016. Dr. Gilbert-Whitner and her Administrative Team wholeheartedly support DESE's Planning for Success program and look forward to assisting other Massachusetts school districts.

Robert (Bob) Harris, M.M., Ed.D.. With 37 years of successful leadership experience in K–12 public education, including 10 years in the role of Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in the Lexington Public Schools, and 14 years as a local union president in the Athol-Royalston Regional School District, Bob brings a unique labor-management perspective to the facilitation process in both high-performing and under-performing school districts, and a deep understanding of how collaboration within school districts can result in improved learning experiences and outcomes for both students and adults. Focused on creating high-performing teams, Bob uses a facilitation process that values the contributions of all stake-holders, and one that builds a climate of trust and consensus through developing caring and respectful professional relationships. Bob believes these conditions lay the groundwork for open and honest communications, create a safe environment in which participants are willing to take risks, and result in a meaningful and actionable strategic plans. Currently, Bob's works with school leaders and policy-makers to find innovative solutions to problems of educational practice in the areas of strategic thinking and planning, leadership development, executive coaching, educator mentoring and induction programs, organizational design and development, collective bargaining strategy, education negotiations, and labor and employee relations.

Jim Jolicoeur, CAGS, MBA. Jim's public education experience includes positions as superintendent of schools in Leominster, assistant superintendent for finance and operations in Marlborough, and school business administrator and assistant superintendent in Sutton. Under his leadership as Superintendent of Schools, Leominster opened two innovation schools, creating three academic paths for students at grades 9–12 focused on career and college opportunities. He led a consortium of school districts in North Central Massachusetts in the implementation of a virtual learning platform that provided blended learning opportunities to public school students in the region. He also led the development of a regional Innovation Zone for early literacy in partnership with the United Way of North Central Massachusetts. Jim has completed the New Superintendent Induction Program and participated in the District Governance Support Project and the Massachusetts Education Partnership (MEP) including District Capacity Project (DCP) and interest-based bargaining work. Jim is also a certified instructor in Advanced A.L.I.C.E. Training from the ALICE Training Institute.

Lori Likis, Ed.D., is DESE's Planning for Success consultant and an educational consultant to districts and schools. Lori began partnering with DESE's former Chief Strategy and Research Officer Carrie Conaway in 2013, creating and developing Planning for Success (PfS) and sharing this tested and effective model and its DIY resources with educators across the state. She has focused on developing PfS as a collaborative and inclusive planning process that is simple, efficient, accessible, and easily customizable to meet the unique needs of diverse districts. Lori has facilitated the Planning for Success process with dozens of districts at all levels of performance (Levels 1–4), creating plans in urban, suburban, and regional districts as well as technical high schools, educational collaboratives, and charter schools. She has designed and led the PfS Facilitator Training Program, building state capacity by training PfS facilitators; led multiple PfS Action Plan Networks, building capacity of district and school leaders to conduct action planning; and has joined many Superintendents in presenting PfS at numerous conferences, including MASS, MASS/MASC, and AASA. Lori has served as the Chief Planning Officer of the Cambridge Public Schools and a charter school administrator and has published in Educational Leadership.

Anne McKenzie, Ed.D. is an experienced educator, building principal, and district leader and currently serves as the superintendent of the Hadley Public Schools. She has worked in a variety of settings including juvenile justice facilities, private special education schools, public and private schools, and has leadership experience as a high school principal, executive director and special education director of an educational collaborative, and a superintendent. She has also served on several boards. She has facilitated various trainings with a wide range of groups including school committees, labor unions, educators, and administrators. People describe her workshops and trainings as highly informative, humorous, and as having an impact on organizations and participants.

Amy B. McKinstry, M.Ed. ( amckinstry@nps.org or amck1441@yahoo.com) has 23 years of education experience as a teacher, principal, ELA curriculum coordinator, director of curriculum, and is currently the superintendent of the Northbridge Public Schools. She has been selected to work with MA DESE as a collaborator and thought partner on several different projects because of her innovative leadership in the Northbridge Public Schools. Some of these projects include: PLN for Supporting Evaluator Capacity, Online Calibration Tool Pilot Project, Refining and Piloting the New Teacher Rubric, and DESE's TEEM Videos (Transforming Educator Evaluation in Massachusetts.) Most recently, Amy has been invited to be a member of DESE's MA Calibration Project Design Committee. Amy has also presented at several DESE, MSSAA and MASS sponsored conferences on educator evaluation processes and innovations and leveraging learning walks.

LaVonia Montouté, M.Ed., is an experienced program manager and facilitator of collaborative initiatives, bringing together groups from diverse professional backgrounds to coordinate on strategic improvements. At the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, she oversaw district-based initiatives focused on the postsecondary readiness of youth in Gateway Cities and managed partnerships between university faculty and secondary education leaders. LaVonia also led strategic planning efforts drawing on community wide input and collaboration. Trademark qualities of her process include high constituent engagement and review of evidence based practices. LaVonia earned her Bachelor of Science at Davidson College and Masters of Education in Developmental Studies at Boston University.

Albert E. Mussad, Ph.D., serves as a staff consultant in leadership and instruction at the Collaborative for Educational Services. In this role, he facilitates professional development for school leaders, teachers and other licensed educators in the areas of effective instructional leadership; effective instructional strategies for English learners; secondary literacy education; and improving outcomes for students living in poverty. Albert also facilitates curriculum review and revision, and conducts educational program evaluations. Dr. Mussad led the training-of-trainers component of DESE's Leading Educational Access Project (LEAP). He has taught K–12 English learners and high school Spanish. Albert served as a curriculum and instruction supervisor, director and assistant superintendent, and also served as an elementary school principal.

Susan Nicholson, Ed.D., is a recently retired school superintendent who has worked in the field of education as an assistant superintendent, high school principal, high school assistant principal, teacher, and coach in both urban and suburban school districts. Dr. Nicholson is currently working with school districts to enhance principal leadership skills. While in her role as a high school principal, Dr. Nicholson worked collaboratively with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and district personnel and was instrumental in the strategic planning for a new high school. Additionally, as a school superintendent, she again worked successfully with the MSBA and district personnel on a Statement of Interest for a new high school. The district was invited into the process and is well on its way to a new high school. In her role as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, and high school principal, Dr. Nicholson collaborated with district personnel and the various community stakeholders on strategic planning initiatives in three communities.

Kristan Rodriguez, Ph.D., is a highly successful K–12 administrator, published author, and college professor with twenty years of experience in the field of education. Dr. Rodriguez is currently the Director of Professional Learning and Grants for CREST Collaborative. Kristan is the founder of Rodriguez Educational Consulting Agency and has presented nationally on leadership and learning for the past 15 years, drawing upon her work as superintendent and principal. Her work for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education includes being the primary author of the K–12 Student Teacher Pipeline Toolkit, co-author of the 2018 MTSS Blueprint, and Project Manager for the Tier I Inclusive Practice Academy. She has worked with numerous districts to utilize the Planning for Success (PfS) materials within the Implementation Science framework. In addition to being a PfS facilitator, she is also a LEAP trainer and a member of the ESE Comprehensive District Review team.

Last Updated: October 26, 2022

 
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