Cultivating choice-filled lives through heart work.
Hi, I’m Kori Sanchez Smith.
I'm a proud native of Berkeley, California. I started my teaching career in a small Title I school in California after receiving my B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. To be better equipped to meet the emotional needs of my students, I completed an M.Ed. in Community Counseling at the University of Oklahoma. Since starting my career, I have taught in urban districts, a charter school, and a private school in both Title I and non-Title I settings across three states. As a teacher leader and administrator, I've led professional development in curriculum and design, the International Baccalaureate framework, and Response to Intervention. As an Assistant Principal, I developed an in-depth knowledge of community building, shared decision making, program implementation, and teacher development and evaluation.
I was honored to earn the position of Director of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for Atlanta Public Schools where I spearheaded the first-ever, district-wide, implementation of social emotional learning. My experiences leading a team to support over 70 schools and over 40,000 students have given me the skills and knowledge to help others take a similar journey. I have presented on SEL implementation at both small independent schools and for large district convenings. Additionally, I co-presented the EducationWeek Webinar “Social Emotional Learning - A Systematic Approach that leads to Student Success”. I served as a panelist during the congressional briefing on “Teacher Health and Wellness: Fostering Student Achievement by Supporting Teachers’ Mental and Physical Well-Being”. I am a certified trainer of Restorative Practices and a certified GALLUP Strengths Coach.
In addition to my work consulting in the area of SEL implementation, I'm raising a precious little boy with my husband and friend, Jason.
Contributors
Meet the people who help us make an impact in the lives of our clients.
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Diversity, Equity, and InclusionMahogany Blank walks this world as a Cisgender Black Woman and while those identities alone can lend their experience and lessons to diversity and inclusion, she likes to lean on her educational background. Mahogany has spent 8+ years working in and for large school districts and charter networks across the country focusing on supports for students of color. Since 2018, Mahogany has isolated her focus on coaching school leaders and teachers on inclusive management practices in their buildings. Mahogany enjoys using methodologies from historians and activists such as Ibram Kendi and Kimberle Crenshaw and has taken courses under the leadership of Glenn Singleton from "Courageous Conversations".
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Culturally Responsive Instructional Practices
Willi Sanchez began her teaching career in Oakland, CA. She spent her first 10 years in the classroom actively using both Restorative Practices and Critical Friends group protocols to create a culturally responsive classroom. Later she spent four years as an Assistant School Leader of Curriculum & Instruction. In that position, she focused her efforts on creating instructional systems of accountability that improved teachers’ culturally responsive practice. During Willi’s tenure as a school leader, she used the Professional Learning Community process to create true school reform centered on culturally responsive instructional practices. She found success came when she balanced a long-term vision with bite-sized goals and committed to efficient and effective communication.
Willi is passionate about school reform that focuses on culturally responsive practices and student-focused structures, all of which should be supported with consistent and reliable data collection and analysis.
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GALLUP StrengthsFinder
An educational leader, thought-fanatic, and determined voice, Dr. Zackory Kirk has dedicated his life’s work to enlighten, inspire, and encourage. After graduating from Mississippi State University, Zackory embarked on a new educational journey that led to several successful careers. He has served learners as a distinguished teacher, instructional coach, professional learning specialist, literacy coordinator, and curriculum director. Dr. Kirk is a certified GALLUP Strengths Coach and an accomplished trainer, speaker, and influencer.
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