Partners for Educational Leadership

What Partners for Educational Leadership does

Partners for Educational Leadership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 (formerly the Connecticut Center for School Change) and headquartered at 26 Caya Ave., West Hartford, Connecticut. The organization partners with pre K-12 school districts and educational systems to improve instructional practice, develop leadership capacity from teachers to superintendents, and dismantle achievement and opportunity gaps. Its work is anchored in proprietary frameworks including Instructional Rounds (the recognized home of which is PEL), Practice Architectures, the HEAT framework, pre-mortem protocols, and the Logic Alpha/Phi scaling models, with the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) pedagogy — created by Peter Liljedahl — adopted as a core methodology.

The organization delivers a portfolio of services and products organized around three pillars: (1) direct services including one-on-one coaching, leadership professional learning, systems review, strategic planning, equity and social justice consulting, and family and community partnerships (via Parents SEE); (2) communities of practice comprising six networks — Connecticut Superintendents' Network, EDIN, ILC, SIIP, HS Learning Collective, and Collaborative Learning Networks; and (3) publications and events including The Coaching Letter (Substack newsletter by Isobel Stevenson, PhD PCC), The Partners Blog (by Executive Director Richard Lemons), Partners Matter Newsletter, the 3-Day Coaching Institute, Student Voice Institute, and the BTC National Conference hosted in New Haven. There are no disclosed technology platforms, APIs, software products, or AI/ML capabilities; the delivery model is human-mediated consulting and professional learning.

Revenue is generated on a fee-for-service basis through direct contracts with school districts and recurring network membership, with no public pricing or revenue disclosure. Operating geographies span the Northeast (Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York). Leadership includes Executive Director Richard Lemons and a Board chaired by Steven Hernández (Executive Director of ConnCAN), with prominent education leaders such as former Hartford Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodríguez on the board. The organization has 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors, and operates as an independent nonprofit.

Name

Partners for Educational Leadership

Legal name

Partners for Educational Leadership

Website

https://partnersforel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Partners for Educational Leadership is a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with pre K-12 school districts across the Northeast to improve instructional practice, develop leadership, and advance equity through coaching, systems review, professional networks, and Building Thinking Classrooms implementation support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Consulting Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

District Administration & Central Office (EDAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), District Accountability, Performance & Improvement Offices (EDADABAI)

Keywords

• Educational leadership consulting
• Instructional improvement services
• School district coaching
• Professional development workshops
• K-12 systems reform

Headquarters

HQ city

West Hartford, Connecticut

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services & Consulting: Partners for Educational Leadership generates revenue through fee-for-service consulting, coaching, professional learning workshops, and systems review engagements with school districts. Services are contracted directly with districts seeking instructional improvement and leadership development support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Partners for Educational Leadership contracts directly with pre K-12 school districts to deliver fee-for-service consulting, coaching, professional learning workshops, systems reviews, strategic planning, and instructional rounds focused on instructional improvement and leadership development. The organization also operates multiple multi-district networks and communities of practice that provide ongoing structured engagement for superintendents, principals, central office leaders, and teacher teams across Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York.

Product overview

Partners for Educational Leadership is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of educational services focused on improving teaching and learning, reducing achievement gaps, and promoting equity in schools. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected services including professional learning workshops, collaborative networks, coaching services, and publications. Core offerings include: Workshops & Events for educator skill development; Networks that serve as communities of practice for educators and administrators; and direct Services including Coaching, Leadership Professional Learning, Strategic Planning, Systems Review, Social Justice & Equity, Instructional Rounds, and Family & Community Partnerships. The organization also produces publications including The Coaching Letter (by Isobel Stevenson), the Partners Blog (by Executive Director Richard Lemons), and the Partners Matter Newsletter. Specialized programs include the 3-Day Coaching Institute, Student Voice Institute, and Building Thinking Classrooms Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Coaching Letter: Newsletter written by Partners' staff member Isobel Stevenson, PhD PCC, exploring topics on leadership and coaching
• The Partners Blog
• Partners Matter Newsletter
• Parents SEE Network
• CT Superintendents' Network
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDIN)
• High School Learning Collective
• Instructional Leadership Collective
• SIIP Network

Products and services

• Coaching
• Leadership Professional Learning
• Systems Review
• Strategic Planning
• Instructional Rounds
• Acceleration
• Social Justice & Equity
• Family & Community Partnerships
• Educational Networks and Communities of Practice
• Workshops & Events
• 3-Day Coaching Institute
• Student Voice Institute
• Building Thinking Classrooms National Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Record graduation rates under Hartford Public Schools leadership
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Peter LiljedahlflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeter Liljedahl is the creator of Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC), a pedagogical framework that Partners for Educational Leadership has adopted as a core instructional improvement methodology. PEL hosted the Building Thinking Classrooms National Conference in New Haven in June 2026 and Isobel Stevenson introduced Liljedahl at the conference. PEL's work on BTC draws on his research and book, and the organization has become a primary venue for BTC implementation support and professional learning in the Northeast.
• Rydell HarrisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRydell Harrison is a colleague and co-author of Isobel Stevenson at Partners for Educational Leadership. Together they co-authored the book 'Equitable School Improvement' (Teachers College Press). Rydell Harrison delivered a keynote at the Building Thinking Classrooms National Conference hosted by PEL in June 2026 and is described as a brilliant human and key contributor to the organization's intellectual framework.
• Andrew Lachman (Former Executive Director)coreOthersAndrew Lachman was the former Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for School Change (now Partners for Educational Leadership). During his tenure, he sharpened the organization's focus on large-scale systems improvement, oversaw the launch of LEADCT and Parents SEE initiatives, and was a key contributor to the development of Instructional Rounds methodology nationally. He passed away on June 6, 2025, but remained a thought partner and supporter of the organization until his passing.
• Connecticut Center for School ChangecoreOthersThe Connecticut Center for School Change was the former name of Partners for Educational Leadership. Andrew Lachman served as Executive Director of the Center, and the organization was the original home of the Instructional Rounds methodology. The rebranding to Partners for Educational Leadership reflects an expanded mission while maintaining continuity of staff, methodology, and partner relationships.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Educational Leadership (University of Washington): University-based center providing district leadership development, instructional leadership programs, and coaching—overlaps with PEL's Instructional Leadership Collective and Leadership Professional Learning offerings.
• Education Strategy Group: Consulting firm focused on K-12 college and career readiness, working with districts and states on systemic improvement—closely aligned with PEL's district-as-unit-of-change approach and equity-centered reform work.
• Learning Forward: National nonprofit dedicated to professional learning for educators; PEL's leadership development and professional learning workshops directly parallel Learning Forward's core mission of building educator capacity through sustained, job-embedded learning.
• Insight Education Group: Education consulting firm providing professional development, instructional coaching, and equity-focused support to districts—overlapping directly with PEL's coaching, acceleration, and Social Justice & Equity service lines.
• Public Impact: Education consulting nonprofit working with school systems to improve equity and outcomes through district-level redesign and leadership support—directly comparable to PEL's systems review and strategic planning engagements.

Regional players

• Connecticut Association of Schools: Connecticut-based association providing professional learning, leadership development, and interscholastic programming for member schools—operates in the same Northeast geography as PEL's Connecticut Superintendents' Network and partner districts.

Others

• Council of Chief State School Officers: National nonprofit membership organization for state education chiefs—operates upstream of PEL's district-level work but shapes the policy environment and state-district relationships PEL's superintendents navigate.

Broad incumbents

• TNTP: Large national nonprofit working to end the injustice of educational inequity through teacher/leader development, policy, and consulting—operates at broader scale than PEL but in the same K-12 instructional improvement and equity space.
• ASCD: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development providing professional learning, publications, and conferences for educators—PEL's workshop and publication model mirrors ASCD's broader content-driven engagement approach.
• Bellwether Education Partners: National nonprofit consulting firm advising education leaders on talent, strategy, and policy—broader portfolio than PEL but operates in the same K-12 leadership and systems improvement advisory category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Richard_Lemons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partners-for-el

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Partners for Educational Leadership