About Us
Community Schools Partners is a collective of longtime community schools practitioners who work alongside community schools at all stages of implementation. Together we can provide a depth and breadth of support from system leaders to lead implementers.
As coaches and consultants we have partnered with practitioners in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and Georgia. In particular, we’ve partnered to create professional learning infrastructure, scale and deepen 1:1 coaching for leaders at all levels of the community schools system, and serve as facilitators for drawing out local solutions to problems of practice. Our most recent project supported two full service community school state scaling grants.
Meet the Team
Jennifer is a Certified Professional Coach, facilitator, and consultant who created Common Good Coaching to support those who support others. She spent 10 years directly serving in community schools in Baltimore, Maryland first as a parent organizer, then a Community School Coordinator, and ultimately the director of a multi-school lead agency initiative leading 10 community schools prior to launching Common Good Coaching. Jennifer has consulted nationally with non-profits, quasi-governmental agencies, schools, and school districts within the community schools field as well as to design values-based leadership strategies and professional development. She privately coaches non-profit leaders who want to lead from compassion, dignity, and justice at home and at work. Jennifer holds an ACC credential from the International Coach Federation, a Master’s in Educational Studies, a graduate certificate in Leadership for School, Family, and Community Collaboration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative World Literature.
David is the founder and executive director of Whole System Education Consulting LLC. David coaches Community School Coordinators(CSCs), facilitates professional learning, and develops resources community schools. He also supports leaders and organizations in place-based and collective impact initiatives.
David has worked for government, non-profit, and philanthropic partners across the education sector. David brings passion and humor to supporting the success of his clients. Prior to his current role, David worked for education non-profits and state governments leading initiatives on school improvement. and teacher quality. David has an Initial Certification of Leadership Coaching from Cardinal Stritch University. He is training to gain the International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Coach Credential (ACC). He has a bachelor’s degree in history from University of Illinois and a master’s degree from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
Inspired to empower, Bryan Smith, Professional and Executive Coach and founder of Empowered Circle Leadership Coaching and Consultant Company, followed his purpose to pursue social entrepreneurship with efforts to create positive change in schools, communities, and organizations through empowerment speaking, training, and leadership coaching. Bryan has served in multiple executive leadership capacities with state-wide, national, and international economic development, community development, and youth development organizations. He consistently works to evaluate ideas to align creative and innovative thought, wisdom, and knowledge to impact communities and organizations worldwide.
Lissette Gomez is a capacity-building consultant specializing in community schools and youth development. Previously, she served as the Director of Special Projects at Children's Aid National Center for Community Schools, where she played a key role in advancing both national and local initiatives. In this capacity, she provided tailored professional development, consultation, coaching, and technical assistance to schools, districts, and partner agencies implementing the community school strategy.
With over 20 years of experience, Lissette brings expertise in professional development, coaching, curriculum and program development, and management in the fields of community schools and after-school education.
Lissette holds a Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work, a Master of Educational Leadership from Long Island University, and is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well as a New York State Department of Education Certified School District Leader.