My decision to launch an educational consulting firm was based on a calling; it was not a simple career move. It was based and no small part of my desire to black students in my school district have a more equitable educational experience. There are many examples that come to mind when I think about what created my awareness of inequitable educational experiences. One of which happened when my youngest children, twins, were in second grade. At Thanksgiving time, their teacher told my Black child that the official pie for Thanksgiving was pumpkin pie. My child, who inherited their mother’s feistiness, insisted that it was not true and at her home and in the home of everyone they knew, the official pie for Thanksgiving was sweet potato. The teacher spent 15 minutes of class time arguing with my child about the official pie for Thanksgiving in the United States. This young white teacher could not fathom the idea that it was possible for people who belonged to cultures unlike hers to have other experiences or cultural norms that deserved respect and recognition. This was an example of a teacher who lacked cultural proficiency.
I created an educational consulting business after earning my doctorate in education. This was a decision that was an intentional act rooted in equity, clarity, and the desire to build systems to help students do more than survive on their academic journeys. I wanted to create systems that help students thrive on their educational journeys. It is my fervent belief that students from kindergarten through doctoral programs, and beyond all deserve an educational opportunity that is equitable. Every student needs to feel as though they belong and are capable of achieving their academic dreams. All students deserve the opportunity to have learning environments that fit their culture, learning style, and way of life.
The purpose of this article is to take you on a journey that will help you understand why I started my educational consulting firm and why you should use my services. I will do this by sharing personal stories that led me to create my educational consulting firm and an exploration of systemic gaps in the educational system. Next, I will share my expertise and the mission behind my firm.
The Road That Led Me Here: Lived Experience as a Catalyst
The story I shared above my children about the teacher and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving time is one of many stories that show a lack of cultural proficiency in the schools my children attended. My children attended school in an affluent, predominantly white school district. My desire to help parents and children succeed in that environment led me to pursue a doctorate in education. It also made me focus my dissertation research on the experiences of Black parents navigating and supporting the academic success of their children in such school districts. I wanted students, parents, community members and people at the schools to understand that Black children could succeed and indeed thrive in school.
While running my first after school program, I had many encounters with parents who shared stories about systemic inequities faced by their children. Their narratives included stories about unfair discipline, where Black students were punished two and three times harsher than white students for similar offenses. Parents shared examples of their children who were straight A students not being recommended for honors classes and AP classes. During my dissertation research I had parents describe systemic and constant examples of lowered expectations for their successful Black children. All of this made me want to create a firm that would help parents fight these systems and get the educational outcomes that their children deserve.
My work in academic and community spaces exposed structural and systemic challenges for Back students that white students did not experience. The conversations I had with Black parents about their lived experiences and those of their children caused me to realize that the experiences of my children were not an aberration. Indeed, their experiences were part of an intentional system designed not to support the success of Black students on their academic journeys. My experiences and the stories shared with me by other Black parents helped me realize that many institutions in our community in our school district lacked the capacity, clarity, or equity frameworks needed to serve Black students. Once I began my first after school program and saw how successful it was, I realized that I could help build something better. I could help students in our community have more equitable educational outcomes.
The Gaps I Saw on the Educational Landscape
Families and students often navigate educational systems alone. This means they do not have inside knowledge, community connections, or the support they need to succeed. (Davis, 2025). Often bureaucracy, jargon, and inconsistent communication make it difficult for families to navigate educational systems. These are examples of gaps in schools providing what families and students need to succeed on their academic journeys.
Similarly, schools, universities, and community organizations need help with systems, strategies, and equitable practices. Most colleges and universities state that their desire is to provide equitable educational opportunities for all students. However, there is often a disconnect between their stated mission and the actual implementation of that mission. These are examples of gaps in how education is provided.
Both gaps have costs that harm parents, students, communities, as well as colleges and universities. For parents, there are emotional, academic, and financial consequences for families. There are operational and relational consequences for colleges and universities. Equitable action is needed to fill these gaps and repair the harm caused by the gaps.
Why Consulting Was the Right Solution
When I looked at the harm to parents and their children caused by inequitable educational opportunities it occurred to me that an educational consulting firm was the right solution. As a consultant I can act as a bridge between parents, students, and the systems that work against marginalized students having equitable educational outcomes. Effective consulting sits at the intersection of family needs and institutional demands. Both groups have the same stated desired outcome: student success. The problem they have is that often they lack shared language, shared expectations, and shared systems. My educational consulting firm is the bridge that brings clarity, structure, and alignment for parents and educational institutions.
Families face many challenges when navigating the educational system on behalf of their children. These challenges include confusing processes (IEPs, meetings, and communication loops). Parents often must deal with inadequate access to information and advocacy tools. Additionally, it is not uncommon for parents to feel overwhelmed or unsure of how to ask for what their children need. Consulting services help support families by:
- Translating school language into plain language
- providing scripts, templates, and step-by-step guidance
- helping parents prepare for meetings with confidence and competence.
- offering strength-based framing so families feel empowered and not intimidated
Consulting services help families by increasing clarity and reducing stress. These services also lead to more productive school interactions for parents and their children. Consulting services also provide families with a sense of agency and partnership when it comes to their children’s education rather than fear or frustration.
Educational institutions need capacity, systems, and consistency. They face several challenges including limited time and staffing, consistent communication practices and family engagement systems. These gaps are difficult to balance and make meaningful relationships between educators and the educated difficult to navigate. Consulting supports institutions in several ways These ways include:
- designing frameworks, templates, and communication systems
- training staff and culturally responsive strength-based communication
- facilitating listening sessions to uncover real needs
- helping schools build predictable and sustainable processes
The impact of consulting services for institutions means that capacity is increased without overburdening staff. It becomes possible to have more consistent family engagement practices. Additionally stronger and smoother collaboration with families becomes possible because of consulting services.
Consulting services benefit both families and educational institutions. Educational consultants are beneficial because they help families and educational institutions realize that they are two parts of the same ecosystem. It also helps them understand that when one of them lacks clarity or capacity it is the student who was most impacted. And that impact is negative. It is the job of the educational institution to help families understand the system. Educational consultants make it possible to create shared language, shared expectations, and shared goals for parents and educational institutions. As a result, students benefit from adults who are aligned and formed and working together in their best interests. Schools benefit from having smoother processes. Families benefit because they’re able to achieve clarity and have confidence in both the educational system and their role within the system.
Our work is rooted in equity, clarity, and partnership We understand that supporting families and institutions is not a conflict of interests. In fact, it is a necessity. We provide a model for how communities can work together to support student success. Educational consultants are not bound by the same rules and regulations that educational institutions are a part of. This gives us the ability to create frameworks, tools, and processes that are strengths based, accessible, and actionable. We build modular, scalable resources that can be used by anyone. Consulting can be viewed as a legacy building platform. It offers the chance to turn lived experience into systems others can teach adapt and replicate.
Who I Serve — and Why
Let’s spend a moment looking at who we serve and why we have dedicated ourselves to this work.
Parents and Families
We help parents and families navigate school systems with confidence. We do this by providing tools that demystify processes and amplify parental voices.
Doctoral Students
We help doctoral students by supporting them through the complex academic journey with structure, accountability, and clarity. We offer systems that reduce overwhelm and increase the likelihood of program completion.
Universities and Educational Institutions
We support universities and educational institutions by strengthening their capacity through equity-centered strategy, training, and systems design. The work we do helps them align their mission, practice, and outcomes.
Community Organizations
We help community organizations by building operational and relational systems that support sustainable impact. Community organizations often serve as the midground between parents and educational institutions. By working with our firm, community organizations are better able to support parents and help improve educational outcomes for students within the community.
What Makes Our Approach Different
Our firm takes an approach that is different from most other educational consultants. For us, equity is not an add on service, it is the foundation of what we do and who we are. Every tool process and conversation we have is designed with equity at its center. We designed systems that are human centered and designed. Our solutions are both strategic and compassionate. We create systems and frameworks that work in real life not just on paper. The goal is always to achieve clarity, structure, and accessibility. Our tools are always in plain language. Our resources are modular and can be used immediately.
Conclusion: This Work Is Personal — and It’s Necessary
In conclusion, it is important to reaffirm the fact our consulting work is an act of purpose, not convenience. There is an ongoing need for equity-centered, strengths-based educational consulting. We have stepped in to fill that need. We invite families, students, and institutions to join us in our work to build systems where every student can thrive.
Reference
Davis, J. (2025). We love our kids too: Black parents supporting the academic success of their children in affluent, predominantly White school districts (Doctoral dissertation, West Chester University). West Chester University Open Commons. https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_doctoral/328/
Further Reading
You are Strong You Can Win the Battle Against Imposter Syndrome
Unlock Your Doctoral Success: Coaching & Resources That Work
Unleash the Fire Within: Maya Angelou’s Lifegiving Wisdom for Educators
About the Author
Dr. Janeane Davis is Founder and Principal Consultant at Janeane Davis and Associates: Educational Consultants. She believes educators deserve systems that work as hard as they do. Her writing offers strategic clarity, workflow wisdom, and encouragement rooted in lived experience.
One problem at a time. One solution at a time. Always building.
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