Author Archives: Woody

Educator Turns Entrepreneur While at Harvard

Pursuing a doctorate at Harvard would be challenging enough for most people.

But Vernon-James Riley, whom we honored in 2008, has launched an ambitious education consulting venture, VJR Consulting Firm, while studying at the prestigious university in Cambridge, Mass.

In 2024, Mr. Riley and his team of eight education professionals worked with clients in more than a dozen cities from Massachusetts to Texas. The firm helps schools to accelerate teacher development, refine leadership practices, and strengthen instructional systems.

Vernon-James Riley

Alma Exley Scholar at Yale

We introduced Mr. Riley as an Alma Exley Scholar while he was an undergraduate at Yale. His proud grandmother, Ruby Riley, who had raised him, had taken the train from Harlem to join in the celebration in Hartford.

Ruby Riley with Vernon-James at scholarship celebration.

Advanced Degrees

He went on to earn master’s degrees from Michigan State, Teachers’ College at Columbia University, and Relay Graduate School of Education.

He began his career as a teacher in Brooklyn, N.Y, and served in school leadership positions in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and Newark, N.J. Before returning to his studies, he served and supported leaders across the country in several roles at the Relay Graduate School of Education.

Expertise in Professional Development

VJR Consulting supports school and system leaders with developing the mindsets, skills, habits, and systems for transformative instructional leadership. Strengthening the capabilities of these educators has produced measurable improvements in student achievement.

Last year, the firm provided training and coaching to educators in nine cities, having an impact on more than 200,000 students. The firm also partnered with educational organizations to deliver professional development in 10 additional cities.

Vernon-James Riley conducting professional-development session for educators.

Supporting Development of Leaders

How did Mr. Riley get started as an education consultant?

“I had done some consulting work prior to Harvard,” he told me. “But it accelerated once I began my doctoral program, in part because I wanted to continue the work.

“I loved supporting schools through leader development,” he said. “But also, I was motivated by the very real reason that I needed to supplement my small doctoral stipend.”

Growing the Business

“Initially, the work began to build organically, mostly through word-of-mouth referrals. People assumed that since I had gone back to school, I might have time to work on projects. Others, who had worked with me through my previous employer, wanted to keep working with me directly.

“Once I realized there was a need for my expertise in the field, I founded the firm as an LLC in 2023. I then began to reach out to individuals in my network who knew the caliber of my work. Only recently have I begun to build a social media presence and try to market my firm to organizations I may not yet know.”

Positive Results

Whether it’s providing professional learning, offering executive coaching, or facilitating strategic planning, VJR Consulting has gained a reputation as a valuable resource for educators.

The firm has trained more than 10,000 educators in well over a dozen cities across the country and in the United Kingdom. Coaching school leadership teams in nine urban districts has resulted in double-digit gains in student performance in mathematics and/or English language arts in a single year.

Please join me in congratulating Vernon-James Riley on launching a successful business while pursuing his doctorate.

Contact him at

Or he may be reached on social media at https://linktr.ee/vjrconsulting

After May we’ll be calling him Dr. Riley.

  • Woody Exley

Vernon-James with Ruby Riley at Alma Exley scholarship event.

Cardona Promotes Diversity at Educator Symposium

Dr. Miguel Cardona, U. S. Secretary of Education and 1998 Alma Exley Scholar, presented a strong case for educator diversity to an audience of more than 200 educators and aspiring educators on Thursday.

He spoke via video at the third annual Increasing Diversity Symposium at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, sponsored the Connecticut Department of Education and Educators Rising, a program that encourages high school students to pursue careers in education.

Also speaking was Connecticut Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker, who said that increasing educator diversity and strengthening the educator pipeline are among her agency’s strategic focus areas. (See story below.)

Diversity Is a “Must-Have”

“Educator diversity matters,” Secretary Cardona said. “It’s not only a good-to-have; it’s a must-have.

“The Biden-Harris team is moving toward a vision of public education that’s ambitious and inclusive when others want to privatize the public good—public education,” he said. “Our vision includes making sure that we have a beautifully diverse workforce of highly qualified teachers—a diversity that matches the diversity of our communities.

“I’m proud to say that Connecticut is leading the way. It’s one of only seven states with an educator diversity goal. From the 2015-16 school year to 2023-24, nearly 2,000 additional educators of color were hired across the state.

He noted that Connecticut has streamlined the process for educators from out-of-state to obtain Connecticut certification. He cited the NextGen program, which pays prospective teachers while they work to obtain credentials and connects them with experienced teachers as mentors. He also mentioned a new state program that provides scholarships to aspiring educators from diverse backgrounds.

National Priority

Secretary Cardona said the U.S. Department of Education is supporting educator-diversity efforts nationally. He said the Department is also fighting for teacher respect and teacher support. He cited what he calls the ABCs of teaching: A is for agency, treating teachers like professionals. B is for better working conditions, making sure they have the tools they need to be successful. C is for competitive salaries, since teachers are paid less than people with similar degrees in other professions. And he added D for diversity.

“Let’s demonstrate the courage to raise the bar for teacher diversity,” he said, “and let’s demonstrate the will to fight boldly and unapologetically for public education.

“At a time when people are attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion, at a time when people want to use vouchers to create a system of haves and have-nots, I tell you this is the best time to be in leadership. This is the best time to fight for diversity in our profession.

“We are fighting for public education,” he said. “We are fighting to lift up the great work of our public schools and our educators. We just have to make sure that they are as beautifully diverse as our country. I’m excited to continue to work together.”

Commissioner Cites Progress But Calls for More

Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker reported that the state’s educators of color increased from 7.8 percent in 2009-10 to over 11 percent this past school year. This represents an increase from 4,130 to more than 6,000 educators of color in the state’s public schools.

But she noted that students of color account for 58.8 percent of the total student body. This amounts to more than 275,000 students of color.

“We have a lot of work to do,” she said. “This work is critically important. Our collective actions demonstrate that we’re not just talking about the problem; we’re about effective solutions and we’re moving forward.

“Our goal is to create a universe of opportunities for all of our students,” she said, citing Educators Rising, scholarships for aspiring teachers, and certification reciprocity among the state’s diversity initiatives.

“We’re leading the charge to ensure that our educator workforce really looks like the students that it serves,” the commissioner said. “Together, we are changing the face of education in Connecticut.”

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Alma Exley Scholar Is Driving Teacher Diversity

Connecticut’s Teacher Residency Program (TRP) is addressing the teacher shortage while also having an impact on the shortage of teachers of color.

I’m proud to report that Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims, an Alma Exley Scholar, is a leader in this state initiative.

Since we honored Dr. Sims in 2008, she has emerged as a highly respected educational leader as a public-school administrator, a UConn faculty member, and now as managing director of academics at the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), which manages the TRP.

     Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims

Achieving Results

       The state approved the Teacher Residency Program in 2019 among a variety of initiatives to increase teacher diversity. After the first five years, 135 program graduates are teaching in Connecticut schools—94 percent of whom are persons of color.

       The program is in high demand among aspiring teachers. While the national trend in teacher-preparation programs is a decline in enrollment, TRP had a record applicant pool for the 2024-2025 cohort, resulting in 45 residents enrolled and placed in residencies within partner districts and a waiting list of more than 20 additional qualified candidates.

       “TRP enables candidates with bachelor’s degrees to take courses leading to teacher certification,” Dr. Sims says. “The program helps to break down barriers to entry into the teaching profession by covering the cost of tuition and paying a living wage during the one-year residency. Candidates receive three years of mentoring support from experienced educators from the time they are residents through their first two years as teachers of record.”

       The Capitol Region Education Council established the program to increase diversity among public school educators. The program has since grown to a state-wide partnership of the Regional Education Service Center (RESC) Alliance.

       Currently, only 11 percent of Connecticut public school teachers are persons of color, compared to over half of the students.

Impact of Teachers of Color

       “Ethnic and racial diversity among teachers and administrators adds positive value for all students,” Dr. Sims says. “This is evident in more equitable approaches to student discipline, greater representation of students of color in gifted programs, and improved student performance.”

       (Studies have demonstrated that students of color do better when they have at least one teacher of color.)

       Serving with Dr. Sims on the TRP leadership team are Ushawnda Mitchell, managing director of residencies, and Dr. Niralee Patel-Lye, managing director of recruitment, retention, and partnerships.

       Congratulations to Dr. Sims and her colleagues for their commitment to the cause of increasing diversity among the educator workforce in Connecticut. It’s heartening to see them achieving results and making a difference in our public schools.

  • Woody Exley