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.

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

Jessica Raugitinane, whom we honored in 2012, has completed an intensive, two-year process to earn an elite level of certification that has been achieved by only four percent of teachers nationwide.

Congratulations to Ms. Raugitinane on becoming a National Board-Certified Teacher.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) grants this certification in line with its mission to advance the quality of teaching and learning. The National Board’s mission is to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

Ms.Raugitinane began working toward the certification while teaching English-language learners at a dual-language school in her hometown of Alexandria, Virginia. Now she serves as the K-12 English Learners Curriculum Specialist in her school district’s central office.

“In this position, I can focus on my passion for curriculum writing, especially for English-language learners, and remain connected to the classroom by piloting curriculum with teachers and students,” she says.

Recommendations for Colleagues

For teachers who might be considering pursuing National Board certification, Ms. Raugitinane offers this advice:

“Seek out resources from your school district; see if there is a mentor or cohort who can guide you through the process and review your portfolio submissions.

“The certification process is rigorous and time-consuming, so creating a schedule that dedicates time to certification requirements while balancing teaching and personal life is essential. 

“Nevertheless, the process is beneficial and doesn’t feel like you are just trying to check off a list of tasks, but rather truly investing in yourself as a teacher. The critical analysis and deep reflection throughout the process lead to improved instructional strategies and better student outcomes, while allowing you to display your strengths as a teacher.”

Triple Major at UConn

Ms. Raugitinane received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in 2013 with three majors: elementary education, English, and Spanish, along with a minor in Latino studies. She received her master’s degree from UConn in 2014. Before joining the faculty in Alexandria, she taught English as a second language to university students in Quito, Ecuador.

“I knew the certification process would be labor-intensive,” she says. “But I felt supported by my school district’s board-certified mentor who reassured me that the deep reflection encouraged by this process would truly enhance my teaching skills and motivate me to provide high-quality teaching to my students.”

Ms. Raugitinane achieved National Board certification in English as a New Language for Early and Middle Childhood (ages 3-12) by submitting a portfolio for each of four components:

• Content Knowledge: Candidates demonstrate an understanding of the subject matter and how to teach it effectively.
• Differentiation in Instruction: Candidates provide evidence of how they tailor their instruction to students with diverse learning styles and abilities.
• Teaching Practice and Learning Environment: Candidates submit videos of their teaching and provide written analyses of their teaching practice in varied contexts.
• Effective and Reflective Practitioner: Candidates analyze and reflect on how they use assessment data and student feedback to improve their instruction. Candidates also provide evidence of participation in professional learning communities and collaboration with other educators to meet students’ needs.

Felicidades to Ms. Raugitinane and best wishes for continued success in this new phase of her career.

• Woody Exley