Who We Are

Longtime charter school advocates, Jill Shahen and Andrea Rogers Barry, each of whom have more than 20 years of charter school experience, founded Empire Charter Consultants (ECC) with a clear mission: to provide candid guidance and expert technical support services to charter schools, charter support organizations, and authorizers seeking to make positive strategic changes. Charter school comms expert Jessica Mokhiber and charter school data expert Wendy Diamante also joined the team, making ECC a strong, women-led consulting firm. Each member of the team cares deeply about the charter school movement and the children and families it serves.

In addition, ECC has a network of service providers who work on special projects. Our service providers have a deep well of charter school experience and a desire to do meaningful work on behalf of children and families.

Our team has navigated decades in the charter school movement, as advocates, educators, and authorizers. We have worked in multiple cities and states across the nation, and we aren’t ready to quit anytime soon!

Team Bios

Why We Do This Work

Our team has unique skills within the charter school movement – and an unshakeable desire to spend our days helping charter schools accomplish meaningful and positive results. We provide honest, direct advice and support to the charter community without the fluff or spin. We mean it - we will tell it like it is, even if what we're saying is unpopular. Just ask New York State authorizers. We routinely hold them accountable in our public stances and writings, even when we are the only ones publicly calling out practices that do not help children and families.

Like our tagline says – Candid Conversations, Direct Results.

After launching ECC in 2018, we work every day directly with charter schools, charter school associations, charter support organizations, and authorizers.

We are mission-aligned to the goals of the charter school movement. We are a team of true experts who able to help with a wide range of needs. Our core organizing principle is a commitment to quality and continuous improvement, always with children and families in mind.

Let’s work together to foster and grow a high-quality charter school movement!

What We Offer

· Support for new school development – from needs assessment and work plan development to application writing to project management

· Targeted support packages for charter schools at every stage of their life cycle, including writing renewal applications

· On-going board coaching and experienced strategic planning

· Social media management, photography, and videography; we will customize our offerings to best fit your needs

· Short- or long-term project work for charter support organizations and charter management organizations for tasks large and small

· Assist charter authorizers, notably with new school development support services, including application reviews and interviews

what PEOPLE are saying about OUR team

I first met Jill Shahen when I was a founding charter school leader and, quite honestly, drowning in almost every aspect of the organization. I was trying to be the academic leader while also managing facilities, navigating the complexities of a young organization, and working with a young board. I was stretched thin and trying to hold everything together.

Jill was initially hired to help us complete a strategic plan, but she quickly became much more than a consultant. She became my coach. For an entire year, we met every Friday. She helped me think through problems, find clarity in the chaos, stabilize both myself and the school, and ultimately build the case for our board to bring additional leadership and support into the organization.

I have now known Jill for more than half a dozen years, and I continue to learn from her. She is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met in the charter school movement. But what makes Jill truly exceptional is that her knowledge is matched by courage, boldness, and an unwavering commitment to children and the people who serve them.

Jill cares deeply about this work. She is willing to ask the hard questions, challenge conventional thinking, and say what needs to be said, always with the goal of making schools and leaders stronger. I am a better leader and consultant because of what I have learned from Jill, and I am grateful to continue learning from her. -- RL

Jill Shahen is one of those rare leaders whose depth of experience is matched by an unwavering commitment to students. She understands that leadership is ultimately a conduit for improving the daily experiences and outcomes of young people, and that belief is evident in how she approaches her work and supports the leaders she serves.

Jill is fiercely loyal, deeply connected, and extraordinarily knowledgeable about the charter school sector. When I led a charter school through its first renewal, Jill was an invaluable partner. Her rigor, preparation, and understanding of the renewal process positioned our organization to navigate an important moment in its development successfully. Just as importantly, she challenged and coached me as a leader throughout the process.

I am deeply grateful for Jill’s mentorship, guidance, coaching, and support over the years. For someone with her depth of experience and breadth of relationships, what I admire most is remarkably simple: Jill cares deeply about people who care deeply about kids. I can think of few things more honorable to say about a leader. -- EG

Empire Charter Consultants has been by our side since day one. The professional coaching, board training, and technical assistance have been invaluable to our school. Year after year, Jill and her team have offered meaningful and genuine support to our team and board. When Jill says, "You can call me anytime," she really means it! The knowledge, passion, and experience of their team is top notch; they are a crucial asset to our school community. -- TB

Empire Charter Consultants was an invaluable partner to our school community throughout the entire charter renewal process. Jill, Andrea, and the ECC team worked alongside me as School Superintendent, our school leaders, our board, our staff, and even our students. They took the time to truly understand our school, conducted a comprehensive walkthrough and school assessment, developed practical rubrics and tools, and helped us strengthen our systems from the inside out.
Charter renewal is an incredibly detailed process that requires schools to demonstrate academic performance, organizational strength, governance, compliance, financial stewardship, school culture, and the overall quality of the educational program. ECC helped us prepare for every part of that process. They supported us in reviewing evidence, identifying gaps, strengthening our narratives, preparing our board and leadership team, refining our responses, organizing documentation, and ensuring that our renewal application clearly told the story of our school. They also helped with proofreading, quality control, and preparation for the review process from beginning to end.
Their support went far beyond simply helping us complete an application. They coached us, challenged us, helped us sharpen our thinking, and pushed us to look critically at our practices so that we were not just renewal-ready, but stronger as an organization.
Because of ECC, I genuinely believe I am a stronger leader. I am better at coaching others, providing meaningful feedback, preparing teams for accountability, and helping school leaders understand how to demonstrate the quality of their work through evidence. Their work did not just help us achieve a strong renewal outcome; it strengthened our leadership capacity and our school.
Jill, Andrea, and the entire ECC team are knowledgeable, responsive, honest, and deeply invested in the success of the schools they serve. I would recommend Empire Charter Consultants without hesitation to any charter school leader or board looking for a partner who understands the renewal process, pushes you to be better, and stays beside you from beginning to end.
— A.C.

Our charter network has worked with Empire Charter Consultants on numerous renewals and charter applications since our inception. For renewals, Jill's guidance and support on the ground have been invaluable in helping our schools prepare for the authorizer visit and better understand the authorizer's perspective. She has provided our schools and Board with practical tools and strategies to prepare for the process, and these have made a meaningful difference in our readiness and performance. We have had authorizers in awe of how well prepared they are thanks to Jill's recommended strategies.

With regard to pulling together applications and drafting responses, Andrea's skills are unmatched. She is exceptionally skilled at working with our team, reviewing materials, asking the right questions, and synthesizing complex information into well-written, thoughtful responses. She helps us think critically about each response and provides feedback that not only strengthens our application but also improves our practice. Her partnership throughout the process is kind and patient while also holding us to a high standard of excellence and keeping the focus firmly on scholars. I find working with Andrea to be one of the most valuable—and frankly, most enjoyable—parts of what can otherwise be a demanding and frustrating process.

I highly recommend Empire Charter Consultants to any charter organization seeking expert support with a renewal or charter application. Their combination of practical guidance, deep understanding of the authorizer's perspective, strong writing and application support, and genuine partnership makes them an exceptional resource throughout the process. - JH