School Works was founded by Erica Brentan, who has spent almost two decades as a teacher, instructional coach, and professional development specialist.
Admitted into the prestigious New York City Teaching Fellowship, Erica started her career in 2005 teaching elementary school students in New York City public and charter schools. During this time, she saw the profound impact social emotional learning had on her students and in 2012 was hired by Turnaround for Children to coach teachers across the city in building strong, equitable and trauma-informed classroom communities where children thrived.
It was in conversations with school administrators across a diverse portfolio of schools that School Works was born. Whether the school was urban, private, or public, Erica heard administrators talk about the ambitious goals they’d set for their students, but how they’d been unable to achieve all of them due to constraints on time and resources. With the firm belief that every school deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, School Works was founded as the partner they can rely on - bridging the gap to turn ambitious goals into realized results.
Erica holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Masters in Education from Pace University. She is also an SEL consultant with the School Culture and Climate Initiative and a Professor in Residence at William Paterson University.
