Recent Client Testimonials

Keynotes and Talks

"Kirsten Olson vividly and specifically spoke about how we speak to our students determines their success or failure, not only in our classes but also in school and, ultimately, in life.  It was so refreshing to hear a nationally- known researcher and speaker talk to us about her research and findings and what we can do to heal our so very many wounded students."

"Kirsten Olson was amazing.  Truly inspirational and enlightening.  Thank you for getting her to the conference."

-New Directions in Education Conference attendees, Mt. Vernon, IL, October 2010

"Dr. Olson took the time to work closely with our committee to understand who we are as a school and faculty.  Her willingness to learn about our school's specific challenges and strengths allowed her to focus her presentation on addressing our school's specific needs.  She was thoughtful, engaging, knowledgeable, and prepared to address the hard issues.  Dr. Olson's program challenged us to make a commitment to change our school climate so as to better educate all children."

~ Chase Dunlap
Manchester High School Professional Development Committee, August 2010

"I was told by too-many-to-count parents and Scholars that you were 'the BEST speaker we ever had."

-Bonnie Raskin, Institute for Educational Advancement, May 2010

"You were wonderful!"

-Norma Sarmiento, Live, Laugh, Learn Foundation, May 2010

"Many thanks for such a thought-provoking talk.  Your passion, dedication and perseverence are palable and infectious!"

-Betsy Nordell, Open Circle, April 2010

"I came away with a much greater sense of self, and also trust to be in a group and find my own voice in a group.  I wish I could wrap up the experience magically and transplant it to my school!!"

-Courage To Teach seminar participant, February 2010

"This workshop took me back to why I became a teacher and reminded me of the importance of listening to my heart and being honest."

-Courage To Teach seminar participant, February 2010

"Thank you so much for making our first speaker event for Landmark such a wonderful success. Our feedback is you were a huge hit. I was fascinated by the universal themes of wounding by both those who struggled and those who excelled in school...."

-Janet Thibeau, Landmark Academy, November 2009

"Thanks so much for giving us that extraordinary evening. You were brilliant in your presentation, and wonderfully responsive and authentic in handling the conversation. You have a new cadre of raving fans."

-Ronald Gross, University Seminar on Innovation, Columbia University, October 2009

"Thank you for your insightful and provocative presentation at Teachers College. Your honest and straightforward articulation not only of the state of education for public school students, but also of all learners, is heartening! Again thank you!"

-Jeffrey Johnson, Teachers College, Columbia University, May 2009

"Thank you for your visit and presentation. The topic is so very timely and so willingly swept under the rug, as educators strive to convince themselves that we are doing all that we can. We're not, and your courage in pointing that out is invaluable and necessary!"

-Bill Lundgren, National Academy for Excellent Teaching, May 2009

"You inspired us! The feedback on the evaluations is extremely positive!"

-Stella Moon, Conference Coordinator and Director of the Adolescent Health Initiative, "Educate To Graduate" Summit, Pressley Ridge, West Virginia, April 2009

 

On Site Professional Development

"That was incredibly valuable for my staff."

-Harun Celik, Hampdon Charter School of Science, January 2010

"I've been to a lot of professional development days. This was the best one I've ever attended."

-Teacher, Crotona Academy High School, Bronx, New York, November 2009

"Thanks for the great workshop! The reviews are terrific! Your thought provoking approach was the right way to go."

-Sandy Lowe, Director, Educational Information and Resource Center, New Jersey, October 2009

"Dr. Olson's work with us was 21st Century! In tune with the many faces of today's public schools, our teachers, and our students. Kirsten addressed our need to change without talking down to us. She is ever aware of her audience. She tailored her services our needs as we perceived them and continued to adjust her presentations in tune with her own understandings of our needs. Dr. Olson's work with our site-based professional development facilitators and with middle and high school teams was exemplary."

-Dr. Frieda Owen, Wood County Schools, Parkersburg, WV, 2008

Instructional Improvement Projects

"We drew up an RFP for an instructional coach who would have the expertise and skill necessary to re-create the achievement turn-arounds at other urban schools. We hired Kirsten Olson, who had for years studied Anthony Alvarado's and Elaine Fink's instructional improvement project at District Two in New York [previously]. Dr. Olson was prepared to research our school, understand our particular context, and proceed rapidly. She began work in November. The results have been profound:
• We have met with every teacher and created aggressive, measurable, achievable goals for each one;
• We have, using research, defined what constitutes powerful teaching and use this definition as a rubric for all classroom visits;
• We have visited classrooms at a minimum of two hours each day;
• We meet with every teacher weekly to discuss our observations and his or her progress toward goals;
• We have discerned a particular school-wide pattern in instruction and have outlined expectations for urgent remediation;
• Our new math coach, who has taught math for 25 years, leads us in professional development around student cognition, particularly when it comes to math;
• We have sent teachers to other schools to observe their counterparts doing practices we believe are successful.
Classroom observations are showing change already-work is marching toward the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy, students are much more engaged around the much more meaningful work."

-Mike Mayo, Executive Director, Uphams Corner Charter School (December 2008)

"The nature of Kirsten Olson's work was to model what improved instruction looks like to the administrative team, along with the teachers, by providing workshops and visiting classes on a frequent basis. She would meet with teachers individually to get their perspectives on their classroom instruction style, and would also give feedback on the teacher's lesson plans and revisit the class and see if improvements had been made. Kirsten kept a continued line of communication open. and asked additional questions that dramatically raised our level of thinking."

-Francois Fils-Amie, director of METCO, Marblehead Public Schools, Marblehead, Massachusetts (June 2009)

 

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