Dr. Letisha Laws, Ed.D.
Senior Consultant, Education Strategy & Leadership Development
Overview
Dr. Letisha Laws is a visionary education executive who helps school leaders and organizations translate bold ideas into measurable impact. With over 15 years of experience spanning school leadership, citywide education strategy, and systems design, she brings a rare combination of operational expertise, instructional rigor, and strategic vision to every engagement.
Her approach is grounded in a fundamental belief: school improvement isn't about isolated initiatives, it's about building coherent systems that enable leaders, teachers, and students to thrive. Whether coaching principals through leadership transitions, advising boards on growth strategy, or designing professional learning that actually changes practice, Letisha's work consistently demonstrates one principle: sustainable improvement requires both structural redesign and leadership development working in tandem.
As Deputy Chief of School-Based Initiatives at Elevate 215, Letisha oversees a $15M investment portfolio supporting 15,000+ students across district, charter, and independent schools in Philadelphia. She's designed school growth strategies that added 1,853 high-quality seats in under two years, managed school turnarounds, and built the leadership pipelines that make excellence sustainable. Before leading citywide strategy, she served as principal, regional leader, and instructional coach, giving her firsthand knowledge of what leaders face at every level and what actually moves schools forward.
Through her consulting practice, LFL Consulting Group, Letisha provides executive coaching and strategic advisory services nationally, partnering with school leaders and education organizations on instructional leadership, team effectiveness, strategic planning, and organizational systems that drive student outcomes.
Areas of Expertise
School Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
Principal and superintendent coaching
Leadership team effectiveness and alignment
Instructional leadership capacity building
Leadership pipeline development and succession planning
New leader onboarding and transition support
Strategic Planning & Systems Design
Citywide education strategy and portfolio management
School improvement planning and turnaround leadership
Strategic planning for schools and networks
Systems design for instructional coherence and operational excellence
Performance management frameworks for schools
Instructional Leadership & Professional Learning
Instructional coaching and teacher development systems
Professional learning design aligned to equity and performance
Curriculum and assessment development
Data-driven instructional improvement
Teacher retention and effectiveness strategies
School Growth & Portfolio Strategy
School investment strategy and due diligence
New school development and replication
School expansion and growth planning
Portfolio management across district, charter, and independent sectors
Board advisory on growth and sustainability
Organizational Effectiveness & Change Management
School merger and restructuring leadership
Organizational culture transformation
Change management in education settings
Cross-functional team leadership
Communities of practice facilitation
Representative Experience
Citywide Education Strategy at Scale
Led $15M investment portfolio advancing access to high-quality schools for 15,000+ students across Philadelphia. Designed school growth strategy that secured 1,853 new high-quality seats in under two years, expanded organizational portfolio by 15 schools, and strengthened cross-sector collaboration through Communities of Practice.
Principal Leadership & School Turnaround
Led successful merger of elementary and middle school into unified K-8 model, strengthening instructional coherence and long-term performance. Increased teacher retention by 23 percentage points through leadership development, culture transformation, and strategic resource alignment. Managed $11M budget while driving sustained academic gains.
Regional School Leadership
Coached and supervised seven principals serving 4,000+ students, strengthening leadership effectiveness and driving measurable improvements in school performance and culture. Led network-wide implementation of leadership and instructional frameworks, improving consistency, teacher retention, and student achievement across portfolio.
Instructional Systems & Professional Learning
Designed and implemented professional development systems that meaningfully strengthened instructional practice and teacher effectiveness school-wide. Led instructional coaching, teacher evaluation, and targeted professional learning to improve classroom practice and student outcomes.
Cross-Sector Collaboration & Thought Leadership
Authored "School Practices That Work" publication series highlighting effective instructional strategies and influencing practices across Philadelphia school ecosystem. Facilitated Communities of Practice and citywide convenings, accelerating adoption of best practices across sectors.
Structural Redesign & Organizational Change
Led structural redesign of K-8 school into distinct lower and middle school models, improving instructional focus and operational efficiency. Supported development of Common Core-aligned curriculum, assessment systems, and school improvement frameworks.
Published Work & Thought Leadership
Contributing Author
Transformative Social Change Organizations and Institutions: A DEI Perspective (2024)
Contributing Author
Teaching for Change: Voices of Empowerment and Transformation (2008)
Publication Series Author
"School Practices That Work", Elevate 215 thought leadership series highlighting effective instructional strategies and influencing practices across Philadelphia's school ecosystem