Independent School Consulting
Educational Acumen LLC partners with independent schools, educational organizations, and mission-driven leaders to navigate strategy, innovation, and online program development.
"Founder of Bryn Mawr Online — ranked #2 in the nation — and two decades of independent school leadership behind every engagement."
Educational Acumen LLC was founded on a simple premise: the best consulting advice comes from people who have actually done the work. Our principal has spent over two decades inside one of the nation's most respected independent schools — not as an outside observer, but as a teacher, technologist, senior administrator, and school founder.
That experience means we understand the real pressures schools face: budget constraints, board dynamics, faculty culture, accreditation demands, enrollment competition, and the relentless pace of change in educational technology. We offer guidance that is practical, implementable, and tailored to the unique mission and culture of each client.
The schools that will thrive in the next decade are the ones making deliberate, courageous decisions today — about technology, about mission, about what it truly means to serve students well. Whether you are rethinking your technology and AI strategy, diversifying your revenue model, or reimagining what your institution can become, Educational Acumen brings the hard-won insight to help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
"We don't parachute in with generic frameworks. We roll up our sleeves and build alongside you."
What We Do
We work with independent schools and educational organizations across a focused range of high-impact practice areas.
From concept to accreditation, we guide schools through every stage of launching or scaling a rigorous online program — curriculum design, technology selection, faculty training, student recruitment, and regulatory compliance.
Online Schools · Hybrid ProgramsFacilitation of long-range planning processes that engage boards, faculty, families, and students around a shared institutional vision. Including financial sustainability modeling, revenue diversification, and value proposition development.
Board · Finance · MissionSchools are navigating a defining moment in educational technology. We help institutions develop a coherent, pedagogically-grounded AI strategy — from acceptable use policies and faculty professional development to AI-enhanced curriculum design and responsible implementation frameworks. Beyond AI, we advise on data analytics infrastructure, learning management systems, 1:1 device programs, and the technology governance structures schools need to make smart, sustainable decisions in a rapidly evolving landscape.
AI Readiness · Data Analytics · EdTechIndependent schools are sitting on powerful, underutilized data. We help institutions build analytics frameworks that drive smarter decisions across academics, enrollment, parent satisfaction, AI integration, and strategic planning — transforming raw information into clear, actionable insight for administrators and boards alike.
Data · AI Strategy · Enrollment · AcademicsBuilding or refining K-12 academic programs in STEM, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship, and experiential learning pathways. Includes signature program development and university partnership facilitation.
K-12 · STEM · CS · ExperientialIdentifying and building tuition-independent revenue streams — auxiliary programs, online summer terms, community partnerships, and external program offerings — to strengthen financial resilience.
Auxiliary Revenue · SustainabilityThe Principal
Justin Curtis is the founder of Educational Acumen LLC and the Head of The Bryn Mawr Online School, which he founded — an all-girls national online high school serving families throughout the world that was quickly ranked #2 in the nation among online schools.
With over two decades at The Bryn Mawr School, he has served as teacher, technology director, senior administrator, and school founder. He has led board-level strategic planning, built K-12 Computer Science programs, launched a 4,000 sq ft Innovation Lab, and driven data analytics strategy and AI integration across all areas of the school.
Justin is a 2020 NAIS Fellow for Aspiring School Heads, a published author in NAIS, and a frequent presenter at national independent school conferences.
Thought Leadership
Virtual Learning is Here to Stay: How Girls Can Thrive ↗
Inspire Session Presenter — International Coalition of Girls Schools
In Practice: Building an Online School for Girls ↗
Featured Author — NAIS
Building Better Online Markets and Communities
Presenter — United Nations Internet Governance Forum USA
Leading Schools in Times of Crisis: Budgetary Priorities
Presenter — NAIS Annual Conference
Design & Implementation of Experiential Social Innovation Programs
Presenter — NCGS Annual Conference
Fostering Student Agency through Computer Science
Presenter — ATLIS Annual Conference
Evolution of Innovation: The Bryn Mawr School's Innovation Lab
Presenter — NCGS & NBOA Annual Conferences
From Teaching Technology to Teaching Computer Science
Presenter — ATLIS Annual Conference
In a Competitive Job Market, One School Looks Outside the Box ↗
Co-Author — NAIS Featured Article
Charting a New Course: Reinventing High School Classes
Featured — Information Age Publishing
Publications — Available in Full
Read Justin's NAIS articles below — no login required.
Contact
Every school is different. We begin every engagement with a conversation — no obligations, no generic pitch decks. Just a direct discussion about where your school is, where it wants to go, and whether we're the right fit to help get you there.
Justin is also available for keynotes, panel discussions, and workshop facilitation at independent school conferences, leadership summits, and professional development events. Topics include online program development, AI in education, innovation strategy, financial sustainability for independent schools, entrepreneurship and social innovation in K-12, and the future of the independent school model.
↗ Connect on LinkedIn ↗ Visit Justin's Website ↓ Download Speaker Kit