Independent School Consulting

Expert Guidance
for Exceptional
Schools

Educational Acumen LLC partners with independent schools, educational organizations, and mission-driven leaders to navigate strategy, innovation, and online program development.

20+
Years in Independent Education
20+
National Presentations
K-12
Full Spectrum Expertise
National
Reach Across the U.S.

"Founder of Bryn Mawr Online — ranked #2 in the nation — and two decades of independent school leadership behind every engagement."

Strategy Grounded in Practice

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

Consulting Services

We work with independent schools and educational organizations across a focused range of high-impact practice areas.

01

Online Program Development

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 Programs
02

Strategic Planning

Facilitation 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 · Mission
03

Technology & AI Strategy

Schools 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 · EdTech
04

Data Strategy & Institutional Analytics

Independent 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 · Academics
05

Curriculum Design

Building 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 · Experiential
06

Revenue Development

Identifying and building tuition-independent revenue streams — auxiliary programs, online summer terms, community partnerships, and external program offerings — to strengthen financial resilience.

Auxiliary Revenue · Sustainability
Justin Curtis

Justin D. Curtis

Founder & Principal Consultant

Justin D. Curtis

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

Selected Presentations & Publications

2024

Virtual Learning is Here to Stay: How Girls Can Thrive ↗

Inspire Session Presenter — International Coalition of Girls Schools

2021

Building Better Online Markets and Communities

Presenter — United Nations Internet Governance Forum USA

2021

Leading Schools in Times of Crisis: Budgetary Priorities

Presenter — NAIS Annual Conference

2020

Design & Implementation of Experiential Social Innovation Programs

Presenter — NCGS Annual Conference

2018

Fostering Student Agency through Computer Science

Presenter — ATLIS Annual Conference

2017

Evolution of Innovation: The Bryn Mawr School's Innovation Lab

Presenter — NCGS & NBOA Annual Conferences

2017

From Teaching Technology to Teaching Computer Science

Presenter — ATLIS Annual Conference

2017

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.

NAIS Independent School Magazine · Spring 2024

In Practice: Building an Online School for Girls

↓ Download

NAIS Independent Ideas Blog · October 2017

In a Competitive Job Market, One School Looks Outside the Box for Teaching Talent

↓ Download

Consulting & Speaking Inquiries

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