About Us

About New Solutions K12

New Solutions K12 helps school districts cost-effectively raise student achievement and improve teachers’ lives. Our consulting services, professional development, and complimentary resources help leaders implement solutions successfully at both the school and district levels, drawing on our decades of on-the-ground experience and deep knowledge of research-proven best practices.

Our team members bring a wealth of experience serving as partners to school districts and working in public education, as well as deep expertise in other sectors. Together, we share a passion for and commitment to helping school and district leaders implement new solutions to address K-12’s biggest challenges.

Meet the Team

  • Nathan Levenson

    Nate Levenson leads New Solutions K12. Nate has spent the last 25 years working to improve students lives, learning, and outcomes. His practical yet innovative ideas have been implemented by school districts and state education agencies across the country. Nate brings a unique perspective to this mission, having served as a school superintendent, school board member, and consultant to over 300 districts in more than 30 states and around the world. Nate is widely recognized as a thought leader in improving public education and has advised governors, state legislators, state commissioners of education, and the Secretary of Education. He is a frequent speaker on improving special education, intervention, school budgeting, and strategic scheduling; has authored six books and more than 30 articles; and his thought leadership has been featured in white papers for leading think tanks, including the American Enterprise Institute, the Center for American Progress and The Fordham Institute.

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  • David James

    David James is managing director of New Solutions K12, where he partners with educators to improve opportunities and outcomes for students of all backgrounds. He supports leaders of schools, districts, and state education agencies in addressing their most pressing challenges related to elementary and secondary scheduling, budgeting, program evaluation and management, supporting students who struggle, and strategic planning. David has partnered with districts of all settings and sizes, including districts as small as a single school in rural North Dakota and as large as urban districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District and Seattle Public Schools, and all sizes and settings in between. David leads the firm’s scheduling practice and has advised and trained over 100 districts and more than 1,000 schools in 25 states to design better schedules and staffing plans using a data-driven approach. He brings to this work experience as a teacher, school leader, consultant, and author.

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  • Caitlin is a consultant at New Solutions K12. In this role, she partners with district, school, and State Department of Education leaders to improve their school schedules, special education supports, budgets, and other systems and structures to improve outcomes for students. Prior to joining the team, Caitlin worked in trade settlements and investment administration at Wellington Wealth Management; in securities lending for Goldman Sachs; as a high school math general and special education teacher, grade-level leader, and assistant principal of operations for a Boston charter school; and as a new teacher coach and program manager for Teach for America.  Caitlin received her BS in Business Administration with a focus on Finance and Economics from Northeastern University, where she graduated summa cum laude from the Honors Program.  She received her teaching certification from Boston University. She brings to her work a passion for improving K-12 education and supporting educators and schools in order to see a world in which all children can succeed.

  • Jimena Samano is a consultant at New Solutions K12, where she partners with school and district leaders to evaluate course offerings and staffing best practices, with a strong emphasis on cost efficiency. She brings extensive expertise in designing, building, and optimizing schedules. Before joining New Solutions K12, Jimena worked as a consultant in the manufacturing, healthcare, and e-commerce industries, where she helped organizations transform and improve their business processes and scheduling systems. Jimena received a BS Industrial and Systems Engineer from Tecnológico de Monterrey and graduated with honors. She is passionate about scheduling and is fluent in multiple languages.

  • Sarah Levenson is a senior consultant at New Solutions K12. In this role, she partners with school and district leaders to improve opportunities and outcomes for all students who struggle, including students with disabilities. Sarah brings years of professional experience to New Solutions K12 in the areas of consulting, project management, financial analysis, and client support. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Lafayette College, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Sarah is committed to raising student achievement and outcomes for all students in a way that is sustainable for staff and school budgets.

  • Dr. Steve Sandoval is a senior consultant at New Solutions K12. He brings to his work more than 25 years of experience in school-based mental health and district leadership roles in which he successfully led district-wide improvement and implementation efforts. Prior to joining New Solutions K12, Steve served as executive director of special services for Westminster Public Schools in Colorado. Under his leadership, the district’s Special Education program improved dramatically, moving from a state designation of “Needs Significant Intervention” to “Meets Requirements.” Before joining Westminster Public Schools, he served as director of special programs for Weld County School District RE-4 in Windsor, Colorado. Steve is a nationally recognized thought leader and has served as an adjunct professor. Steve received his Ph.D. in School Psychology and his M.A. in Educational Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As a consultant, he has helped dozens of school districts and departments of education to make dramatic differences in the outcomes of students who struggle, with and without disabilities.

  • Karla brings a wealth of expertise to New Solutions K12 honed through more than 40 years of varied contributions to public education: as a teacher at the middle, high school, and university level; central office administrator specializing in curriculum and human resources; superintendent in suburban and urban districts, and deputy commissioner at a state department of education. Recognized for distinguished service by every major K-12 statewide education association in Massachusetts, Karla now uses her strong analytical and communication skills as a consultant, supporting district and state leaders to focus district work on improving student outcomes and advancing equity. She brings a deep commitment to making schools work better for both adults and students with special expertise in strategic and adaptive leadership, organizational and strategy development, and resource (re)allocation.

  • Liza Fryman is a consultant at New Solutions K12. In this role, she supports the team across multiple projects that range from strategic budgeting practices to special education reviews. Prior to joining New Solutions K12, Liza served as a post production assistant accountant at Netflix where she assisted teams to help ensure a balanced budget for films, maintained strategic communications with external and internal teams, and managed several projects concurrently. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College with honors. Liza is passionate about helping schools and districts make meaningful improvements in student outcomes and achievements.

  • Lisa Gaudry is a research consultant for New Solutions K12. Her work includes conducting research, engaging with school and district leaders to gather insights, and preparing comprehensive reports. Lisa contributes her expertise in stakeholder engagement, data analysis, and program evaluation to identify challenges and actionable solutions for educational systems. Outside of New Solutions K12, Lisa serves as a development practitioner and program leader driving local and national development initiatives across East and West Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. She holds a Master of Development Practice from the University of Waterloo and is passionate about harnessing the power of data and evidence to develop sustainable solutions.

  • Meghan Magee is a consultant at New Solutions K12. In this role, Meghan serves as executive assistant, including coordinating calendars, scheduling meetings, handling invoicing and accounting, arranging travel, planning company retreats, and assisting in proposal and report review. Meghan has previously assisted on projects including struggling students reviews and strategic budgeting. Prior to joining New Solutions K12, Meghan served as a teacher and administrator at nonprofit-funded schools in East Africa. Meghan received her BA in Social Studies cum laude from Harvard College with a focus on gender and education.

  • Aaron Levenson is the operations director at New Solutions K12. In this role, he enhances the quality and efficiency of the firm’s consulting work by developing standard procedures and tools. Aaron brings extensive experience working with mission-driven organizations in communications, strategy, and monitoring and evaluation. He leverages his expertise in graphic design, data visualization, and data analysis to translate complex concepts into clear visuals. Aaron earned a B.A. in International Affairs from Lafayette College and a degree in Data, Economics, and Development Policy from MIT.