Just like you, we are change-makers at heart.

We're educators and researchers, authors and designers, parents and community members who believe K-12 transformation is possible.

We don't think of competency-based education as the end goal. We think of it as the enabling architecture for human-centered and effective learning, at scale.
Purple brandmark for CBL Partners, a competency-based learning consultancy

CBL Partners is a competency-based education consultancy committed to excellence, equity, and future-ready learning for all.

Meet our Team.

Portrait of Sydney Schaef, Founder of competency-based learning consultancy, CBL Partners, and expert in competency-based education, who is shown smiling and wearing square-framed dark orange glasses and a cream-colored sweater with thin horizontal stripes, each a different color: faded peach, red, blue, green, indigo, black, sky blue, mustard orange, and brown. Background is blurred white.
Founder & Executive Director

SYDNEY SCHAEF

Sydney Schaef, Ed.D., M.B.A., began her career in education as a middle school science teacher in Los Angeles. She brings over 18 years of experience in nonprofit and organizational leadership, education design, and practice-focused adult development, with deep expertise in competency-based learning design, implementation, and evaluation. Sydney has been recognized by the Skoll Foundation for her innovative programming in East Africa, and was awarded the Skoll Scholarship for Social Entrepreneurship in 2011.

Sydney's work has been featured on the Big Ideas in Education podcast, the Getting Smart podcast, Aurora Institute's CompetencyWorks, and The 74 Million.

Sydney holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford, a Master of Urban Education from University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. from the University of Florida. When she's not sleeves-up with CBL Partners, you'll find her in the garden or zipping around with her two kids in the woods of Pennsylvania.

Hear Sydney recently interviewed on Big Ideas in Education >>
Portrait of competency-based learning expert, Andrea Avery, a smiling woman with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a collared shirt with a white blurred background.
Sr. Education Consultant & Editor

ANDREA AVERY

Andrea Avery, Ed.D., is a teacher, published author, and skilled designer with a rich variety of experiences in teaching and leadership that have attuned her to both the power of individual interpersonal moments and the complexity of school systems and structures. Andrea is committed to supporting learner-centered models that honor the whole humanity of the people who work and learn within them.

Andrea Avery holds a BA in music, an MFA in creative writing, and a Doctorate of Education. Her writing about education has appeared in Radical Teacher, The Oxford American, and Journeys in Learning Across Frontiers. She is also the author of Sonata: A Memoir of Pain and the Piano.

When she’s not reading or writing, Andrea can be found swimming; walking; sewing; knitting; drawing; journaling; baking; scouring thrift stores for new additions to her collections of brass belt buckles, novelty Bundt pans, and vintage Scandinavian kitsch; or palling around with her four cats and her spouse.

Read one of Andrea's recent pieces about the Future9 Competencies >>
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SEL & Wellness Consultant

ERICA DOLLAND

For nearly two decades, Erica Dolland, M.S., has served diverse learning communities in the U.S., West Africa, and the Middle East. She has worked as an educator, instructional coach, school leader, and learning designer supporting school systems in whole-child education.

She specializes in integrating the principles of SEL in learning communities, focusing on learning experience and curriculum design, educator and school leader capacity development, and academic integration to achieve equitable outcomes for all students.

More recently, she served as a curriculum consultant to Mind Body Align, integrating CASEL competencies and culturally responsive teaching practices into K-5 lessons, and as a learning experience designer with reDesign, creating cutting-edge student-facing learning designs to develop future-ready skills, build connection, and cultivate critical consciousness.

Erica holds a B.A. in Performance Studies and Writing from New York University and an MS Ed in Childhood Education from City College.

Outside work, you’ll find her globe-trotting, immersed in nature, and leveling up her sewing skills— she wants to be as good as her mama.
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Sr. Curriculum Designer and Researcher

JEN SOALT

Jen Soalt, Ph.D., has an extensive background in literacy leadership, curriculum development, and education writing. She has developed ELA and literacy curriculum for a number of education organizations, with works included in state curriculum collections and reviewed by ILA and NCTE.

Jen's education writing has appeared in The Reading Teacher, Literacy Today, The Greater Good Magazine (UC Berkeley), and ASCD Express. Jen is currently writing a book on equitable talk in ELA classrooms for Teachers College Press.

Jen holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from The University of Virginia, and an M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School Of Education.

Read one of Jen's recent pieces on early literacy >>

Testimonials

FROM THE FIELD

If I were starting a competency-based school or program, Sydney Schaef is the first person I would call.

I will never forget traveling throughout Idaho to visit schools several years ago after the state launched their new Mastery Learning initiative. I couldn't believe the depth of conversations we were having, and I couldn't believe the acceleration of their design and implementation efforts. When I asked, "Where did you learn this?" Everyone I spoke to replied the same: "Sydney!"

I've watched her work over the years–from early startup in Philadelphia alongside Building 21, to providing leadership TA for school leaders and state leaders alike while at reDesign. She has real expertise and knows what it's like to be shoulder-to-shoulder in the work.

Chris Sturgis
Co-founder, CompetencyWorks
FROM THE FIELD

Sydney is a trusted and respected partner for developing graduate profile competencies.

Her deep insights into personalized, competency based learning and strong research background ensure that every element is tailored to the specific needs of the partner organization.

Additionally, Sydney couples her technical expertise with a commitment to incorporating student and teacher voice in the design of robust resources to ensure a learner-centered approach to professional development.

Stephanie DiStasio
South Carolina Department of Education
TESTIMONIALS

Sydney made all the difference for our faculty as we opened our competency-based high school. 

Sydney has an extraordinary ability to connect with teachers from diverse backgrounds and specialties. Sydney brought a wealth of knowledge, drawn from her background and research. But more than that, she brought her full self to every workshop – whether online or in person. She listened deeply, and scaffolded training to suite our distinct school culture and vision.

Sydney’s charisma, brilliance, and unwavering commitment to equity and student agency shone through in every interaction. She is detail-oriented and an amazing multitasker. She continually updated our documents and slide decks in real time, refining and reflecting our ideas back to us with precision and clarity.

Sydney has been a sincere partner with us in our journey to CBE. She aligned with our values and we are all the better for the opportunity to work with her.

Michael Prater
Director of HS Education, Tessellations

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CBL Partners specializes in competency-based learning solutions, powering equity and excellence in K-12 education and beyond.

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