Our Approach
At Groundwork Consulting, LLC, we believe in leveraging research-backed methodologies to drive meaningful change in family-school partnerships. Our approach is rooted in the "Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2)," developed by Dr. Karen Mapp, a Senior Lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. This framework serves as our guiding light, helping us identify the essential goals and conditions necessary to establish robust family engagement systems that empower families, uplift students, and align with the academic vision of educational divisions.
One of our core principles at Groundwork is proximity—getting close to those most impacted, namely students and families. By understanding their unique needs and challenges, we craft tailored strategies for effective family engagement within each educational division we serve.
Through dynamic and interactive training sessions, Groundwork cultivates a new generation of engagement champions equipped with the tools and insights needed to implement impactful engagement practices. Our focus extends beyond mere attendance metrics; we're committed to fostering authentic relationships with families, thereby fostering trust and collaboration that drive improved student achievement outcomes.
We recognize that sustainable change requires more than just top-down directives; it necessitates building the capacity of individuals within systems to lead, engage, and sustain the transformation journey. Moreover, we deeply value the expertise and wisdom of those directly impacted by educational systems, anchoring our work in their perspectives and experiences.
As founder Shadae Harris leads our team, her passion for educational equity and community empowerment serves as the driving force behind Groundwork's mission. With her guidance, we remain dedicated to fostering inclusive and transformative family-school partnerships that lay the groundwork for a brighter future for all students.
Dr. Shadae Harris
President & CEO
Dr. Shadae Thomas Harris is a nationally recognized leader, speaker, and strategist redefining what it means to truly engage students, families, and communities. With over 25 years of experience in education, she’s known for building powerful systems of engagement rooted in love, belonging, and real partnership.
As the first Chief Engagement Officer for Richmond Public Schools, Dr. Harris created the district’s first-ever Office of Engagement and led a bold, systems-level shift that reframed attendance as an engagement issue—not just a compliance one. Under her leadership, the district nearly cut chronic absenteeism in half, tripling the state’s growth rate and gaining national attention. She also launched Richmond’s first Language Justice Team to amplify the voices of multilingual families and ensure every family felt seen, heard, and valued.
Dr. Harris brings deep credibility not only as a national engagement expert but as someone who’s lived the work—from a 4th-grade classroom to the principal’s office, and now as the founder and CEO of Groundwork Consulting. Her company partners with school districts and organizations across the country to build strong, sustainable systems that center relationships, promote consistent and responsive communication, and prioritize the people who matter most: students and families.
She holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, along with a Master’s in Education from Harvard and a Bachelor's in Education and Child Study from Smith College. Her work has been featured by Harvard’s Family Engagement Institute and celebrated across the country by schools, universities, and national education organizations.
Now leading Groundwork Consulting, Dr. Harris continues to spark change and push boundaries. She is a trusted voice in helping schools and systems design engagement strategies that work—strategies anchored not in theory alone, but in love, trust, and action. Her mission is clear: to help education leaders build the kind of schools and communities where every child and family feels, deeply and daily, we love you here.