About Us | CRISPBudgeting

Our team

We are a group of experienced leaders, technical experts, analysts, researchers, and parents of public school kids. Our group contains former senior leaders from complex school districts and state departments of education - with expertise in finance, community engagement, instructional leadership, HR and staffing, data visualization, strategic leadership, and facilitation.

More importantly, we share an understanding of how essential both sound budgeting and community engagement are for strong district leadership and student outcomes.

We designed CRISPB around these core values:

Access: We strive to ensure that all voices are heard and all students in a K12 community are served.
Transparency: We promote open and honest communication throughout the budgeting process.
Collaboration: We believe that the best decisions are made when diverse perspectives are brought together.
Sustainability: We focus on creating lasting change that benefits future generations.

Alexandra Cohen

Alex is a former litigation attorney who brings her experience in legal strategy and creative problem solving to her work supporting public education. She heads up ANC Consult, adding negotiation skills and an ability to communicate complex ideas to a varied audience. Alexandra went to Johns Hopkins (B.A.); Hofstra Law (J.D.); and Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MBA).

Daniel Cordova

Daniel Cordova guides strategy for financial sustainability. He led growth at New Leaders He creates user-friendly financial tools and reports to give the numbers a purpose. His work is grounded in a deep belief that all children can learn at a high level and have the right to a high-quality educational experience. He has a finance degree and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Funmi Haastrup

Funmi Haastrup, founder of K12 Equity Consulting, partners with states and LEAs to align resources with equity priorities. Her recommendations have impacted $10B+ in district budgets. She helped implement funding formula changes that increased resources to high-needs schools and decreased racial and gender inequities. Funmi has an MBA from Yale and a B.S. in Finance from DePaul.

Tia Morris

Tia has nearly 30 years of experience in education. She has been a teacher, helped found a network of schools, and led strategic stakeholder engagement in chief level roles for two major turn-around efforts: the Newark Public Schools & the Camden City Schools. For the last 8 years, she has led regions for TFA. Tia holds degrees from Seton Hall, Bank Street, and Columbia University.

Brett Shiel

Brett supports chiefs ranging from staffing to academics to finance. He leads Coaching & Convening, advising senior leaders and facilitating teams. He has an undying belief in the power of public education and the potential for participatory democracy. He went to Ithaca College, then grad school at University of Pennsylvania and University of St Thomas. Brett is now getting a certificate in Ed Finance from Georgetown.

Mike Smith

Mike Smith brings to CRISB his expertise in quantitative and qualitative data analysis and visualization, having spent many years as an analyst in the Chicago Public Schools and his own consulting practice. He received his Masters in Public Policy from University of California-Berkeley.

Chris Snyder

Chris Snyder led the Office of District Intervention at NJDOE, collaborating with the Board, superintendents, the governor's office, and communities. He served as Acting Director of Operations for Camden City Public Schools - overseeing facilities, food, security, tech, and transportation. Chris has an MBA from Notre Dame, also an M. Ed. in Ed Leadership from Broad Residency, and a BA from Penn.