About

Maureen Kay Sigler, CEO & Founder

Maureen started her career in education teaching 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade in Washington DC Public Schools, including at DC Prep, a high-performing charter school. After several years in the classroom, Maureen served in various leadership roles including Director of the History MAT program at Brown University, as a national consultant to districts and schools during the rollout of the Common Core State Standards, and Director of several federal, anti-poverty programs at Meeting Street, a nonprofit that serves children and families through innovative and inclusive educational programs. Most recently, Maureen worked as a Senior Education Specialist at Highlander Institute where she was a strategic advisor, coach, and professional development specialist, specifically focused on equity-focused district and school-level change management. In 2020, Maureen founded MKS Education Partners where she serves as CEO. Her work includes supporting teachers and administrators through personalized coaching; facilitating strategic planning and advising at the school and district level; curriculum development and guidance; and administrator and teacher professional learning. Her expertise includes, culturally responsive and sustaining teaching, blended and personalized learning and the purposeful integration of education technology in the classroom, social-emotional learning, college and career ready standards, curriculum development and strategy, and equitable change management. She is driven by a focus on educational justice and is passionate about creating educational environments where all students can thrive. Maureen has a BA from Trinity College, and a Master's Degree in Education from Harvard University. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, son and daughter.

MaryKate Hughes, Partner

MaryKate Hughes is a winner of the National Educator Award and a National Board Certified teacher and experienced coach with over twenty years of experience fostering dramatic learning for students throughout the Washington, DC metro area. As a founding faculty member at D.C. Prep in Washington, D.C., MaryKate not only fostered dramatic academic improvements among her students, but helped her colleagues raise achievement levels among their students as well. She regularly fostered two years of growth in one academic year, and led her eighth grade students to 100% proficient or advanced on state test scores in math, which were the best in the city. MaryKate has served as department chair, instructional coach, adult learning facilitator, and Direction of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. She has presented at numerous local and national conferences on math education, teacher evaluation and instructional techniques. After returning as a classroom teacher for 6 years, MaryKate now serves as an Adjunct Professor and University Coach at American University, and as a consultant with MKS Education Partners on curriculum development, adult learning, creating connected classroom and school cultures, and leadership competency. MaryKate has BA from Boston College and a MA in Elementary Education from American University.

Danielle Blasczak, Data & Evaluation Consultant

Danielle Blasczak has more than 18 years of nonprofit experience in Rhode Island, and she specializes in data analysis and management. Her focus is in using data for uncovering and expanding equitable opportunities. During Danielle’s career as a data leader, she has worked on many innovative projects including strategizing, designing, and implementing multiple databases and reporting solutions as well as executing and analyzing surveys on multiple platforms. She regularly synthesizes complicated data analysis into accessible reports, from which organization-wide decisions are made. During her career she has been afforded the opportunity to lead and strategize with many partner organizations; from implementing a family literacy program to using data to help expand a free community wi-fi program. Her true passion lies in making educational data accessible and while working at Highlander Institute as Assistant Director of Data and Systems she served as a member of the SDP Fellowship at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.  Participating in this fellowship grew her analytic capacity, helped her develop clear priorities and strategies for data and data systems, as well as increased her confidence as a leader. She has served as a data coach to principals in Providence Public Schools through the Center for Leadership of Educational Educational Equity where she provided training and assistance to principals and the leadership teams to use student outcome data to access to allow meaningful analysis to identify, monitor progress and take action. Danielle lives in East Providence with her spouse, daughter, and dog, Marshmallow.

Hannah Schneider-Patel, Literacy & Instruction Consultant

An early childhood educator for nearly 2 decades, Hannah has worked in rural and urban school settings as a classroom teacher and an instructional coach. She holds a Masters of Education from The University of Virginia in Curriculum and Instruction- Reading Education.  A Reading Specialist, Hannah believes in the transformative power of equitable literacy instruction and brings a depth of knowledge about Emergent and Beginning Literacy development, foundational skills, and the science of reading to her work with students, teachers, and administrators.  Hannah lives with her family in Washington, D.C.