Background:
Anita Lawrence is a senior consultant on the Academic and Program Strategy team within Bellwether’s Strategic Advising practice area. She has been in education for more than 22 years in both charter and traditional public schools, focused on world language studies and supporting English language learners.
Prior to Bellwether, Anita served as principal of Bolton Academy, an International Baccalaureate school with dual language immersion programming based in Atlanta. Under Anita’s leadership, the diverse learning community achieved a 17.5-point growth on the Georgia state report card, and received a Title I Reward School distinction in 2019 and 2021 — an honor earned by the top 5% of Title I schools in the state of Georgia.
From 2015 to 2018, Anita served as the primary years programme principal of Wesley International Academy, an Atlanta-based independent charter school. Wesley made significant gains in student achievement, moving from 68.1 on the 2017 Georgia state report card, to 85.4 in 2018. Anita also successfully developed practices for and monitored implementation of world language programs across the Atlanta metropolitan area. As the Atlanta Public Schools world languages coordinator, she advocated for equitable practices among English language learners and moved the district into compliance during a 2009 federal audit.
Anita was born and raised in Boston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in urban elementary education from Simmons University. She has lived in the Atlanta area for more than 20 years, and currently resides in Marietta, Georgia with her two children, who are also former students, and husband.
Why I do this work:
While serving as a school leader, the belief that every student matters and every moment counts grounded all decision-making in my daily work. I believe in the power of celebrating diversity and acknowledging the assets of learners with different backgrounds. Through my work at Bellwether, I hope to improve educational outcomes for underserved students by helping partners make the most of every moment with every student.
Client segments served:
K-12 Schools; CMO / Charter Schools
