Background:
Nate Geller is an associate partner at Bellwether on the Academic and Program Strategy team within the Strategic Advising practice area.
Nate has more than 17 years of professional experience pursuing educational equity in and with schools across the country. Prior to Bellwether, he served as a school leader at Green Dot Public Schools (Green Dot) in Los Angeles, including as the principal of Ánimo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School and assistant principal at Ánimo Phillis Wheatley Charter Middle School. While at Green Dot, Nate developed a love for building authentic partnerships with families in south Los Angeles, cultivated strong and engaged student and staff cultures, and drove rapid student academic growth. In 2018, Ánimo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School ranked in the top 1% of schools in major California urban districts for student math and English language arts growth; Nate was the recipient of Green Dot’s Principal of the Year award. Nate also worked in the Bay Area as an instructional coach and began his career as a Teach For America corps member, teaching math in Grades 7-8 in San Francisco.
Nate holds a master’s degree in education leadership from the Principal Leadership Institute at the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He lives in Athens, Georgia with his wife, Rebecca, two sons, Owen and Miles, and puppy, Luna.
Why I do this work:
I had the great privilege of attending a K-12 independent school in Philadelphia, where I was granted educational and life opportunities that stood in stark contrast to what students received in public schools just blocks away. The inequities I saw across racial and economic lines planted a seed that drove me to build a career focused on pursuing social justice through public education. The thousands of students, families, and teachers I have served since then have deepened my resolve that educational equity is possible when the right policies, practices, and people converge around students at the center.
Experience at Bellwether:
Strategic Planning; New Organization Design and Launch; Growth and Expansion Strategy; Human Capital/Organizational Design; Teacher Evaluation and Development Systems; Implementation Planning; CMO/Charter School Operators; District Schools; Academic Program Design
Client segments served:
K-12 Schools; School Districts; CMO/Charter Schools; State Education Agencies; Nonprofit Organizations
Sample clients:
Texas Education Agency, NewSchools, Charter School Growth Fund, Green Dot Public Schools, LISA Academy Public Charter Schools, Dove Schools, Citizen Schools, Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success, Lighthouse Community Public Schools, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta
