Same Team Consulting
Where Families and Educators Grow Together
We help educators and families build inclusive, equitable, and relationship-centered school communities through coaching, trainings, best practices from lived experiences, and true partnership.
Same Team Consulting envisions a future where schools are no longer gatekeepers, but spaces of trust, belonging, and shared growth.
We believe authentic family-school partnerships are the cornerstone of thriving educational communities.
Our Services
Through coaching, trainings, and workshops, we build the capacity of educators and families to lead collaboratively, cultivate cross-cultural understanding, and create systems where every voice matters.
1-1 Consulting
Ongoing (or one-time) coaching sessions for individuals or teams to support educators, school and district Leaders, and FET team leaders.
Workshops + Trainings
Capacity-building experiences to support educators, leaders, and parents in creating powerful school-family partnerships.
Keynote Speaking
Capacity-building presentations to support educators, leaders, parents, and caregivers in learning about powerful school-family partnership practices.
Learn more about working with us in our Frequently Asked Questions.
Meet Ari Gerzon-Kessler!
Ari is a seasoned coach, experienced facilitator of professional learning, and a dynamic keynote speaker.
Ari has helped dozens of schools design a family-centered approach to creating a more inclusive and cohesive school community. By partnering with him, you will harness cost-effective strategies and untapped resources to address the most important challenges you’re facing successfully. In the process, you will make your work as an educator more meaningful and rewarding.
On the Same Team
Ari’s award-winning book, On The Same Team, was named Best Education Book of 2024 by the Independent Publisher Book Awards. It offers a practical, story-rich framework to help schools build stronger partnerships with underrepresented families. With step-by-step guidance on launching Families and Educators Together (FET) teams, the book supports schools in driving student success and creating more inclusive, collaborative communities.
Why It Matters
As schools deepen their commitments to belonging and inclusion, this book provides the tools needed to close opportunity gaps by centering family-school partnerships.
Trusted by Leaders, Educators, Students and School Districts Nationwide
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“From coming to FET, something happened with my kids. When I came the first time, they liked being here too. Afterwards, they asked me, ‘Mamá, when is the next meeting? Are you going to go?’ It was motivating for me. Coming to FET helped my children a lot because they now are more confident and participate more in class, which they never did before. This happened because they saw me here. If they see me participating, they follow my example.”
Maria L.
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“After the ‘why,’ Ari Gerzon-Kessler provides a detailed road map for the ‘what’—Families and Educator Together (FET) Teams—and the 'how'. You will learn—based on multiple years of experience in multiple schools—about who should be on these teams, the groundwork needed for a strong launch, techniques for creating inspiring and effective FET meetings, and the role of leadership and amplifying parent voices in sustaining the momentum from FET teams.”
Maurice J. Elias, Co-Director, Parenting Academy for SEL in Schools, Rutgers University; Co-author, Morning Classroom Conversations and Emotionally Intelligent
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“I feel fortunate to have FET. We need this connection because students thrive when parents and teachers are on the same path and are both encouraging them.”
Maddie
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“Having a FET team at my school has brought our families from diverse backgrounds together, and given them a stronger voice and influence on the school community and their child's educational experience. What a gift that Ari is giving to educators across the country and beyond, with his book on how to create an effective FET Team at your school. The book is filled with expert guidance and helpful resources on how to create authentic family partnerships that will enhance the educational experience of all our students.”
Shelby Warshaw, teacher, Fireside Elementary
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“When I was here at the middle school, our [Latino] families didn’t feel so comfortable. Now that we have these gatherings, we can trust the school more and not hide.”
-Studnet
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“Parents feel heard and seen and are touched by the lengths we go to plan fun, collaborative, informative, and listening-centered meetings where their voices and needs are the foundations.”
-Teacher
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“When I arrived five years ago, we did not have collaboration or communication with our Spanish-speaking families. It simply wasn’t there. We now have a much stronger connection and partnership with all of our families, which ultimately helps us provide both opportunity and support to our students.”
-Dan Ryan, former principal of Centaurus High School
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“FET has been an amazing thing. I couldn’t have done it on my own. I don’t have the resources or expertise to know how to do this. It has been a dream come true for me. I’m getting out of it exactly what I wanted – how to engage all my communities... You know, I just received the annual results of our parent survey. It’s off the charts! I’ve been principal here for more than a decade and we were always slightly ahead of the district average. This year we had massive gains compared to every other year."
-Brady Stroup, principal, Eisenhower Elementary, at the end of year one of FET at his school
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![A smiling middle-aged man in a black suit, white shirt, and striped tie standing in front of a brick wall.]()
“When I arrived, we did not have collaboration or communication with our Spanish-speaking families. It simply wasn’t there. We now have a much stronger connection and partnership with all of our families, which ultimately helps us provide both opportunity and support to our students.”
Dan Ryan, former principal at Centaurus High School
What is FET?
Our work is rooted in love, equity-driven, and centered on relationships. We are growing a generation of leaders who know how to bridge differences, cultivate connections, and make a lasting, meaningful impact for today and the future.
Resources to Inspire & Take Action
Listen to or watch podcasts, webinars, and presentations where Ari Gerzon-Kessler has led or been interviewed that explore high-impact school-family partnership practices.
Read a variety of articles that Ari Gerzon-Kessler has published on education best practices, with a focus on how to build stronger school-family partnerships.
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How School Leaders Can Use Positive Outreach to Engage Families
Positive communication systems are one of a handful of high impact family engagement approaches that can help us build more cohesive and trusting school communities. This article highlights easy-to-implement strategies to bolster positive communication outreach (Edmentum, 2025).
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Eight Ways to Bring Families and Schools Into Conversation
Here are eight strategies to foster meaningful collaboration and strengthen relationships between educators and diverse families. (Greater Good Science Center, 2025)
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De Facto Leaders
Karen and Ari discuss the difference between event-based planning versus engagement-based planning; how to set up systems that enable educators to provide regular positive communication to families, and how to use a combination of technology and in-person events to strengthen relationships with families.
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Life Choices
In this episode, I sit down with Ari Gerzon-Kessler, an educator whose groundbreaking work focuses on uniting teachers and families to create stronger, more collaborative learning environments. Ari shares his research-backed methods, the ripple effects of these powerful collaborations, and the transformative impact on school communities.”
Our impact grows when we embody our Same Team values, together.
Belonging
We nurture environments where every culture, voice, and story is honored.
Curiosity
We listen deeply, ask brave questions, and keep learning at the heart of our work.
Heart
We lead with love, compassion, and wholehearted commitment.
Impact
We strive for sustainable, systemic change that elevates communities.
Trust
We invest in relationships that are strong enough to hold growth, challenge, and repair.
Unity
We build bridges across racial, linguistic, and cultural divides to co-create shared futures.