Welcome to Wood's Edge
At Wood's Edge we understand the unique challenges faced by state and district leaders. We specialize in crafting systemic solutions to intractable problems in special education, early childhood education, and preschool special education.
Our team, led by Sarah Whitman Blank, has a proven track record of success in collaborating with federal, state, and district leadership to:
Develop data-driven strategies: We analyze data to identify areas of need and create targeted solutions that improve educational outcomes for all students.
Implement best practices: We share the latest research and evidence-based practices to ensure your programs are equipped with the most effective approaches.
Build capacity: We help states, districts, and other educational organizations build capacity by providing professional development for educators and administrators, empowering them to effectively support students with diverse needs.
Our Founder
Sarah Whitman Blank brings more than 20 years of experience in education systems building, strategic advising, and technical assistance (TA).
Working with federal, state, regional, nonprofit, and local programs, Sarah has guided capacity building and systems change with the goal of improving outcomes for all students, especially historically underserved populations. Sarah is passionate about applying her strong research background to support the effective translation of research to practice.
Sarah has led statewide strategic planning projects, program evaluations, and professional development initiatives. She has also served as a TA provider for national technical assistance centers focused on Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) data integration, early childhood data systems, and birth to five systems building.
In her previous role at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Sarah led early childhood special education initiatives including co-leading the State Systemic Improvement Plan. Sarah also worked at Harvard’s Program on Negotiation where she honed her inter-disciplinary research skills and became a Harvard Mediation Program trained mediator.
Sarah brings expertise in education policy, early education and care, special education, implementation science, systems change, process improvement, and evaluation.
Sarah divides her time between Boston and southern Maine where she loves to garden, cook, hike, and generally be outside with her husband, son, and dog.