About

Personal History

Please find my LinkedIn profile here.

I've worked for over a decade in school leadership.  In that time I've--

• founded three schools 

• managed strategic turnarounds at two sites, in separate organizations

• worked in site management, middle management and dotted-line roles in matrix organizations

• found success in small (1-6 site), medium (45 sites) and large (NYC DOE) organizations

After undergrad I earned my M.S.Ed. in Counseling Psychology, which, combined with early experiences in the Peace Corps and campaign politics (a U.S. Senate campaign), inform my approach to work and leadership.  During COVID, I took the opportunity to work remotely and simultaneously earn my MBA, a longtime goal.   

We also got a dog, Bailey, who demands a surprising amount of time and attention.  Any advice and support here is much appreciated!

Mission

McSorley Consulting aims to support and develop leaders, schools, and education organizations as they address big picture issues and day-to-day challenges.

Vision

As we join in partnership and drive toward outcomes, we understand at each juncture how the macro informs the micro:

• Your organizational values are the guideposts we'll use as we decide and drive specific outcomes.

• An organization is a holistic system, and as we make changes in one area we recognize the potential to impact others.  

• Actions that occur at the center of an organization multiply their impact as they ripple out and down.

Values

• Our collective obligation is always to our kids & clients first

• Understand and work within the professional culture of our partners

• Be straightforward and compassionate with partners

• Move forward with cheerful relentlessness

Approach

• Assess critically and be guided by data

• Identify and address root causes

• All parties desire and deserve accountability

Personal Statement

I am a straight, cis white male operating in a space mostly serving children of color.  I come from a place of privilege, and try to remain mindful of that.  Most of our kids face structural racism every day, along with classism and other forms of oppression; perhaps most critical is that, tied up in all of this are stories of trauma.  

That said, I have always worked to leverage the numerous strengths possessed by the communities I've been lucky to serve.  I like to think of myself historically as an ally, but recognize this can't be based off past collaboration, instead requiring continual reinvestment.  

Work History

Matt McSorley holds an MBA, as well as a Master's in Counseling Psychology.  He is a 3-time founder of new schools, having leveraged his early experience in the Peace Corps and campaign politics to inform this work.   Two of his new schools were top performers in the Success Academy Charter Schools organization, a high-growth, high-performance network.  

Following this work, he was recruited to run a strategic turnaround at PAVE Academy Charter Schools.  As a result of his efforts there, there was a 30% increase in the number of students passing state exams, with continual improvement across three years. 

He's led sites directly as operations manager as well as held the position of principal, leading teams of up to 25.  He's led as a Regional Director in two companies.   He currently works as an independent consultant, supporting early-stage tech startups as they develop hardware and software for education.  

Skills:

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Excel

Data Analytics

Dashboards

KPIs

SQL

Business Process Improvement

Project Management

Database Management