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Lead at Uncommon. Change History.Meet our 2009-2010 Hollyhock Fellows for Instructional Leadership
Nikki Bridges Nikki Bridges is currently at Leadership Prep Bedford Stuyvesant Charter School in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to joining the LPBS staff as a 3rd Grade Teacher, she co-designed an introductory college-level writing curriculum and taught an introductory college composition class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For two summers, Nikki worked as a Curriculum Specialist at Teach For America’s New York City summer institute and delivered over 150 hours of instruction to beginning teachers. Last summer, Nikki had the honor of serving as the Curriculum Coordinator at the 2008 New York City summer institute, and led a team of curriculum and literacy specialists in training approximately 600 corps members. Nikki began her teaching career through Teach For America as a 4th Grade Teacher in New Orleans, Louisiana, and also taught 2nd and 4th grades at the Bronx Charter School for the Arts. Nikki received her B.A. in English with a minor in Theology from Georgetown University, an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an M.A. in Literary Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? I chose to lead at Uncommon after observing at various schools within the Uncommon network. The quality of instruction and student learning inspired me to return to the classroom and partner to lead an Uncommon school. Every day, my colleagues, students, and families remind me that we can prove the possible. At Uncommon, I see evidence that our daily efforts build momentum in our collective mission to close the achievement gap. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? The greatest lesson I have learned thus far is to admit when you need help and then actively seek out those who can help you.
Eric Green Prior to joining the Hollyhock Fellowship for Instructional Leadership Eric was a 6th Grade Math Teacher and Math Department Chair at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Eric is a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and general fan of all things Pittsburgh (but not a fan of referring to himself in the third person). After graduating from Pitt in 2002, he taught English in Japan via the JET Program. Then, in the summer of 2003, Eric moved to New Orleans to be a part of the 2003 GNO corps. After two years of teaching 6th grade math at Jones Elementary School, he moved to Philadelphia to work in the Teach For America Philadelphia office. From Philadelphia he made the leap to New York to join Uncommon Schools and Williamsburg Collegiate, where he has been ever since. In his free time, you can find Eric running around Brooklyn, watching Steelers games, playing ultimate Frisbee, or debating the finer points of "Golden Girls" episodes. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? I have worked in the Collegiate branch of Uncommon schools for three years and I have a genuine respect for their mission and everything that has been accomplished. I chose to lead an Uncommon school because I know that this is a fantastic environment for students and teachers and I want to be a part of helping that environment grow. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? I feel like I learn new and important lessons everyday, but the greatest lesson I’ve learned is that it never helps to place blame. There is nothing that breaks up a team faster.
Owen Losse Owen Losse is an Instructional Fellow at Leadership Prep Bedford Stuyvesant. Prior to joining Leadership Prep, Mr. Losse taught middle school math, first as a Teach For America corps member in the Bronx, and more recently at Harlem Village Academy. Mr. Losse holds an M.A. in teaching from Pace University and received his B.A. in mathematics from Lewis & Clark College. He has studied mathematics education in the United States and Singapore. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? I am impressed by all the great people I have met at Uncommon, and amlooking forward to working with them. I am inspired by the instructional vision and its role in closing the achievement gap, as well as the organizational structures that have been developed to support great teaching and meaningful learning. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? "If you don't know what you want, you wind up with a lot you don't."
Sultana Noormuhammad Sultana Noormuhammad was formerly the Dean of Students at Leadership Prep Bedford Stuyvesant. Previously, Ms. Noormuhammad was a Founding Lead Teacher and 1st Grade Chair at Leadership Prep. She was a 1st Grade Teacher at C.S. 50 The Clara Barton School in New York City through Teach For America. She has also served as a Program Coordinator for Global Learning in Liberia and Costa Rica. Ms. Noormuhammad holds a B.A. in International Relations from Wellesley College and has studied at Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba. She is the K-4 Academy Director of Leadership Prep Bedford Stuyvesant.
Shradha Patel Shradha Patel is the Middle Academy Director of Excellence Boys Charter School. Prior to joining Excellence, she had the privilege of being the Graduate Services Coordinator at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School for two years supporting Roxbury Prep scholars on their journey through high school and college. In addition, she was a 8th Grade American History Teacher at Roxbury Prep for four years. Before joining Uncommon Schools through Roxbury Prep six years ago, Shradha taught in the Boston and Cambridge Public Schools. Shradha received a Masters Degree in History from Tufts University and a Bachelors Degree in Education from Brown University.
Serena Savarirayan After graduating from Northwestern University with a B.A. in History, Serena joined the 2002 Teach For America Corps. She taught 5th grade for four years at the Dr. Frank Napier, Jr. School in Paterson, NJ. While working at her placement school, she was elected to the School Leadership Committee and led professional development workshops. Serena joined North Star Academy’s Clinton Hill campus as its 5th Grade Language Arts Teacher in 2006. In 2008, she began teaching eighth grade English and also served as co-team leader and instructional leader. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? Uncommon Schools demonstrates a unique commitment to student achievement, data-driven instruction, leadership development, and deliberate growth. It’s an extraordinary place to do the difficult and rewarding work of closing the achievement gap. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? Above all, strong leadership requires an attitude of constant learning and improvement. When leaders are open-minded, reflective, and relentless, it encourages the same qualities in their team members.
Aja Settles Aja joined an Uncommon School, North Star Academy, in 2007 as a Founding Lead Teacher. While at North Star Academy, Aja served as an instructional leader of the K and 1st grade teams in which she observed teachers, provided feedback, and facilitated interim data analysis meetings. Aja was also responsible for the development of the Reading curriculum for K-2. In her work as a Lead Teacher and developer of the literacy curriculum, she helped lead the founding kindergarten class to 95% (national percentile) proficiency on the Terra Nova for the school year 2007-2008. In addition to her responsibilities as an instructional leader, Aja has served as an adjunct faculty member for literacy at Teacher U which is located at Hunter College. During her time at Teacher U, she facilitated small group sessions for graduate students interested in obtaining their teaching certification and learning best practices to use in their classrooms. Additionally, Aja has presented writing workshops to educators throughout the country. Prior to joining North Star, Aja taught for 3 years at her original placement school through Teach For America in Camden, NJ. In Camden, Aja taught 1st grade students and received her certification as Literacy Coordinator through Lesley University and Literacy Collaborative. Aja earned her B.A. in Sociology from Temple University. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? Since joining Uncommon Schools in 2007, I have been incredibly lucky to learn from the best minds in the world of education. Their leadership and training has afforded me with numerous opportunities to develop and achieve results for my students. Leading at Uncommon is an opportunity to hone my leadership skills in a supportive environment while enlarging our scope to reach more children in the fight to closing the achievement gap. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? I have learned that as a leader, you set the tone. If you appear frustrated, stressed, or frazzled, this is relayed to teachers, students, and parents. Ensuring that your tone is positive and that your actions are driven by results will ensure that your team is focused. As a leader, your responsibility is to model best practices and motivate others. This is a leadership lesson that I will take with me as a Principal Fellow.
Hannah Solomon Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? My favorite thing in the world is to learn from great teachers. Uncommon is comprised of many of the professionals in the field of education from whom I have learned the most – even at a distance – over the 8 years I have been in the field. The chance to learn directly from these individuals – and to have my boss(es) be my teachers! – is totally thrilling to me. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? 1) Very rarely is anything an actual crisis and I will make better decisions if I remember to stay calm and analytical. 2) I need to keep listening to every person I work with until I understand what they are really trying to say . Then I need to think hard about how I can help make them the most effective professional possible as a result. 3) Laugh a lot and about random things – help other people remember to be joyful. Katie Yezzi Katie was born and raised in the Capital District (she grew up in Guilderland) and began her career teaching in California public schools. For eight years she taught English and humanities at the middle and high school levels. In addition to teaching, she served as Department Head and school-wide Reform Coordinator at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School in San Francisco. A non-selective school in an underserved neighborhood, Marshall saw 90-98% of its graduates accepted at 2- and 4-year colleges and universities during Katie’s tenure. In 2003, she completed her administrative residency with New Leaders for New Schools, a nationally acclaimed and highly selective program dedicated to training effective urban school principals. The following year, Katie became the Assistant Principal of Curriculum at John O’Connell High School, an 800 student San Francisco Unified school. During her two years at O’Connell the school rose from a similar schools ranking of two to a ranking of seven (out of ten) on California’s Academic Performance Index. She subsequently became the principal of XCEL Academy, a 115 student charter high school for the 2005-06 school year. In 2006 she returned to Albany and served as Academic Dean at Achievement Academy before joining the staff of School Performance as Director of Instructional Effectiveness. Her work centered around helping teachers improve their practice by using data. Katie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Civilization and her Master of Arts in Teaching English from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to start and lead an Uncommon School. I chose Uncommon first and foremost because of the outstanding results of the existing schools. The talented people and knowledge-base behind those results mean I will be constantly challenged and pushed toward improvement. There is no complacency within this network, but rather a relentless focus on excellence that I have not experienced anywhere else. With Uncommon, I also have tremendous support and resources. The leadership model allows me to focus on instruction and supporting and developing teachers. It really came down to, how could I not seize this opportunity to transform the lives of our students? What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? One of the greatest lessons I have learned in leadership is to find the very best people to join your team and treat them exceptionally well. Meet our 2009-2010 Howitt Fellows for Operations Leadership
Hanna Campbell In 2003, Hanna Campbell began an internship with the INROADS program that would last her four summers. Over the course of those summers, she was an intern for Pitney Bowes in their Community Investments and Employee Communications departments. She was also the recipient of the Micheal T. Holmes Leadership Award. From 2006 - 2007, she served as a Campus Campaign Manager for Teach For America, helping to inspire many of her peers to join the movement for education reform. In 2007, Hanna graduated cum laude from Amherst College with a BA in English. Immediately after graduation, she became a Teach For America corps member in the Atlanta region. She was placed at Renaissance Middle School in Fairburn, Georgia as a 6th Grade Reading Teacher. For two years, she taught Reading, served as the 6th Grade Reading Department Contact and coached volleyball, tennis, and track. In May 2009, after finishing up her Teach For America commitment, Hanna worked as a School Operations Manager for the 2009 Teach For America Atlanta Institute. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? I knew that this organization was one I wanted to join the first time I walked into an Uncommon classroom. I observed a 1st grade class where six year olds were analyzing poetry. It was remarkable to me. For those 1st graders, the achievement gap was being decimated. Because of that Uncommon School and because of those incredible teachers and because of the hard work of those first graders, they will never know what it is like to be three or four grade levels behind their peers. That's simply amazing to me. I knew then that I wanted to become a part of Uncommon Schools. I knew that I wanted to work towards creating more schools like that one, so that one day soon, a six year old analyzing poetry will no longer be an uncommon occurrence. I can't wait for that day -- for the day when high levels of instruction and achievement are happening in every classroom across the United States, and I firmly believe that Uncommon Schools is one of the organizations that will help that day to come sooner. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? The greatest lesson that I have learned in leadership is the importance of setting a vision. Without a vision or a goal, we have nothing to work towards and no concrete way of measuring our success. I am constantly reminding myself of my personal visions and of my professional ones, of the visions that I have for my students and of the ones that I have for my school. This has helped me and my students to become successful and to remain invested in the work that we do. Kate Cushing Kate joins Uncommon Schools as an Operations Fellow with Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School. Prior to joining Uncommon, Kate was the Director of Operations at Roads to Success, a college and career preparation program. In this role, she supported 33 schools that served over 5000 students in the RTS program. She graduated from Brown University and majored in Education/Public Policy. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? Uncommon is committed to raising student achievement and closing the achievement gap. I chose to lead at Uncommon because the mission is so closely aligned with my personal goals. I am committed to providing educational opportunity to populations that are traditionally underserved, and I believe that the Uncommon model works. Once I went through the interview process at Uncommon, I realized what a great group of fun, passionate, and committed people were involved, and it felt like a great fit. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? The greatest lesson I've learned in leadership is the importance of empowering those with unique experiences and knowledge to lead and contribute to decision-making.
Russell Graney Before joining Uncommon as an Operational Fellow, Russ was an Associate Consultant with Bain & Company, a management strategy consultancy. Working in the New York office for 2 years, Russ served clients in the IT, consumer products, and financial services industries and led work in manufacturing rationalization, competitive portfolio analysis, product design, and cost management. Prior to joining Bain, Russ served as Executive Director of CityStep, a Boston community outreach program that seeks to enrich the educational and life experiences of 100 middle school students annually through a curriculum of dance and other creative activities. Russ graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a concentration in Social Studies and a Spanish language certificate. While at Harvard, Russ conducted research in parental involvement in urban education. His senior thesis, “Multiculturalism at the Padres School: A Blueprint for Encouraging Community and Parental Involvement at an Ethnically Diverse Public School,” explores the role of ethnic identity in the formation of parental community. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? While working with Bain and its clients has been rewarding, I am drawn to the field of education and its critical challenges. With the Operational Fellowship at Uncommon, I am excited to work with a talented and passionate team to create outstanding schools that have an immediate and direct impact on students’ and families’ lives. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? I have learned to lead people and organizations to success through a careful combination of thought leadership and consensus building. Always bringing my own ideas to the table, I also stay attuned to the views of all parties to ultimately present solutions that appeal to those who will implement them.
Derrick Hardy Derrick Hardy has well over five years experience in education and administration. Derrick received his BA in Music Business Management at Columbia College Chicago. Before joining Uncommon Schools, Derrick taught at his Alma mater, while also working as an Executive Assistant in the Arts, Entertainment, Media Management Department. Derrick previously worked in Sales & Marketing at Time Warner in New York City. Derrick spent the 2008-2009 school year as a member of the Operations Team at Rochester Prep MS. Next year, Derrick will be an Operations Leader for the first elementary school in Rochester for the True North network.
Brendalyn King Brendalyn King joined Uncommon Schools in 2005 as a volunteer for Excellence Boys Charter School. She was later hired as the founding Office Manager for Leadership Prep Bedford Stuyvesant. In that role Brendalyn recruited the initial kindergarten and 1st grade cohorts, managed admissions, and created all front office systems. She has since worn many hats, including Reading Teacher, Afterschool Program Instructor, and Director of Special Projects (DOSP). In her role as DOSP, she has tackled school transportation by implementing a safe dismissal system, met all New York City Deptment of Education and New York Ciry Deptment of Health compliance standards, and created valuable resources for school wide events. Brendalyn is humbled by her acceptance into the Operations Fellowship as she is the first former office manger to become an operations fellow. She looks forward to expanding her leadership skills while building new school systems and shaping school culture for a new Uncommon School. Brendalyn earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Fordham University. She is currently working towards her masters degree as a member of the inaugural cohort of Teacher U, the innovative, newly-designed Master Teacher Training Institute created by Uncommon Schools, KIPP, and Achievement First. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? Leading at Uncommon Schools is a dream come true. Their sense of urgency and the demand for educational equality is not only their mission, but it serves as my inspiration. I am excited about the opportunity to join leaders who have already begun this extraordinary work. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? I have learned that leadership is being the liaison between another person and their greatness. With the humility, vision, and drive of an extraordinary leader, greatness is unleashed.
Marya Murray-Díaz Marya Murray-Díaz is an Operational Leadership Fellow at True North Rochester Prep. Marya started her career at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a policy think tank in Washington, DC. While there she focused on both international and domestic economic policy research and outreach, including work on welfare, health insurance, the housing bubble, and international policy and trade. She then joined the 2004 corps of Teach For America, teaching bilingual 5th grade in the South Bronx for two years to incredible students -- all at varying levels in the English-learning process -- who posted significant gains in both Reading and Math. Ms. Díaz taught a year of 6th grade Math in central Harlem as a founding teacher of Democracy Prep Charter School. She then moved to the operational side of education, working as the first School Operations Manager at KIPP: Infinity Charter School for two years, establishing the role at one of the top-performing public schools in New York City, and collaborating with others in operations at KIPP to create, develop, and grow the role of Operations Managers within the region. She is overjoyed to be a part of Uncommon and to continue learning and growing professionally in an operations role in her hometown of Rochester, NY. Ms. Díaz holds a Bachelors and a Masters degree from Georgetown University and a Masters in Education from Lehman College, City University of New York. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? I chose to lead at Uncommon because I wanted to have an impact on the achievement gap in my hometown. With Uncommon I knew I would be able to learn from leaders who understand the importance of operational effectiveness in running schools. I look forward to leading at Rochester Prep and to implementing all that I learn in the fellowship. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Annette Riffle Before becoming an Operations Fellow at North Star Academy, Annette spent three years teaching 5th and 6th grade math at North Star Academy’s Clinton Hill Campus. During this time, Annette served as Team Leader for her grade and coached the school’s math competition team. She also led a workshop through Teacher U on using manipulatives in mathematics teaching. Before joining North Star Academy, Annette was General Manager of the Kaplan Premier tutoring division of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, overseeing all aspects of the tutoring business across 13 centers nationwide. Annette received two B.A. degrees in English Literature and Secondary Education from Clemson University, and attended Teachers College for graduate work in Cognitive Studies in Education. Why did you choose to lead at Uncommon? Leadership at Uncommon gives me the opportunity to continue working to close the achievement gap at North Star Academy, while utilizing my previous experience in operations. I am excited to continue working with our amazing students in this new capacity, and to find new ways to support our schools’ success. What is your greatest lesson learned in leadership? The greatest lesson in leadership that I have learned is that successful leaders only exist as a result of strong, successful teams. Communication and time spent with each member of a team builds trust and teamwork, increases sharing of ideas, and leads to a more successful organization.
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