Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign! Your donation supports Alejandra, an elementary school principal in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As a Hispanic female who grew up in a challenging family environment, Alejandra has overcome many challenges throughout her life. Now an accomplished educator with over 11 years of teaching experience in high-need schools, she wants to help students facing similar challenges believe that they are capable of overcoming those challenges and achieving all of their dreams.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Alejandra served as a special education teacher at one of Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s highest-need elementary schools. She was committed to ensuring that all of her students were provided and equipped with the right accommodations, modifications and support necessary to succeed academically. During her time there, 90 percent of her special education students passed their end of grade tests in reading, math and science. She also initiated Hispanic Curriculum Nights in her community, which increased parental involvement and raised student test scores.

By becoming a New Leader, Alejandra hopes to help “teach society not to underestimate our students’ abilities because of their last names or geographical locations.”

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign. Your contribution supports Shawna, an elementary school principal in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Shawna attended urban school districts while growing up and considers her success to be the outcome of teachers who cared about her throughout that time. As a result, Shawna believes that all children have that same ability to learn, and is committed to being the agent of change who ensures the success of her students.

Shawna has 12 years of experience as an educator and most recently served as fifth grade reading and language arts instructor at a different elementary school in Prince George’s County. During her tenure there, Shawna’s students’ scores consistently improved each year, with over 80 percent passing and the majority of students receiving ‘advanced’ marks. Shawna also served as a teacher for children of military families, during which time she brought her students’ reading and writing skills above grade level — enabling them to send personally written letters to their parents and soldiers serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

With a strong desire to inspire her students to believe in their own abilities and achieve their dreams, Shawna says: “My greatest motivation is when a child realizes that his or her success is a result of their effort. Hence, they can achieve any goal that they set their minds to. At that very moment, all doubt is erased and the path to limitless success begins.”

Thank you all for supporting Shawna and New Leaders!

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign. Your contribution supports Zenada, a public charter school principal in Washington, D.C. Zenada has only been at the charter school for a year but has brought with her a wealth of teaching experience and a deep commitment to being an advocate for urban students.

Prior to joining New Leaders, she spent a year at Browne Education Campus in D.C., where she she increased student proficiency levels by 27 percentage points in reading. Before moving to the area, Zenada served as a reading teacher for seven years at a high school in Prince George’s County, Maryland. During this time, her classroom was nominated by her peers to be used as exemplary model for new teachers.

Her decision to become a school leader came as a result of a desire to promote change on a larger level than just in her classroom. She is motivated by the students she has taught over the years, who have been her greatest teachers. She says, “They are the fuel for my passion. Everything I do is for them.”

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign. Your donations support Melissa, the principal of a Chicago area elementary school.

Since her college summers as a camp counselor, Melissa has known that she wanted to be an education leader. Before joining New Leaders, she taught first and third grade for six years.  Each year, approximately 90 to 95 percent of her students reached their reading goals. Melissa recently completed the Emerging Leaders Program at Dulles School of Excellence, which is an AUSL turnaround school.

Melissa is motivated, driven and determined to make a difference. “All students should feel supported. All students should know someone believes in them.” She admits that there is a lot to learn, but Melissa is thrilled to work with her cohorts, build relationships and find support for her growth and learning.

Thank you all for supporting Melissa and New Leaders.

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign. Your donations support Quintin, the principal of an elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Quintin knows all students are deserving of academic and social opportunities, yet he believes we have allowed students in urban schools to fail even though their schools often have the same resources and support that others receive.

Before joining New Leaders, Quintin taught AP English and 10th grade writing and was a department chair at a local high school. He has also taught debate and was a member of the school improvement team, which drove efforts to deepen relationships with parents in his school community. He moved AP English students from a 22 percent pass rate to 60 percent by the end of the year.

Quintin’s principal saw his potential and believed he could be a great leader, which is why he decided to apply to the Aspiring Principals Program. He is excited to work with students and teachers to establish a culture and strong sense of community during his Residency Year.

Thank you for your support of Quintin and New Leaders.

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign. Your contributions support Tiffany, the principal of an elementary/middle school in Baltimore, Maryland.

As a high school student, Tiffany interned with The Children’s Guild and had the opportunity to work with a classroom of socio-emotionally disadvantaged five year-old children. This experience marked the beginning of her love for working with children and she has pursued a career in education ever since.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Tiffany served as an instructional coach, working with grades pre-kindergaten through five. During her first placement at one of the lowest performing schools in Baltimore, her 5th-graders went from 25 percent to 71 percent proficiency on the mathematics portion of the Maryland State Assessment.

Tiffany decided to become a school leader because she can drive instruction as well as set the tone for a culture of achievement within her school. She completed the Emerging Leaders Program last year.

Thank you for supporting underserved students, Tiffany, and New Leaders.

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign! Your contributions support Brian, a principal in the Memphis, Tennessee area.

Brian roots for the underdog. He can always appreciate those who work diligently to overcome their challenges — whether citizens of his beloved hometown Memphis or his students.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Brian taught grades 3-6 in Memphis City Schools. He also participated in the Emerging Leaders Program last year, where he utilized what he learned about data driven instruction to drive gains for his students. On the year-end state test, 87 percent of his students scored proficient or advanced. Brian is eager to positively impact teachers and students and use the skills and information he is gaining from New Leaders to make an even larger difference in a school.

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign! Your contributions support Gina, a principal in the Memphis, Tennessee area.

Gina has worked in education for almost 25 years, and she is still searching for opportunities to grow her practice. She is excited to continue her learning with New Leaders and work with a community of like-minded educators.

After teaching for 11 years, Gina became an assistant principal and administrative intern in Virginia, where she worked to ensure quality instruction for 800 to 1,400 students in the district. During her time as a middle school assistant principal, she helped increase overall student proficiency in mathematics by 13 percent on the state exam.

Gina believes, “it is my duty as a public servant to ensure that students of color are exposed to instructional practices that will ensure that they become productive, global citizens.”

Gina is grateful for your geneorsity; thank you all for supporting New Leaders and children in the Memphis area.

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign! Your contributions support Allyson, a principal in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. As a student, teacher and parent in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Allyson has always had a deep commitment to serving her students and community.

Allyson’s desire to provide a better education for high-need students stems from a strong family history of service in CMS as well. Her father retired after over 30 years as an elementary principal, and her mother is in her 44th year with the district. All three of Allyson’s children attend schools in CMS, and she herself was a student in the district during the busing plan that was mandated to ensure a high quality of education for every student.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Allyson held the position of Dean of Students at a nearby high school. She began her career at Myers Park High School, where she spent 10 years teaching math to students in grades 9-12. While teaching alternative education through the CMS Right Choices Program, all of Allyson’s students were successful in passing the Algebra I exam, even though many of these students had failed the course at least twice before. Allyson then taught math at Ardrey Kell High School for an additional two years, where she also coordinated the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) program, a national program designed by Bill and Melinda Gates to drive instructional improvement for all educators.

Allyson’s greatest motivation is to instill a sense of self-worth in all students and help every student believe that they can be successful. Her goal as a school leader is to create a culture where all students feel welcome and want to be in school.

Thank you all for supporting Allyson and New Leaders.

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign! Your contribution supports Michael, a principal in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Michael primarily attributes his dedication to becoming a school leader to the influence of his own high school principal, although growing up with an educator as a mother did play a part. Growing up in an urban environment, Michael experienced firsthand the factors that can interfere with healthy social development and a high-quality education. Now, he wants to be the kind of school leader who not only ensures that every student is excelling academically, but also celebrates and encourages them along the way.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Michael worked as a special educator and baseball coach for six years, teaching seventh and eighth grade math, science and language arts. Under his instruction, eighth grade writing scores for students with disabilities averaged over 80 percent proficient and all inclusion classes exceeded average growth. Last year, Michael also served as an instructional facilitator and briefly as an interim assistant principal.

Michael chose to pursue school leadership so he can make sure that every student has an effective teacher for every classroom. He recently completed the Emerging Leaders Program and is excited to continue learning and developing a network of support that leads transformational change in Memphis.

Thank you all for supporting Michael and New Leaders.