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About CityTutor DC

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What is CityTutor DC?

CityTutor DC serves as the coordinated coalition to expand access to high-impact tutoring (HIT) to students in Washington, DC.

Founded in early 2021, our coalition of 50+ members connects schools, community-based organizations, and other committed stakeholders to accelerate learning for DC students through HIT.

CityTutor DC is an initiative of CityBridge Education, a nonprofit that incubates the people, ideas, and conversations needed for equity-driven innovation in DC’s schools.

Our Approach

CityTutor DC is partnering with schools, tutoring providers, institutes of higher education, and community-based organizations to expand the scope and impact of quality tutoring opportunities for DC’s students. We aim to support kindergarten through 12th grade public school students with high-impact tutoring. Learn more about our strategy and theory of change.

What is High-Impact Tutoring?

Two students smile while reading a bookA research-based practice of supplementing classroom instruction in a one-on-one or small group setting where a trained, quality tutor and student meet frequently and consistently, with a focus on math and/or literacy.

Tutoring is considered one of the most effective evidence-based interventions for students. A review of nearly 200 studies found that high-impact tutoring can lead to larger learning gains in math and reading than other school-based interventions.

Although high-impact tutoring can take a variety of forms, to achieve the biggest benefit for students, CityTutor DC believes that all programs should meet as many of the following standards as possible:

The care that tutors show fuels the motivation necessary for students to move forward academically. When a tutor cares who the student is and how the student learns best, attendance and engagement follow.
Tutors are the most important factor in helping students make academic gains, so they must be chosen, trained and retained carefully. Tutors need to have a solid knowledge of the subject matter they are teaching, which should be built at minimum by a thorough training on the curriculum to be used, as well as close supervision and ongoing feedback to become more effective.
The curriculum that tutors use with students should be aligned with state standards and grounded in high-quality research and, to the extent possible, should be based on the latest research in the science of reading (for curricula focused on early literacy) as well as providing students a clear foundation in procedural and conceptual math (for early grades math curricula). Lessons specifically designed for tutors are best to use with students, acknowledging that not all tutors have as much pedagogical content knowledge as teachers.
At a minimum, students in tutoring should be engaged 90 minutes per week, in multiple sessions per week, for 10 weeks. Research has conclusively found a link between tutoring frequency – the total amount of time students are engaged in tutoring, sometimes called dosage – and effect on student learning, provided, of course, that the tutoring meets other standards for quality.
Tutoring sessions should ideally have one or two students, and the maximum size should be four students. What makes tutoring effective, even when implemented by those without teacher training or experience, is that a tutor can personalize instruction for each student. As group size increases, however, tutors have less time to customize instruction and must spend more time on student engagement.
Students receiving tutoring should be regularly assessed using high-quality, aligned formative assessments. The data generated by those assessments should be used to adjust what tutors work on with students. That formative assessment data, along with other key data on quality (e.g., attendance, summative test scores, student satisfaction), should be used for continuous improvement.
Ideally, tutoring should be embedded into the school day schedule. Not only can deep connections between school and tutoring enable tutors to readily sync with teachers and administrators to learn what students need, but it is also a means of ensuring greater equity of access. Still, tutoring can take place in other community settings as long as efforts are made to connect what tutors are doing with what students are learning in school.

CityTutor Hubs

Tutor helping student with work on their laptop

A key aspect of our work is the creation and support of CityTutor Hubs. These Hubs serve as gathering spaces for students and trained tutors to build trusted partnerships as students grow in their academic achievement. CityTutor DC is providing funding, training, tools, and collaboration to ensure Hubs are successful and meet the needs of every student.

Learn more about our latest CityTutor Hubs.

CityTutor Hubs

Design Sprints

Our Design Sprints are a multi-week learning series that support school teams in designing and implementing high-impact tutoring into their intervention work.

Our next round of Design Sprints will be held in January.

Register Here
Tutor working with student at desk

Design Sprint participants will receive: 

  • Facilitation to help leaders integrate high-impact tutoring into the school day
  • Support in designing and redesigning an implementation plan and follow-up implementation support
  • Best practices and ongoing coaching and support for continuous improvement
  • A community of like-minded leaders in DC Public and Charter Schools
  • Greater access to qualified tutors to support your school team

Who should attend?

  • School leaders with the ability to approve budgets and schedules
  • Counselors who manage the master schedule
  • Academic deans and/or Instructional coaches
  • Lead content teachers

Note: You should participate as a school team, with at least two participants from your school

Staff

CityTutor DC is led by education professionals who share a commitment to the success of every student.

Cat Peretti

Executive Director

Cat Peretti

Cat Peretti has tutored students for more than 20 years, and her experiences personalizing learning to improve outcomes have fueled her career in education policy. After earning her law degree, Cat was an analyst at the US Department of Education focused on grants management during the Obama administration. She then served as the Director of Policy and Accountability at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School.

In 2015, Cat became the Executive Director of My School DC, the common application and lottery for the District’s public school options. Under Cat’s leadership, the lottery program operated with technical precision as the number of participating families and schools steadily increased.  Now, nearly all schools serving grades PreK-12 have opted in to use My School DC, and 75% of families with students in DCPS or DC public charter schools have used the lottery system for school access. In 2019, she and her team won the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation award for innovation in the DC government.

Cat brings keen strategic judgment, strong operational skills, a commitment to educational equity and access, and a deep set of relationships with DC’s educational leaders to the role leading CityTutor DC. She oversees strategy development and overall execution for CityTutor DC with the full support of CityBridge’s team.

Deidra Bailey

Director of Implementation

Deidra Bailey

As the Project Implementation Director for CityTutor DC, Deidra will work with the CityTutor DC team to support school leaders as they work to integrate and implement high-impact tutoring in their schools.

Immediately, before joining the CityTutor Team, she was High School Principal at DC International School (DCI), a dual-language and IB for ALL charter school in Ward 4. At DCI, she served first as a founding special education and math teacher in the middle school, and then went on to be the founding assistant principal for DCI High upon its opening in the fall of 2016. During her time at DCI, she supported the building of the high school programming and most importantly, supported the matriculation of DCI’s founding class of students.

Deidra began her career in education in 2009 as a Teacher For America corps member in Washington DC as a special education teacher at Anacostia Senior High School. Committed to equitable learning environments for students and ensuring schools have strong teachers, she has served as both a Curriculum Specialist and Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness Facilitator for Teach For America Summer Institute, supporting the development of first-year teachers during their summer institute. She also served as a founding member of DC Education Coalition for Change, a community organizing group made up of families, students, educators, and friends of education that organizes around the needs of students in the District.

Deidra holds a B.A. in Government and International Politics with a minor in African and African American Studies and an M.Ed in Special Education, both from George Mason University.

Gina Burd

Director of Partnerships

Gina Burd

As Director of Partnerships for CityTutor DC, Gina builds relationships with local universities and tutoring organizations to strengthen the tutoring ecosystem for public school students in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining CityTutor, Gina led the academic team at Horton’s Kids, a community-based organization that supports children and families in the Wellington Park and Stanton Oaks neighborhoods. In addition to overseeing OST academic programs, Gina focused on school advocacy work. She provided workshops on students’ educational rights for parents and facilitated conversations between parents and school leaders.

Gina taught high school English and directed the school’s Restorative Justice Program in Milford, Massachusetts for 12 years before moving to DC. Gina earned a BA in Writing and Literature from Wheaton College and a MA in English Literature and Women’s Studies from Brandeis University.

Gina lives with her partner in Park View and paints in her spare time.

Matt Gasper

Grants Manager

Matt Gasper

As Grants Manager, Matthew works to ensure the sustainability, growth, and compliance of CityTutor DC.

Prior to joining CityBridge, Matthew served as Manager of Compliance & Systems at PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education), developing processes, procedures, and data competency across the organization while supporting the organization's fundraising work and grant management. Previously, he worked at the National War College Alumni Association in support of fundraising efforts, alumni events and outreach, and student and faculty engagement.

A graduate of American University with a BA in International Studies, Matt's first experience engaging in the DC education system was as a mentor and summer teacher at Higher Achievement Program in Ward 1, where he saw the experiences of DC students moving from middle school to high school and the positive impact of strong tutoring programs.

Jasmyn Gilmore

Project Coordinator

Jasmyn Gilmore

As a Project Coordinator for CityTutor DC, Jasmyn Gilmore supports the expansion of access to high-impact tutoring for DC public school students. She coordinates efforts to strengthen DC's tutoring force and build school capacity for implementation within school schedules, as well as providing opportunities for tutoring outside of the school day.

Before joining CityBridge, Jasmyn spent a year working alongside New America for her graduate capstone project to contribute to an understanding of how culturally responsive education practices and resources are being implemented in the classroom. This research also served to highlight barriers and inequities within access to quality education, with consideration of how the impact of the pandemic continues to exacerbate these challenges. Her capstone experience, in addition to her academic exposure of courses that emphasized systemic racial injustices—particularly in education—have sparked a deep passion, desire, and commitment to dismantling historically inequitable systems in society through this work.

Jasmyn holds a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor Certificate in African American Studies, as well as a M.P.P. from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Savannah Becknell

Project Coordinator

Savannah Becknell

As Project Coordinator for CityTutor DC at CityBridge Education, Savannah is responsible for strategic project management and operations for expanding access to high-impact tutoring for DC public school students.

With six years of experience in the nonprofit world, Savannah is passionate about creating sustainable systems to empower programs promoting equity and dignity. Prior to joining the CityBridge team, Savannah was a Program Associate at The Samaritan Women - Institute for Shelter Care, where she managed the operations for the Shelter Mentorship Program, an educational program for restorative care providers serving survivors of sexual exploitation.

Savannah also served with Cru City for four years, both in DC and Milwaukee, collaborating with nonprofits and faith-based organizations to engage their communities in justice issues. While working with Cru, she founded and facilitated a pilot program to recruit and launch first-year teachers in Southeast DC. Formerly, Savannah was a contractor with International Justice Mission, a global organization that protects the poor from violence by strengthening justice systems. In her role as Operations Assistant, she supported execution of IJM’s first staff conference, The Gathering.

Savannah graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Sociology.

Susannah Tsien

Director of Interventions

Susannah Tsien

As Director of Interventions for CityTutor DC, Susannah will work with the CityTutor DC team to support and coach school teams and Hubs as they work to integrate and implement high-impact tutoring across the city.

With over 12 years of experience in DC schools—and as a DC native—Susannah is deeply committed to closing the opportunity gap in the nation’s capital. Prior to joining CityTutor DC, Susannah worked as Regional Math Coach at KIPP DC. In this role, she developed curricula and supported elementary leadership and school teams with implementation. As an inaugural fellow in KIPP DC’s DEI Coalition, Susannah partnered with leaders across the network to lead equity conversations and set equity agendas to push KIPP DC’s anti-racism work forward. Susannah began her career as a teacher at KIPP DC: Promise Academy where she taught for several years before moving into instructional leadership.

Susannah graduated from Bucknell University with a BA in anthropology and political science.

Renee Metellus

Project Coordinator

Renee Metellus

As Project Coordinator, Renee is responsible for strategic project management in support of CityTutor, with a specific focus on expanding and deepening the impact of CTDC Hubs.

She started her career in education as a tutor with City Year in her hometown of Chicago, and then went on to explore public education from different angles, including as graduate assistant for DC Reads at American University, an English teaching assistant with the Teaching Assistant Program in France, and most recently as a parent engagement coordinator with Montgomery County Public Schools.

Renee holds a B.A. in French Studies and Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as an M.Ed in Education Policy and Leadership from American University. She enjoys exploring hiking spots around the DMV and spending time with her cat.

Advisory Group

The CityTutor DC Advisory Group has been instrumental in shaping CityTutor DC’s vision. Their strategic advice and expertise help us refine our approach and embrace opportunities to better serve our students furthest from opportunity.

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Shukurat Adamoh-Faniyan

Executive Director, Reading Partners

Shukurat Adamoh-Faniyan

As the Executive Director of Reading Partners DC, Shukurat Adamoh-Faniyan is responsible for the operations, fundraising, and community engagement of the organization. Born and raised in DC, Shukurat has dedicated her life to working in high-poverty and under-resourced communities in the fields of education, policy, community organizing, public engagement, training, and program development. Shukurat is a passionate and motivated leader with extensive experience and is committed to ensuring that every child in DC has the opportunity to realize their full potential. Before joining Reading Partners, Shukurat served as the Senior Director of Partnership and Infrastructure for Leadership for Educational Equity.  She has also served as an Executive Director of a PreK-8th grade charter school serving over 700 scholars in Southeast DC. Shukurat began her career as a 5th-grade math and science teacher and Teach For America corps member.

Darius Baxter Headshot

Darius Baxter

CEO & Co-Founder, GOODProjects

Darius Baxter

In his role, Darius Baxter recruits and maintains relationships with hundreds of community-focused partners, stakeholders, and leaders to deliver the highest level of support to youth and team members. After his father was gunned down, Darius committed his life to rid his community of the constant threats of violence and provide opportunities to young people. Darius believes that if provided the right guidance, every person in underserved communities has the potential to be something special. Before joining GOODProjects, Darius worked closely with the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to introduce important gun control legislation. Following his time on the Hill, he was elected as a Delegate to the DNC after serving as a strategist for a leading presidential candidate. Before politics, he was a community organizer dating back to his college days when he mentored youth offenders and built out a reading program for elementary school students living in housing projects near the Georgetown University campus. It was there that he received his B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies with a concentration in Globalization and Poverty. Darius has been featured on 60 Minutes, Fox News, CBS, and NBC as a leader amongst his generation.

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Josh Boots

Founder & Executive Director, EmpowerK12

Josh Boots

Josh Boots is a recognized leader in DC assessment and data analytics. He serves on multiple school accountability system task forces, leads the EdFuel Data Professional Learning Community, and is appointed to the DC State Board of Education ESSA Taskforce. He consults for multiple charter LEAs on their integrated data systems, strategic data-driven plans, and coaches school and data leaders. Josh has also consulted with MySchoolDC, the District’s common lottery system, during its first implementation year, running and auditing the lottery matching algorithm. Prior to starting EmpowerK12, Josh served in a variety of education roles in DC over the last 15+ years, including teaching 7th grade math at DC Public Schools, leading the KIPP DC data team as their first Data Director, and contributing as a member of OSSE’s Assessment and Accountability team. In his free time, Josh nerds out over astrophysics, attends games at Nationals Park and Audi Field, and plans his trip into low-Earth orbit.

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Maya Martin Cadogan

Founder and Executive Director, PAVE

Maya Martin Cadogan

Maya Martin Cadogan, Founder and Executive Director of PAVE, is a proud Washingtonian who is passionate about equity and social justice.

PAVE is dedicated to creating an environment where the vision for education in DC is created with children and families, not for them.

Prior to founding PAVE in April 2016 with an all-parent board of directors, Maya was an Entrepreneur in Residence with New Schools Venture Fund from November 2015 to April 2016. Previously, Maya served as the Chief of Staff at Achievement Prep, a public charter school network located in Ward 8, where she focused on developing and leading the organizational infrastructure as the network grew, as the Director of Policy and Special Programs for Center City PCS, another DC charter network with six campuses throughout DC, as a Senior Program Manager for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), and as an Assistant Director of Admissions for her alma mater, Dartmouth College, where she focused on growing the number of racially underrepresented students at the college. Maya received her B.A. in Sociology and History from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Rictor Craig Headshot

Rictor Craig

Founding Director of Instruction, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys

Rictor Craig

In 2017, Rictor Craig became the Founding Director of Instruction/Co-founder at Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys in Washington, DC. Rictor began his educational career in 2003 teaching 11th and 12th grade English in the Baltimore City Public School System. In 2005, Rictor joined the Friendship Public Charter School system, where he taught 10th grade English, AP literature, AP language, and a dual enrollment literature course. In 2012, Rictor led Friendship Woodridge International School to receive its Tier 1 status (high-performing charter school) and led the school to receive its International Baccalaureate status in 2015. Rictor is a Cohort 11 New Leader Alumni and a RELAY GSE Principals Cohort 1 Alumni. He serves on several boards including The Envest Foundation and EmPower online magazine, and is the Chairman and Founder of the National Association of Black Male Educators, an organization with a mission to increase the number of males of color in education. Rictor is a best selling co-author of the HBCU Experience Anthology: The North Carolina A&T State University Edition. Rictor holds a B.A. in Professional English from North Carolina A&T State University, a M.A.T. from Morgan State University, an M.S. in Administration from Trinity Washington University, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from The University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Rictor attributes his love of learning to his parents, who didn’t have the same opportunities as he did when it came to education.

Charlene Desanges

Director of Academic Strategy at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Charlene Desanges

Charlene began her career as an educator as a MATCH tutor with MATCH Education- a charter network located in her hometown of Boston. There, she tutored six middle school students in math and English during school hours.

Alongside her Corps work, she participated in the MATCH Teaching Residency which prepared her for her first year of teaching.

Following her Corps year, Charlene moved to Brooklyn and became the founding history teacher at Achievement First Brownsville Middle School. She additionally attended the Relay Graduate School of Education where she acquired further skills to enhance her teaching. During her time at Achievement First, Charlene was also a curriculum fellow and coordinated the after school program for her school site.

In 2015, Charlene relocated to Haiti and taught second grade. While working abroad, she gained a greater perspective on how to support fellow educators and work with students. In 2017, Charlene returned to Boston and joined the Instructional team at City Year Boston as an Instructional Coach. When Charlene moved to Washington DC, she continued to work alongside and coach teachers as an Academic Dean at Achievement Prep and as a Department Chair at DC Prep.

Charlene has recently begun working towards her Doctorate in Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She has also transitioned into the role of Director of Academic Strategy with E.L. Haynes and looks forward to making an impact in this role.

Charlene is excited about learning from and contributing to City Tutor DC’s Advisory Group.

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Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy

Dean, School of Education, American University

Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy

Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy believes in the revolutionary power of school counseling. An American Counseling Association (ACA) Fellow with 30 years of experience as a former kindergarten teacher, elementary school counselor, family therapist, and most recently university professor and administrator, she has a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and wisdom. Dr. Holcomb-McCoy is currently the Dean of the School of Education and a professor at American University (AU). She is also the author of the best-selling book, School Counseling to Close the Achievement Gap: A Social Justice Framework for Success, and Antiracist Counseling in Schools and Communities. In her five years as Dean, Dr. Holcomb-McCoy founded AU’s Summer Institute on Education, Equity and Justice, and the AU Teacher Pipeline Project, a partnership with the DC Public Schools and Friendship Charter Schools. She is also actively working to develop an antiracist curriculum for teachers-in-training. Prior to leading the School of Education at AU, she served as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs campus-wide and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she launched the Johns Hopkins School Counseling Fellows Program and The Faculty Diversity Initiative. Dr. Holcomb-McCoy has also been an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland, College Park and Director of the School Counseling Program at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. Dr. Holcomb-McCoy’s passion for school counseling, mental health, and wellness starts at home. As a proud mother of two, she knows firsthand the importance of systemic change to help students reach their full potential. A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dr. Holcomb-McCoy holds her B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Virginia. She earned a doctorate in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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Lynsey Wood Jeffries

Chief Executive Officer, Higher Achievement

Lynsey Wood Jeffries

Lynsey Wood Jeffries is the CEO of Higher Achievement, which serves middle school scholars in four states with year-round, research-proven expanded learning and mentoring. After five years as a Higher Achievement volunteer mentor, Ms. Jeffries joined the professional staff in 2005 and has served as CEO since 2012. Prior to joining Higher Achievement, Ms. Jeffries served as a program officer for the Fannie Mae Foundation, and a congressional liaison at NeighborWorks. Her commitment to equity extends from education to affordable housing and full communities. Ms. Jeffries served as a National Fellow with the Kellogg Foundation, focused on racial equity and healing from 2014 – 2017. Ms. Jeffries is a founding board member and former board chair of Mundo Verde Public Charter School and a board member for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Wake Forest University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, with a concentration in nonprofit management.

Katrina Owens

Chief Executive Officer, DC SCORES

Katrina Owens

Katrina Owens is the Executive Director at DC SCORES. She is a Teach for America alumna and former DC SCORES coach for Fletcher-Johnson Educational Center, where she taught for four years. A Berlin, Ohio, native, Katrina is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and received her Master’s degree from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Katrina joined DC SCORES in 2006 to develop and implement the middle school program and has held many different roles within the organization. 

Kimberly Perry Headshot

Kimberly Perry

Executive Director, DC Action

Kimberly Perry

A former teacher turned lobbyist, Kimberly Perry has spent her career dedicated to building powerful organizations to amplify citizen's voices. Her work has driven critical policy change to improve the lives of nearly 30 million children and families across the globe. As DC Action's executive director, she has set a vision to achieve race equity in child policy and is ramping up the organization's resources, human capital, and networks to break down structural barriers that stand in the way of all kids reaching their full potential. Kimberly brings more than 20 years of experience as an advocate for children and families and has a proven record of success in nonprofit management, policy advocacy, and civic engagement. She is most well known as Founding Director of DC Hunger Solutions, Vice President of the Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Executive Director of DC Vote, as well as other advisory roles in political campaigns, public policy advocacy, and philanthropy. Kimberly serves on the Board of Directors of the Congressional Hunger Center, the DC Community Housing Trust, and is Chair of Highest Ground. When she’s not working you can find her at home perfecting recipes, watching and producing documentaries, salsa dancing, or hiking on a trail.

Michael Stevens Headshot

Michael Stevens

Senior Vice President and Executive Director, City Year DC

Michael Stevens

Michael Stevens has been with City Year more than 12 years, having served in several roles at Headquarters and locations across the network. His career in national service began with by serving in the founding corps for City Year Louisiana, followed by a second year of AmeriCorps service with Habitat for Humanity in Jacksonville, FL. Following his service years, he joined the staff of City Year Washington, D.C. where he served in several positions during his seven-year tenure. Michael later joined the City Year Jacksonville team as the managing director of impact where he managed the full operation of a department that included 120 AmeriCorps members and 17 staff members. After his time in Jacksonville, Michael served as the national student engagement services director with City Year’s National Program Design Team, leading the vision, strategy and pilot opportunities for Student Engagement services supporting 300+ schools across the network. He returned to the field to serve as startup director for City Year Buffalo and is now the executive director of City Year Washington, D.C.

Dr. Beshon Trusty

Executive Director, DC Metro with Higher Achievement

Dr. Beshon Trusty

Dr. Beshon Trusty is the Executive Director of DC Metro with Higher Achievement, where she leads an amazing team to support the development and implementation of resources, services, supports, and partnerships that allow Higher Achievement to effectively serve scholars in the DC Metro area.

Beshon has spent the past 26 years of her professional career using the transformative power of education to change the lived experiences and access to opportunities for students, families, and communities. Her early exposure into the realities of cultural capital and educational inequities ignited her passion to become a youth advocate and an educator. Beshon has partnered with school districts across the country to provide leadership and guidance on comprehensive and strategic initiatives that improve student attendance, strengthen academic achievement, and cultivate school climates that are conducive to positive engagement, lifelong learning, and safety for everyone.

Dr. Trusty holds a Ph.D. in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Maryland- Baltimore County and a MPA with a concentration in non profit management from the City University of New York-Baruch College.

Niya White Headshot

Niya White

Principal, Center City DC PCS

Niya White

Niya accepted the task and honor of being the principal of the Congress Heights Campus of Center City Schools, where she transformed her school from a low performing to one of the city's highest performing schools.  Since her tenure, Niya has brought to the Ward 8 school a National Blue Ribbon Award, consecutive awards from EmpowerK12 for being a BOLD Improvement and BOLD Performing School, Five Star and Tier 1 stature, maintaining an over 80% retention rate of families and staff, winning the Fight For Children grant to provide all students with one to one technology, and a Safe Passage Program that serves as the model for all D.C. schools for getting students home safely.  Most of all, Niya with the support of her staff,  created a school culture where the students value knowing who they are, how intelligent they are, and that through their character, excellence, and service, they will have options of their high schools, colleges, and careers, instead of ever having to settle.  Niya enjoys watching her students learn how to break "the cycle" that many are born into everyday, just as she had to do at their age.

Michelle Yan

Interim Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Mayor of Education

Michelle Yan

Michelle Yan is the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, where she works to advance the Mayor’s vision for educational and workforce excellence in the District of Columbia. Michelle started her career as a middle school math teacher in St. Louis through Teach For America before joining Bain & Company, where she executed growth strategy/implementation and organizational improvement projects for private sector and non-profit clients. Michelle also served as the Director of Data & Strategy at My School DC, the common lottery and application system for public schools in the District. She was also an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in Ward 2 from 2020 to 2022.

CityTutor DC