After teaching middle school social studies for several years in Brooklyn, NY with NYC Teaching Fellows, Shavonne Gibson made the move into school administration through working in the admissions office at a Pre-K to Grade 8 independent school in Washington, D.C. There she got her first taste of elementary education and early childhood development and was smitten! She continued her passion for education by pursuing a second Masters Degree in Education Leadership from George Mason University and joining New Leaders for New Schools. After seeing the disparity between urban public schools and their private school counterparts, Shavonne has committed herself to ending educational inequities for all students in her charge. Most recently as the Upper School Principal at The Arts and Technology Academy PCS, Shavonne has worked relentlessly with her faculty and staff to provide rigorous instruction for all students. Her strengths lie in differentiated instruction, content area reading and writing, and data driven instruction.

Sharise Deal attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), where she studied Political Science and Pre-Law. There she learned that preparation, hard work, and determination are a recipe for success and the foundation for greatness.

After graduating, Ms. Deal began to work with the youth ministry at her church where she discovered a love and passion for making a difference in the lives of youth. She taught for many years in Prince George’s County Public Schools and was recognized as an extraordinary teacher and leader. She received her certification and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Howard University. Ms. Deal’s most recent roles include serving as a teacher, trainer, curriculum writer, After Care Director and Science Fair coordinator at Nia Community Public Charter School. In addition, Ms. Deal is a proud member of Cohort 11 New Leaders for New Schools and is currently working on a second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

Ms. Deal is passionate and exudes perseverance in all that she does. She believes that every child can and will achieve at high levels, and as a result, the achievement gap will close.

A Native Washingtonian, C. Maurice Porter has dedicated the last 17 years of his life to education. Mr. Porter received his Bachelor’s of Science from Bowie State University in 1995. After graduation, he embarked upon a journey to teach, and between the years of 1995 and 2000, Mr. Porter taught at four different academic institutions, ranging from elementary to high school. In 2000 he was promoted to the role of Dean of Students at Shaed Elementary School in Washington, DC. Shortly thereafter in 2001, he was bestowed with the District of Columbia Public School System’s Recognition of Excellence Award, and in that same year, Mr. Porter received his Master’s of Science in Education Administration from Trinity University, later obtaining a second Master’s Degree in Education.

Mr. Porter spent the next two years as Assistant Principal at Marie H. Reed Community Learning Center in Washington, DC, receiving the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Societies Distinguished Educators Award in 2003. In 2004 Mr. Porter accepted the Principalship at Ferebee Hope Community Elementary School in Washington, DC where he would stay until 2008. While at Ferebee Hope, he exceeded the standard for improvement in students’ performance in reading and mathematics, which paved the way for the school to make AYP for the first time in its history. Principal Porter also secured and managed $3M in private and public grants that he used to build a state of the art technology lab and to refurbish a dilapidated indoor swimming pool. While diligently serving at Ferebee Hope, Principal Porter won 6 different awards including: District of Columbia Public School System’s Dedicated Service Award, 2006; National Head Start Program, Principal of the Year, 2006; First Recipient of the Communities in Public Schools, Servant of the Year Award, 2007; Dream Academy Principal of the Year, 2007; National Service Learning Grant Recipient & Outstanding Implementation Award in 2008; and became a Fellow at Harvard University National Institute for Urban School Leadership in 2005.

By 2008 Mr. Porter was recruited by DC Preparatory Academy to be the Founding Principal of the Benning Elementary Campus in Washington, DC, where he would remain until 2011. While serving at DC Prep, Principal Porter was instrumental in securing several partnerships, which is now the essence of the early childhood curriculum program at DC Preparatory Academy. Within his 3 year tenure there, he also received recognition from the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board for having “one of the best Program Development Reviews (PDR) in the city.”

The quote “We must act now with an urgent, compassionate zeal, and an unyielding determination that each child will be academically equipped to matriculate in the best colleges in the world!” encompasses the passion for students that burns within the heart of Mr. Porter. His dedication to the children of the District of Columbia continues, and his legacy of excellence in student achievement will be transformative in his new role with Center City PCS as Principal of the Capitol Hill Campus.

Ms. Roberts began her teaching career as a Special Education teacher at the Cesar Chavez Capitol Hill campus. While teaching, Ms. Roberts earned her Master’s in Education from George Mason University where she received a program award for exceptional work in special education. Ms. Roberts’ next move was to Barcelona, Spain where she worked as a Special Education Coordinator at an international school. Ms. Roberts then returned to Washington to teach students with disabilities and English language learners at Cesar Chavez Bruce Prep. During her career, she served as an advocate for people with disabilities, working for the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Congress. She is excited to begin her school leadership career at Center City’s Capitol Hill campus. She deeply believes that all students can achieve at high levels and will work to ensure that happens at Capitol Hill this year. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, being outside, and spending time with friends and family.

La Shada Ham is a native Washingtonian and a proud graduate of the District of Columbia Public School System (DCPS) and programs such as Teach for America and New Leaders for New Schools. She earned an undergraduate and graduate degree from Howard University, where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a focus on early childhood education. She also has a graduate degree in school administration from Trinity University. Ms. Ham is dedicated to improving educational opportunities in urban school systems and has spent more than a decade serving these communities as a teacher, math specialist, assistant principal, and principal in both the DC and Atlanta Public School systems.

Prior to joining the Center City Public Charter School community, Ms. Ham served as an instructional leader at Raymond Education Campus where, as the principal, she worked diligently with the staff, students, and parents for four years to make tremendous academic gains and to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress. She has been featured in articles on websites such as TeachforAmerica.com as well as the Teach for America magazine “One Day” and publications such as the “The American Spectator” and “Student Daily News”. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time travelling with her family and it is her personal goal to visit every continent at least once.

Ms. Ham was featured in a video by New Leaders for New Schools.

D’Andrea is an administrator who believes in providing a ‘world class education’ to all students. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who has held numerous supervisory positions during her educational career such as Assistant Principal and Principal within Baltimore City Public Schools. She has also served as Chair of the Grant Committee wherein she wrote and administered two Comprehensive School Reform Grants, Chaired the IEP Team for three years, presented at Morgan State University - Challenges of the 21st Century: Diversity, Research and Leadership in Higher Education, as well as presenting at the University of Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Education, Comprehensive School Reform Workshop. Ms. Chapman has also served as the Rigby Balanced Literacy Model Facilitator/Trainer, and presented at the National Association Elementary School Principals Conferences in prior years.

D’Andrea understands the role of technology in educating students in the 21st Century. In her role as Instructional Technology Specialist, she provided demonstration lessons for teachers and helped building-level personnel develop and implement curricula and lesson plans while conducting over 50 training sessions a month (to individuals and/or groups). She diligently worked with teachers and teacher leaders to tailor assessments to mirror State learning objectives. D’Andrea provided in-building and citywide in-service sessions, demonstrated instructional technology and management strategies in the classroom; researched and disseminated pertinent literature and resources to identify additional teaching strategies which incorporate instructional technology as she determined curricular needs as defined by teacher and principal input, research and current trends.

D’Andrea holds a Master’s in Special Education from Norfolk State University, as well as an Education Specialist Degree (Ed.S) in Educational Leadership and Administration from the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University. She is presently working on her doctorate at George Washington University in Educational Administration and Policy Studies.

Trinidad Principal Evie Wiseman began her teaching career in 2002 as a Teach For America Corps Member. She has served as a classroom teacher and Broad Foundation School Board Fellow through TFA. “Throughout my career I have focused on empowering my students to succeed by encouraging them to develop their strengths and to grow, both academically and personally.”

Ms. Wiseman came to Center City in 2010 as an elementary school teacher with the Trinidad campus. “My personal philosophy aligns with the philosophy of Center City Public Charter Schools. I value and strongly believe that educational success is realized when students not only demonstrate academic growth and achievement, but also grow as reflective individuals of noble character and action.” Ms. Wiseman is also eager to be taking on a leadership role with Trinidad. “The Trinidad Campus has an outstanding sense of community. The staff and families work together to create a caring and joyful learning environment for our scholars. It is from this perspective that I frame my commitment to serving the students, teachers, and families of the Trinidad community.”

Ms. Wiseman completed her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University and Spelman College and holds a BA in Economics and Sociology. She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia with certifications in School Leadership, Reading Education, and ESL. When describing herself, Ms. Wiseman uses the words “compassionate, resourceful, and driven.” Another asset to Ms. Wiseman’s character, excellence, and service is her motivation.

Profile coming soon!