Our 14,000 alumni are a leadership force - working from within education and from every sector to effect fundamental change.

School Leadership Initiative

"Urban education in the U.S. is broken and it is failing kids who really need the opportunities most. It is going to take the will of the people to change this. It will take the will of impact players like Teach For America corps members - young leaders that embody the rare human qualities of extraordinary talent and the will to take no excuses - to take up this mission and make our nation a better nation."

- Joel Klein
New York City Schools Chancellor

The Facts

  • The number of positions in education administration is expected to grow by as much as 20 percent in the next five years
  • 40 percent of the current administrators will be eligible to retire by 2010

Source: Wallace Foundation Policy Brief, 2003

Currently, more than 440 Teach For America alumni serve as school leaders and superintendents in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple international territories - impacting the lives of more than 500,000 students. By 2010, we aim to have 800 Teach For America alumni leading their own schools and districts. They will be joined by thousands of alumni who continue to teach, coach, and serve in schools across the country.

In 2006, Teach For America launched the School Leadership Initiative with the goal of increasing the number of qualified alumni pursuing pathways to school leadership by fostering structured relationships with district, charter, and graduate school partners on both the national and regional levels. These partnerships offer ready access to teacher-leader, school management, and professional development opportunities for alumni looking to build school leadership skills.

s s Alumni in School Leadership s Contact

Partners

National Growth Partners
Teach For America partners with a range of high quality organizations that offer ready access to teacher-leader, school management, and professional development opportunities for alumni looking to build school leadership skills in schools.

Graduate School Partners
Many of the nation's top education schools recognize the value that Teach For America alumni bring to their institutions. As a result, they offer corps members and alumni benefits, including two-year deferrals, waived application fees, and/or specifically created financial awards or fellowships. Click here to search our complete database.

Regional Partnerships and Collaborations with Districts
Several regions are working to develop partnerships or collaborations between graduate schools and school districts to facilitate a principal pipeline for talented Teach For America alumni. The list below will be updated as new partnerships and collaborations are finalized.

Alumni in School Leadership

Gordon Gibbings

  • Los Angeles '99
  • Principal, Animo South Los Angeles Charter Public High School - Los Angeles, CA
  • Taught fourth grade at Bixby Elementary in Long Beach
  • Served for one year as the testing data coordinator at Jordan High School before becoming assistant principal, completing Long Beach Unified’s Aspiring Principals Program, and beginning an educational doctorate degree at the University of Southern California

Dave Hardy

  • Miami '03
  • Curriculum Support Specialist, Miami-Dade County Public Schools – Miami, FL
  • Taught at Madison Middle School in Miami during his corps experience, and continued teaching there through 2007
  • Currently working toward his master's degree in educational leadership at St. Thomas University and has taken on the role of curriculum support specialist, working to improve student achievement in two of the worst performing schools in Miami-Dade County

Nigena Livingston

  • Detroit '02
  • Founding Principal, Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School – Jacksonville, AR
  • Taught sixth and eighth grade science at Dursee K-8 in Detroit
  • Served as a program director in Miami before becoming the director of instruction and a founding member of Cleveland Lighthouse Community School, a charter school started by alumnus Niloy Gangopadhyay (Bay Area '02)  

Marc Mannella

  • Baltimore '98
  • Executive Director of KIPP Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
  • After completing his commitment to the 1998 Baltimore corps, taught science an additional two years at the high school level
  • Accepted into University of Pennsylvania's educational policy doctorate program, but decided to pass on the opportunity to found and serve as the school leader for the KIPP Philadelphia Charter School

Linda Munro

  • Newark ‘02
  • Founder, Waterside School for Leadership - Queens, NY
  • Taught for six years in public and charter schools as a second grade common branch and sixth grade math teacher before becoming a dean of students to support teachers in building a school-wide culture of high expectations
  • Pursued school leadership through the New York City Leadership Academy Aspiring Principals Program

Contact Us

If you would like to learn more about the School Leadership Initiative and how we might be able to partner with your organization, contact sli@teachforamerica.org.