The achievement gap in D.C. begins early and widens over time – by fourth grade, the gap is clearly visible along racial and economic lines. According to the 2011 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), 74% of white fourth graders are proficient in reading compared to 12% and 19% of their black and Hispanic peers. But there’s hope. Washington D.C. has become one of the nation’s leaders in providing quality pre-K to children and families. In fact, in the 2010-2011 school year, 75% of the city’s 3 and 4-year olds attended charter and public school pre-k programs. Teach For America is helping fuel the talent pipeline to ensure access to a quality education from preschool through high school.

As I begin my first year as the executive director of Teach For America – D.C. Region, I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to a region I'm proud to call home. Growing up just outside of D.C. and having had the privilege of attending the University of Maryland, College Park, I know all too well the stark lines that divide our communities. While we have seen dramatic improvement in recent years, there is still much work to be done to close the persisting achievement gap.

To that end, I can't imagine a better place to be part of this incredibly important work: our educational and political leaders are galvanized and committed to ensuring all children receive a high-quality education; we have a strong and growing base of friends, supporters and partners in the community; and we have a significant concentration of alumni -over 1,600 - working in and beyond education to improve the lives and educational prospects of children in the D.C. area.