Friendship PCS

Patricia Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Charter School, is driven by the belief that education can shape the life trajectory of every child. In her previous role as COO, she worked to expand Friendship’s capacity—academically, financially, and operationally—enabling the network to steadily increase enrollment and academic results. As CEO, Brantley is strengthening Friendship’s pipeline to college. Inspired by Friendship’s record of producing over 2,000 college-educated alumni, Brantley’s passion for children compels her to continually ask, “What more must we do to empower our scholars?” Brantley is a graduate of Princeton University and is noted as one of the top 20 African American women in education.

DC Scholars PCS

As Head of School at DC Scholars Public Charter School in Washington, DC's Ward 7, Amy Helms leads a team of educators serving students from preschool through eighth grade, fostering a culture of academic excellence, growth, and community. Amy brings together classroom experience, deep instructional expertise, and strategic leadership to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education and the support needed to thrive. Amy earned her bachelor's degree from Tufts University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from American University, and a Master of Education in Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

KIPP DC PCS

Allison Fansler joined KIPP DC in 2006 and serves as president. In this role, Ms. Fansler leads all business operations and external affairs for KIPP DC, a system of 18 schools that aims to empower the next generation of leaders in Washington, D.C. During her tenure at KIPP DC, Ms. Fansler has led the strategic planning and growth of the organization from 575 students to more than 6,800 students. Ms. Fansler and her team have focused on creating a strong financial and operational footing, allowing instructional leaders to keep students and great teaching at the center of every organizational decision.

Carlos Rosario PCS

Allison Kokkoros is a mother, an educator, and an ed-entrepreneur at heart who is a passionate believer in the transformative power and role of adult education not only for learners themselves but also their children, the workforce, and our society. She brings 20+ years of experience in adult education and immigrant integration to her work at the helm of the Carlos Rosario School. Under her leadership, the school has grown to serve more than 2,500 diverse adult learners annually and expanded to offer new programs and services including the Bilingual Teacher Training Program and the Puentes Exchange Programs with counterpart adult schools in El Salvador and Ethiopia. Allison attended the Harvard University Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Program, earned her master’s degree in business administration with a focus in nonprofit management from George Washington University, and completed undergraduate studies in English, Education, and Journalism at Eastern Mennonite University.

KLG & Associates

Kelly Gleischman serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KLG & Associates, a national consulting firm that focuses on all things people, from helping leaders create strong teams and cultures to creating systems for hiring, compensating, rewarding, and developing employees at every level. Prior to launching KLG & Associates, Kelly served as the Managing Partner (Chief Executive Officer) at EdFuel, a national talent management nonprofit focused on helping schools and nonprofits recruit and retain a talented and diverse staff. She has worked with hundreds of charter school networks, traditional districts, and education nonprofits to redesign their HR and Talent practices and has served as an executive coach and strategic advisor to chief-level leaders focused on organizational growth strategy, operational systems, and staffing. Prior to EdFuel, Kelly held roles in the education ecosystem that focused on charter authorizing, district partnerships, instructional leadership, and teaching.

Kelly is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology at The George Washington University and provides individual, group, and couple psychotherapy to a diverse array of clients through her work at Georgetown University Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) and the GW Center Clinic. Kelly’s research interests include the application of attachment theory to the study of psychotherapy process and outcomes, and her dissertation is focused on how epistemic trust functions in the context of group psychotherapy. Kelly holds a B.A. from Stanford University, a M.A.T. from American University, and a M.Psy. from The George Washington University. She currently splits her time between Washington D.C. and Austin, where you can often find her listening to psychology podcasts, writing, and exploring the local food scenes.

Social Justice School PCS

Myron Long is the founder and executive director of the Social Justice School. He is a native Washingtonian, a graduate of DC Public Schools, and a veteran D.C. teacher and principal, most recently at the E.L. Haynes Public Charter School. He graduated from Morgan State University in Maryland with dual degrees in philosophy and political science and received his master’s degree in philosophy with a concentration in social policy from American University. At every stage of his career, Long has brought a commitment to social justice into his educational practice.

City Fund

Patrick Dobard is a Partner at City Fund, where he works with local leaders across the country to expand access to high-quality public school options and improve student outcomes in urban communities. In his role, Patrick leverages his extensive experience in education leadership, policy, and nonprofit management to drive sustainable change in public education systems.

Prior to joining City Fund, Patrick served as Superintendent of the Louisiana Recovery School District (RSD) from 2012 to 2017, where he led the transformation of some of the state's most chronically underperforming schools. Under his leadership, New Orleans nearly eliminated all failing schools, implemented a governance model focused on accountability and autonomy, and established an equitable funding system to support students furthest from opportunity. In 2016, he spearheaded the reunification of schools under the local school board, ensuring continued oversight grounded in the reforms enacted during his tenure. Following his time at RSD, Patrick became CEO of New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO), a nonprofit dedicated to educational equity. Under his leadership, NSNO raised more than $72 million to support school improvement efforts across the city.

Patrick’s work has been featured in The New York Times and Education Week, and he has written op-eds for Education Week, The 74, and various Louisiana publications. His leadership in education reform is also highlighted in the book Charter School City.

Patrick began his career as a social studies teacher in Louisiana, where he taught for a decade before serving in state government roles for 16 years. He holds a master’s degree in history from Southern University.

Education Forward DC

Margie is the managing partner overseeing all of Education Forward DC’s grantmaking and grantee support work. Margie was drawn to the work at Education Forward DC because she believes deeply in supporting equity and opportunity for students and has seen the incredible potential of students across DC when they have access to excellent educational opportunities.

Prior to joining Education Forward DC in 2018, Margie was the director of advocacy and policy for Chiefs for Change where she supported a bipartisan coalition of state and local leaders working to drive transformational systems–level change for students. Previously, Margie served as chief of staff to the DC deputy mayor for education. Margie started her career as a second-grade teacher with Teach for America at Simon Elementary in DC Public Schools (DCPS).

Margie earned a B.A. summa cum laude in psychology and sociology from Tufts University and an MPP with honors from Harvard Kennedy School. Margie was born in Santiago, Chile, and was raised in Maryland. She currently lives in the Palisades neighborhood of DC with her husband and three young sons, all of whom attend Mann Elementary in DCPS. Margie is an avid DC sports fan and can regularly be found attending Nats, Caps, or Wizards games with her family.

Paul PCS

Dr. Tracy L. White is a seasoned educator, visionary leader, and advocate for equity whose career spans more than three decades of service in urban education. As Chief Executive Officer of Paul Public Charter Schools in Washington, D.C., she leads with a steadfast belief that every scholar deserves the opportunity to achieve, belong, and thrive.

Under her leadership, Paul PCS has strengthened its academic programs, expanded its enrollment, and advanced citywide recognition for its commitment to cultivating excellence and character in every student. Dr. White has guided the organization through the development and implementation of a long-term strategic plan, launched innovative academic and leadership programs, and championed a culture rooted in courage, humanity, achievement, modeling, and planning, known across the organization as the CHAMPs culture.

Before leading Paul PCS, Dr. White held senior executive roles as Chief Academic Officer and Chief of Staff for prominent charter school networks in Washington, D.C., where she led district-wide academic improvement and leadership development efforts. Earlier in her career, she served with DC Public Schools, New Leaders, the DC Public Charter School Board, Research for Better Teaching and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, where she shaped systems to drive sustainable student success.

Dr. White earned her Doctorate in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from The George Washington University, her Superintendency Certification from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, and master’s degrees from both Trinity University and Howard University. She began her career as a classroom teacher and social worker—experiences that continue to ground her leadership in compassion, integrity, and impact.

EYA

Terry Eakin co-founded EYA LLC in 1992 as a builder/developer of urban “in-fill” housing in the Washington, D.C., area, and he remains active there today. EYA has built over 5,000 homes, was twice selected as America’s Best Builder, and has received over 300 other national and local awards. In 2009, Terry received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the DC Metropolitan Area Builders’ Association. Education reform has long been a major passion for Terry. He served on the Federal City Council’s Committee on Public Education (“COPE”), as chair of the DC Charter School Resource Center, as vice chair of the Sidwell Friends School Board, as a board member of The Learning Alliance of Vero Beach, Florida, and as the initial board chair of DC Prep PCS, where he continues to serve on the board. Terry has also served on numerous other boards including the DC Builders’ Association, the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Board, the Washington Hospital Center, and the Medlantic Healthcare Group. Terry received a BSE from Princeton University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Friendship PCS

Donald Hense founded Friendship Public Charter School in 1997. Thanks to Mr. Hense’s vision and relentless insistence on excellence, thousands of District students have achieved academic success with the nation’s best educators and administrators directing students to college and a rewarding future. Friendship Public Charter School now operates nine public charter school campuses in Washington, D.C., and has partnerships with schools in Baltimore, Maryland, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Mr. Hense’s service has extended to the District and well beyond its borders. In addition to serving as the chairman of the Friendship Public Charter School Board of Trustees, he is the treasurer of the board of directors for the DC Association of Chartered Public Schools, a member of the board of directors of the Center for Education Reform, and a member of the board of the Children & Youth Investment Trust.

He previously served as director of development of the Children’s Defense Fund; national vice president for development of the National Urban League in New York; vice president for development of Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University System; and director of governmental relations at Dartmouth College, Boston University, and Howard University. He is also the co-founder of the Bridges to Friendship Initiative, which was highlighted by Vice President Gore at the White House Summit on Community Empowerment as a model initiative.

Mr. Hense’s dedication and achievement have been widely recognized. In June of 2011, Mr. Hense was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools. He was among selected Washingtonians showcased in the Choosing to Participate: Portrait of Courage Exhibition, which highlighted how civic choices shape individuals as they grow into active community members and global citizens. In celebration of Black History Month, Mr. Hense received the Amtrak Pioneer Award from the Washington Wizards to honor African Americans who have made outstanding contributions to the greater DC community. In 2015, Mr. Hense was inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame, which recognizes District of Columbia residents who have had an outstanding impact on the city and individuals from the region who have significantly contributed to the city.

Mr. Hense is a graduate of Morehouse College and received one of the most prestigious awards offered by Morehouse College, the Bennie Award for Service, which honors alumni who have performed great acts of service to others.

He also received the Presidential Award of Distinction. He attended graduate school at Stanford University where he was a Ford Foundation Fellow. He was a Rockefeller intern in economics at Cornell University; a Merrill Scholar to the University of Ghana; and a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley.