The success of our schools starts with the vision and selfless dedication of our leaders.

We believe we can transform the quality of education in urban schools by investing in dedicated leaders who deliver outstanding results.

Our goal is to build and support a team of exceptional leaders for each school. We provide these leaders with support in a variety of areas, including operational excellence, public awareness, fund-raising, and parental involvement. Through our network forums, we help our leaders share their best practices with each other. And finally, we provide the academic, emotional and financial support these leaders need to succeed.

Josh Philips

Co-director, Roxbury Prep, Boston

"The community takes a lot of pride in having a really successful school that they can say is as good as any middle school in the state."

Josh Phillips is passionate about preparing inner city kids for college. When he came to Roxbury Prep as a 6th grade history teacher in 1999, he had the highest expectations for his students. Now as the school leader, he expects even more – including two and a half hours of homework a night and a mandatory dress code. The result? Over the past 3 years, Roxbury Prep students have outperformed students who live in more affluent suburban communities on statewide tests.

Tamara Witzl

Principal, Telpochcalli School, Chicago

"Creating an environment that is open, inviting and understanding is just doing right by our kids and their families."

As a child of the 60's, the hunger for social change was in Tamara Witzl's blood. Eleven years ago, that burning desire for social change inspired her to found the Telpochcalli School in Chicago. She believes that education is a vital factor in changing young peoples' lives – and society. Her upbeat, optimistic attitude – and her ability to hire a hardworking staff and dedicated teachers – has helped the fledgling school succeed against all odds.

Spencer Blasdale

Director, The Academy of the Pacific Rim, Boston

"There's an important idea that I want my students to carry into college and throughout their lives: If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well."

What makes Spencer Blasdale of the Academy of the Pacific Rim most proud? His alumni – some 82 of which are currently attending college. In fact, members of his first graduating class are about to become college seniors. And every time an alumni comes back to visit, he gets as excited about their success as they do.

Marnie McCoy

Principal, Link Community School, Newark

"When I look at these kids who don't want to leave at the end of the day, I'm thinking – we must be doing something right for a 13 year old to just want to hang out at school, after school, and continue learning."

Marnie McCoy prides herself in personally knowing every kid in the building. In her school, it's all about relationships – feeling part of a community dedicated to learning. She became principal of the Link in 2004 because as a leader, she knew she could have a greater influence over the lives of young people. And what's the most important thing she wants to pass on to her students? Her deep-seated belief that nothing is impossible.

Susan Work

President, Holy Family Lutheran School, Chicago

"The important thing is to defeat hopelessness."

Susan Work likes to think of her school as "the school for go-getters." At Holy Family, the daily message is that life is all about personal responsibility – and never giving up. Susan is passionate about educating inner-city children. She knows that kids coming from impoverished areas need to learn more than academics, so the school offers programs that teach spiritual and emotional development, social skills and character education. The result? She believes her school is turning out the future leaders of the community.

Dr. Patrick Taharally

Principal, Transfiguration School, New York

"The idea of service is deeply engrained in our students."

Dr. Taharally began his career fresh out of high school, as a teaching assistant in Guyana. Although he loved teaching, he knew he could help a greater number of kids if he went into administration. As principal of the Transfiguration School, one of his major goals has been to grow the school so it can serve a larger cross-section of the community. And he's been successful: Recently, he and his staff took a languishing summer program and revamped it into a thriving summer institute – offering a wide range of enrichment classes – open to the entire community, and meeting the needs of over 200 students.

Penny Lemon

Principal, United Academy, Newark

"You just don't teach the basic abc's anymore. You have to be a friend, a counselor, a nurse, a psychologist – everything."

Penny Lemon may be a leader at the United Academy, but she got her first job at the school – teaching kindergarten – way back in 1967. So what made her stay around so long? The kids. She loved them – and knew she wanted to be the one to make a difference in their lives. She's found that there's one unexpected benefit of being at the same school for so long: She gets the pleasure of seeing many of her successful graduates come back and register their own kids at the school!

Catherine Whitehouse, Ph.D.

Principal-Teacher, The Intergenerational School, Cleveland

"There's no limit to what my students can do."

Catherine Whitehouse believes she can change the world – one person at a time. At the Intergenerational School, which she co-founded in 2003, her guiding principle has been that inner-city kids can succeed if given the right kind of learning environment and the right kind of support. The school offers small classes – no more than 16 students each – so teachers get a chance to really know each student. And with its intergenerational program, the school is able to bring caring adults into learning relationships with the children, providing mentoring and powerful role models.

Christine Beck

President & CEO, Gesu School, Philadelphia

"Believing in something enables you to make things happen."

Christine Beck has worked with inner city kids for over 35 years. At the Gesu School, her accomplishments include adding 20,000 square feet of learning space and expanding the school's scholarship program. But she's most proud of the school's focus on enrichment classes which give students entrée into disciplines they may not be exposed to in their own homes. The school has full-time art, music, physical education and computer teachers. This gives students the opportunity to develop confidence in art or music class – not just math and English – giving them a better chance to learn, develop and succeed.

Joanne Hunt

Executive Director, The Harbor School, New York

"We do what public schools can't."

When Joanne Hunt came to The Harbor School as principle in 2003, she found that the school lacked a strong culture that would motivate the students. That led her to initiate a variety of programs to create a culture the school could be proud of: She instituted town meetings (where kids can get together and share experiences), "rites of passage" programs where kids earn points for excellent academics and behavior, and assemblies that celebrate the individual successes of students. And it all works: attendance rate is 94% – and there's a waiting list of kids who want to come to the school.

Carolyn Wilder

Co-Founder, Wilder Prep, Los Angeles

"I tell my kids that in order to be successful – in any endeavor – you need to start with a good education."

For over 40 years, educating kids has been a passion for Carolyn Wilder. She believes her desire to help others learn is in her blood: Carolyn comes from a family of teachers – and her husband's great, great grandfather was actually a teacher to slaves. Her parents always told her that the key to life was education. And as co-founder of Wilder Prep, she wants to give something back to the community. So she does whatever it takes to help her kids learn: Hire great teachers, build a strong academic foundation, make the environment conducive to learning – and of course, encourage students every step of the way.

Jodie Moore

President, The Neighborhood Academy, Pittsburgh

"We want our kids to understand that they are in fact masters of their own universe – that their choices can guide and direct their lives."

Jodie Moore had spent years running after-school programs in most of the major ghetto areas of Pittsburg. But she felt that the kids just weren't getting what they needed from the public school system. That led her to co-found the Neighborhood Academy in 1998. One of the proudest days of her life was Opening Day, when she cut the ribbon with the mayor at her side. Now that the school is established, she expects a lot from her kids. But she is also committed to giving them the tools, love and support they need to do their best.

Mike Piscal

Head of School & CEO, View Park Prep, Los Angeles

"When you see the light going on in kids, it's an awesome thing."

Mike Piscal is working hard at View Park Prep so that someday his students can replace him. He figures that you can't just rely on the rest of the country to produce your leaders, teachers, lawyers, doctors. You've got to grow them yourself, from your own community. And although View Park Prep may be a small school, Mike believes that small schools – committed to building a culture of excellence – are the key to helping inner-city kids succeed.

AB Whitfield

Principal, Co-Principal and Chief Operating Officer, Trey Whitfield School, New York

"It's an honor and a privilege to serve so many great boys and girls."

At the Whitfield School, Trey Whitfield has created a nurturing environment where kids are taught to believe that they can accomplish anything they want to in life, if they work hard enough and if they work together. In a part of New York with one of the highest crime rates in the city, the school has become a beacon of hope for the surrounding area. In fact, the Brooklyn Chamber of commerce gave the school an award for the building that had the most unique impact on the community. It's a place that gives inspiration to its students – and a sense of renewal and rejuvenation to the neighborhood.

Jeanette M. DiBella

Chief Education Officer, Principal, Providence-St. Mel School, Chicago

"We're all accountable for the success of our school. Every year we expect to do better than the year before."

Jeanette DiBella treats every child in her school like the future leader he or she is. Although Providence-St. Mel accepts students who score as low as the 25th percentile, under her leadership, test scores at Providence-St. Mel have soared to the 73rd percentile. Every year, 100% of PSM's graduates are accepted to college; one-half of these graduates are accepted into tier one institutions. How do she and her staff take kids on the academic margins and help them turn their lives around? With rigorous instruction, student and staff accountability, high expectations, and positive reinforcement.