Elyssa Yuen

Elyssa Yuen has served as head of school at Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School since January 2019. She opened the school’s doors to its first class of 156 kindergarten and first grade students in August 2019 and has since overseen the community’s growth from a founding elementary program to a fully enrolled K–7 school community. In the 2026–2027 school year, the school will reach a full projected enrollment of 740 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Under her leadership, Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School earned a five-year charter renewal in 2024, including approval to expand and found a middle school.

Elyssa has secured significant funding to support the school’s growth and instructional vision, including a $1.5 million Public Charter Schools Program grant to support the middle school expansion and a $482,250 grant from the William Penn Foundation’s Certification Strategy initiative, received over 24 months to strengthen teacher certification pathways and educator pipelines.

In addition to her role as head of school, Elyssa serves as a national facilitator for SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), supporting educators across the country in engaging in professional learning focused on equity, identity, and inclusive school communities.

Elyssa’s career in education spans more than 15 years across the city of Philadelphia and brings a deep belief that schools can be powerful spaces for opportunity, belonging, and academic excellence for all students. Prior to her professional career in education, Elyssa completed her K–12 schooling at International Christian School in Hong Kong before returning to the United States for University.