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Dr. Huck has served as Principal of St. Helena-Incarnation Catholic School since 2017. Under his leadership, math achievement increased from 32% to 59% of students being on grade level in math. The percentage of students on grade level in English also increased during this time. Teacher retention increased dramatically since Dr. Huck started as Principal. Additionally, community support for St. Helena-Incarnation also expanded under Dr. Huck’s leadership.

Dr. Huck started his career in education with the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program out of the University of Notre Dame. Through the program, Dr. Huck taught at an under-resourced school in Atlanta for two years and he remained committed to education since his time in ACE.

Dr. Huck grew up just outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, and attended Reading Central Catholic High School.

Bahir Hayes has served as Principal of William C. Bryant Elementary School since 2019. Under his leadership, attendance metrics have grown. Bryant has moved from the bottom 3 to 1st in Acceleration Network schools with 75.7% of students attending 90% of school days, which is a 31.5% increase from EOY 2023. On the PSSA, the students scoring Below Basic has decreased by 14.2% in Reading, 13.9% in Math, and 10% in Science from 21-22 SY to 22-23 SY. Proficiency on the PSSA has increased by 2.7% in Reading, 1.7% in Math, and 5.0% in Science from 21-22 SY to 22-23 SY. Bryant has heavily invested in Chipper Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) incentives, including a student lounge – “The Bear Den,” a school store, and free field trips for all students. This has had an immensely positive impact on Bryant’s school climate and resulted in 0 suspensions in the 2023-2024 school year.

Bahir has served students for 18 years, as a camp counselor with education works and a lifeguard for 6 years where he taught inner-city students to swim. He has formally worked as a professional educator for 13 years as a teacher, teacher-leader, Master Teacher, grade team lead, Cultural Context Facilitator, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Most recently, Bahir sat on the Principal Selection Committee, Pathway to Leadership Selection Committee, and Superintendent’s Advisory Council.

He prioritizes community engagement and the active participation of Black Male figures in schools, hosting events with over 300 Black Males for a “Breakfast With Dads.” Additionally, he has organized three Annual Black Excellence Career Fairs where over 30 Black Leaders from various professions speak to and inspire the Bryant students.

He is one of seven named for the 2023 Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals. In receiving this award, the Lindback Foundation awarded his school community $20,000 which will be used for PBIS student initiatives.

Bahir Hayes is a native of Philadelphia, PA, and a product of the School District of Philadelphia as he attended Greenfield Elementary School and Bodine High
School for International Affairs.

Luis has served as the Principal of Alexander K. McClure school since December 2021. Under his leadership, Alexander K. McClure school has seen a 10% increase in reading performance at the highest tier. In addition, regular student attendance of 90+% has risen from a cumulative average of 55% to currently at 62.2%. In regards to PSSA performance, McClure has seen an increase of proficient and advanced scores across all 3 subject areas. According to the most recent Student Well Being Survey and aligned with the school’s vision of dismantling system of oppression in regards to relationships, 84.4% of students agree and/or strongly agree that McClure’s staff do care about their needs.

Luis has been an educator since 1998. Prior to serving as a principal, he served as a Learning Support Teacher, Emotional Support Teacher, Special Education Chairperson, and Assistant Principal. In addition to the School District of Philadelphia, other places of employment have included North Penn School District, Lower Moreland Township School District, and Aspira, Inc. Charter Schools. He received both his undergraduate (Elementary Education and Special Education) and graduate (Educational Administration and Special Education Supervisory) degrees from Saint Joseph’s University. Luis grew up in the North Philadelphia section and is a graduate from Jules E. Mastbaum AVTS HS. He also attended Alexander K. McClure as a student, where he now serves as principal.

Dr. Alphonso Evans is the Assistant Superintendent of Learning Network 5 with the School District of Philadelphia. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Evans spent two years as Principal of Stearne Elementary School, where he led the school’s turnaround, increasing student attendance by 13.5 percentage points; increasing teacher attendance by 17.4 percentage points; decreasing the number of students assessed as Reading Below Basic (Grades 3-8) by 12.6 percentage points; and decreasing the number of students assessed as Math Below Basic (Grades 3-8) by 7.8 percentage points. Dr. Evans’ leadership created a culture of excellence, which included teamwork and collaboration among staff, teachers and students. This ultimately led to a 94% retention rate of staff. In addition, Dr. Evans restored the trust of parents and community stakeholders within one school year.

Dr. Evans has served in the capacity of Assistant Superintendent, Director of a School Region, CEO, Principal, Assistant Principal, Instructional Coach and teacher during his 23 years in education. In 2017, Dr. Evans completed his freshman children’s book entitled, “Tell Them They’re Great…I Dare You”. Finally, in 2022, Dr. Alphonso Evans Sr. released his highly anticipated sophomore book, “Taking The Risk…Meet Your Father” which has been a call to the educational community to rediscover the relationships between fathers and sons.

Dr. Evans is a member of the Philadelphia School District’s Principal’s Advisory Board and the recipient of the 2023 Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Principals. He graduated from the Franklin Learning Center Public High School of Philadelphia.

Since 2020, Monique has served as the principal of Frederick Douglass Elementary School. Under her leadership, the school has shown consistent growth across all domains, with notable achievements including a 56% increase in IEP goals, a 19% rise in attendance, an 11% boost in enrollment, and a 14% improvement in MAP Reading Fluency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these gains have inched the school closer to pre-pandemic data and beyond. The school has partnered with several organizations, including Beyond the Bars, Ignite Tutoring, and CLI, to provide students with enriching experiences beyond the classroom.

Monique’s career in education began in 2010, when she moved to Delaware and started teaching at Marion T. Academy as a 7th grade ELA/Drama teacher. This role ignited her passion for making a lasting impact on youth. Over the next eight years, she extended her reach beyond the classroom and embarked on a journey of leadership. With a teaching certification from the University of Delaware, a master’s degree from Strayer University, and a principal certification from the Delaware Leadership Project, she has been driven to fulfill her purpose in education.

Monique’s professional journey includes roles at several schools including:

· Marion T Academy, ELA/Drama Teacher (2 years)

· Maurice J. Moyer Academy, ELA/Drama Teacher (4 years)

· Family Foundations Academy, ELA Teacher, Dean, Director of Climate (7 years)

· Eastside Charter, Assistant Principal of School Culture (1 year)

· Uncommon Schools, Principal Fellow (2 years)

· Mastery Charter Schools, Principal (5 years)

In Monique’s leisure time, she enjoys embarking on thrilling adventures with her two daughters, Whitney and Lynn, and cooking and hosting gatherings for her loved ones. Monique is originally from Bronx, NY.

Rosalie has served as the principal of Holy Cross School, an Independence Mission School, since 2021. Under her leadership, student achievement percentiles grew from the 55th to the 72nd in reading and from the 45th to the 66th in math as measured by the NWEA MAP test. In addition to advancing student achievement, Rosalie’s priorities include providing an education in which students have the opportunities they deserve and see themselves represented in the school culture and curriculum.

Rosalie has been an educator for over 20 years. She has been with Independence Mission Schools since its inception in 2013, when the network took on the challenge of turning around 14 schools that were slated for closure. Prior to becoming a principal, Rosalie served as assistant principal, instructional coach, teacher, and track coach. As a teacher, her experience includes a wide range of grade levels, with the majority of experience teaching 7th and 8th grade ELA.

Rosalie was selected for TNTP’s Pathway to Leadership in Urban Schools (PLUS) program, obtaining her principal’s certification in 2017. She was a Maguire Scholar in the St. Joseph’s University reading specialist graduate program. She received the St. Joseph’s University Reading Specialist Award in 2020 and the IMS Teacher Impact Award in 2019. Rosalie also serves on the IMS Principals’ Council. She is a graduate of La Salle University, Chestnut Hill College, Temple University, St. Joseph’s University, and Little Flower Catholic High School. She grew up in Philadelphia, PA.

Jamal has served as the principal of Crossroads at Hunting Park since 2019 and of Philadelphia Learning Academy North since 2022. During the 2023 – 2024 Fall to Winter STAR assessment, the average student at Crossroads at Hunting Park outgrew 75% of their academic peers nationally in mathematics and 79% of their academic peers nationally in reading.

Jamal has been an educator since 2000. Before becoming a principal, Jamal served as a 6th – 8th grade Math and Science teacher, high school English teacher, middle-year teacher leader, School-Based Teacher Leader, PhillyPLUS resident, and an adjunct professor for the Early Childhood Education Department at Harcum College. He was also the principal of Edward T. Steel from 2015 to 2019.

Outside of school, Jamal currently serves as a Volunteer Fire Fighter for the Lansdowne Fire Department, a board member for Caring People Alliance and Committed Community Mentors, a member of the board of directors for ENSPIRE Foundation, and a member of the Delta Sigma Sigma Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. He received the Lang Lang International Music Foundation Keys of Inspiration Grant for $185,000.

In 2023, Jamal received a Citation from the Council of the City of Philadelphia. Jamal is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Bartram Motivation High School.

Derrick has served as the principal of Shoemaker High School since Spring 2022. Under his leadership, Shoemaker’s 7-8 Math MAP growth is in the top 75th percentile of the network, while Shoemaker’s Algebra 1 achievement has seen over 35% increase in proficiency on quarterly assessments year over year. In ELA, Shoemaker saw a 5% proficiency increase on the PSSA from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023. All of these gains can be partially attributed to his team’s focus on student retention and attendance, the latter of which has seen over a 10% increase from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024. Derrick has spent his entire career in education starting in 2013. Before becoming a principal, Derrick served as a middle and high school math teacher (8th-10th grade, Algebra 1), corps member advisory, summer program director, and an assistant principal of instruction. Derrick was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Lansdale, PA.

Melissa Bragg has served as the principal of John Hancock Demonstration School for two years. Under her leadership, staff attendance increased 6%. Hancock’s students scoring at or Above Benchmark in reading and math on the STAR assessment increased by 8%. While at Hancock Melissa, in conjunction with her leadership team, has implemented instructional coaching for all teachers and staff. She has also facilitated a single school culture for both school’s campuses and collaborated with stakeholders to introduce the K-8 mascot, the Hancock Husky. In January of 2024, John Hancock Demonstration School was featured as the Philadelphia Tribune’s School of the Week.

Melissa has been a School District of Philadelphia educator for 18 years. She has had the privilege to teach at LP. Hill Elementary School, GW. Childs Elementary School, and Hill-Freedman World Academy. After deciding to pursue educational leadership, Melissa was accepted into the Philly PLUS program in 2016. Prior to serving as principal at Hancock, Melissa was an Assistant Principal at Baldi Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia for five years.

Melissa is a native Philadelphian and a proud Philadelphia High School for Girls alumna.

Dr. Bailey has served as the principal of The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School since July 2021. Dr. Bailey continuously celebrates the achievements of the staff, students, and families. Rush is nationally recognized as the only 2022 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence awarded in the City of Philadelphia. Rush students maintained a graduation rate of 100% fin 2023, and has exceeded the growth standard with 2.44% growth index in PVAAS, which places them in the category of “well above” the growth standard. 95.1% of students are considered On-Track and 62.8% of them are enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement class. This is a steady increase over the past three years, with an additional increase of three AP classes and eight honors classes.

Before Rush, Dr. Bailey learned leadership skills at The Academy at Palumbo High School, which afforded her the courage to become an Assistant Principal at South Philadelphia High School. Her roles as the English Department Chair, Roster Chair, Instructional Reform Facilitator, School-Based Teacher Leader, and Building Committee Member all taught her one of her greatest mantras: One must lead from behind for real leadership to shine. In 2009, she became the South Philadelphia Regional Finalist for the Dr. Ruth Wright Hayre Teacher Award, and in 2010 she became the Winner for Distinguished Teaching and she was awarded the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award.

Doc B or Momma Bailey as she is lovingly called by her students, is an author, educator, public figure, and motivational speaker who uses her platform to work with children, families, and other educators extend beyond Philadelphia into both the national and international areas such as South Africa and India. Hailing from Paterson, New Jersey, Dr. Bailey started as a per diem substitute in 1996 and attended Passaic County Technical High School.