Black Lives Matter: Our Commitment to Dismantling Systemic Racism

Don’t follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail. When you start a new trail equipped with courage, strength, and conviction, the only thing that can stop you is you!

Ruby Bridges

As an organization, Education Reimagined stands with Black Lives Matter and those who are calling for their basic fundamental right to life and safety, free from violence and the fear of violence. It is a stance that reaches far beyond education and acknowledges that we must stand together to fight systemic racism, which marginalizes communities of color and devalues their humanity.

It is in this context of our society’s unequal valuing of lives and human potential that we are engaging in the work of transforming education. Although a learner-centered education can provide access to once unknown opportunities, it doesn’t mean the systems in which those opportunities exist won’t perpetuate the very injustice we’ve been hoping to eradicate within education. We fully understand that a shift to learner-centered education is not the cure for racial injustice. It is, however, a critical piece of a larger and layered movement.

In service of our dual commitment to social justice and youth empowerment through a transformed education system, we are committed to:

Being vigilant in ensuring that issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion are addressed in all aspects of our work;
Creating spaces where people of color are safe and heard, and experience their concerns as the concerns of the whole community;
Including, lifting up, and centering marginalized youth’s unique voices, gifts, concerns, aspirations, and challenges in any conversation about model quality and systems design;
Being honest about and committed to doing what is necessary to make learner-centered education available to and of high-quality for those who have been historically and are currently marginalized by the education system;
Ensuring our team and partners represent a diversity of lived-experiences; and
Continuously growing as individuals and as a team in identifying and confronting biases, blind spots, and assumptions that can prevent the above from being done with integrity.

We are firmly committed to creating a socially just world by doing our part to transform the education system to one that honors each child and unleashes their power and potential to lead fulfilling lives.

And, we know a true societal shift will require the collective contributions of those committed to dismantling systemic racism. We honor those standing for justice. Education Reimagined stands with you.

Shajan Abusalih

Program Assistant

Shajan Abusalih is the Program Assistant for Education Reimagined. She recently completed her Master’s in International Relations and Black/African Politics from Howard University. Shajan is driven by her passion for education and deep devotion to social justice, social impact, and equity. She is delighted to be a part of the Education Reimagined team as it advances in its vision and commitment that learner-centered education be available to each and every child.

Nayan Bhula

Operations Manager

Nayan is the Operations Manager for Education Reimagined. He has 20 years of business management experience, and has worked in a variety of industries including finance, retail, education, and hospitality. Over the last decade, he has worked on the ground level with students, seeing the need to develop a more learner-centered approach that focuses on the student. He is also a songwriter-musician, husband, Washington Nationals super-fan, and father of two.

Demi Edwards

Chief Strategy Officer

Demi Edwards is the Chief Strategy Officer for Education Reimagined. In her role, she works to ensure the organization’s ambitions, strategy, and goals are clear and aligned with its purpose and that the team has what it needs to operate with integrity and effectiveness. Demi is deeply committed to the realization of a learner-centered, socially just future for education—one that honors the uniqueness of every child and enables them to unleash their boundless potential to change the world.

Paul Haluszczak

Director of Digital Communications

Paul is the Director of Digital Communications for Education Reimagined. As the point of contact for Voyager and the voice behind all things social media, Paul prides himself on uncovering, empowering, and amplifying the voices of learner-centered leaders who are advancing the learner-centered movement. In his free time, you can likely find him hiking the trails of America with his wife, Morgan, and dog, Milly.

Lindsy Ogawa

Director of Practice and Field Advancement

Lindsy Ogawa is the Director of Practice and Field Advancement for Education Reimagined. In this role, she leads the work in building and activating the Learning Lab and SparkHouse, national learning communities advancing diverse learner-centered systems and models. Lindsy is committed to having an education system that enables each learner to live fulfilling lives and stand from a place of contribution. She formerly taught in Chicago Public Schools and holds a M.S. in Education from JHU.

Monica Snellings

Vice President of Communications

Monica is Vice President of Communications for Education Reimagined. Monica was previously studio director at a communications design firm in Washington, DC. In this capacity, she worked with government agencies and nonprofit organizations in the development of behavior, policy, and strategic communication materials. She recently completed a Masters in Design for Social Innovation at the School of Visual Arts, New York in 2015.

Andrew Williams

Writer and Communications Manager

Andrew Williams is the Writer and Communications Manager for Education Reimagined. Previously, he was a senior associate at Ward Circle Strategies, a public relations consulting firm. His background includes a decade in development and corporate partnership management at various nonprofit organizations in Washington, DC. As a beneficiary of a learner-centered education, he believes in illuminating the distinctive (and too often, hidden) narratives of young learners.

Kelly Young

President

Kelly Young is the President of Education Reimagined. Previously, she served as the Interim Chief of the Office of Family and Public Engagement for the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). From 1998-2007, Kelly served as the Executive Director of a national political organization. She is the mother of two young children and received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Virginia.