DC Public Schools Urban Education Leaders Internship Program (UELIP)

A day in the life of a UELIP

2011-08-02T15:43:00.001-04:00

Our next day-in-the-life features a UELIP with very different daily tasks.

William Harris, Office of the Chief Operating Officer

9 am: Arrive at the DCPS Warehouse and check-in withSupervisor Will Rogers about Textbook orders and deliveries.

10 am: Begin work on completed order forms with the Quickbasesystem to ensure confirmation of textbook deliveries to school sites.

11 am: Attend Professional Development meeting with other UELIPassociates.Planning meeting with work groups also focusing on textbook management.

12 pm: Lunch with LEAP mentee. Check in out their work week anddaily happenings. Check-in with supervisorregarding the daily tasks established at the outset of the day.

1 pm: Respond to emails from Textbook and Business Mangers fromDCPS schools regarding delivery confirmation and the moving/ removal ofoutdated books and other materials.

2 pm: Monitor new textbook orders that come in throughout the dayin Quickbase.

3 pm: Compile excel spreadsheet detailing all of the completedorders and outstanding orders of textbooks based on the Quickbase data. Forward results to supervisor over at the Warehouse.

4 pm: Report to Central Office to help with data entryfor Hopes and Dreams Initiative

5 pm: Head home and prepare for another busy day with UELIP andDCPS!

TCTL Fellows Panel

2011-08-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Last Monday UELIPs got to hear from DCPS teachers who are working in central office this summer as part of the Teachers Central to Leadership (TCTL) Fellowship program. As stated on the dc.gov website:

This five-week program places six educators on teams in the DCPS central office during the summer. Fellows provide critical input on issues such as curriculum, recruitment and selection of teachers, professional development, and communications. They meet weekly with DCPS leaders and have opportunities to share their perspectives and expertise.

We got to hear from 5 different teachers, who were very opinionated and honest about working in DCPS both on the teacher and administration level. It was great to hear a teacher's perspective on the policies and practices we hear about from chiefs at DCPS. They also gave candid advice for all the future teachers in the room. Though they had different teaching methods, they all agreed that classroom management is the most important factor for success in the classroom. We had such a great time with the TCTL fellows that we are having them back for another session on Thursday!

photo by Stephen Simpson

photo by Stephen Simpon

A day in the life of a UELIP

2011-07-26T15:28:00.003-04:00

At DCPS there are about 70 UELIPs who work for very different departments and do very different things. We thought it would be fun to share a day-in-life of a few UELIPs to show how diverse our days are!

Kameelah Dixon; Office of School Operations

9 am: Check emails, run throughto-do list, update School Ambassador data, run enrollment reports

10 am: Attend a working group (meetings that last 30-45 min)

11 am: Attend a working group (meeting that last 30-45 min)

12 pm: Check emails, work related to enrollment project and school ambassador OR Lunch(depending on the day)

1 pm: Preparation for School Stat OR Enrollment working group (note taker)

2 pm: Enrollment sync call (note taker) OR work related to enrollment projectOR School Stat

3 pm: Work related to School Ambassador or Enrollment Project OR in a meeting

4 pm: Updating School Ambassador data before the end of the day; Checking emails, sending follow-ups,setting reminders, getting ready for the next day

5 pm: Organizing to-do list for the next day

As you can see, the life of a UELIP is no easy task!

Chancellor Kaya Henderson Speaks to UELIPs!

2011-07-21T12:53:00.003-04:00

photo credit: Stephen Simpson

We were honored to have Chancellor Henderson speak with us last Wednesday, July 12. She spoke with us about her history, being Michelle Rhee's "number two," and how she transitioned into being chancellor. After just one hour, it was easy to see why she is so successful as the head of DCPS. She has a clear vision for the future of the school system, and is not impeded by bureaucracy. One thing the Chancellor stressed, as we have heard from many of our speakers, is the necessity of great teachers. Without effective teachers, the achievement gap will remain wide open. I think we all left the session with the Chancellor proud to be working with DCPS.

photo credit: Stephen Simpson

The Posse Foundation

2011-07-18T13:43:00.004-04:00

On July 8, UELIPs heard from Josh Christianson, the Career Program Manager for Posse D.C. Since many of us had not heard of Posse, Josh explained how the organization works and answered our many questions. As described by their website:

"Founded in 1989, Posse identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse extends to these students the opportunity to pursue personal and academic excellence by placing them in supportive, multicultural teams—Posses—of 10 students. Posse partner colleges and universities award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships."

It was a great presentation and it is always great to see organizations that are excited about extending education to all!

photo credit: Stephen Simpson

Josh Christianson speaks to UELIP about Posse

photo credit: Stephen Simpson

Senior Associate Spotlight: Ajay Srikanth

2011-07-13T09:39:00.001-04:00

Where are you from?

I’m from Ridgewood, New Jersey

What school do you attend?

I’m a graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University

What DCPS department are you working in and what have you been working on?

I am in the Office of School Innovation within the Office of the Chief Academic Officer. I am currently working on developing school walkthrough observation protocols for instructional superintendents to assess school quality and assisting in the purchasing of technology for these walkthroughs

What have you learned so far working at DCPS?

I am building upon the knowledge and experience I have developed previously through teaching in an urban school for 3 years and studying education policy. Primarily, I am learning about what a central office looks for in an effective school and how it chooses to measure not just quality but quality of teaching as well.

Junior Associate Spotlight: Jamie Lee

2011-07-07T09:58:00.000-04:00

Where are you from?
I’m from Potomac, Maryland

Where do you go to school?
I go to University of Maryland, College Park

What is your major?
I’m a broadcast journalism and English double major.

What DCPS department are you working in and what have you been working on
this summer?
I’m in the Office of Family and Public Engagement and my main project has been Beautification Day—primarily marketing the event and organizing large volunteer groups.

What have you learned so far working at DCPS?
So far, I’ve learned to stay on top of things and keep lots of to-do lists! So many things happen at once and tasks can be easy to forget about if I don’t write them down. And being friends with other interns makes the day more enjoyable.

Meet the Summer 2011 UELIP Associates!

2011-07-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

As the first month of the summer UELIP program comes to a close and associates are deep into their projects, its time to start our associate spotlight feature!

Jillian Reynolds
Senior Associate, Office of Special Education

Where are you from?
Chicago, IL

What school do you attend?
Cornell University

What is your major?
MPA — Social Policy concentration

What DCPS department are you working in and what have you been working on this summer?
Office of Special Education, Early Stages Center — The majority of my work so far has been centered around the Private-Religious Office.

What have you learned so far working at DCPS?
I have learned a great deal in the past month, but most of all, I have learned about the Early Stages Center, how the Center operates, and the challenges it faces.

December's UELIP Associates and Deputy Chief Spotlights!

2010-12-08T10:20:00.109-05:00

Junior Associate: Aryn Davis

Where are you from?
I am from Cincinnati, Ohio.

What projects are you currently working on?
I work in the Office of Youth Engagement in the health and wellness sector and my biggest project is managing the sex education and awareness program. The program is about condom distributions and reaching out to get administrators on board and educating them on the distribution of condoms and family planning issues.

How would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as full of love, life, and passion about everything that I choose to do. I am very focused on bringing change to the world, it sounds cliché but it’s true. I just want to focus on making the world a better place and I like to see people happy.

If you can go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go to Egypt to see the history of the pyramids and the wealth of culture there.
Also, I would like to go to Italy for the food.

What is your favorite food?
Italian food and any type of fruit.

What do you remember about your first grade teacher?
Honestly, it was not a pleasant experience because the environment was not conducive for learning. It was a religious school that began in the primary level and extended through college, but to me that sounds crazy because they use the same technique and education methods in every grade level. I would never recommend this type of educational institution for anyone because I felt that we learned at a slower pace. I think I learned because I had a positive home environment with academically supporting parents, and not because of the school. It was a religiously strict school and I don’t believe it should be instilled in us.

If you were the Chancellor for a day, what would you do?
I would probably try to get as many teachers together as I could to hold a learning session that lasts about 3 to 4 hours to learn about their personal experiences and needs in the school systems and from central office. The second hour would be more recreational similar to an appreciation ceremony to connect more intimately and personally. I want to show them I appreciate them and the work that they do.

Senior Associate: Jennie Herriot

Where are you from?
I grew up in Palo Alto, California and lived in Los Angeles, California for
eight years before moving to D.C.

Why did you choose to intern at UELIP?
I had been following DCPS’s reform efforts before moving here for graduate school, and I was fascinated by what the organization was accomplishing. I was really interested in gaining an inside perspective and learning about some of the things DCPS is doing at the district level to improve students’ educational opportunities. So applying to UELIP was a top priority for me when I started school this past fall.

What projects are you currently working on?
I’ve been compiling principals’ feedback on their professional development programming and helping set up an administrators’ portal.

How would you describe yourself?
I’m curious about the world around me, I love keeping everything in my life super organized, I enjoy writing, I inadvertently copy edit everything I read, and I strive to treat others as I would want to be treated. Side note: I was really tempted to write this as a list of bullets because of my love for organization.

If you can go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
So many places! One of these many places is New Zealand.

What is your favorite food?
Almost anything that incorporates melted cheese.

What do you remember about your first grade teacher?
Her name was Jeannette (we called our teachers by their first names), and she was wonderful. I remember that she had a system where we would get stickers on a poster for doing good things and X’s on the poster for getting in trouble. If we did several bad things in a short period of time, a pencil X could turn into a pen X, which I thought was a very serious consequence. She was from Shanghai, and she would tell us stories about growing up there. One time, she told us, she ate an orange seed and a family member told her a tree was going to grow in her stomach.

If you were the Chancellor for a day, what would you do?
I would do a lot of listening because I know I have a lot to learn before making decisions that have serious consequences for so many children’s lives.

Deputy Chief of the Office of School Innovation: Josh Edelman

Where are you from originally?
I was born in Washington D.C.

Can you describe what you do in the Office of School Innovation?
I have the opportunity to work with a fantastic team of individuals to set and implement the vision for six whole school reform models. Our office ensures the implementation of the reform models for selected DCPS schools to enhance student achievement and contribute toward schools becoming more compelling options for DC youth and families.

What are other ground-breaking ideas to improve DCPS schools?
I am excited about gleaning promising practices from the OSI portfolio to enhance whole school reform work across the OSI strands. Over time, we also hope to share our learnings more broadly so that schools across DCPS can benefit.

How does your department work in conjunction with the other branches of DCPS?
The only way we can be successful is if we work with practitioners across the district. We want to make sure we understand the goals and programs of departments across the system and that we do all we can to align our whole school reform efforts with theirs so that we have the best chance possible of enhancing student achievement.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in education?
I grew up in a household where there was strong belief in being of service to others. In college I was a mentor and tutor in inner city Boston. The opportunity to impact the lives of young people as a role model and instructor motivated me, so I knew I wanted to be an educator after college.

What are you most proud of since working here in DCPS?
I am most proud of seeing the impact that our whole school reform efforts are having at the school level. When visiting schools weekly, we are able to see the strides adults are making to implement more coherent approaches to support youth. I am also excited that principals and other leadership team members see our team as being of service to them. Central Office should be geared toward their needs not the other way around.

What do you find most challenging about your position?
I often wonder if our efforts are aligned as well as possible across the district to help practitioners develop their capacity to better serve their students. I wonder if we are adding as much as value as we could be even we were able to be more strategic and collaborative with our approaches. There is so much more work to be done to ensure that all students, regardless of where they live, have a great school option in their community and access to other options across the city.

Is there any advice that you would like to give to our associates?
It is very easy to focus on developing your resume and getting somewhere fast, but it is most important to find a balance between a role that challenges you intellectually and fulfills you emotionally. You should do something you love and you should put yourselves in roles where you can meet your expectations for service. You should feel that getting up each day is a pleasure and not a chore. There is rarely a straight path to success when working in an urban school district, but part of being successful is persevering and strategizing through ambiguity while staying focused on your goals.

Meet the Fall 2010 UELIP Associates!

2010-11-05T13:19:00.002-04:00

After a great summer, we said goodbye to our summer UELIP associates.
Please welcome the shining stars of the Fall 2010 UELIP Associates.

Junior Associate: Alex Hartley

Where are you from?
Nashville, Tennessee.

Why did you choose to intern at UELIP?
I graduated from Wesleyan University in May and taught middle school through Breakthrough Collaborative for the last three summers. UELIP seemed like an awesome opportunity to learn what it is like to work in an urban district that is doing a lot of education reform and to learn about education from a more administrative perspective.

What projects are you currently working on?
I am working a project that is a joint effort between the Office of Data and Accountability and the Office of the Chief Academic Officer. I am researching the best practices of data-driven instruction with the end goal of creating a model that DCPS can implement in its schools.

How would you describe yourself?
I am kind of obsessed with education and learning. I like to talk about it all the time.

If you can go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Right now I would like to go to France because my sister is studying abroad there for the year.

What is your favorite food?
I like homemade baked goods – brownies, cakes, cookies, etc – but right now I really like pumpkin muffins because it’s Fall.

What do you remember about your first grade teacher?
I was in a first/second grade split class and I felt cool because I was with second graders. I don’t remember much, but I know we had a pet gerbil that I sometimes got to take home on the weekend. We also had a classroom store where we could redeem tickets for good behavior and my teacher had Nerds candy at the store.

If you were the Chancellor for a day, what would you do?
I would have a really hard time deciding what to do, but I would enjoy getting to see what it is like to be in such a position and learning from all the people with whom the Chancellor is in contact.

Senior Associate: Zachary Elkin

Where are you from?
West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Why did you choose to intern at UELIP?
I have worked in education in D.C. for the past year and I wasn’t sure how I wanted to continue my career in education. I thought it would be a great learning experience, because I knew that I wanted to be a part of DCPS and part of the transformation process.

What projects are you currently working on?
My main project is revising and creating 30-minute lesson plans for the afterschool’s academic Power Hour. I need to make sure they are aligned with DCPS curriculum standards, usually with a focus on math and reading. I review the plans to see if they are appropriate per grade level, if the activities are fun and engaging, and make sure the lessons have all the various necessary elements: introduction, instruction, activity, assessment, and a section for differentiation of instruction.

How would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as a fast-learner. I grew up with a diverse education and out of all those experiences I’ve come to value the power of public education. I feel a connection to schools and families in struggling communities because my education began in this environment. I see myself as someone that kids trust and as an education leader in D.C down the road.

If you can go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would love to go to South Africa.

What is your favorite food?
Matzo ball soup.

What do you remember about your first grade teacher?
My first grade teacher was a very energetic and very passionate woman. I thought she was very cool because it was a low performing school and no other teachers seemed to match her excitement level. I really liked her and I was very comfortable in the class, even though most of my peers came from different backgrounds.

If you were the Chancellor for a day, what would you do?
I would try to talk to every single kid, every single parent, and every single teacher in the school system just to say hi.

UELIP Success Story

2010-11-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

Dominique Amis is a former UELIP associate who is now the Chief of Staff of the Office of Data and Accountability. She shares her experience of being a former UELIP intern.

Where are you from?
San Diego, California.

What year did you intern at UELIP?
Fall 2007.

Why did you choose to intern at UELIP?
I initially heard about it on Idealist.org and when I spoke to Susan she marketed it very well. I was also studying education policy in D.C. and I wanted to learn more while in graduate school.

What projects did you work on as an intern?
On my first day as an intern, I did not go to central office because I had to help an Office of Data and Accountability (ODA) employee lead a DC BAS training. During my internship, I worked on the first version of the School Profiles project.   It is also known as a “Rainbow” chart because it identifies the school improvement status for DCPS schools’ based on AYP scores.

How did your UELIP experience shape your career path?
I had a lighter course load during my spring semester in grad school, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to apply for a full-time job at DCPS. I was interning in ODA, but they were not hiring. Instead, I applied to be part of a brand new team called the Special Education Reform team. I started working full-time with the Office of Special Education (OSE) on a project of how to track legal cases for special education students. During that process, we realized that we needed a database to track that information so I worked on the first version of the Blackmon/Jones database with Office Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). I proposed to the chiefs’ Erin and Richard that this is more of ODA function and we decided to move the OSE team to ODA. If I did not have UELIP, then I would not have any of that.

How did it feel to transition from an intern to a full-time DCPS employee?
I was excited because I was familiar with the pace and the workload of DCPS, so I felt prepared. Since I was moving into a different department, I didn’t know much about OSE but it was exciting to dig into a whole new world.

What do you do in ODA now?
I am the Chief of Staff in ODA and I oversee the Strategic Alignment and Performance Management team. I make sure there is a cross alignment in ODA and the other departments that we partner with. We are responsible for prepping SchoolStat activities, evaluating OSE data, and assisting instructional superintendents to better inform instructional practices for their clusters.

What challenges do you face in your current role?
The biggest challenge is keeping track of everything that goes on in ODA, but also to be a connector for ODA. It can be challenging to keep a pulse about what other departments are doing and help facilitate other departments as a function of ODA.

What advice do you have for UELIP associates?
I would tell them to never stop asking questions and to remember you are in charge of your own professional path.   Keep asking questions and go after what you want.

Associate Spotlights

2010-08-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

Junior Associate: Alison Wollack

Where do you come from?

I was born and raised in Washington, DC. I just graduated from University of Michigan where I was an Urban Studies major. Go Blue!

Why did you choose UELIP?

I chose UELIP because I graduated from a DC Public School, and since then I have been passionate about urban education reform. I believe strongly in the importance of a quality education for all young people, and I am interested in seeing what reform efforts were like from this level. I think this is a great city and school system, and I’m excited to be back!

What are you working on during your time here?

This summer, I am in the Office of Out-of-School-Time, and I have been working on programming for the afternoon portion of elementary summer school. I ordered supplies and coordinated field trips, assemblies, and celebrations for the 17 different elementary school sites.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I’ve been paragliding off a mountain in Peru.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I can’t really remember ever having a career goal growing up, but I will say that I used to sit alone in the basement and teach lessons on a dry erase board to an imaginary class.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

I loved my sixth grade teacher Ms. Snowden. We did a lot of hands on learning, like making pyramids out of sugar cubes. She was also really fun to be around and always had a good time with us. I admire the way she was able to build strong relationships with her students.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

I would go to the Dominican Republic. I did volunteer work there in high school and loved it!

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I would love to be able to teleport. That would be great.

Senior Associate: Marvin Figueroa

Where do you come from?

I was born in La Ceiba, Honduras but grew up primarily in the South Bronx, New York.

Why did you choose UELIP?

My experience navigating the New York Public School system-- learning English in an ESL program, thriving in an independent middle school, and attending a vocational high school where the graduation rate struggled to reach forty percent—instilled in me the desire to work on behalf of those who find themselves in the position I was once in. Serving as an UELIP associate has helped shape the way I view urban education reform, and has made me a better children’s advocate.

What are you working on during your time here?

The school profile (a section of the school scorecards) provides a snapshot for DCPS parents and community members on individual school offerings and descriptive information that parents have identified as important. Profiles highlight school-specific information on demographics, school mission, school performance summary, achievements, extra-curricular activities, and contact information. The data, text and photos on each school’s document are unique to each school while a template layout will remain constant across all schools. Our goal is to bridge the information gap and provide parents with the data they need to make informed decisions for their children.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I enjoy country music. You name it, I probably enjoy it: Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney… the list goes on.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I initially aspired to be tall but once I realized that it was unattainable, I set my eyes on becoming a CEO (I saw someone mention it during an episode of Carmen Santiago).

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Ms. Brady, my 8th grade English Arts teacher. She was intelligent, charismatic, and demanding. Ms. Brady set high academic expectations and helped me not only reach them, but also surpass them. I attribute much of my success to her influence.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Somewhere exotic like Fiji (No offense to my Fiji brethren).

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I would be The Punisher because he understood that since we can never hope to understand why we're here, if there's even anything to understand, the individual should choose a goal and pursue it wholeheartedly, despite the certainty of death and the meaninglessness of action.

UELIP Success Stories

2010-08-12T11:12:00.048-04:00

Dominique Amis is a former UELIP associate who is now the Chief of Staff of the Office of Data and Accountability. She shares her experience of being a former UELIP intern.

David DeMatthews is a former UELIP associate that is now an Assistant Principal at Shaw Middle School. We recently interviewed David to see how his previous experience in the program shaped his career path.

Can you tell us a bit about where you are from?

I'm originally from New Jersey. I got my undergraduate degree from Rutgers, I got my masters from Johns Hopkins, and I'm working on my PHD from the University of Maryland.

What UELIP class are you from?

I was a 2009 [Spring] senior associate.

Did your UELIP experience shape your career path?

Absolutely. I realized that there is a need for people to be working in Special Education. When I saw how poorly special education students were being treated and how so many of them were being tossed to the side, it really motivated me to work in special education in order to address these problems.

What type of work did you do while at Central Office?

I worked on developing special education policy and most of that work culminated in the Special Education Reference Guide. I also did a lot of professional development and training with special education coordinators. I've worked with everyone from Instructional Superintendents to Teachers, training them for work with special education students.

So, when you were an associate were you in the Office of Special Education?

Yes.

Was your work as a UELIP associate similar to what you do as a Central Office employee?

Actually yes, a lot of the work I did as an associate involved setting up materials for the Special Education Reference Guide.

Did your perspective of DCPS change in any way from the time you were in UELIP once you became a Central Office employee?

As an associate I saw a lot [of DCPS], but I definitely did not see it all. As an associate, you are here for such a short time, so the focus is solely on your own project and your department. After I became a full time employee, I was able to see how large and complex this organization [DCPS] is.

What made you want to become an assistant principal?

Well, this has always been a goal of mine. My PHD program is a principal leadership program. The reason why I came here [Central Office] was to become a better educator, and I always intended to take what I learned here back to the school level.

Do you have any advice for our associates?

Continually search for answers to your questions. Education is such a big thing that it's too hard to explain. A child's experiences with his teachers, family and peers—that all goes into that child's education. So there is no magic bullet for any problem in education, but that is not to say you shouldn’t work towards finding solutions. To work towards a solution, you have to see the problem from a lot of different angles. Associates should be gaining experiences in schools right now. Seeing schools and being in schools really helped me. I got to know a lot of people and saw what was going on both at the central office and school levels.

Chief Chat: Lisa Marie Ruda

2010-08-09T11:27:00.008-04:00

Lisa Marie Ruda, the Chancellor’s Chief of Staff, oversees school operations, general counsel and interagency relations.

Can you describe for us what you do?

I work on making sure that the left hand and the right hand are moving in the same direction. Anytime an initiative crosses departments, it's my job to make sure that all the involved offices and departments are on the same page and moving in the same direction. Most importantly, I make sure that anyone that should be part of the conversation is at the table. This includes people from DCPS, the mayor’s office, and other district agencies.

Where are you from?

Geographically, I spent most of my life in Cleveland. I attended Bowling Green State University as an undergrad, and I went to grad school at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. I also previously worked as the Chief of Staff at the Cleveland Public Schools.

When did you know that you wanted to pursue education?

I don’t think I did! I was initially trained as a corporate lawyer. I was hired by a small law firm that worked closely with schools, and then I went on to Cleveland Public Schools.

What are you most proud of since coming to work for DCPS?

I’m so proud of how much we have accomplished in the past three years. The work that is being done here is very similar to what was going on in Cleveland, but the difference is the rate at which we are making these changes. The bottom line is that kids can't wait. We have to get traditional public schools right, or we, as a nation, are never going to move forward.

I also love that we try different things, nothing is worse than not trying.

We try to be smart and move quickly. We assess and evaluate where we are going. Sometimes things don’t work out as planned we pick ourselves up and figure out what we’re going to do next.

What do you find most challenging about your position?

The biggest challenge is what we can't control.

What advice would you like to give to our associates?

Absolutely number one: get your graduate degree- no ifs, buts, or ands. I am a huge advocate of advanced degrees, and unfortunately, the undergraduate degree is no longer enough.

Also try to work with as many different departments as humanly possible. The work and personalities in each department can be so different. There are folks that are data crunchers, and there are folks that are relationship builders. Each of these is an important skill set. To be successful, you need to a combination skills, and you need to meet other folks to be exposed to that.

Associate Spotlights of the Week

2010-08-06T16:12:00.001-04:00

Junior Associate: Keerat Pannu

Where do you come from?

I’m from Northern Virginia and just graduated from Georgetown University.

Why did you choose UELIP?

Living just outside the beltway for most of my life and spending four years going to college here, I’ve developed a strong connection to the District and its young people. I believe this city has great potential and I wanted greatly to be part of an effort to create better opportunities for its students.

What are you working on during your time here?

I’m working on a variety of activities aimed at improving the exchange of information and ideas between DCPS and D.C. Council.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I literally lived steps away from Tower Bridge for a year.

What was your favorite subject growing up and why?

Math, because it was the easiest to understand.

What is your dream job?

I think it’d be awesome to be a travel blogger.

What’s your favorite UELIP memory thus far?

Sharing a cubicle with Rebecca Scaife.

Senior Associate: Max Tuchman

Where do you come from?

I’m a dual citizen of Miami and New York City and am currently up in Boston doing a joint degree at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I’ve had some experience with the Miami, Boston and NYC school districts and hope to one day return home to Miami to work for the 375,000 schoolchildren in our district. I realized I'd better learn from the best, and decided to come down to DC to learn everything I could about Michelle Rhee.

What are you working on during your time here?

I work in the Office of Secondary School Transformation and am working on creating a competitive grant to encourage schools to think about their time in a more innovative manner (i.e. extend the school day or year, mandatory after school tutoring, swing shifts, etc)

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I love to watch world destruction movies. My favorite is The Day After Tomorrow, but I’m happy with a “what would happen if a meteor hit the earth” miniseries on the Discovery channel. Apparently, the other senior associates find this disturbing, yet wildly interesting.

What was your favorite subject growing up and why?

I’ve always been in art magnet programs and so I’d have to say my favorite subject was fashion design in high school.

What is your dream job?

Growing up, I wanted to be an international spy/ ninja. Now I want to be an urban superintendent. I’m not sure which is harder to achieve.

What’s your favorite UELIP memory thus far?

UELIP Retreat: Getting to know more UELIPers and hear Kaya speak was amazing! Watching people try and eat an Oreo off their forehead was a close second.

Chief Chat: Peggy O'Brien

2010-08-05T10:15:00.003-04:00

Dr. Peggy O’Brien was appointed Chief of Family and Public Engagement for District of Columbia Public Schools in March, 2008, and leads the district’s work with parents and families, as well as community engagement, community partnerships, press and strategic communications.

Can you explain to us what you do?

I work on parent/family engagement, partnerships and strategic communication. Part of my work also includes working with the press.

Where are you originally from?

I originally come from a little town outside of Boston. I came to DC to attend Trinity College, which was the oldest Catholic women's college in DC. When I was enrolling in college, many of the best colleges and universities were not available to women.

When did you know you wanted to go into education?

I knew it when I was a junior in college in 1968. 1968 was a year when there was so much going on in this country, and a lot of them were happening right here in Washington! There was the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and the beginning of the women's movement all happening at the same time. It was a period of civil unrest but also a period of real dynamic change.

It was a time of incredible dynamism. MLK was assassinated in April of 1968, and Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June of 1968, but it was also the time of Woodstock and all that sort of stuff. It was wild. There was all this stuff going on. It was time when you felt that there could really be some change and that change was really important. I had never thought about being a teacher, but being in Washington where all these things were happening was just a gift. I started realizing that connecting people to the power of their own brains was the most important thing that you could do, so that’s why I became a teacher. I wanted to teach in DC Public schools and no where else. I knew that I wanted to be right here in high schools with kids from DC.

Can you tell us about your certification program?

I was in a program called the Urban Teacher Corps. It was a program that was created and run by DCPS. I started teaching summer school the June after my college graduation and then went into teaching English at Roosevelt High School. This country was desperate, desperate for teachers then, so there were loads of new teachers going into schools. It was a really interesting time to go into teaching.

What are you most proud of since being at DCPS?

I am proud to be a part of this reform. I'm here because I heard the chancellor when she first came and said what she wanted to do with these schools, with this system. She was focusing on children and not adults, and I just thought "Wow." I lived in this city all this time, and my children went to DCPS. I know the kids in this city are smart, yet these schools have consistently let them down, so I wanted to do whatever I could to be a part of what the chancellor was doing. I wrote her a letter and said "What can I do for you?", and now I’m here.

What were you doing before you joined DCPS?

I was Senior Vice President for Education at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I worked a lot on the television shows that go on the air for kids, like Sesame Street.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

What we are doing is so big, yet we are coming from so far behind, so our sense of urgency is very strong. We can't ever move fast enough. There is never enough time. It’s challenging, and you never feel like you are doing a good enough job because there is always so much more to be done.

Do you have any advice for our associates?

Just drink as deeply from all of this as you possibly can. This is a moment in time. This reform is a moment in time. Your role in this reform is a moment in time. Work as hard as you can. Go to as many seminars and classrooms as you can. Do whatever you can to wring every drop from this summer. Just know you will never be able to do everything you want to do, and part of that is throwing yourself into your work, but if there are people you want to talk to, DCPS is a very horizontal organization. If there are people here doing interesting things that you want to talk to, contact them. Everybody is glad for that. Everybody can fit that into their day because you guys are important.

UELIP Alumni & Associates Networking Event

2010-08-05T09:52:00.003-04:00

RSVP Here: http://bit.ly/UELIPALUMNI

Chief Chat: Erin McGoldrick

2010-07-29T09:41:00.002-04:00

Erin McGoldrick serves as the DCPS Chief of Data and Accountability, overseeing the organization’s efforts to create and support a culture of data-driven decision making, specifically around data systems, assessments, research and evaluation.

Where are you originally from?

I grew up in Pasadena, California. I went to Notre Dame University as an undergrad and spent a year in France during that time.

I moved to DC after graduating from Notre Dame, but this is actually my second time living in DC. This is also my second time working for Michelle Rhee!

What did you do when you worked with Chancellor previously?

We worked together at Sacramento High School in California before. The chancellor was putting together an advisory group. I had never seen a female leader that strong before, and I knew I wanted to work with her again in the future. I had no idea that it would be this soon though.

Can you tell us about what you do?

I work with all types of data. I love data, to the point where principals call me the "Data Lady” or “Data Queen”! Other people really just don't understand how excited I get about data!

When did you know you wanted to pursue education?

After grad school, I knew I wanted to go into research, but I initially thought that I was going to do political polling. I wanted to be the next superstar pollster.

A professor of mine though recommended that I interview for an education research position. At the time I wasn't too interested in education research, but once I was at my interview, I had a fantastic conversation with my interviewer, who later became my mentor. Plus, I got the job!

What are you most proud of since working here?

My team. I love them, and I think they are amazing.

What do you find most challenging about your position?

It can be kind of grueling because our work is so important that it can wear on us sometimes. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do things well because we want to become a model for other districts and other reforms. The will for perfection can be exhausting!

It is challenging, but I don’t mind it. It just comes with the territory, and I wouldn’t change that if I could.

So I'm noticing on your wall that you won the second place costume for fall festival. Can you tell us about that?

Halloween is a huge deal! Last year ODA went all out for fall festival. Our theme was Michael Jackson, and we made our section of the office look like the graveyard from thriller. We had gravestones for the achievement gap, rogue spreadsheets, and more. We even had a moonwalk stage!

It was great, we [ODA] ended up winning the big floor award, and we ended up getting this giant certificate. But yeah, people know by now that ODA is competitive and brings it.

Any advice for our associates?

Meet and stay connected to as many people as you can this summer and for the rest of your careers. You want your network to be strong and vibrant. In ten years, you’ll be where we are and you’ll need help!

Don’t burn bridges because of your ego.

Ask questions. Soak up as much as you can while you are here.

UELIP Live Chat

2010-07-26T13:46:00.003-04:00

Join us on Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 12pm-1pm and 6pm to 7pm for the first of two live chats this summer! Visit http://bit.ly/UELIPLiveChat to join.

We will be answering questions regarding the internship program, working at DCPS and the professional development opportunities afforded to UELIP associates!

Applications for Fall Semester Associate positions will be accepted until September 24, 2010.

For those interested in learning more about the UELIP program and experience but unable to participate in Thursday’s chat, there will be one more round of live chats this summer on Monday, August 9, 2010 and Tuesday, August 10, 2010. More information to come!

Visit the UELIP site at http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/uelip

Associate Spotlights of the Week

2010-07-22T13:15:00.000-04:00

Junior Associate: Sydney Paige Thomas

Where do you come from?

I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. I recently graduated from Duke University, located in Durham, NC, where I was a Public Policy major and an African and African American Studies minor and I’m moving to New York City in the fall to participate in the NYC Urban Fellows Program.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I chose UELIP because I wanted to get more exposure to education policy. I spent last summer working with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. for Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) and felt that I was dealing with a whole bunch of issues and never really got a handle on any of them. So I wanted an internship where I was able to focus on one policy area. And Michelle Rhee seemed pretty awesome.

What are you working on during your time here?

Right now I’m working on an enrollment campaign to help get high school students registered for school prior to the first day of classes. DC is such a transient city that it requires students to re-enroll every year. A lot of high schoolers don’t end up enrolling until the first day of school which messes up school budgets, makes the first day of classes chaotic, etc. So my supervisor and I are trying to rectify this situation. If any UELIPers want to volunteer on this campaign please let me know!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I was a competitive dancer from age 3 to age 15. I did jazz, tap and ballet. Hated ballet, but the dance studio I went to made me stick with it in order to continue with jazz (which I loved) so I sucked it up.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I have always been indecisive. I never had an answer for that question, lol.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Ms. Zoref. She brought her standard poodle to school everyday in 4th grade which helped quell my fear of dogs. And she thought I was hilarious so class was always fun.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Santorini, Greece! Or Colombia – one of my best friends is from there and she’s always talking about how gorgeous it is, so I want to be able to see it for myself.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I was actually just asked this question! I want to be able to multiply things. Like if I have 4 french fries in front of me, I want to be able to instantly create 4 more.

Senior Associate: Jordan Rosen

Where do you come from?

I am a rising second year law student at Washington University School of Law, originally from Highland Park, Illinois.

Why did you choose UELIP?

Chancellor Rhee. I first heard about the Chancellor’s work as a Teach For America corps member in Chicago and followed DCPS in the news. Based on my experience as a Chicago corps member, I felt that Chancellor Rhee was making all of the right moves, from attacking the seniority system to implementing merit pay. I was also fascinated by the story of Jim Sandman, the DCPS general counsel who chose to take a break from his work with Arnold & Porter for the chance to work with Chancellor Rhee. DCPS was becoming a lodestone for passionate and talented leaders. I chose to submit an application to UELIP with the hope of seeing DCPS in action every day.

What are you working on during your time here?

Primarily, I am working with the Office of the General Counsel on various legal issues. The legal issues confronting schools are far more fascinating than I would have thought. They range from answering typical discovery questions to challenging First Amendment issues. The OGC provides an exceptionally interesting view into the inner workings of DCPS. I also joined a whole host of committees available through UELIP and DCPS. Through the committees, I am mentoring high school students, developing school policy, and more.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I have a streak of extremely blonde hair. Barbers always ask me if I want to dye it to a “normal” color. Others assume it’s already dyed and I have a weird sense of style. Sometimes in law school lecture halls, when I am especially bored, I use my blonde streak to blind eighty of my peers.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted to be a philosophy professor when I was younger, but then I figured out what philosophy professors actually do. I panicked and then joined Teach For America.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Besides myself, of course, I have three:

Mrs. Dershowitz: She inspired me to write.

Professor Malacinski: Chronically angry with his students. Chose favorites. Malacinski inspired students by adopting only the highest standards for them.

Professor Bose: Too liberal for her student population, but she didn’t care. Professor Bose was a passionate activist for atheists and other marginalized groups.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Forks, Washington. (Real men sparkle.)

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

If other people had super powers too then I would be Rogue from X-Men. She was the strongest member of the X-Men because she could steal the superpower of anyone else. Rogue would probably say I don’t want her powers because I would not be able to touch anyone, but cry me a river.

Associate Spotlights of the Week

2010-07-14T11:48:00.018-04:00

Junior Associate: Julia Hellmich

Where are you from?

I'm a rising senior at Cornell majoring in human development and minoring in education, inequality studies and dance.

I'm originally from Ossining, NY which is near Westchester. My house is five minutes from Sing-Sing prison, and I went there on a trip in 2nd grade. I think they took us there to scare us into being good.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I had always been interested in education policy work, and when Chancellor Rhee came to speak at Cornell, things fell into place. I fell in love with education reform, and I wanted to be here because this is where the action is. Doing UELIP became 100% what I wanted to do this summer.

If aliens landed in front of you, and in exchange for anything you desire offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?

I would want to be superintendent of an alien school district, but it would have to be a school district where I could feel that I was helping and somehow making a difference.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I have never been on an airplane or been in an airport. I also have twin sisters, and I have been an avid ballet dancer since I was 9 years old.

If you could be any character from fiction which one would you be?

I would be Elizabeth from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I like her because she's really witty and courageous, and she has a ton of spunk.

What was the last book you read?

Middlemarch by George Elliot. It was one of the books on my AP English reading list, and I'm re-reading it.

If we took a look in your refrigerator what would we find?

Turkey Hill Dutch chocolate ice cream.

Wouldn’t that technically be in the freezer?

No, I forgot to put it in the freezer and left it in the refrigerator yesterday. It was all over the fridge! You would also find lots of seltzer and some broccoli.

Can you tell us what you are doing at UELIP?

I'm working with the resolution team in the Office of Special Education (OSE) helping to create a database for all of the education awards.

Education awards are hours of tutoring that we provide students. The database will help track "used hours" information that is currently stored in spreadsheets.

Anything else you want to share?

I'm friendly! Say hi to me :)

Senior Associate: Bo Han

Where do you come from?
I’m from the Philly area, but most recently, I was in Boston for graduate school. I’m enrolled in a joint Master in Public Policy and Master of Business Administration program at the Harvard Kennedy School and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Why did you choose UELIP?
I chose UELIP because I believe in the potential for great change in our public education system. There is a lot of innovation in education reform occurring at DCPS, and I want to be here to observe first-hand and learn as much as I can from DCPS’s reform efforts.

If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?
I don’t know if I would ask for a position, but I would have a couple of questions for them that I would want answered like “What’s the deal with Roswell?” and “How do you feel about the way aliens are portrayed in the media?”

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I once helped an old lady cross the street.

If you could be any character from fiction which one would you be?
Probably Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. I think he is the epitome of integrity and compassion. A less boring answer would be one of the Boxcar children. I had a fascination with the series as a child!

What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was the required UELIP reading, Dan Pink’s A Whole New Mind. It was really informative and provided a lot of insight on how the world is changing so rapidly around us. Right now I’m reading Sunstein and Thaler’s Nudge, which I highly recommend. If you enjoy Malcolm Gladwell, Nudge will be right up your alley.

If we took a look in your refrigerator what would we find?
A bunch of frozen dinners. I need to start taking better care of myself!

Can you tell us what you are doing at UELIP?
This summer I’m helping to revise the Teaching and Learning Framework that is the center of DCPS’s Effective Schools Framework. DCPS is rolling out a new rubric and the TLF will help support teachers in the classroom. Also, I’m working on an Innovation Team called More Meals for More Students that is helping to bring salad bars and healthy vending machines to DC schools.

Chief Chat: Abigail Smith

2010-07-13T13:31:00.006-04:00

Abigail Smith is the Chief of the Transformation Management Office with the District of Columbia Public Schools. The Transformation Management Office drives strategic planning for the school district, develops and maintains district-wide performance management tools and manages cross-cutting strategic initiatives.

Can you describe to us what you do as Chief of Transformation Management?

I do strategic planning, performance management, including school stat, and a range of other strategic initiatives.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Baltimore, MD. As an undergraduate, I attended Yale and then went onto the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I've lived in DC for 13 of the past 16 years. I was in Cambridge and New York while I wasn’t here, but I have been living in the District for the past 10 years.

When did you know you wanted to pursue education?

I'm not exactly sure when that moment was, but I initially got into education through Teach For America (TFA). TFA wasn’t around I was in college, but after it started, it was one of the options I was looking at. Once I became a part of the TFA corps, I realized that this is what I wanted to do.

Where did you do TFA?

I did TFA in North Carolina, and I taught 1st grade for two years.

What are you most proud of since working here at DCPS?

Broadly speaking, it is the fact that we have demonstrated tangible and clear progress for kids in our city. Also, I am proud that that we have shown a willingness for adults to make tough decisions even though it can make some people uncomfortable.

What do you find to be most challenging about your position?

Trying to work within government bureaucracy

Is there any advice that you would like to give to our associates?

The most important thing is to make sure that you get out to schools this summer. Don’t spend the entire summer in the central office. That’s one thing that I would like to do more as well!

Why do you think that it is so important to visit schools?

Seeing things happen or not happen in the school influences how you think about design. Also, it mostly effects how you think about implementation. Implementation is key! The best idea on paper just might not play out when you bring it into a school, so you have to see it for yourself.

Associate Spotlights of the Week

2010-07-07T09:23:00.008-04:00

Senior Associate: Marianna Neely

Where do you come from?
I am from South Carolina. I went to Furman University as an undergraduate and graduate student. I got my undergraduate degree in elementary education and my graduate degree in literacy.

While I was working on my masters, I taught second and third grade, both in Title I schools. Both of the schools that I taught in were in my hometown of Spartanburg. I never realized that there was poverty like I saw while teaching in my town even though I grew up there.

After teaching in Spartanburg, I went to Germany as a Fullbright teaching assistant. Over in Germany, I taught grades 5-12 English in many different settings.

Why did you choose UELIP?
After being in the classroom for three years, I wanted to see education from a different perspective.

What project are you currently working on?
Right now, I'm working on updating databases in Early Stages, and there should be more projects to come!

If you could have one object symbolize you, what would it be?
A book- I have my masters in literacy! I love teaching reading, and I always thought I would teach.

If you could be any fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
I would be a watermelon- it's one of my favorite fruits and it reminds me of playing "Fruitbasket Turnover". I played Fruitbasket Turnover in elementary school on the swing sets- it's a game like musical chairs.

What was your favorite subject in grade school?
My favorite subject was reading!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I come from a big family, I have four brothers and one sister. I'm number 5 of 6 and would always wear 5 on my jerseys.

Junior Associate: Teake

Where do you come from?
Repping hard for New Haven--where I grew up! I attend school outside Boston, but I'm living in DC now and loving it. Hopefully, I'll live in New York or the sun-soaked west coast in the future. I can’t wait!

Why did you choose UELIP?
I had never been to DC before, but it looked like the place to be as far as avant-garde education reform. Also, Michelle Rhee is definitely role model material.

What project are you currently working on?
I'm working on about five right now, but my highest priority is making sure that summer school is properly staffed. I’ve been making lots of calls to summer school coordinators with my friends in HR!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
Can I use the “one name” line again? :)

If you could be any fruit or vegetable what would you be?
Is coconut a fruit? If so, let’s do that.

What was your favorite subject in grade school?
I love everything school-related; that’s why I’m here! No discrimination.

If you could have one object symbolize you what would it be?
A tree swaying in the wind, always growing, sometimes twisted, sent to the factory and processed, turned into a chunk of wood, possibly teak. Lol, peace!

Associate Spotlights of the Week

2010-06-28T10:21:00.011-04:00

Senior Associate: Nik Nevrekar

Where do you come from?
My current hometown is Houston, TX, and I go to school at Cornell in Ithaca, NY--but that’s not to say that I am a Texan or a New Yorker (and who could be? polar opposites….).

Actually, throughout my I have lived for more than a year in CA, NJ, RI, AZ, VA, TX, and NY, so I come from all over the place. If I had to choose, I would say my favorite place was North Kingstown, RI—I lived through the core years of my childhood there and loved it.

Why did you choose UELIP?
Traveling between so many regions in the U.S., I gained an appreciation for the way some communities hold education as the highest priority. I don’t know where I would be today if I had not received instruction from the great teachers who worked at my high school.

I chose UELIP as a way to give back and show my thanks. The youth in DC have been overlooked for generations, and I want to be on the battlefield to help change that.

If aliens landed in front of you and offered you any position on their planet, what would you be?
I would be an astronaut. I imagine that the aliens have a technologically-advanced space program, and I would want to visit Earth every once in a while.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
Before high school, I rocked a bowl-cut/“mushroom” hairdo.

What would I find your refrigerator right now?
Several bags of all-in-one salad kits, Newman’s Own Lemonade, Ocean Spray Cran-Apple juice and milk (for my cereal/oatmeal).

What was the last book you read?
I read Rethinking the New Deal Court by Barry Cushman, a book about the legal course of American economic regulation during FDR administration and the surprising resilience of Supreme Court in resisting political pressure.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
If I had a superpower, I would want to be able to breathe underwater. I am not a great swimmer, so I figure that superpower would help out a lot when I’m in the pool.

Junior Associate: Rebecca Scaife

Where do you come from?I’m a southern girl. I am from Memphis, Tennessee. I’ve lived there most of my life. I was born in Oakland California though—most people don’t know that about me. I am a rising senior at Harvard. Go Crimsons!

Why did you choose UELIP?
I went to public school in Memphis. I was shocked by the disparities I saw firsthand by going to school in this environment. I really felt that I should make a difference.

I went to a summer program in DC at the School of Public Service and I saw that I could make a change. I started a mentoring program pairing high-performing upper classmen with underclassmen in high school. Through that experience I saw that I could make a difference.

If aliens landed in front of you and offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?
I would be a super star or a super star’s manager. I’d want to be the manager so I won’t have to deal with paparazzi, and could just be behind the scenes. If I could I would be a Lady GaGa inspired super star- see Lady GaGa’s song Fame!

I want to be a super star for the glamour, but also so I would have the power to change the world.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I was asked to be in a CNN documentary about poverty and education.

What would I find your refrigerator right now?
A bunch of random frozen food because I can’t cook.

What was the last book you read?
To tell you the truth, I hate reading… but the last book I opened was “Whatever It Takes”.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Can I be Susan Cheng? :)

UELIP Retreat

2010-06-25T11:20:00.003-04:00

Say "cheese"! Some of our associates with Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

Break the ice! We broke up into small groups to get to know everyone a little bit better.

Using pictures, we shared a little about what we thought about education policy and DCPS.

Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson stopped by our retreat and shared some words of wisdom with us!

Associate Spotlights of the Week

2010-06-21T10:06:00.015-04:00

Junior Associate: Carlyn Mueller

Where do you come from?
I’m from Northern Virginia, right outside of DC. I go to school at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, where I’m a Special Education major.

Why did you choose UELIP?
I chose UELIP in part because of my experiences this year teaching an after school program in Baltimore. I got to meet so many smart, charismatic, strong kids who had so much potential and deserved a whole team of people on their side. I wanted to figure out how I could do good things for kids not just in a classroom, not just in Baltimore, but on a bigger scale. UELIP was the best opportunity to help me do that.

What is one thing you want to do before you leave DC?

Even though I’ve lived just outside of the city for a long time, there’s still a whole lot that I haven’t done! The biggest thing on my list is to go to Busboys & Poets.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I am absolutely addicted to country music.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
A giraffe, I think. They’re low-key and their biggest priority seems to be eating good food, which matches my life philosophy pretty well.

What was your favorite book growing up?
Gone With the Wind. I read it for the first time when I was 10 or 11 and I’ve read it 6 times since then. I remember giving a book report on it once when I was in elementary school and having my teachers be really skeptical...but I really did read it.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?
I’d probably use it to open a school. I feel like that’s kind of a predictable answer given the UELIP program, but it’s true!

Senior Associate: Fady Hanalla

Where do you come from? (State, school, etc.)

I was born in Cairo, Egypt and lived there for 10 years. After that I moved all around to NY, California, New Orleans, and Texas. I’m currently living in Houston Texas, and Austin is the best. And the university I’m from is Texas State University San Marcos.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I just completed my first year as teacher teaching 10^th grade World History. And I thought there were a lot of evident problems with education. So I started researching districts that were practicing really progressive methods of education. I looked into how they viewed education, how they were moving forward and I thought DCPS was very interesting in the way they were doing things, and wanted to join their team.

What is one thing you want to do before you leave DC?

Well, I used to intern in Senator Ted Kennedy’s office so I’ve done quite a bit here already. But I would want to have lunch with Barack Obama.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I am staunchly non-partisan. And a great ping pong player.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

A lion because I am the king of the jungle.

What was your favorite book growing up?

Sideway Stories and Wayside Schools.

If you had a billion dollars, what would you do with it?

Buy Apple shares.

Welcome to UELIP Summer 2010!

2010-06-21T09:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the UELIP Blog, the home for everything UELIP! This summer, we will use this blog to highlight all of the amazing projects associates will be working on as well as the fun times we’ll have in the wonderful city of DC!