On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’m thrilled to announce that Bisi Oyedele has been chosen to succeed Maura Marino as Education Forward DC’s Chief Executive Officer in September.
At Education Forward DC, we envision a DC where students starting furthest from opportunity can chart their own path and thrive. Bisi possesses the deep expertise in grantmaking, education innovation, and organizational leadership that the next CEO will need to continue our mission of accelerating change and creating high-quality, equitable schools for every DC student and family. Further, the board is excited to have found a leader from within the organization. Bisi’s years of working with our grantees, partners, and DC’s education leaders as Education Forward DC’s Managing Partner will serve to deepen our work in support of DC’s students even further.
Prior to joining Education Forward DC in 2017, Bisi was a Leadership Effectiveness Director at the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College. There he was responsible for the coaching and professional development of district, charter, and Catholic school leaders in Boston and the greater Boston area. Earlier in his career, Bisi was the Executive Director of Match Charter Public High School and Principal of Nativity Preparatory School in Boston. Bisi started his career as a history and English teacher, as well as a substitute teacher in Boston Public Schools. Bisi earned a BA in Political Science, a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, and an Ed.D. in Education Administration from Boston College. Bisi currently lives in the Brightwood/Manor Park neighborhood with his wife, Natasha, and two children, Nolan and Gem, who both attend DC public schools.
DC students and families have faced unimaginable challenges since March 2020. The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic simply cannot be overstated: the loss of loved ones, financial stress, managing learning from home, and anxiety about the future have tested each student and family in DC. Yet, these impacts are not new to DC students and families. Systems in DC have long failed DC students who are furthest from opportunity. Within and across health care, child welfare, criminal justice, and education, inequity is encoded into their fabric and yields inequitable outcomes for our children. These are the facts of where DC students and families are today. But we can — and must — accelerate change. Bisi is the right leader to take the helm of Education Forward DC to lead that transformation.
Bisi will assume his new role on September 26, 2022.
As Bisi takes over as CEO, it will be a bittersweet moment for many as we bid farewell to Maura Marino. The board thanks Maura for her service relentlessly advancing equity for DC’s students over the past 14 years, six of which were as Co-Founder and CEO of Education Forward DC. Maura envisioned and brought to life Education Forward DC, pushing all of us to dream big for DC’s students. Under her leadership, Education Forward DC supported over 100 schools and organizations with 54 million in grants to create more equitable school experiences in the District of Columbia.
Under Maura’s leadership, Education Forward DC helped launch new organizations (including Black Swan Academy, PAVE, and DC Policy Center’s Education Policy Initiative), new schools (including Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys, Social Justice School, and Global Citizens Public Charter School), and strengthened existing organizations (including DC Public Schools, Promise54, and Mundo Verde Bilingual). Thanks to her leadership, our organization has seeded the opening and expansion of 28 new schools in DC, supported strong leaders, provided access to better information for DC families, and elevated the voices of parents and students.
She grew our team from seven to nearly 20 full-time staff members, led our team through its first round of investing, launched a new strategic investment plan for the next five years, and pivoted our focus at the start of the pandemic to ensure students and families had the resources they needed to continue learning safely — all in the service of better outcomes for DC students.
Maura will continue to support Bisi and Ed Forward DC over the next few months to ensure a strong transition.
Please join the board in thanking Maura for her service and congratulating Bisi on being our next leader.
Sincerely,
Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry
Board Chair
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