UELIP Success Stories

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

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

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

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

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

Chief Chat: Erin McGoldrick

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

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

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

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

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

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!