Secondary  

Martha Alexander

Martha Alexander comes to the master educator team with more than 20 years of experience teaching various levels of science. A National Board Certified Teacher, Martha taught all levels of science including Advanced Placement Biology in Prince George’s County.  Martha and her colleagues were recognized and celebrated when they received a Siemens’ award for their student’s excellent AP science and math scores. She served as the science department head, led 2 Action Research teams, sponsored NHS and Odyssey of the Mind, coached gymnastics and volleyball, wrote curriculum, and was a member of the school leadership team. 

Martha has received numerous awards for her teaching including an Outstanding American Teacher’s Award, Tandy Outstanding Science Teacher Award, Distinguished Faculty Award, and was a JASON project Teacher Argonaut. She was a featured teacher in the TV program “T is for Teacher”, and was filmed for “Education…A Class Act” for PG County Schools.

Martha spent the past five years as a mentor teacher across curriculum. She provided numerous professional development opportunities for teachers, and was a member of the county science leadership team. She has written biology curriculum guides, lab manuals, review booklets, and designed science activities and test questions at the county and state, and National level. In addition, Martha has presented at numerous regional and national conferences and has presented week-long training sessions for AP Biology teachers.

Martha received a Bachelor of Science in Science Education at the University of Maryland, and completed graduate work at UMBC, McDaniel College, and Trinity.

She will be serving as a secondary science master educator.

Leslie Edwards

Leslie Edwards taught ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade English in Prince George’s County and earned her National Board Certification in English Language Arts before coming to DCPS as a master educator in secondary language arts.

Over her last three years in the classroom, Leslie’s students began tenth grade English with an anticipated pass rate of 40% on Maryland’s High School Assessment for English, yet over 74% of those students ultimately passed the exam after a year in her class.

Leslie has presented at professional development forums on standards-based instruction and data utilization. She has also mentored teaching fellows, resident teachers, National Board candidates, and University of Maryland interns. Leslie served as a facilitator with the Thurgood Marshall Institute at Howard University, as the testing coordinator for a Prince George’s County evening high school site, and as the teacher coordinator for the Ninth Grade Academy at her school.

Leslie earned a B.A. in English Education from the University of Maryland at College Park and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction and Administration from McDaniel College.

Leslie will be serving as a master educator for English.

Kiara Hargrove

Kiara D. Hargrove brings a broad range of instructional experience, professional development facilitation, and international biomedical research to DCPS as a secondary science master educator. Kiara has taught both middle and high school students in Baltimore County and Baltimore City Public School systems as an algebra, physical science, and chemistry teacher. Kiara spent the last 6 years at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

In 2007, Kiara was a recipient of the Milken National Educator Award for her commitment to improving student achievement through innovative approaches in math, science and technology. Kiara has served as guest panelist for the National Research Council of the National Academies Roundtable and has appeared on the US Department of Education broadcast TV show, Education News Parents Can Use on High Performing Teachers: Leading Students to Success in the 21st Century.

Kiara has also held numerous leadership positions at her last school and at the Office of Teaching and Learning in Baltimore City Public Schools. She chaired the school improvement team and developed chemistry workshops and system-wide professional development seminars for teachers. Kiara also served as lead chemistry teacher for curriculum and assessment writing projects.

Kiara’s spirited and optimistic commitment to education and her students was evident through her years as the advisor, mentor, and coach of the high school cheerleading squad and as co-advisor of the freshman and sophomore class.

Kiara earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Morgan State University and a graduate certificate in Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University. Kiara is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Educational Studies and dual graduate certification in Urban Education from Johns Hopkins University School of Education.

Kiara will be serving as a senior master educator for science, mathematics, and health/physical education.

Ijeoma Kush

Ijeoma Kush taught intermediate elementary and middle school social studies in Baltimore City Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools before coming to DCPS as a master educator in secondary social studies.

As a fifth grade teacher, Ijeoma assisted with the implementation of a grade-level reading intervention and test preparation initiative that resulted in an increase in one to two reading levels for the students involved in the program. Ijeoma also co-founded a leadership program for eighth graders in Prince George’s County that resulted in a 30% increase in the number of students who made the honor roll and a 40% improvement in student test scores by the end of the first year.

Ijeoma served as a team leader at two of her schools and wrote curriculum and trained teachers to use “A Cultural Exchange,” a culture-based literacy program.

Ijeoma earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics/Philosophy and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Arts degree in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and an administrator certificate from the Catholic University of America.

Ijeoma will be serving as a senior master educator for social studies, English, and world languages.

Elizabeth McCarthy

Elizabeth McCarthy is excited to begin her eleventh year in DC Public Schools. She brings her experience as a high school English teacher at Columbia Heights Education Campus and Cardozo Senior High School to her position as master educator for secondary language arts. She received her National Board Certification in English Language Arts, Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

In her first year of teaching in the district, Elizabeth was honored with the New Teacher of the Year Award for all DCPS schools. She was a DC finalist for the National Teacher of the Year Award in 2006, received the Masonic Scottish Right Public Educator Excellence Award in 2007, and was named Columbia Heights Education Campus Teacher of the Year in 2009.

During her time in DCPS, Elizabeth has held many leadership positions including instructional coach; tenth grade lead teacher; mentor teacher; and cooperating teacher to pre-service interns from George Washington, American, and Catholic Universities. She was a member of her school's leadership team and was elected to the Local School Restructuring Team.

Elizabeth strongly believes that the most effective way to maximize student achievement is through rigorous curriculum that is accessible and relevant to all students. In 2008, she led her tenth grade English team in meeting AYP for the first time in three years with a gain of 17% from the previous year - the largest gain of any high school, public or charter, in DC that year.

Elizabeth earned a Master of Education from The George Washington University in Secondary Education with certification in both Transition Special Education and English as a Second Language. She previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Kent State University. Elizabeth resides in the district with her husband and three-year-old daughter.

Elizabeth will be serving as a master educator for English.

Bregeneve Ocansey

Bregeneve Ocansey taught upper elementary and middle school English and Social Studies over nine years in the District of Columbia and in Atlanta. She has also served as an instructional coach and provided professional development in a variety of areas such as differentiated instruction, gender specific instructional strategies, Writer’s Workshop and formative assessment. 

During Bregeneve’s time as a teacher her students had a 100% passage rate on Georgia’s Reading Criterion Referenced Competency Test and a 94% passage rate on the Reading Criterion-Referenced Competency Test.   In addition, Bregeneve served as a mentor teacher with Metro Resa’s Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy and collaborated in creating a writing framework and a common Reading and English Language Arts assessment for Atlanta Public Schools. 

Bregeneve is a certified Gurian Trainer of Single Gender Education and was awarded the Georgia State Board of Education Recognition Award of Excellence in 2011 for her contributions to student achievement.

Bregeneve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Oral Roberts University, as well as a Master of Education degree from Argosy University. 

Bregeneve will be serving as an upper elementary and English master educator.

Tim Stroud

Tim Stroud has worked both as a classroom teacher and in a variety of other education positions during his career. Tim’s student achievement data speaks to his impact as an educator: 90% of his students passed the AP American or Comparative Government exams with a 3 or higher, and 40 of his debate students qualified for national competitions, with two students placing as finalists.

Tim was recognized twice as a Virginia Commonwealth Governor’s School Outstanding Teacher, selected as the Virginia Commonwealth Debate Teacher of the Year, and nominated for Readers’ Digest National Teacher of the Year. Tim’s leadership experience includes serving on the Fairfax County Public Schools curriculum and standards design teams, the community curriculum review panel, and his school-based leadership team.

Tim worked for the American Federation of Teachers as an assistant director, focusing in the areas of school reform and education technology and also served as president and chief executive officer of the North American Council for Online Learning.

In the public policy arena, Tim has provided expertise to Congress and the Executive branch on behalf of public school districts, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations. As a special assistant to Secretary of Education Richard Riley during the Clinton administration, Tim worked to create the Pathways to College program – a program focused on increasing the number of promising students from urban communities who progressed to college.

Tim earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science from the University of Arizona.

Tim will be serving as a master educator for social studies.

Tinell L. Priddy

Dr. Tinell L. Priddy brings a broad range of instructional, administrative, mentor and professional development facilitation experience to the DCPS Master Educator team. 

A recent transplant to this area, Dr. Priddy spent the last 15 years working in a variety of roles, including teacher, coach, and school administrator, in both the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.  She has taught all levels of middle and high school mathematics courses, engineering technology courses, and has served as a department chairperson in mathematics.  

Tinell holds a secondary administrator certification, a secondary mathematics certification, a K-8 elementary education certification, and is highly qualified in secondary science.  Tinell is deeply invested in STEM initiatives and spends summers teaching STEM teachers from all over the world at the US Space & Rocket Center.  In addition, Tinell has presented at several regional and national conferences.

Dr. Priddy has demonstrated a commitment to her students, school and community throughout her career in education where she not only coached volleyball, basketball, and golf for 10 years, but has also served as an athletic director, a yearbook advisor, a ski club coordinator, and has held numerous leadership positions within her previous schools and districts. 

Tinell earned her Bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University with a double major in Mathematics and Elementary Education.  She received her Master’s degree from Western Washington University in Curriculum & Instruction, and then earned her Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Argosy University Hawaii.

Tinell will be serving as a Master Educator in secondary mathematics.