OFPE's Community Engagement Division is proud to introduce a new Community Action Team (CAT). The team is comprised of four (4) individuals who represent two (2) wards each.

Each CAT coordinator is responsible for building and sustaining strategic relationships with key community stakeholders, specifically those who have been historically underrepresented in our decision-making process.

The CAT is also responsible for assisting DCPS stakeholders in support of their access to information and resources offered by DCPS and communicating emerging needs and trends back to DCPS.

Tweet us @DCPS_Community

Call (202) 719-6613 or email OFPE.Info@dc.gov

CAT Members

Cassandra Sánchez, Wards 1 and 4

Cassandra is a first-generation American. She grew up in a bilingual Spanish/English household that stressed the importance of education. Most recently she worked in the DCPS Office of Specialized Instruction, where she helped make sure special education students had all the resources to which they are entitled. As the Community Action Team Ward 1 and 4 Coordinator, she is excited to be in the community sharing the great things that DCPS students and teachers are doing every day and building meaningful relationships with historically underrepresented stakeholders. She and her husband Dave, along with their two dogs, Dapper Dan and Huckleberry Finn, are proud DC residents. Visit the Facebook page.

Eli Hoffman, Wards 2 and 3

Eli is a native Washingtonian who grew up in Wards 1 and 3. He attended Oyster Elementary School, Deal Middle School and Wilson High School. He has worked with DCPS for the past 9 years, first as a Community and Parent Outreach Coordinator and more recently on the Child Find team at Early Stages, where he helped identify children in the District who may be in need of special education or related services. Eli values engagement with Ward 2 and 3 communities around important DCPS issues. He currently lives in NW Washington with his wife Amanda and son Ethan, who attends pre-kindergarten at their neighborhood DCPS elementary school. Visit the Facebook page.

Nikki D’Angelo Petty, Wards 5 and 6

Nicole “Nikki” D'Angelo Petty grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and has been a teacher in DC since 2008, teaching English Language Arts to students ranging from Early Childhood to 7th grade. Her passion for working with communities grew from classroom conversations about social justice with her middle school students. This passion was further fueled when she studied Community Organizing in graduate school. While obtaining her Master’s in Social Work in Community Organizing, she worked in Detroit with parents and community stakeholders to engage them around school-related matters and build parent leadership. Nikki is excited about involving Ward 5 and 6 parents and community members in the decision-making process about the direction of their children’s education. Nikki is an avid college football and basketball fan and lives in Ward 5 with her husband, baby boy, and their two dogs, Skye and Millie. Visit the Facebook page.

Sharona Robinson, Wards 7 and 8

Sharona is a native Washingtonian who grew up in Wards 7 and 8.  She attended Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, Jefferson Junior High School, and Ballou High School. She is a Ward 7 resident and mother of a 2015 Ballou graduate and three DCPS students who attend school in Wards 6 and 8. Sharona currently serves as the PTSA President at Ballou High School and has served on a variety of education committees including the Chancellor’s Parent Cabinet and the DC Advisory Committee on Student Assignment. She believes that all children deserve a quality education, no matter where they live. Sharona’s goal is to engage more families and community stakeholders East of the River. Visit the Facebook page.