The new Mary Jane Patterson Fellows who lead schools as resident principals are (in alphabetical order):
MScott Berkowitz
MScott Berkowitz came to the DC area in 2004 after graduating from Cornell University with a Masters in the Art of Teaching and an undergraduate degree in Earth and Atmospheric Science. He also completed a certificate from the University of Virginia in Educational Leadership in 2012. He started his career in Virginia as a math teacher, became an instructional coach, and then assistant principal. He joined DCPS and Hardy Middle School in 2015. Hardy achieved dramatic increases in their PARCC results last year in part due to his leadership. MScott works closely with the Hardy leadership team so that all students are proficient in reading and math. He is currently the Resident Principal at C.W. Harris.
Derek Gorham
Derek Gorham grew up in nearby Camp Springs, MD. His first job was working for DC Parks and Rec as a camp counselor at Hine Junior High School where he found his passion for working with youth. He attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University for both undergraduate and graduate school, where he earned his MBA. After spending three years in corporate America, Derek made the decision to follow his heart and become an educator in Washington, DC. He spent his first 12 years in the education field with Friendship Public Charter School in a variety of roles including teacher, Business Operations Manager, and Assistant Principal. During this time, he decided to continue his education and received his second Master’s degree in Education and Administration from the University of Phoenix. In the summer of2015, Derek joined the DCPS family as an Assistant Principal with Charles Hart Middle School. He is currently the Resident Principal at Hyde Addison.
William Haith
William Haith is a native Washingtonian and proud alumnus of Wilson High School. He attended Liberty University for both undergraduate and graduate school. He also attended Virginia College for his 2nd graduate degree. He has spent the past 13 years with DCPS in several different roles all at Wilson HS. In the summers of 2014, 2015 and 2016, William served as summer school principal at Wilson HS. In the spring of 2016, Wilson HS produced an 88% graduation rate under his supervision of the Wilson HS 2016 senior class. He is currently the Resident Principal at Kelly Miller.
Christina Hanson
Christina Hanson is in her 11th year as a special education teacher. She began her teaching career with Durham Public Schools in North Carolina before joining DCPS in 2010. Over the past 7 years, Christina has served as a Teacher Lead, Lead Special Education Teacher, and Special Education and Response to Intervention Coordinator. Christina earned a B.A. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.A.T. in Special Education from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. During graduate school, Christina participated in the Culturally Responsive Teaching Grant, which provided targeted research opportunities working with students and families from diverse backgrounds as well as emphasized research based culturally responsive teaching strategies. She is currently the Resident Principal at Marie Reed.
Ijeoma Kush
Ijeoma Kush has been in the field of education for the past 14 years. Her passion for education was first ignited when she participated in a study abroad program that allowed her to travel to 10 countries and participate in service projects focused on education. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Ijeoma enrolled in an alternative certification program that allowed her to teach for Baltimore City PublicSchoolswhilereceivingherMastersofArtsinTeachingfromJohnsHopkinsUniversity.
While in Baltimore, Ijeoma taught fifth grade and middle school Social Studies before transitioning to teach for Prince George's County Public Schools. In 2009, Ijeoma began her career in DC Public Schools as a member of the first cohort of Master Educators, who served as content specific evaluators that conducted formal assessments of teachers through IMPACT, the district's formal evaluation system.
Ijeoma spent the next seven years with the program, serving as a Senior Master Educator and Director. She then served as the Deputy Chief of LEAP Implementation. She is currently the Resident Principal at CHEC.
Ryan Lam
Ryan Lam grew up in rural Virginia where he developed his love for the outdoors. He took a job as camp counselor one summer during his college years to be able to work in the outdoors. What he didn’t know is that through that job he would develop a new passion- working with children. The following fall semester, Ryan changed his undergraduate major to Elementary Education. In the Spring, Ryan took a trip to Camden, NJ to work with elementary aged youth in an after-school program. This is where he realized the vast difference between his education and the education in underserved communities. This stark reality lit a fire in him to teach in underserved communities and bridge the gap. Ryan graduated from Bridgewater College with a B.S.in Liberal Studies with a focus in Elementary Education. Ryan now holds and M. Ed from Liberty University in Education Administration and Supervision and. He is currently the Resident Principal at Whittier.