Board of Directors
Barbara G. Raho, Co-Chair
Angel investor and managing director of Golden Seeds, an early-stage investment firm with a focus on women leaders. Currently, she sits on the boards of My Sisters’ Place and POTS (Part of the Solution), and previously served on the board of the Rye YMCA. Barbara holds a BA in religion from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Diana Revson, Co-Chair
Board member of the ERA Coalition and The Gordon Parks Foundation. Her father was a professor of history.
Steven Aresty
Managing trustee of a private foundation that focuses on improving educational opportunities for disenfranchised youth in New York City. He is member of the Donor’s Education Collaborative and the Early Education Partners, both housed at the New York Community Trust. He is a long time board member and past chairman of the board of Symphony Space and a board member of the Westside Campaign Against Hunger. He serves on the Dean of the College’s council at Brown University. He has a BA from Brown University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Michael Glazebrook
Chairman of the board of The Point, a center in the South Bronx dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of Hunts Point. He taught middle school English.
Aisha Haynes
New York University doctoral candidate engaged in educational policy research. Aisha’s career has largely focused on providing academic-enrichment activities to help first-generation and low-income high school students make a successful transition to college. She participated in a Columbia University college access program and taught at The Academy of Urban Planning and Engineering for eleven years.
Patricia Hayot
Patricia Hayot, Ph.D., a consummate educator with more than 40 years of experience, served most recently for 17 years as head of school of Chapin in New York City. She has taught in the United States; Geneva, Switzerland; and Paris, France. She has served as head at both the International School of Paris, a K–12 school offering the International Baccalaureate, and Columbus School for Girls.
Dr. Hayot has held leadership positions in many independent school associations, including the National Coalition of Girls Schools (NCGS), Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), Country Day Schools Headmasters Association (CDSHA), and European Council of International Schools (ECIS). She was most recently elected to the Robert College Board of Trustees, for which she serves on the Governance and Executive Committees.
Joy Hurd
Joy is the head of school at Lake Forest Country Day School in Lake Forest, Illinois. During his years in New York City, he taught at St. Bernard’s School, Riverdale Country School, and the Buckley School. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Klingenstein Center of Teachers College, Columbia University.
Margery Mayer
Past President of Scholastic Education, Margery led the development of effective intervention programs such as READ 180, System 44, and MATH 180. She currently serves on the boards of private equity-owned education businesses and of Public Prep, a NYC-based charter school network. In 2012, she was inducted into the Association of Educational Publishing Hall of Fame.
Caroline S. McBride
Co-founder, chief investment officer, and a managing director of Forum Partners Investment Management. She is a trustee of Middlebury College. Her daughter teaches science in a public school in Chicago.
Jane Pollock
Jane has served on the boards of arts, educational, and reproductive rights organizations including: the JCC, the West Side Montessori School, Symphony Space, and National Institute for Reproductive Health. She has many teachers in her family.
Mary Singh
Board member of Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn NY.
Sam Swope, Ex Officio
Sam is the founder and president of The Academy for Teachers.
Will Thompson, Board Treasurer
Will is a managing partner at White Post Investments. He is a graduate of Harvard College.
Wayne Tobias
Wayne is an award-winning educator of advanced mathematics and computer science at Williamsburg Preparatory High School in Brooklyn. He is a school leader who has been recognized for his advocacy of educators’ rights. Wayne has degrees in computer science, secondary math education, and educational leadership.
Felipe Vasconcelos
As a serial entrepreneur, Felipe consults internationally and has owned businesses ranging from information technology to manufacturing to fashion. He worked for a Shark Tank company, holds degrees from Rutgers and the Simon School of Business/Rochester, and is fluent in three languages and learning a fourth.
Emeriti
Alan Cheng
Christian Clarke
Elizabeth B. Dater
Peter J. DiFiore
Irena Goldstein
Roy Moskowitz
Chloe Pinkerton
Karen Russell
Danny Schott
Wilson Tong
Elly Wong
Staff
Sam Swope, founder and president
Sam is on the faculty of the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. He was founding dean of the Teacher Institute at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library. His books include Gotta Go! Gotta Go!, The Araboolies of Liberty Street (which has been made into an opera and a musical), and I Am a Pencil: A Teacher, His Kids, and Their World of Stories (which has been translated into five languages).
sam@academyforteachers.org
Rebecca Montville, vice president
Rebecca spent 9 years teaching middle school in public and private schools in New York City and has a Masters Degree in Secondary Math Education from Fordham University. Before becoming an educator, she was a researcher in microbiology and virology at Rutgers University and Yale University. rebecca@academyforteachers.org
Rene Marion, dean of Fellows
Rene taught history at the secondary and collegiate level for more than twenty years, primarily at Bard High School Early College-Manhattan. More recently, she developed agro-ecology and food studies programs for both students and teachers at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. She has a PhD in history from Johns Hopkins University. rene@academyforteachers.org
Rachel Papert, project coordinator
Rachel graduated from Bard College with a BA in American Studies. She is also a proud graduate of the New York City public school system. Some of her interests include contemporary literature, American history, and comedy. rachel@academyforteachers.org
Kerry Wimley, program associate & digital specialist
Kerry has spent much of her career focused on digital marketing and project management in higher education. A lifelong learner, she spends her free time learning new languages, tutoring elementary students, traveling, and drawing. Her interests include philosophy, mythology, and historical cultures. Kerry graduated from Boston College with a degree in business and a minor in American Studies. kerry@academyforteachers.org