16th Cohort

Left to right: Sonja Brookins-Santelises, Nikolai Vitti, Lisa Pilaski, David Lussier, Robert Peterkin (Program Director), Darienne Driver, Jennifer Price (Graduate Assistant), Jennifer Cheatham

Jennifer Cheatham

Doctoral Student & Project Manager, High Schools, San Diego Unified School District

Jennifer's focus is on systemic improvement in urban school districts. Her expertise lies in developing instructional alignment and coherence at every level of a school system. Jennifer worked as a coach and professional developer at the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC). Before joining BASRC, she led a multi-year initiative aimed at improving academic literacy for middle and high school students. She began her career as a highly successful and passionate 8th grade English teacher.

Education: Ed.M., Harvard University; M.A. in Education, University of Michigan; B.A. in English, DePaul University, Chicago.

Contact: uspcheatham@mac.com

Darienne Driver

Doctoral Student & Clayton County Georgia

Darienne began teaching elementary school in Detroit, where she served as a building Lead Reading Teacher. Darienne's areas of expertise include early childhood literacy, curriculum implementation, and strategic planning.

Education: Ed.M., Harvard University; Bachelor in Elementary Education from Spelman College; Masters, Curriculum Development, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

David Lussier

Doctoral Student & Special Assistant to the Superintendent, Austin Independent School District

David specializes in education policy, particularly in the areas of teacher quality, the No Child Left Behind Act, and compensation reform. As a teacher leader, federal policymaker, and research director, David has worked at the local, state, and national levels. He is currently leading the development of a strategic compensation initiative. David has also been Massachusetts Teacher of the Year; White House Fellow; and Research Director, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Education: Ed.M.., Harvard University; M.A.T, Boston University; B.A. in History, University of Massachusetts at Lowell

Contact: 512-414-9834; usplussier@mac.com

Lisa H. Pilaski

Doctoral Student & Coordinator III, State and Federal Programs, Sacramento City Unified School District

Lisa has worked as a central office administrator, teacher trainer, curriculum developer, adult educator and bilingual classroom teacher in settings that range from Caribbean villages and rural Oklahoma to New York City and northern California. Her core belief is that excellent instruction, support and accountability are necessary in order to ensure high achievement in every classroom, for every student.

Education: B.S. in Elementary Education, and B.A. in Spanish, University of Illinois; M.A. in Bilingual/Bicultural Education, Teachers College/Columbia University; Ed.M., Harvard University.

Contact: pilaskli@gse.harvard.edu or usppilaski@hotmail.com

Nikolai Vitti

Doctoral Student & Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Nikolai currently serves as an Assistant to the Superintendent where he spearheads the District Assistance Team, which coordinates the efforts of the District and Regional offices to target the distinct needs of schools. His previous experience includes: Head Dean of Students (Bronx, NY), Middle and High School Social Studies Teacher (Bronx, NY; Winston-Salem, NC).

Education: Ed.M., Policy, Harvard University; MA in Education and BA in History, Wake Forest University.

Contact: nvitti@hotmail.com