Our Story
In March 2011, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute approved Democracy Prep to turn around Harlem Day Charter School, a failing elementary school in East Harlem. The immediate effects were staggering. In their first year, Harlem Prep’s scholars achieved the highest proficiency growth scores in English Language Arts (ELA) in New York State and the highest combined proficiency growth scores in ELA and Math in New York City.
To attain these dramatic results, Harlem Prep’s DREAM Team worked tirelessly to deliver Democracy Prep’s rigorous and structured model to the same students in the same building, turning the school into a high-performing elementary school where students are prepared for success in both college and citizenship. Although much ground remains to be covered, the turnaround has unequivocally proven that it was not the children, but rather the adults in the building, that led to persistently low academic achievement.
PRINCIPAL
Bryan Stroud
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Justin Richmond
GRADES SERVED
3-5
CURRENT ENROLLMENT
315 Scholars
The DREAM Team

Bryan Stroud
Principal

Justin Richmond
Assistant Principal

Lesley Santos
Operations Manager

Bernado Melinette
Dean of Culture

Colleen Smith
Learning Intervention Coach

Zakiyah Floyd
Leader U Resident

Achante Sims
Administrative Manager

Maciel De La Cruz
Operations Coordinator

Mandell Pratt
Social Worker

Amy Spina
Social Worker

Cara Cherapakov
Third Grade Teacher

Katherine Devaney
Third Grade Teacher

Madeline Hess
Third Grade Teacher

Alexandra Ortega
Third Grade Teacher

Sofia Roman
Grade Team Leader/ Third Grade Teacher

Fatoumata Ceesay
Fourth Grade Teacher

Kadine Cousins
Fourth Grade Teacher

Courtney Cox
Grade Team Leader/ Fourth Grade Teacher

Steve Saunders
Fourth Grade Teacher

Caitlin Geis
Fifth Grade Teacher

Samantha Kienemund
Grade Team Leader/ Fifth Teacher

Kristina Bounviri
Movement Teacher

Stephen Kovalcik
Physical Education Teacher

Marion Lopez
Performing Arts Teacher

Elena Heitke
ELL Teacher

Shakema Philbert
ACT Coordinator/SETSS Teacher

Jose Hernandez
Facilities
DPNY Board of Directors
Dr. Robert North
Chair, Harlem Hospital
Josh Pristaw
Vice Chair, GTIS Partners
Brian Berger
Treasurer, Glocap Search
Doug Snyder
Vice Chair, Luxor Capital Group
Roger Berg
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Sean Windsor
BDO USA, LLP
Ken Weiller
Westfield Investment LLC
Alastair Wood
Kindur
Brittany Mullings
Human Resources Business Partner, National Basketball Association
Gregory Weston
Winston & Strawn LLP
Jake Foley III
Khary Barnes
Vice Chair, JPMorgan Chase & Co
Ross Frommer
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Farida Ilboudo
Columbia University
Drew Gannon Singh
Deloitte Consulting LLC
To contact the DPNY Board, please email Boardoftrustees@DemocracyPrep.org
For information about the DPNY Board of Trustees, including minutes and upcoming meeting dates, click here.