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.