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
Briana Jones
GRADES SERVED
K – 5
CURRENT ENROLLMENT
418 Scholars
The DREAM Team

Bryan Stroud
Principal

Briana Jones
Assistant Principal

Justin Richmond
Leader U Fellow

Carolyn Narvaez
Instructional Coach

Lesley Santos
Operations Manager

Krystyna Gloss
Administrative Manager

Alyzé Rodriguez
Operations Coordinator

Marleny Roche-Jimenez
Receptionist

Diana Pena
Kindergarten Teacher

Emily Kick
Kindergarten Teacher

Pashen Hutton
Kindergarten Teacher

Essence Wilson
Kindergarten Teacher

Samantha Kienemund
Kindergarten Teacher

Madeline Nawa
Kindergarten Teacher

Sofia Roman
First Grade Teacher
Kadine Cousins
First Grade Teacher

Tamara Celestine
First Grade Teacher

Micheal Thomas
First Grade Teacher

Aminata Waggeh
Second Grade Teacher

Harry Little
Second Grade Teacher

Heather Gorton
Second Grade Teacher

Alex Haas
Second Grade Teacher

Ashley Silver
Third Grade Teacher

Sara Kim
Third Grade Teacher

Madeline Hess
Third Grade Teacher

Zakiyah Floyd
Third Grade Teacher

Noemi Cardenales
Fourth Grade Teacher

Courtney Cox
Fourth Grade Teacher

Kim Alvarado
Fourth Grade Teacher

Dimple Bailey
Fifth Grade Teacher

Jonathan Gallegos
Fifth Grade Teacher

Conscious Coore
Fifth Grade Teacher

Yauntilaa Lancaster
Fifth Grade Teacher
Jennifer Baez
Fifth Grade Teacher Resident

Carmen Cruel
K-2 Science/ Social Studies Teacher

Kevin Lassiter
3-5 Science Teacher

Stephen Kovalcik
Physical Education Teacher

Kristina Bounviri
Movement Teacher
Marion Lopez
Performing Arts Teacher

Shakema Philbert
SETSS K-3

Stephanie Pepen
SETSS 4-5

Elena Heitke
ELL K-5

Colleen Smith
Intervention Specialist

Danielle Rivera
Social Worker

Amy Spina
Social Worker

Bernado Melinette
Scholar Support Specialist

Cheyenne Bhutan
Dream Coach

Kelvin Negron
Facilities Manager

Kevin Burns
Custodian

Juan Rodriguez
Handyman

Julio Duran
Security Guard
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, Starboard Value, L.P.
Roger Berg
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Trevor Gibbons
Prosek Partners
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, American Express
Ross Frommer
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Stephanie King
Columbia University
Farida Ilboudo
Columbia University
Click to download HPCS Board Meeting Minutes – 2016-17
Download Annual Report 16-17
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.