EdVestors’ annual Education Showcase is an opportunity for our community - educators, nonprofit partners, civic leaders, and supporters - to come together to discuss creative, on-the-ground solutions happening in schools and to explore key issues in education. The Showcase provides a platform for educators to share and spread some of the good work happening in Boston’s public schools.
Watch the full recording here.
We’re excited to welcome speaker Patrick Tutwiler, Ph.D., Massachusetts Secretary of Education and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. We will also host a mainstage panel featuring educators, partner, and a district leader:
- Shammah Daniels, Principal, Blackstone Elementary School
- Lydia Emmons, Director of Early College Programs, Boston Public Schools
- Nicolasa López, Director of Family and Community Engagement, Gardner Pilot Academy
- Celina Miranda, Ph.D., Executive Director, Hyde Square Task Force
Speaker Biographies
Patrick Tutwiler, Ph.D., Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Ph.D. directs the Executive Office of Education, which oversees early education, K-12, and higher education. Secretary Tutwiler sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies, as well as the University of Massachusetts system. Dr. Tutwiler served as the senior program officer at the Boston-based Barr Foundation, a grantmaking organization focused on arts, climate and education. Prior to that, he was superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools and headmaster at Boston Public Schools.
Shammah Daniels, Principal, Blackstone Elementary School
Shammah Daniels is currently the proud Principal of The William Blackstone Elementary School in the South End. Prior to relocating to Boston after being recruited by Boston Public Schools, Shammah served as Principal in Pitt County in Greenville North Carolina from 2010-2019. She taught middle school in Pitt County for10 years, earning the distinction of National Board Certified Teacher in 2001. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Carolina State University in Raleigh with a BS in Middle Grades Education and earned a Masters in School Administration and advanced certification as a Curriculum Specialist from East Carolina University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Lydia Emmons, Director of Early College Programs, Boston Public Schools
Lydia Emmons is the Director of Early College Programs at Boston Public Schools. In her role, she works in deep partnership with industry leaders, institutions of higher education, district leadership, and philanthropic partners to expand high quality early college and career pathways across BPS’s Secondary Schools. For over a decade, Lydia has led organizations and programs to expand equitable pathways to higher education and increase economic mobility for young people in the greater Boston area. Prior to joining Boston Public Schools, Lydia served in leadership roles at Sociedad Latina and Jobs for America’s Graduates where she was instrumental in developing nationally recognized out of school time and college access programs for historically marginalized students.
Nicolasa López, Director of Family and Community Engagement, Gardner Pilot Academy
Nicolasa López is the Family and Community Engagement Director at Gardner Pilot Academy, a community school in the heart of Allston, MA. Nicolasa has been working with underserved and immigrant families in the Boston area for more than 20 years. More than a job, she sees her work as a labor of love! Nicolasa connects families with the most needed resources and services, such as housing, health, food, etc. Studies have shown that when families don't have to worry about these things, their children do better in school. She has a Master's Degree from Northeastern University.
Celina Miranda, Ph.D., Executive Director, Hyde Square Task Force
Celina Miranda, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF), a creative youth development organization located in Jamaica Plain, Boston. Before joining HSTF in August of 2016, she was a senior program officer at the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, where she managed grants in education and economic mobility. Celina was vice president and charitable giving manager for BNY Mellon Public Affairs office in New England. Among her accomplishments at BNY Mellon, she is most proud of her leadership role in developing a multi-year initiative focused on youth aging out of foster care. Celina has a doctorate in Social Work and Sociology from Boston University.
Mary Skipper, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools
In June 2022, the Boston School Committee selected Mary Skipper as the Superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS). Mary previously served as the Superintendent of Somerville Public Schools (SPS). Before going to Somerville, Superintendent Skipper was a Network Superintendent of High Schools for BPS, where she oversaw 34 high schools serving approximately 19,500 students.
Stemming from the experiences that she’s gained across BPS and SPS, Superintendent Skipper’s agenda at Boston Public Schools will focus on prioritizing and accelerating academic performance; strengthening access to social-emotional learning; streamlining operations and ensuring student safety; developing authentic family and community engagement practices; improving internal and external communication with families and staff; and, increasing accountability for both the central office and our schools. Superintendent Skipper holds a Bachelor's degree in English and Latin, along with a Master’s degree in Classics from Tufts University. She earned a Master's in Education Policy from Harvard and a Master's in Education Leadership from Columbia Teachers College. Superintendent Skipper and her husband, Peter, have resided in their family home in Dorchester for 25 years.
