Dear parents, staff, and community partners,
It has been a lifelong goal of mine to prepare myself with the skills and experiences needed
to invest in the lives of students and adults. CMS is a district that supports my belief that
everyone is constantly learning and cultivating into better educators. My passion for leading is
fueled by the progress of others, especially our children. My five years as a Magnet School
administrator has provided me with the insight to support our school's vision, mission, and
improvement goals. Coaching teachers on differentiation and data analysis in order to plan
instruction has been a focus in my current position. The ability to motivate students and staff
members is one of my strongest skills which I believe promotes higher student achievement.
Instructionally, I have a background in K-12 education, working in the classroom, media
center, and as a K-8 middle and elementary school administrator. I am a National Board Certified
teacher who facilitates small candidate groups at NCCAT. My training in Reading Recovery and
Direct Instruction, as well as interventionist and MTSS facilitator experiences, affords me the
skills necessary to implement effective interventions and progress monitoring. My experience
with Information Studies extends my depth of knowledge of the 21st century learner and the
lifelong impact of technology. Planning with grade levels K-5 as a media specialist gave me
hands on experience with the alignment of standards and implementation of CCSS.
I have worked in a Title I school for six years and understand the federal mandates and key
focus on parent involvement and student achievement. In addition to academics, I believe it is
very important to meet the needs of the whole child. I have four years of experience working at
a CMS school with a Basic School focus, which involved planning service learning opportunities
for students. I attended a Leader in Me conference and participated in a parent book study to
facilitate engagement around this initiative. I have been fortunate to open four new schools in
various capacities: as a fourth grade teacher, a media specialist and a principal intern. This
served to develop my level of working with constituent groups beyond the norm. I believe it was
imperative that the community was heard and consensus was reached, from naming the school(s)
to the creation of mission and vision statement(s).
I value people and believe more can be accomplished from a win-win approach. I am
committed to building relationships with parents, forming joint partnerships in an effort to enrich
their children’s lives with opportunities beyond the classroom setting. I am honored and
humbled to lead the work at Dorothy J. Vaughan Academy of Technology, continuing Dr.
Vaughan’s legacy through the lives of each Dorothy J. Vaughan scholar. I encourage each of us
to pledge to support the impact this school will have locally, nationally, and globally.
Best Regards,
Toyia Matthews
