Project Description
Dr. Asya Johnson, Fellow
Longwood Preparatory Academy
The Bronx, NY
Dr. Asya Johnson began her teaching career 15 years ago as a teacher in her hometown in Philadelphia. She received an Ed.D. in Education Management and Leadership from Drexel University; an Ed.M. in Leadership for Educational Change from Bank Street College; an M.Ed. in Special Education from Holy Family University and a B.A. in English from an HBCU, Delaware State University. She has served as the principal of Longwood Preparatory Academy in the South Bronx since 2016. She has held several positions at a charter school in Harlem, including the principal of the high school. Dr. Johnson also served as the Director of Special Education Programs for the New York City Department of Education’s District 79, where she assisted with the creation of special education instruction for incarcerated youth in secured detention and on Rikers Island correctional facility. Serving as a member of New York City’s Diversity Advisory Group, Dr. Johnson assisted with developing recommendations for diversity in admissions to public schools, most of which were approved by Mayor de Blasio. She continues to advocate for racial justice and educational equity.
Kesha Rashed, Ally
IEP Teacher
Longwood Preparatory Academy
The Bronx, NY
Kesha Rashed is a learning specialist for 12th grade ELA, in her fourth year of teaching, and working on her Ed.D. in Reading and Literacy. This will be her second year as the IEP teacher/ reading interventionist, in which she engages in assessments grounded in the science of reading to diagnose students' reading deficits. Once the core issue is determined, she fearlessly gets to work on interventions that are aligned to combat the reader's difficulty in being able to comprehend the text. She is an avid believer in students being given books that are complex in nature, as well as aligned with students’ interests as this is how we push the envelope to ensure literacy success for all. Reading is the key to opening doors for so many opportunities within one's lifetime. Her learning philosophy is that all children can and deserve to become literate members of society by being enabled to think independently and critically, learn about themselves, as well as others, while not being subjected to teaching to the test instructional practices. She holds an MS in Human Services, as well as a Masters of Science in Education.