Nancy Mann

Cahn Fellow 2004

Principal, Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School

The Bronx, New York

Nancy Mann was a member of the second Cahn Fellows cohort in 2004 as Principal of Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in The Bronx, NY.

Nancy began teaching at Central Park East Secondary School, a progressive public school founded by Deborah Meier and known for its focus on performance assessment and a restructured school day. In 1994 she was a founding teacher at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, one of the first small schools in the Bronx and part of the Annenberg Challenge. She served as principal from 2002-2014. The school used advisory, block programming, performance assessment and conflict mediation to serve 500 students. From 2015-2018 she was the Deputy Superintendent for a NYCDOE citywide district of performance assessment schools. She continued her work in performance assessment as a co-creator and co-instructor of the 2013 Summer Principal’s Academy, a competency-based program at Teachers College. Nancy earned a BA at Hunter College and an MA at Columbia University.  After Nancy retired from NYCDOE she began working at Bank Street Graduation School of Education.  At Bank Street she is an advisor for School District Leadership students in addition to working on the development of competency-based leadership programs.