Board of Trustees
Barbara L. Saunders, Chair
Mrs. Barbara L. Saunders is a dedicated parent advocate currently serving as a Parent Practitioner for Anti-Drug & Alcohol Crusaders, a local non-profit organization focused on supporting families in the community. Before taking on this vital role, Mrs. Saunders gained valuable experience as a substitute teacher in various suburban school districts outside of Philadelphia.
Her passion for public education was ignited during her tenure as chairperson of the Parents’ Association for the School District of Philadelphia’s Head Start program. In this capacity, she collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania to develop a functional study that tracked the success of Head Start students, contributing to important research in early childhood education.
Mrs. Saunders also has a robust background in human services, having held supervisory positions at several agencies. She managed Community Living Arrangements (CLAs) at Lynch Community Homes of Montgomery County (now KenCrest) and oversaw a workshop program for individuals who are hearing and vision impaired at Overbrook School for the Blind.
She holds a degree in Behavioral Health from Jefferson University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Mrs. Saunders is deeply committed to ensuring that all children have access to quality public education. Since 2003, Mrs. Saunders has served on the board of several schools within the American Paradigm Schools network. She is also the proud parent of two children who are alumni of First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School, the first school in the American Paradigm Schools network.
Dr. Ronald Whitaker, Vice Chair
Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker, II is the Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Assistant Professor of Education at Cabrini University. In this role, he is intentional about incorporating culturally responsive tenets into Cabrini’s undergraduate and graduate education programs. At Cabrini, he also serves as the Assistant Dean in the School of Education, Director of District and School Relations, and Director for the Center for Urban Education, Equity, and Improvement (CUEEI).
Further, Dr. Whitaker also holds the distinction of being a Schouver Fellow at Duquesne University. As a Schouver Fellow, Dr. Ron engages in improvement projects that seeks to establish, nurture, and sustain the Duquesne Collective Action Network. The Duquesne Collective Action Network is a cross-sector, research and development collective focused on building system capacity in local schools and their communities.
Educationally, Dr. Whitaker completed his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership at Duquesne University, where he was also inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Education (M.S. Ed) from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Eastern University and two undergraduate degrees from Geneva
College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Dr. Ron also earned a Graduate Certificate in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Dr. Whitaker has 15 years’ of experience in Urban Education, where he specializes on issues that influence the educational experiences of African American males. His research interest includes integrating culturally responsive pedagogy into teacher education programs, culturally responsive
programming and practices for minority males, and strategic diversity, equity, and inclusivity efforts.
Dr. Whitaker presents his research at both national and international scholarly conferences, and within K-12 educational milieus. He is revered amongst colleagues for engaging in “tough conversations” in a respectful manner. For 15 years, he has led various programming for black boys and men. Lastly, Dr. Whitaker was a 2016 AERA Asa Hilliard/Barbara Sizemore fellow, and
a 2017 Black Theology Fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary/Princeton University.
Lionel Archer, Treasurer
Lionel S. Archer Jr. is a graduate of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design. He is a 29 year employee and Contract Administrator at SEPTA. His career at SEPTA started in the Graphic Design Department. During his first two years at SEPTA he was also a teacher of Graphic Design at the Delaware County Community College in the evenings until it was no longer feasible. During his tenure at SEPTA, Lionel has also worked in the Engineering, Maintenance and Construction Departments as a Contract Compliance Analyst. In this role he reviewed Federal Transit Administration & PennDOT funded SEPTA contracts for compliance with Federal and State regulations. From there he was promoted to Contract Compliance Administrator where he supervised other Contract Compliance Analysts. Lionel’s most recent promotion was to the position of Contract Administrator where he performs “cradle to grave” contract administration functions for assigned contract services in the Technical Services section.
Lionel was born in Washington, DC and moved to South Philadelphia with his parents at the age of 4. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Catholic grade school and St. John Neumann High School. Lionel is married with one son who attends Tacony Academy Charter School.
Anita Vega- Kaiser, Secretary
Mrs. Anita Vega Kaiser is a Senior Veterans Service Representative at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her work includes processing claims for disability compensation and providing one-on-one mentorship and training to new employees. This requires her to maintain up-to-date information on Federal Laws and Regulations set by Congress.
In her former role as Legislative Assistant for State Rep. John J. Taylor, R-Pa., Mrs. Vega Kaiser worked with Juanita neighborhood community members to resolve problems ranging from issues with a driver’s license to acquiring birth certificates to abandoned cars. During her six years with Rep. Taylor, she organized the first Hispanic Community Fair and assisted in outreach efforts to the Hispanic community.
She is a 2011 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Psychology and Social Science.
Mr. Reginald A. Howard, Chair
Mr. Reginald A. Howard is an experienced education and program coordinator with a strong background in mental health advocacy, community engagement, and organizational leadership. He has the proven ability to design and implement programs, build partnerships, and support diverse educational communities. He is committed to fostering equity and supporting student success. He captured most of his early life in his self-published book “Suffering into Success: A Paradigm Shift of Struggle to Achieve Happiness.” His commitment to healing extends to his popular show, “Equity w/ Reginald A. Howard,” boasting 200,000 downloads and garnering attention from media outlets such as the Philadelphia Tribune, Women’s Health Magazine, and others.
His dedication to catalyzing positive change has led to fruitful collaborations with prominent organizations such as Sage Therapeutics, the Healthcare Improvement Foundation, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. He held pivotal roles in the mental health sector, collaborating with organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Black Men Heal, and the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Locally, he has made significant contributions to community health initiatives, notably at a federally qualified health center, the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University at the College of Nursing and Health Professions.
Mr. Howard grew up in the Logan neighborhood and graduated from Lindley Academy Charter School, which was previously named Birney Elementary School.
Dr. Zakia Y. Gates, PhD
Dr. Zakia Y. Gates is an Assistant Professor of Education at Eastern University, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She earned her PhD in Professional Studies in K-12 Education from Capella University in 2016 and brings two decades of experience across educational institutions, including charter schools and higher education. From 2007 to 2014, she served as Director of Education at a juvenile facility.
Dr. Gates’s educational philosophy is grounded in social responsibility, transformative pedagogy, and cultural responsiveness. This philosophy informs her research interests and teaching, which include critical race theory, social justice in education, culturally relevant and responsive pedagogies, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her work also explores the experiences of Black women and girls in educational and societal contexts.
She believes that effective teaching and leadership are achieved by being intentional with faith, reason, and justice in preparing future generational leaders.
No Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.