Monday, September 23, 2024

Kuumba Academy Announces New School Leader

The content of this post comes from a press release from Kuumba Academy Charter School...

The Kuumba Academy School Board is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Natakie Chestnut-Lee as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kuumba Academy Charter School, effective August 19, 2024.
Dr. Natakie Chestnut-Lee, new CEO of Kuumba Academy.
Photo provided by Kuumba Academy. 

Following an extensive and highly competitive search process incorporating input from staff and parents, Dr. Chestnut-Lee emerged as the ideal leader to guide the school into a new era of excellence. She brings with her a strategic vision, a deep passion for education, and a steadfast dedication to advancing the success of the professional team and student body.

Chestnut-Lee is a third-generation educator and proud HBCU graduate who combines analytical thinking with creativity, cultural grounding, and transparency. With over 20 years of experience in public, private, and charter school settings across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she is a consensus-building, solution-oriented academic leader. "I am confident in my ability to lead Kuumba Academy to new heights of academic excellence and operational efficiency," she shared.

Throughout her career, Chestnut-Lee has consistently demonstrated strong leadership in coaching and managing adult outcomes, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth among educators and staff. Her previous roles included implementing comprehensive professional development programs that significantly enhanced instructional practices and leadership skills, resulting in improved teacher effectiveness and student outcomes. By pairing experienced educators with new teachers through a mentorship approach, she has increased both retention rates and job satisfaction.

"By creating a collaborative and supportive environment, I empower teachers to take ownership of their professional development, leading to increased innovation in the classroom and improved student performance," Chestnut-Lee said. 

Chestnut-Lee introduced a comprehensive multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) that provided differentiated instruction, and interventions tailored to individual students' needs. This approach led to measurable improvements in academic outcomes, particularly among students with diverse learning needs. 

"Through these efforts, we saw significant gains in standardized test scores, increased graduation rates, and a reduction in the achievement gap between different student groups," said Chestnut-Lee. "My commitment to data-driven strategies and collaborative leadership plays a crucial role in these positive outcomes, demonstrating my ability to drive meaningful improvements in student achievement."

Chestnut-Lee’s extensive credentials include a background in dance arts, special education, adult education, criminal justice, school culture, and educational leadership. She has published several works, including her Walden University dissertation titled 'U.S. Teachers’ Perceptions on School Violence Programs' (2016), and more recently, the 2023 STEM Coloring and Activity Book, Piper and Tabia’s Journey to Egypt (a three-book Multicultural STEM series, 2023), Infusion Coloring Book (2023), and an eleven-journal collection (2023). 

Please join the Kuumba School Board, Sally Maldonado, Chief Operating Officer, and the Kuumba Village in extending a warm and enthusiastic welcome to Dr. Natakie Chestnut-Lee as the new CEO of Kuumba Academy Charter School.

ABOUT KUUMBA ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
In response to the outcry from Wilmington parents looking for a high-quality public education and increased access to arts education for their children, Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) leaders, parents, and community supporters took action and were granted a Department of Education charter to create Kuumba Academy Charter School (KACS) in 2001. KACS was the first school model in the state that partnered a public charter school with a nonprofit community organization.

CCAC and KACS form a unique nonprofit/public school partnership committed to educational excellence. Through the innovative union of academics, arts, technology, and family engagement, each KACS student’s individual learning style is nurtured — resulting in creative learners who are agents of positive change in the community.

Visit kuumbaacademy.org to learn more about the school and its programs.

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