Board of Directors

The ITDS Board of Directors meets 6 times a year. Meetings are governed by the Open Meetings Act and therefore are open to anyone who would like to observe. Please visit the Transparency section of our website for the Meeting Calendar, Agenda, Minutes, and links to attend Board meetings.

Michelle Lerner

Chair (boardchair@inspiredteachingschool.org)

Michelle Lerner is a communications consultant, supporting K-12 and education organizations. She previously led communications and served as press secretary at DC Public Schools and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education think tank. She serves as a member of the Education Writers Association’s Community Advisory Board and graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s in journalism and from George Mason University with a master’s in public policy. Michelle lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, two sons, and two highly energetic cats.

Andrea Browning

Andrea Browning is currently the Director of Regional Initiatives for the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center at WestEd, a nonprofit research, development, and educational service agency. At WestEd, she provides professional development, technical assistance, and policy analysis to help state education agencies and school districts meet the needs of all students. Andrea’s background is in child and youth development and is informed by two decades of cross-sector experience in studying and advising education systems on how to best create responsive learning environments. She is a nationally recognized leader in personalized learning and previously led a $500 million program U.S. Department of Education program, focused on supporting school districts in their transformation to next-generation learning systems. Andrea began her career as a high school dropout prevention counselor. In her spare time, she teaches yoga and mindfulness and can often be found exploring the trails in Rock Creek Park. Andrea holds a BS in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University.

Matt Chingos

Parent Member

Matt Chingos is an education policy researcher at the Urban Institute, a non-partisan research organization in Washington, DC. At Urban, Matt leads a team that undertakes policy-relevant research on issues from prekindergarten through postsecondary education and creates tools such as Urban’s Education Data Portal. He also led the effort to create the DC Education Research Collaborative, a research-practice partnership between the District’s public school system and a consortium of 15 research and policy organizations led by Urban. Matt has a BA in government and economics and a PhD in government from Harvard University. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two daughters, one of whom attends the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School.

Heather Emmert-Kantor

Parent Member

Heather Emmert-Kantor is the Director of Instructional Partnership with 3DE Schools. Heather supports districts and instructional coaches across the country with the implementation of a competency-based instructional model. She has more than 15 years of experience in education and school leadership in New Orleans and New York City, including as an Assistant Principal, Instructional Coach, and English teacher. Prior to her work in education, Heather was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia and a political field organizer and environmental advocate for Environment America. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Texas at Austin. Heather lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and two daughters at ITDS. When she’s not working in schools, Heather is out running or creating family costumes.

Dr. Faith Gibson Hubbard

Dr. Faith Gibson Hubbard is a passionate advocate, educator, public policy and engagement expert, strategist, community organizer and connector! She is the CEO and Principal of FGH Strategies and serves as the Senior Advisor for Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE). Dr. Gibson Hubbard has run for the Ward 5 seat on the Council for the District of Columbia and has previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs and as the first Executive Director of Thrive by Five DC. She also served as the first Chief Student Advocate for DC, establishing the DC Office of the Student Advocate; and served as the interim Ombudsman for Public Education, leading the work of the DC Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education. Currently, Dr. Gibson Hubbard serves on several boards focused on community schools and public education, perinatal health and ending domestic violence against Black women. She is an alumna of Education Pioneers, the PIE Network’s Leadership Institute, and member of Education Leaders of Color. Additionally, she is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; The Links Inc.; and Jack & Jill of America, Inc. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration & Public Affairs from Virginia Tech; a Master of Public Administration from Old Dominion University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism/Public Relations from Georgia State University. Dr. Gibson Hubbard is a proud DC resident who lives in Ward 5 with her husband and two children.

Dr. Aysha Keisler

Parent Member

Aysha Keisler lives in Eckington with her husband and daughter, a first-grader at ITDS. She leads Keisler Social & Behavioral Research, a small DC-based research firm that brings rigorous science to the development and evaluation of public-facing programs and policy. Prior to Keisler Research, Aysha was a Vice President at Ipsos Public Affairs where she created and led a Behavioral Science practice. She holds a PhD from the University of Virginia and held subsequent fellowships at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Aysha is an ardent believer in community-based action and volunteerism. In addition to her new role with the ITDS Board of Directors, she is co-chair of the DC Education Research Collaborative Advisory Committee.

Aleta Margolis

Aleta Margolis is Founder and President of Center for Inspired Teaching, a Washington, DC-based organization that invests in teachers from recruitment to retirement to ensure schools make the most of children’s innate desire to learn. A third-generation Washingtonian, Aleta has taught elementary and middle school in Chicago area public schools, has been a professor of education at American University, and has created and run alternative education programs for DC high school students in the juvenile justice system.

Mary Pitts

Vice Chair (vicechair@inspiredteachingschool.org)

Mary Pitts is a program evaluator. She works for the federal government, primarily on homeland security and justice-related issues. She previously worked in the nonprofit and private sectors in industries ranging from historic preservation to small business development to affordable housing and tax credit financing – through this work, she traveled to 47 states. She has expertise in program management, data and market analysis, and real estate valuation. She has an undergraduate degree in English and policy studies from Rice University and a master of public policy from George Washington University. She served on the Board of the Inspired Families Association for several years, including two years as president. She loves early morning walks on the Mall with her dog, cooking and eating seasonal vegetables, and listening to audiobooks while doing chores. She’s learning to identify native and invasive plants. She lives in Washington, DC, and her two children attend ITDS.

Dr. Sundai Riggins, EdD

Dr. Riggins is the Head of School at the inspired Teaching Demonstration School. Prior to her current role, Dr. Riggins was the principal of Hendley Elementary School in SE DC for six years. During her time at Hendley ES she improved academic achievement, built robust programming and extracurricular activities, and also redefined the curriculum to include STEM programming and hands-on learning experiences for students. In 2019 her school won the Innovation for Excellence award at the Standing Ovation for DC Public Schools and became the only OSSE recognized STEM elementary school in Ward 8. Most recently, Dr. Riggins was recognized for her highly effective leadership and awarded the Leading During a Year of Change, an honor designated for three DCPS principals. A veteran school leader, she has served as an urban school leader for twelve years as both a principal and mentor to aspiring school leaders. As a former founding principal of a brand-new Expeditionary Learning (EL) charter school in Baltimore City, Dr. Riggins has experience in both traditional and charter schools. In addition, she spent eight years in parochial schools as a teacher, English Department Chair, and was selected by her colleagues as the Teacher of the Year. Dr. Riggins has written articles for NAEYC, the 74 Million, and was featured as a guest expert on CNN’s The ABCs of COVID-19, with Sanjay Gupta and Erica Hill. Dr. Riggins holds bachelors degrees in English and Journalism, two master’s degrees – a Master of Science in Administration from Trinity University and an Executive Masters in Leadership from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Leah Squires, PhD

Secretary, Parent Member

Dr. Leah E. Squires is the Psychology Service Chief at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DCVAMC). She is a clinical health psychologist and previously served as the Director of Psychology Training at the DCVAMC. Dr. Squires is an active researcher in HIV behavioral health, with a specific focus on addressing disparities in health, and has also served as the National Coordinator of the Liver/HIV Psychology Postdoctoral Training Program administered by the VA Office of HIV, Hepatitis and Related Conditions. Dr. Squires completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Boston University before moving to the DC to complete internship and two years of postdoctoral training at the DCVAMC. Dr. Squires is also Dr. Mom to two ITDS students and has proudly served as both Vice President and President of the Inspired Families Association. In her limited spare time, Leah enjoys gardening, knitting, watching the birds, and jumping on trampolines.

Rusty Wilson

Treasurer, Parent Member

Rusty Wilson is an attorney and business executive. He is the co-founder and principal of an information services company with offices in Washington, DC and Shanghai, China. He was previously a vice president of business development and strategy at AOL, in-house counsel at a telecommunications company, and he practiced law as a real estate attorney at the firm of Hale and Dorr LLP (now Wilmer Hale LLP). He is a graduate of Yale University and Cornell Law School. He and his wife live in Washington DC and have two children who attend the Inspired Teaching School.