May 17, 2022
Dear Centennial Academy Community,
I am pleased to share that the Governing Board of Directors has selected Ms. Jessica Olowoyo as Centennial Academy's new Head of School, effective June 1, 2022.
Ms. Olowoyo is currently a principal at KIPP Ascend Primary in Chicago, Illinois, and has worked with teachers, pre-service teachers, principals, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders to advocate for social and educational equity for over 15 years. Ms. Olowoyo has served as a change agent for education reform by identifying and tackling educational disparities.
As a result of a successful career in both the education and social service fields, Ms. Olowoyo has developed excellent skills in a number of areas, including the following:
● The ability to cultivate, build and maintain productive and symbiotic relationships with internal and external clients and stakeholders, as evidenced by quadrupling community partnerships within one year as School Leader at KIPP Memphis Academy Elementary.
● Strategic planning for academic achievement, team culture, family and community engagement, and school growth as evidenced by a 75% increase in family participation per school-sponsored event (2019-2020).
● Expertise in hiring, developing, and retaining talent to support strategic growth and build strong pipelines of succession, as evidenced by schools 100% staffed year over year (2020-2021, 2021-2022) with a 91% retention rate (2021-2022).
● Extensive experience leading teams to strategically drive instruction, respond to data, and manage change as evidenced by moving KIPP Ascend Primary from below the KIPP network average to above the KIPP network top-quartile schools in every domain on TNTP Insight Survey in one year (instructional index score of 9.8 out of 10).
● Experience providing effective priority aligned coaching and professional development for district and school-based leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders as evidenced by implementing a comprehensive multi-leveled strategic plan that significantly increased the proficiency of kindergarten students meeting typical and tiered growth by 30% and in first grade by 51% in one year.
Ms. Olowoyo brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, and I am confident that handing the reins over to her will allow the school to continue with positive momentum. The future for Centennial Academy is bright, and this excellent leader will help us achieve great outcomes for our Centennial scholars.
Please save the date for Tuesday, May 24th at 6:30 pm for the last Parent University of the school year: log on via Zoom for the opportunity to meet Ms. Olowoyo. Additional opportunities to engage with Ms. Olowoyo over summer break are forthcoming. Please click here to learn more about her via a brief bio.
On behalf of the Board, we welcome your continued support and collaboration for the next school year.
Respectfully yours,