Transforming Futures

Tackling Education’s Biggest Challenges

City Teaching Alliance has grown steadily and sustainably since receiving a start-up grant from the New Schools Venture Fund in 2009. Through our higher education partner, American University, our teachers will receive a Master of Arts in Teaching which enables them to support every student in reaching their potential, leading to an impactful and rewarding career.

We have welcomed over 2,500 aspiring educators and expanded to nearly 315 schools, teaching over 400,000 students in Baltimore, Dallas, Washington, DC, and most recently, Philadelphia. We believe that we can be most effective by committing deeply to these communities and anticipate expanding our reach in the years to come.

Children are the center of our work. We rely on the communities we partner with to guide and inform the decisions we make about our curriculum, program, and practice.

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Students served since 2010
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City Teaching Alliance residents since 2010
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Partner schools

National Reach, Local Impact

Our mission is to identify, prepare, and retain exceptional career educators who are empowered and equipped to make a lasting impact on the academic and life outcomes of all learners. The work we do influences academic outcomes, personal development, and long-term socioeconomic factors for students—supporting them to become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and problem solvers.

What We Believe

We believe a strong, diverse education workforce is essential to a just and thriving society. City Teaching Alliance prepares aspiring educators, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, with the skills, credentials, and support to launch impactful careers in urban schools.

Through our equity-driven model, we bridge the gap between higher education and employment, strengthen local teacher pipelines, and contribute to workforce development in partnership with school districts, American University, and community organizations. By investing in people, we help advance economic mobility, educational equity, and stronger communities.

  • Skill Development
    We provide targeted training that equips individuals with the skills needed to thrive in high-demand fields like education. Our model blends real-world experience, coursework, and continuous coaching to ensure job readiness.
  • Employment Services
    We offer career support through job placement assistance, resume building, interview prep, and professional development. This ensures that participants are prepared to launch and sustain meaningful careers.
  • Supportive Services
    To help individuals overcome barriers to employment, we offer wraparound support such as mentorship, certification support, and access to mental health and financial resources.
  • Employer Engagement
    We partner with school districts and other employers to align our training with workforce needs—equipping our participants with the tools they need to meet the demands of the job from day one.
  • Our Story

    City Teaching Alliance was founded with the idea that talented, highly-prepared, career educators can open the doors to future success for city school children.

    2010

    City Teaching Alliance, formerly known as Urban Teachers, is founded after receiving a start-up grant from the New Schools Venture Fund.

    2010

    City Teaching Alliance opens its first site in Baltimore and quickly expands to Washington, DC.

    2016

    City Teaching Alliance Dallas begins.

    2022

    City Teaching Alliance Philly launches.

    Jennifer Green, Co-founder
    Christina Hall, Co-founder

    We are a mission-driven team

    We are dedicated to providing students in urban communities with highly effective educators. More than half of us are former educators and various walks of life, lending our classroom and school experiences to build upon our theory of change.

    If we recruit, develop, and retain effective career educators through coaching, coursework, certification, clinical experience, and community building, then we will build a thriving alliance of educational leaders who drive meaningful academic and life outcomes for all learners.

    Leadership Team
    Dr. Rahesha Amon
    Chief Executive Officer
    Charity Jones
    Chief Educator Learning Officer
    Khalif Harris
    Chief Operating Officer
    Ashlei Hansing
    Chief Recruitment, Enrollment, and Retention Officer
    Kayla Colianni
    Chief of Staff
    Kenneth McCants-Pearsall
    Chief Site Leadership Officer
    Anthony Hernandez
    Executive Director, Dallas
    Jeff Glowik
    Executive Director, Philadelphia
    Board of Directors
    Sekou Biddle (Chair)
    Vice President of Advocacy, UNCF
    Dr. Barbara Freeman
    Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning and Development, Office of the First Deputy Chancellor for NYC Public Schools
    Ben Fenton
    Chief of Growth & Delivery, Instruction Partners
    Dianne Houghton
    Senior Advisor, Library of Congress
    Gordon Johnson
    Senior Vice President, M&T Bank
    Toirey Taylor, MBA
    Account Executive & Advisory Member, Scholastic Learning
    Adrienne Williams
    Director, Student Achievement Partners
    Leadership Team
    Dr. Rahesha Amon
    Chief Executive Officer
    Charity Jones
    Chief Educator Learning Officer
    Khalif Harris
    Chief Operating Officer
    Ashlei Hansing
    Chief Recruitment, Enrollment, and Retention Officer
    Kayla Colianni
    Chief of Staff
    Kenneth McCants-Pearsall
    Chief Site Leadership Officer
    Anthony Hernandez
    Executive Director, Dallas
    Jeff Glowik
    Executive Director, Philadelphia
    Board of Directors
    Sekou Biddle (Chair)
    Vice President of Advocacy, UNCF
    Dr. Barbara Freeman
    Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning and Development, Office of the First Deputy Chancellor for NYC Public Schools
    Ben Fenton
    Chief of Growth & Delivery, Instruction Partners
    Dianne Houghton
    Senior Advisor, Library of Congress
    Gordon Johnson
    Senior Vice President, M&T Bank
    Toirey Taylor, MBA
    Account Executive & Advisory Member, Scholastic Learning
    Adrienne Williams
    Director, Student Achievement Partners

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