Krystal is a passionate educator and leader who has devoted her career to equity and excellence in education. She graduated from Fordham University with a Biology major and an English minor.  Krystal took her love of the scientific process with her to the classroom when she joined Teach for America. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Teaching at Relay GSE while teaching Middle School Science in Newark, NJ for Matchbook Learning. It was there that she was introduced to the concept of personalized and competency-based learning tailored to students’ individual needs. She then became a High School Biology Teacher at Simon Gratz Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia, PA, and grew into an Advanced Teacher known for her strong lesson design and implementation in the classroom. She coached Teach for America instructors-in-training as a Summer Mentor Teacher. She also was a Teacher Leader who led professional development sessions for all High School Science Teachers in the Mastery Charter Network of Schools. These sessions were around building rigorous, equitable, and culturally relevant lessons to allow all students to showcase their brilliance. 7 years in the classroom has taught Krystal that pedagogy is only impactful if an authentic classroom and school-wide community are nurtured and established through relationship-building. She joined the 2 Revolutions team as a Project Associate because she is committed to transforming education for all communities through personalized, competency-based learning using the essential lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

What excites you most about the Future of Learning?

The number one question I always got as a Science Teacher was: “Miss, when am I ever going to need to know this?” I’m excited about the Future of Learning because it is learner-driven and focuses on transferable skills that individuals can apply to the real world or immediately within their role. I believe education should be applicable and should empower individuals to design the future they want. Our world is changing; education should change with it.

Why do diversity, equity, and inclusion matter in education?

As a person of color, I’ve experienced being the only one who looks like me in a room or on campus. For a while, it really affected my identity and sense of belonging in my community. When I became an educator, I had to examine all of my biases and explore my identity so I could help my students explore and celebrate their own identities. There is so much systemic work to be done to correct the failings of our society and I believe the only way we can become better is to become better together. It is important to include diverse perspectives in this work from all ages, genders, ethnicities, physical abilities, sexual orientations, and religious beliefs so we can empower all individuals to succeed, not just a privileged few.