Bing A. Howell Named Citizen Schools National Board Vice Chair
“I’ve experienced the true magic of the Citizen Schools model…I witnessed light bulbs going off for hundreds of students every time I walked into a classroom.”
On behalf of the entire Citizen Schools community, we’re excited to announce that Bing A. Howell will serve as our new National Board Vice Chair!
Bing has served on the Citizen Schools National Board for the last three years. Currently residing in Chicago, IL, Bing brings a wealth of experience in the education sector to his new role and is no stranger in partnering with school systems and communities in creating cities where every student has a world class school.
Citizen Schools CEO, Oscar Cruz, says of the appointment, “Citizen Schools is in the midst of a critical organizational evolution to become a capacity-building and systems-change organization. Bing’s experience and expertise will help us navigate this evolution and help ensure our work is impactful and long-lasting.”
We took the time to sit down with Bing. Read on to learn more about him:
Talk to us about your work in the education sector.
I’ve spent the last 15 years building systems that create more equitable schools for students in districts/states where there is a deep need for educational transformation. I’ve played a lead role in shaping some of the more ambitious reform movements of the past generation—working at both state and local levels. From New Jersey to Tennessee to Louisiana to Washington, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside amazing leaders and communities to create these school and system solutions. Most recently, as Chicago Public School’s Chief Portfolio Officer, I led the development of the office and designed a strategy to increase the district’s ability to more effectively and equitably support student achievement across the city.
What drives your passion for the work you do?
I’m a first generation American whose mother is Panamanian and father is from Trinidad.
My grandfather was a Trini butcher with 11 kids. With a track and field scholarship to college, my dad made it to the US and secured his doctorate. Both of my parents leveraged higher education to open new pathways for them and provide for their six children. Because of this, they made sure that we could access the American dream with education as a critical part of the journey. From early on, they also taught us how to navigate the system as we all consistently experienced bias that impacted our ability to succeed in these environments. This was A LOT of work, but we all succeeded in spite of these challenges. We should not have had to work to succeed in spite of the system.
When I look at the outcomes of Black and Brown students across the country, I see many systems that were not effectively designed to support them. They should not have to work to succeed in spite of the system. The system should be responsive to their needs (and that of their communities.) It can be. Making this more of a rule than an exception is what drives me to do this work. Seeing students and communities strive when they have equitable access to what they need to learn is my why.
What about Citizen School’s mission and culture drew you to this role?
My first job in K-12 education in the US was helping to lead the Citizen Schools New Jersey office (CSNJ) in 2009. I was compelled to work for the organization for a few reasons:
Who CSNJ supported—Newark Public Schools partnered CSNJ extended school day model with the middle schools that had the most need for academic support
The model—Simple: make learning real for students who need it most. Instead of giving students academic supports that mirror what they are already not excelling at, why not make the learning real by engaging them in hands-on projects that bring learning to life, led by community volunteers with curriculum that ties in the education and career pathways to do the work as an adult?
During this period, I experienced the true magic of the Citizen Schools model. I saw community members engaging in a meaningful way to transform learning. I witnessed light bulbs going off for hundreds of students every time I walked into a classroom.
CS has changed a lot since then and the model has evolved accordingly. The organization's special sauce of engaging volunteers to make learning real for students is even more critical at a time where the nation is seeing our amazing public school educators exhausted by years of supporting students through COVID.
What is your hope or vision for Citizen Schools during your tenure?
Citizen Schools is in a unique time in its organizational evolution. Steeped in over 25 years of working with schools and districts across the country, it is iterating its model to ensure that learning is made real for even more students through project-based learning and access to volunteers, now, by supporting educators as the lever for this change. I look forward to working with CEO Cruz, the leadership team/staff, board, and broader CS community to ensure that this model meets the needs of those most impacted as we make this journey.
What’s one fact about you that others may not know?
I am almost in polyglot land. I have some cobwebs to dust off on most of them, but I’m currently working on learning my 5th language.