Ms. Ferguson has had the privilege of speaking in support of education nationally. In 2012 she was the guest of President Barack H. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the State of the Union Address. She has appeared on CNN Live, The Ed Schultz Show, and The Ellen Degeneres Show to speak on behalf of teachers and students nationwide.

Ms. Ferguson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Widener University, A Master of Education in Elementary Education from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Cabrini University, and has completed the coursework for her Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility from Saint Joseph’s University. Ms. Ferguson holds valid Pennsylvania Department of Education Certificates in, Elementary Education K-6, English Education 7-12, and (Administration) Principal PK-12.

In her free time, Ms. Ferguson enjoys music, reading, theatre, sports, and movies. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. She has also participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Team in Training as a fundraising volunteer and has completed two half marathons with their team.

Ms. Washington presented at many national and international venues including the annual conferences of the American Public Health Association, the International Bullying Prevention Association, Pennsylvania Safe Schools, Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals, and the World Congress of Criminology. She is the co-author of Using Bullying Incident Density to Evaluate the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (School Psychology International, 2007), Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in Nine Urban Schools: Effective Practices and Next Steps (Educational Research Service, 2008), Translating the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program into Real-World Practice (Health Promotion Practice, 2009), and Victim Strategies to Stop Bullying (Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 2010).

Ms. Washington was later identified to serve as the Special Assistant to the Chief of School Operations and then for the Associate Superintendent of Academic Support, where she worked to ensure that operations and academic supports were aligned to the Superintendent’s strategic goals for student success. It was in this position that Ms. Washington honed her skills of being able to balance multiple demands with the strategic alignment of people, time and resources. She later became a Deputy Chief of Student Services where she supervised the functions of attendance and truancy, behavioral health, school climate, crisis response, school counseling, and transition services for students returning from out-of-district placement. She worked closely with district partners and community stakeholders to coordinate services and provide supports for students and families, as evidenced by the inclusion of a juvenile probation officer, behavioral health worker, and DHS social worker on her staff.

During her tenure at the School District, Ms. Washington became a trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid, Student Assistance Program, Multi-tiered Systems of Supports/Response to Intervention, Multi-tiered System of Supports/ Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Peer Mediation/Conflict Resolution, Coping and Support Training (CAST) Suicide Prevention Program, National Incident Management System and Incident Command System, Single School Culture, Second Step Violence Prevention Program, and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.

Ms. Washington’s committment to education continued to evolve as she became the Chief of Staff for Universal Education Companies (Universal Charter Schools). At Universal, she had the responsibility of strategically developing and managing systems and processes to advance student achievement in seven charter schools, six of which were turn-around schools. Her responsibilities included developing and implementing policies and administrative procedures, developing and implementing strategies to meet the schools’ performance targets and continuous improvement plans, and training and supporting school leaders and staff to ensure positive ratings for academics and organizational compliance on Annual Charter Evaluations and Charter Renewals. As Chief of Staff, she had the responsibility of developing and implementing system-wide initiatives to create and maintain safe and positive learning environments where teaching and learning could occur. Further, she supported administrators with their compliance with federal, state, and local mandates by establishing compliant systems and routines, and leveraging partnerships to ensure the appropriate services and supports were provided and aligned to the needs of the students they served.

Ms. Washington’s educational philosophy is based on her belief that all schools exist for student learning to occur. She believes a leader’s actions should always reflect the priority of student learning and should meet the specific needs of the members of the school community. As an educational leader, her focus lies on (1) authentic communication and collaboration with all stakeholders to advance student learning and to ensure that the academic, social and emotional needs of all students are met: (2) strong relationships between and among all stakeholders of the school community; and (3) a laser focus on the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment while building and reinforcing strategic relationships with the partners needed to achieve the school’s mission and shared vision. Ms. Washington believes that high-quality education is a human right and should not be influenced by a child’s zip code. As such, she is fearlessly dedicated to pursuing and developing equitable, educational programs of quality and excellence.

Passionate about the quality of educational services for today’s youth, Dr. Archer primarily worked with at-risk students and students with disabilities at the elementary and secondary level. Her professional experience includes serving as teacher, assistant athletic director, special education coordinator, principal and university professor. She’s created curriculum programs and professional development for local districts in the areas of special education, co-teaching and cultural diversity.

In addition to her educational experience, Dr. Archer has shared her knowledge in a case study, "What Next?: Educational Innovation and Philadelphia's School of the Future" published through Harvard Press and taught graduate level courses in Special Education at Lincoln University.

She is a dedicated leader that has an unwavering commitment to supporting organizations, as she strives to be their helping hand.

Dr. Archer holds a bachelor's degree from Drexel University, master's degrees in elementary education, special education and educational leadership from Arcadia University, and a doctorate in higher education focusing on transition services for students with specific learning disabilities from Immaculata University.