Dear Parents and Families of Shepherd Elementary School,

As Shepherd’s Instructional Superintendent for the upcoming 2022-2023 School Year, I am committed to helping our school leaders provide joyful and rigorous educational experiences geared toward the learning and success of all students. Communicating home about school leadership updates is a critical part of maintaining strong partnerships with families.

I am reaching out to inform you that Principal Tiffany Emmanuel-Wright has resigned as the leader of Shepherd Elementary School for family reasons. I know she was deeply disappointed to make this difficult decision and we will continue to wish her all the best.

Since learning of this news, I have worked with DC Public Schools leadership to identify a new school leader. With that, I am pleased to announce that Ms. Tyra Russell has accepted the position of Interim Principal of Shepherd Elementary for the upcoming school year.

In 2016, Ms. Russell moved to DC to accept the Assistant Principal position at Savoy Elementary School within DCPS. During her time there, she had the opportunity to work closely with the principal on responsibilities including balancing the school budget, recruiting, and maintaining talent, coaching regarding English Language Arts (ELA) and Math curriculum, and providing teachers with productive observations and feedback to continue student success at Savoy.

Ms. Russell began her teaching career in 2007 working with beginning readers and early childhood education students. In 2009, she began teaching at The Academy Charter School in New York as a founding kindergarten teacher. While there, she became a lead teacher and assisted with coaching other kindergarten teachers about assessments and best practices. Ms. Russell eventually moved into a role as a third-grade teacher and was tasked with preparing students for their assessments. While there, she was also part of a team that helped the grade grow from 23% proficient to 57% proficient. In addition, she took on a coaching position where she coached grades K-7 in ELA Modeling best practices and planning for ELA.

Ms. Russell received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Saint Peter’s University. She also holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Hofstra University and a master’s in School Building, Leadership and Administration from Mercy College. In addition, she holds a literacy certification for Birth through 6th grade from Queen’s College.

It is important to us all that our school environment remains conducive to the learning and success of all students, and that this transition does not drastically impact the upcoming academic instruction of our students. I appreciate your continued support in ensuring smooth operations at the school. If you have any questions, you can reach me via email at carolyne.albert-garvey@k12.dc.gov.

Sincerely,
Carolyne Albert-Garvey
Instructional Superintendent Cluster VI