Melissa Martin

Melissa (she/her/hers) has spent 20+ years working to build and support school communities to become more equitable and inclusive spaces where all children are able to thrive. Prior to joining Kindred, Melissa served as the Vice President of Systems Learning at Teach for America where she led the launch of an ongoing learning curriculum to support TFA’s leaders to deepen their thinking and practices related to systems change. She also played a key role in designing the coaching model and leadership development programs for school leaders at School Leader Lab and the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College. Additionally, she’s supported schools as families through her work as the Director of School Partnerships at Flamboyan Foundation and as co-designer of Onward’s LiberatED: Homeschooling for Justice, a learning platform that supports the innovative, community-based, and liberatory learning environments that children deserve. Melissa began her career in education as a teacher and leader in the DC Public Schools.

Melissa earned a master’s degree in school leadership with a focus on teacher leadership from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a master’s degree in educational administration from Trinity College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with minors in Spanish and Education from Bowdoin College.

Melissa has returned to live in the Mt. Pleasant DC neighborhood where she grew up and can be found trying to keep up with her elementary school son as he bikes all over the neighborhood or camping and hiking with her family.