Aja currently works facilitator and coach for the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity in Providence, RI. She also is an instructor and coach for the Teacher Leadership program at Brandies University. After graduating from Simmons College with a BA in Sociology and concentration of Social Policy, Aja began her career in education by working in various non-profits and community-based organizations in the Boston area. She later received a Master’s Degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education with a concentration of Administration, Planning and Social Policy (APSP) and a certification for elementary teaching from Wheelock College.
Aja became a middle school classroom teacher for the Boston Public Schools in 2003. Over a period of 10 years, she developed her commitment and passion for equitable teaching and school leadership and in 2011, Aja became an Aspiring Principal in the Center for Collaboration’s Principal’s Residency Network, where she was trained in facilitative, and transformative leadership models for adaptive change in schools.
As the District Instructional Coach for Cambridge Public Schools Social Sciences Department, Aja led teams of teachers to ultimately create K-8 curricula and model assessments, provided one-on-one coaching to K-8 teachers and facilitated monthly professional development for Aspiring Teacher Leaders.
Aja’s areas of interest and expertise include: [Culturally Sustainable] Teaching and Learning, Authentic Assessment, Curriculum Development, Instructional & Facilitative Coaching, Sociology and Cultural Studies within a Global Context, Collaborative Leadership and Transformative [School] Culture Building.