City Teaching Alliance
Mandisa John, M.S.Ed, is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in program development, diversity, equity, and inclusiveness initiatives. As Founder of Blooming Belles since May 2024, Mandisa focuses on supporting young Black women in their transition to adulthood. In the role of Director of Program and Partnerships at City Teaching Alliance since 2022, Mandisa contributed to teacher recruitment and training efforts in Philadelphia schools while fostering meaningful partnerships within the education community. Previously, Mandisa served as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness Facilitator at Teach For America, Associate Director of Graduate Support at St. James School, and held multiple roles at Mastery Charter Schools, where Mandisa championed cultural competency and enrichment programs for students across numerous institutions. Mandisa holds a Master of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
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City Teaching Alliance
At City Teaching Alliance, we train teachers to be highly effective educators who empower every child through learning. Our teachers become career educators committed to equity and inclusivity, ensuring every student receives a great education. We believe access to a quality education gives young people the tools to become forces of change in their communities. In partnership with American University, City Teaching Alliance participants earn a Master's of Arts in Teaching. The curriculum is hands-on, practical, and specifically designed for urban schools. Our program emphasizes literacy and math skills, and includes coursework and dual certification in special education and a content area—ensuring our teachers can meet the needs of all children. Only City Teaching Alliance offers a highly-selective, rigorous program that includes three years of intensive coaching. During the first year in our program, known as the residency year, our participants work in the classroom alongside a host teacher getting over 1,500 hours of real classroom experience. Residents devote their time to developing their clinical practice during the day in their assigned school and developing their content and instructional knowledge through coursework in the master’s program at night. In year two, our residents become fellows and step into classrooms of their own. They continue their training as a teacher of record with continued coursework and coaching support. Three-quarters of our first-year teachers complete all four years of the program.