Neighborhood Charter Schools
Makada Duncan is an accomplished educator with extensive experience in various teaching and leadership roles. Currently serving as a Lead Teacher at Catapult Learning since June 2024, Makada has also held multiple positions at Neighborhood Charter Schools since August 2019, including Grade Team Lead and Lead Kindergarten Teacher. Previous experience includes roles such as Literacy Specialist and Reading Teacher at DREAM, as well as a Teacher Mentor and Lead Kindergarten Teacher at Uncommon Schools. Additional experience includes a position as Camp Leader at Camp Uncommon and a Teaching Assistant role at the New York Center for Child Development. Makada's educational background includes a Master of Science in Literacy from Lehman College, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Brooklyn College.
Neighborhood Charter Schools
Neighborhood Charter Schools' mission is to provide the children of Harlem with new educational opportunities through a rigorous, comprehensive K-8 program that cultivates the intellectual, social and emotional development of each child. Our students, who include high functioning children with autism spectrum disorders, will become independent learners and critical thinkers, will acquire the academic skills that they need to succeed in college preparatory high schools and will exhibit the social and emotional skills that will allow them to reach their full potential. The school provides a rich, rigorous and fully inclusive education to a broad range of Harlem children, including English Language Learners, students with disabilities, students who struggle academically and gifted students. The school has a specialized program for high-functioning students on the autism spectrum (ASD students) in each grade. The ASD program, which is modeled on the successful ASD Nest program currently operating in 16 New York City Department of Education (DOE) schools, is the first of its kind in Central Harlem.