Achievement Network (ANet)
Mark Somanader has a diverse work experience in the education sector. Mark has worked as a Director of School Support at Achievement Network (ANet), where they coached school leaders in implementing evidence-based practices to improve literacy and math outcomes for students. Mark also brought an anti-racism perspective and supported traditionally marginalized populations.
Prior to this, Mark was the owner, writer, and operator of Brain Reaction Trivia, where they researched, wrote, and performed trivia and games for local small businesses in the Greater Denver Area. Mark has also served as a Competency Based Learning Specialist at Denver Public Schools, supporting teachers, school leaders, and other employees in creating student-centered systems and promoting transparency.
Before their roles at ANet and Denver Public Schools, Mark worked as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development at Teach For America, where they supported teacher leaders in their professional development. Mark has also taught as a Science Teacher at West Denver Preparatory Charter School and as a 7th and 8th Grade Science Teacher at DC Public Schools. Overall, Mark Somanader has a strong background in education and a commitment to improving student outcomes.
Mark Somanader began their education journey in 2001 at Georgetown University, where they completed their Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2005. Following this, from 2005 to 2009, they pursued a Master's of Science degree in Developmental Psychology at Vanderbilt University. Later on, between 2009 and 2012, Mark attended American University to obtain their Master's degree, specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching.
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Achievement Network (ANet)
Every student deserves opportunities in life, and every educator committed to providing those opportunities, deserves support. Those beliefs drive us to work alongside schools to support great teaching so that we can work towards guaranteeing that all students are receiving high-quality instruction. We partner with over 900 schools - both district and charter - in underserved communities around the country, thus impacting more than 330,000 students. Third-party evaluations confirm that when schools have the right basic conditions in place and partner with ANet, they achieve 6-8 months of additional learning over a two-year period compared to schools not partnering with ANet. At ANet we are committed to living out our core values, both across our organization and with our partner schools. We acknowledge that systemic inequities impact student access to opportunities and that in order to ensure educational equity for all students, we must center on the experiences of those from marginalized communities to guide our work. We work to deepen our understanding of how race, class, power and privilege influence the education system as well as influence our own perspectives. To do so, we provide ongoing learning opportunities through org-wide professional development, affinity groups, working groups, and resource sharing. Individuals who join ANet have the opportunity to be part of a dynamic, values-driven, and team-oriented organization that is committed to having impact in schools by investing in each other and learning together. We were named as The NonProfit Times “Best Nonprofits to Work For” and work tirelessly to foster a working environment where the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and identities of our staff members are valued.