Sharif El-Mekki

Sharif El-Mekki became the Director of the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED) in 2019. Under the umbrella of the Black Male Educators for Social Justice Fellowship, a group Sharif created in 2014, CBED will expand on efforts to recruit and support Black educators both locally and nationally. Sharif's background includes a 26-year career as a teacher and principal in three neighborhood schools in West Philadelphia. He spent 11 years as the proud principal of Mastery Charter Shoemaker Campus, which received numerous awards during his tenure, including the 2016 bronze medal on the U.S. News & World Report high school rankings. He has also been a U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow and an America Achieves Fellow. Sharif served on the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on African American Males and the board of Excellent Schools PA amongst others. Sharif blogs on Phillys7thward.org and is a member of the weekly 8 Black Hands podcast.