Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com October 2022 49 WORDS OF WISDOM: "B e brave, be kind, and actively work toward the inclusion of others". Age: 33 Title: Co-founder and Co-head Name of Organization: School of Brooklyn Independent Gabriela Tejedor (she/her/ hers) is a lifelong educator who is dedicated to providing equitable access to education for New York City's youth. A Colombian native, raised in Miami, Florida, Gabriela has been an educator in the New York City area for the past 11 years. She began her educatio - nal journey in Paterson, New Jersey as a Teach For America Greater Newark Corps mem- ber and then transitioned to Brownsville, Brooklyn whe- re she taught at Uncommon Schools and served as a Re- ading Curriculum Specialist and 7th grade English Langua- ge Arts educator. Gabriela's enthusiasm for the process of learning ener- gizes and inspires her students to engage with complicated ideas and take academic risks. She has taught in some of the most under-resourced neigh- borhoods in New York City and, in response to the inequi- ties she observed, co-founded Brooklyn Independent Middle School in 2019. Brooklyn In- dependent is a middle school with an equity-based, sliding- scale tuition model that see- ks to disrupt New York City's segregated schooling crisis. Through the Brooklyn In- dependent model, students across socioeconomic and racial divides participate in a robust and project-based cu- rriculum, which emphasizes issues of social justice, equity, inclusion and social-emotio- nal growth. Students at Broo- klyn Independent aren't just encouraged to learn subject material, but also to ques- tion, challenge and expand on it as they grow into enga- ged, thoughtful and empathic young adults. The school be- gan with a cohort of just 16 students and is now entering its 4th year with 100+ 6th-8th grade students from across New York City. The school's 2022 graduating class went on to some of the city's most com- petitive and highly regarded high schools to continue their learning. Gabriela earned her un- dergraduate degree at New York University and comple- ted her Masters of Education from RELAY Graduate School of Education. Most recently she served as a 2020 CUP Fe- llow and has been featured in WBGO's "The Great Wealth Di- vide" podcast, The 74 Million education journal, and served on The New York Times x The Wing's "Understanding School Segregation in NYC" panel. In addition to her passion for educational equity, Gabriela enjoys supporting local farmers and being close to the ocean. Gabriela Tejedor A Devoted Educator

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