Coalition of 6 Tutoring Organizations Partner with CitySchools Collaborative to Bolster DC’s Diverse Educator Workforce
NEWS RELEASE
Washington, D.C., January 16, 2026 — CitySchools Collaborative is proud to announce the 2025-26 Tutor-to-Teacher program, welcoming more than 50 aspiring educators into a six-month program where tutors will receive monthly professional development and mentoring. Building on a successful inaugural year, this year’s participants join more than 30 program alumni, 71% of whom are actively pursuing school-based instructional roles.
In partnership with the National Association of Black Male Educators (NABME), the program addresses DC’s urgent need to strengthen and diversify the teaching workforce. From November 2025 through May 2026, participants engage in monthly professional learning sessions focused on culturally responsive teaching practices. Tutors receive one-on-one mentorship from experienced DC teachers who share practical wisdom, and gain support to build competitive resumes and navigate applications for teacher residency and apprenticeship programs. The program increases economic mobility for professionals committed to working in DC while strengthening the teaching pipeline.
“Our next great teachers may already be in classrooms. They know the students, they’ve built the relationships, and they’re doing the work as tutors every day,” said Cat Peretti, Executive Director of CitySchools Collaborative. “The Tutor-to-Teacher program opens the aperture on who can become a teacher by investing in people who are already deeply connected to DC students and families. Through mentorship and support, we’re helping them build the skills and confidence to lead their own classrooms and shape DC’s future.”
Every January, National Mentoring Month is a time to recognize mentors who invest in the next generation and raise awareness about the power of mentorship. Research shows 74% of those who had a meaningful mentor say that person contributed significantly to their success later in life. The Tutor-to-Teacher program embodies this commitment to mentorship, creating supportive relationships between experienced DC teachers and aspiring educators. For participants, that mentor relationship can be the difference between imagining a teaching career and the pursuit of one.
CitySchools Collaborative pairs aspiring educators with experienced DC teachers who open their classrooms, share wisdom and help tutors envision themselves as future classroom leaders. Mentor-mentee relationships build through monthly check-ins, classroom observations and honest conversations about the realities and rewards of teaching. Mentors demonstrate what it means to build relationships with students and families, to center cultural experience and to show up with expectations and care for student success.
“By supporting tutors who reflect our students’ identities, we’re building a future where every DC student has access to educators who understand their experiences and believe in their potential,” said Renee Metellus, Program Manager at CitySchools Collaborative.
This year’s program is made possible through partnership. NABME helps the Tutor-to-Teacher program connect experienced educators and mentors, with years of experience in DC schools, to tutors from seven partner organizations, where the aspiring educators currently volunteer, intern or work. The coalition approach to building a diverse educator workforce in DC creates economic mobility opportunities for DC residents and strengthens the pipeline of teaching talent across the education ecosystem. This program is funded by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and the Center for Black Educator Development.
Tutors in the 2025-26 cohort come from the following organizations:
- Blueprint Schools Network
- City Year
- George Washington University: Math Matters
- Raising a Village Foundation
- Reading Assist
- Reading Partners
Mentors come from the following school networks:
- District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
- KIPP DC
- Friendship PCS
- Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys
- Sojourner Truth PCS
- Elsie Whitlow Stokes PCS
- Cesar Chavez PCS
- Swanson Middle School (Arlington Public Schools)
About CitySchools Collaborative
CitySchools Collaborative catalyzes high-impact tutoring and strategic talent models to serve thousands of students. Its coalition-building approach and innovative solutions improve student well-being, accelerate academic performance, and enhance flexible staffing systems in schools to help create a public education system that serves and empowers all children. To learn more about CitySchools Collaborative, visit cityschoolscollab.org.
About National Mentoring Month
National Mentoring Month, celebrated each January since 2002, is a nationwide campaign founded by MENTOR and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to amplify, encourage, and strengthen mentorship for young people. This month-long observance highlights the transformative power of mentorship in shaping careers, building confidence, and unlocking potential. Communities, organizations, and schools across the country come together to celebrate the impact of mentoring, appreciate mentors for all they do, and promote the expansion of quality mentorship programs. Visit mentoring.org for resources, toolkits, and ways to get involved.