The Center for Black Educator Development leverages the well-documented research that Black students are best positioned for success when they are taught by people who can serve as mirrors, not just windows, to their world—Black teachers, grounded in Black pedagogy, supported by policies that work for them and sustained by professional pathways designed with them in mind.

The first acknowledgment of harm must address educational disparities throughout the educational ecosystem that impact, not only Black children’s experiences, but also Black educators’ experience. 

In Fugitive Pedagogy, Dr. Jarvis R. Givens rightfully notes a distinctness about Black teachers: they are leaders among leaders. That’s who we get to serve at the Center:  the next generation of leaders among leaders who will continue to make a colossal difference in our collective future.  I’ve been blessed to have been, my entire life, in community with others. This work is no different. We engender natural, genuine ways of learning from one another that are authentic and intergenerational. We focus on our children, our hopes and dreams, while honoring our elders, traditions, rich history and painful lessons.

We continue to need your support as a part of our growing community. Together, we can and must rebuild the national Black Teacher Pipeline—producing one that is durable, protected, honored and predictable.

Every new Black teacher inspires hope— and is inspired by the sheer sacredness and weightiness of asserting and defending our students’ history and humanity. We have made much progress in 2022, but we have much more to do in the coming year. 

I’m simply in awe of our community and grateful to serve and build alongside you. He is extremely passionate about diversifying the educator workforce. From 2022 to the present, Leon has served in multiple roles with Teach Plus, whose mission is to empower teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance student success. From 2022-2023, Leon served as a policy fellow, and was named Teach Plus PA Fellow of the Year. He was selected to serve as a Senior Fellow from 2023-2024 where he co-led a group of policy fellows. In these roles, Leon advocated for policies and programs to expand and diversify the educator pipeline to legislators and members of the PA Department of Education. In 2024, he was selected to the inaugural Regional Advisory Board for Teach Plus PA supporting its mission of transforming education policy, advocacy, and instructional practice in Pennsylvania. Currently, Leon serves on the National Teacher Policy cabinet, a federal policy fellowship for current classroom teachers to develop their policy skills and partner with the federal government on issues to promote student achievement and teacher leadership development. He also serves as a mentor with Project IMPACT, a program at Rowan University designed to increase the representation of males from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds in teaching.

His contributions to the field of education extend to leadership roles with organizations advocating for educator diversity and equity. Leon is a Board member with the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium whose goal is to increase the number of teachers of color and culturally relevant and sustaining educators in classrooms across the Commonwealth. Leon currently serves as a College Board AP workshop consultant for the new AP African American Studies course where he supports national and international educators as they prepare to teach the class. He is also enjoys coaching and has coached freshman basketball for over twenty years.

Leon Smith is an educator, leader and policy advocate with over twenty-three years of experience. He is a life-long learner and extremely passionate about the profession of teaching. Leon graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies education, earned his master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University in Instructional Systems and received his PK-12 Principal’s certification from Cabrini University. Leon is an award-winning educator; exemplified by his selection as the 2025 PA Teacher of the Year. Cabrini University’s Center for Urban Education awarded Leon with the High Impact Moral and Courageous Teacher Award in 2024. In 2020, he was named a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars.

He is extremely passionate about diversifying the educator workforce. From 2022 to the present, Leon has served in multiple roles with Teach Plus, whose mission is to empower teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance student success. From 2022-2023, Leon served as a policy fellow, and was named Teach Plus PA Fellow of the Year. He was selected to serve as a Senior Fellow from 2023-2024 where he co-led a group of policy fellows. In these roles, Leon advocated for policies and programs to expand and diversify the educator pipeline to legislators and members of the PA Department of Education. In 2024, he was selected to the inaugural Regional Advisory Board for Teach Plus PA supporting its mission of transforming education policy, advocacy, and instructional practice in Pennsylvania. Currently, Leon serves on the National Teacher Policy cabinet, a federal policy fellowship for current classroom teachers to develop their policy skills and partner with the federal government on issues to promote student achievement and teacher leadership development. He also serves as a mentor with Project IMPACT, a program at Rowan University designed to increase the representation of males from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds in teaching.

His contributions to the field of education extend to leadership roles with organizations advocating for educator diversity and equity. Leon is a Board member with the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium whose goal is to increase the number of teachers of color and culturally relevant and sustaining educators in classrooms across the Commonwealth. Leon currently serves as a College Board AP workshop consultant for the new AP African American Studies course where he supports national and international educators as they prepare to teach the class. He is also enjoys coaching and has coached freshman basketball for over twenty years.