The Urban Teachers Board of Directors has hired Peter Shulman, an experienced leader in K-12 education, to helm the nearly decade-old teacher training organization.

"Social impact has been at the heart of my career," Shulman said. "In Urban Teachers I have found a mission-driven organization that is focused on improving the lives of our most underserved children by putting high quality teachers into their classrooms."

Shulman most recently served as Deputy Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Education where he helped lead a set of ambitious policy initiatives aimed at supporting educators and raising expectations for all students. He previously served in managerial roles with the Delaware Department of Education and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he began his career in education through The Broad Residency in Urban Education.

Prior to his work in public education, Shulman co-founded a commercial real estate technology company and worked as a commercial real estate analyst. He holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Equity and opportunity for every child has been the foundation of Urban Teacher's success over the last decade," Shulman said. "And I am committed to ensuring the direction and expansion of the organization will always be centered around the needs of our students."

The Urban Teachers Board of Directors chose Shulman to lead the organization because the confluence of his education and business experience makes him an ideal candidate to expand the nonprofit to new cities, said board chairman, Vince Talbert.

"Peter is recognized by former superiors, employees and colleagues as a world-class manager with the ability to lead an organization effectively and build strong teams that work well together," Talbert said. "He is committed, not only to growing Urban Teachers, but to the organization's mission."

Shulman will succeed Urban Teachers cofounder and CEO Jennifer Green, who announced her intention to step down from the position last fall.

"Peter shares the passion of our teachers and is laser focused on driving toward equity and excellence in every classroom," Green said. "Over time, Peter will guide Urban Teachers toward greater efficiency and scale while improving the experiences of the teachers who matriculate through our program."

Urban Teachers trains educators to work in classrooms in Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington, DC. The organization believes that qualified, highly effective teachers who stay in the classroom can have a transformative influence on student learning. Through a selective four-year program, participants earn a Master's Degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University and receive one-on-one coaching as they become acquainted with the classroom. All successful Urban Teachers participants become dually certified to teach either elementary education, secondary English or secondary math, as well as special education.

Since Urban Teachers participants first entered Baltimore and DC classrooms in 2011, almost 1,000 Urban Teachers participants have served nearly 100,000 children across our three sites. The organization soon expects bring more than 1,000 new educators to urban classrooms each year.