Our Team
Our Team Improving Schools works with schools, networks, districts, and states to improve school performance by offering school systems evaluations, leadership development, teacher coaching, and related school improvement/turn around support.
Prior to starting the Improving Schools, Ryan Schetelick helped engineer the launch of 124 new schools in New York City — part of an initiative that the education and social policy research organization, MDRC, has found to have significantly increased high school graduation and college enrollment rates for disadvantaged students of color. Ryan, Rolandria, and Adam all worked at School Empowerment Network for 5+ years doing similar school improvement work in Massachusetts, Louisiana, Michigan, and Atlanta.
Today, Improving Schools is hyper focused on the implementation of school improvement efforts that produce dramatic gains for underserved students.
RYAN SCHETELICK (Chief Executive Officer/Leadership Coach)
Ryan has 20+ years of experience leading and learning within schools and school districts. Ryan was a school leader at Bronx Charter School for the Arts, a blue ribbon arts-integration school in the South Bronx. Ryan then served as a leadership/literacy consultant in Newark, NJ where he helped dramatically improve student performance in 8 schools before going on to the Office of New Schools at the NYCDOE, where he led the selection and development of new school principals for small new schools in NYC. Following his tenure with the DOE, Ryan joined School Empowerment Network (SEN), an educational non-profit focused on school design and leader development. Ryan then founded Improving Schools, Inc to bring the successful school improvement practices to other districts around the country.
Ryan is a graduate of Amherst College and a post-graduate of Teachers College Columbia University, and is a certified Structured Literacy Teacher (C-SLCT).
ROLANDRIA JUSTICE (SENIOR LEADERSHIP COACH)
Rolandria Justice started her career in education as a middle school teacher in Newark, NJ. After several years in the classroom, Rolandria realized how vital effective school leadership is to the success of the school. She earned her Master’s in Educational Leadership and became an administrator supporting the development of positive learning environments and systems to increase achievement in schools in Harlem and Brooklyn. Her passion for educational leadership and entrepreneurial spirit caused her to relocate to Massachusetts where she became the founding principal of a charter school in New Bedford. Here, she was able to build a strong culture from the ground up designed around principles of quality, accountability, integrity, persistence and service. When she got married and began to have children, her life as a school leader ended, but her desire to support them did not. She became a consultant and has partnered with several organizations, districts, and schools to create and facilitate high-quality leadership programs for school and teacher leaders. She is currently completing her doctorate in educational leadership with the hopes of centering more Black, female voices in important school and educational conversations.
Lena Smith (Operations Manager)
Lena Smith is a Bronx, NY native and a future graduate of Brooklyn College with a degree in Cinematography and Film/Video Production. Lena works as a free-lance photography and social media consult.
ROSETTA WILSON (LEADERSHIP COACH)
Rosetta is an accomplished award-winning educational leader with experience in K-12 and graduate-level education including teaching, supervision, coaching/mentoring, and senior leadership in complex environments. As an educator, she has been committed to making a positive difference in the lives of children and serving as a catalyst for educational improvement and equity in schools for over 20 years in NY/NJ. Rosetta earned her Doctorate in Education Leadership from Fordham University.
DIONE SIMON (LEADERSHIP COACH)
Dr. Dione Simon is a native of Monroe, Louisiana. She is sincerely grateful for the love and support she’s received throughout the years from her family and friends. Dr.
Simon enjoys teaching, creating, leading; and she treasures the moments of quality time she spends with her family and dear friends.
Dr. Simon’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education and a Master of Science in Mathematics from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She also received her Education Specialist Degree (Instructional Media and Technology), Educational Leadership Certification, and doctorate degree in School Improvement from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia.
Dr. Simon realized at an early age that she had a passion for serving others. While attending Southern University, she had the pleasure of interviewing with the Atlanta Public School System and immediately knew that teaching within this school district was a good fit.
In January 1999, Dr. Simon began teaching at Benjamin E. Mays High School. As a teacher who easily demonstrated her love and care for her children’s well-being, she directly impacted them by modeling leadership and being committed to excellence. During her early career at Mays High School, she served as Freshman Academy Coordinator, Small Learning Community Coordinator, Student Support Team Chairperson, and as the AVID Coordinator. From curriculum and scheduling to discipline and transportation, Dr. Simon was engaged in the total school program. Over time, she was recognized as an exemplary teacher leader and was promoted to the assistant principal position at Mays High School in 2006. After five years as an assistant principal, Dr. Simon was selected to serve as the principal at Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Middle. During her tenure at CSK, she led and supported her team to earn several awards, developed positive business and community partnerships, and created several positive life-altering experiences for her girls, including a visit to the White House. Dr. Simon’s drive to build leadership capacity within others gives her a special skill set of a difference maker and an inspirational motivator.
In July 2015, Dr. Simon was selected to serve as the school principal at Towns Elementary School, where she worked diligently for four years. Because of Dr. Simon’s and her team’s commitment to their school community, she was named the Atlanta Public Schools Principal of the Year in 2017. In 2018, Dr. Simon was selected as principal of the new Douglass Cluster elementary school, Harper-Archer Elementary School (HAES). She remains proud of the hard and heart work that her team committed to each day.
In July 2022, Dr. Simon began a new step in her journey as the Director of Innovation and Redesign in the Office of Innovation, Improvement & Redesign. She proudly and joyfully continues to serve the Atlanta Public Schools community.
