Through a partnership with Reach University, CCS staff members Javonda Harris (Dorothy Height Charter School) and Kierre Williams (Harriet Tubman Charter School) completed their bachelor’s degrees in December 2024, while Derrion Burks (Dorothy Height Charter School) and Sheago Lastie (Mildred Osborne Charter School) will complete their degrees in May 2025. All of these staff members graduated without debt because CCS covers the entire tuition for staff members, allowing them to pursue their education at no cost to them.

“CCS began this partnership nearly four years ago with the goal of helping our staff reach their own education goals and growing current staff into future teachers,” shared Amanda Hollman, Director of Human Capital for the network. 

Meet the Graduates

Javonda Harris serves as Data Manager at Dorothy Height, where she manages state reporting, coordinates testing, oversees the school’s student information system, and coaches the softball team. With an associate’s degree already in hand from Delgado Community College, Harris completed a fast-tracked two-year program to earn her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts.

Prior to completing her bachelor’s degree, Kierre Williams was an assistant teacher at Harriet Tubman, where she has worked since 2019. Shortly after completing her degree, she became the lead teacher for her third grade class. Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. 

Derrion Burks, Operations and Social Media Manager at Dorothy Height, will complete her bachelor’s degree in May after a three-year journey with Reach University. Burks, who also coaches the school’s dance team, has worn many hats during her six years at CCS, starting as an enrichment teacher before moving to the front office and eventually into operations.

Sheago Lastie currently works as an assistant teacher at Mildred Osborne Charter School and joined CCS in 2022. Lastie had already earned an associate’s degree in criminology and obtained a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts through the Reach University partnership. 

Balancing Work, School, and Life

Pursuing a degree while also working full-time and managing personal obligations was no small feat for these CCS staff members. 

“It was very rigorous,” Harris admitted. “As a mom, finding time between my child’s gymnastics, sports, cooking, and everything else became really time-consuming.”

Burks, who has a nine-month-old and an eight-year-old who attends Dorothy Height, also acknowledged that the schedule was quite demanding. “I’m one of the adults who stays with the late-pick-up kids, so I get off around 5:00 p.m, and Reach classes start at 6:00 p.m.,” Burks explained.

Support That Makes a Difference

Lastie, Harris, and Burks all emphasized the positive impact of colleagues who encouraged them as they pursued their degrees.

“If there was one person that I can say supported me personally during this program, it’s definitely Javonda Harris,” Burks shared. “Javonda has definitely been my go-to. I probably couldn’t have made it this far without her.”

Lastie found herself passing along the encouragement to other staff members who were just starting their journey with Reach.  

“There was another staff member who started Reach who was a lot younger than me, and younger people can get discouraged more quickly, so I would visit her every day, ask about her homework, and print out calendars for both of us to stay on top of things,” shared Lastie.  

Harris found inspiration from Height’s Chief of Staff Monica Solomon, who reminded her of the school’s values – excellence, perseverance, community, and courage – to encourage Harris in her studies.  

“I needed to find that perseverance in myself to get through these last two years of school,” Harris recalled.

Looking Forward

With their bachelor’s degrees now completed, these staff members are looking forward to future years at CCS.

“I want to keep growing here,” shared Burks. “I really do love it at Height, and I definitely appreciate this opportunity to earn my degree. I’m showing my child, ‘Look, Mommy can do it.’”

Lastie echoed Burks’ sentiment. “I feel like I showed my own kids that nothing can stop you from going back to school, from earning your degree.” 

Harris wants to continue working in school operations but is also interested in studying student academic data more closely in the future. “ I’m really enjoying learning how to use student data to help with student academic growth,” added Harris.

Burks sees potential in data management: “Because I am in operations, I do see a future for myself in data management. It makes sense. I’ve been in the front office, so I do operations daily and social media.”

Growing from Within

Harris, Williams, Burks, and Lastie are the first graduates to come out of CCS’s partnership with Reach University, and an additional 14 CCS staff members are currently enrolled in the program, demonstrating the network’s commitment to growing talent from within and creating pathways for staff advancement. This investment in staff has created a culture where employees at all points in their professional journey can envision long-term careers at CCS.

Burks offers this advice to other CCS staff considering the program: “The program is very time-consuming, but if you want it, it’s not an issue. Make the time.”