Derrick Cartwright

Born in Philadelphia and having worked in Philadelphia schools for a decade, Derrick is excited to bring his experience as both an educator and school leader to the role of Senior Program Officer at Elevate 215. 

Growing up in suburbs 25 minutes north of Philadelphia, Derrick has always had a passion for education. Specifically, he was drawn to numbers, statistics, and the use of math to tell a story. This curiosity and passion for numbers from an early age led to his decision out of high school to pursue a career as a high school math teacher. After earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Mathematics, Derrick joined Teach for America in Cincinnati to begin teaching middle school Math. While there, he earned his Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati.

After three years of learning and cultivating his skills as an educator, Derrick chose to return back to Philadelphia in 2016 to teach high school Algebra, while also learning the skills to become an instructional and school leader. This led to serving as an Assistant Principal of Instruction for years supporting teachers across disciplines to better their craft to improve student outcomes and the overall student experience. From there, Derrick had the privilege of serving as Principal to over 700 7-12th grade students at Mastery Charter Shoemaker. As Principal, Derrick worked with students, staff, parents, and community partners to see increases in proficiency in both PSSA and Keystone results, as well as increase the student attendance and experience through an increase in after-school activities, tutoring, and partnership opportunities.

Outside of the school building, Derrick has spent his career committed to advocating for, finding, and creating environments that enrich the education for all students, especially those in low-income communities. His mission is to ensure all students have access to a high quality education and are prepared for any and all postsecondary pathways.

In his spare time, Derrick loves spending time with his family and friends by exploring Philadelphia’s unique neighborhoods, parks, and restaurants.