Boston Public Schools and Boston Plan for Excellence have announced the appointment of Elijah Heckstall as Principal of Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School, effective July 1, 2020. Heckstall will replace outgoing principal Dawn Lewis, who served the community with dedication for five years. An interview committee of Dudley Street School parents, teachers, community leaders and Board members conducted the search and recommended his appointment.
Heckstall hails from Middletown, Conn. and attended Trinity College in Hartford, where he earned a batchelor’s degree in education with a concentration in neuroscience. He found that his work tutoring and helping to lead an afterschool program sparked a passion for education, specifically working with students in underserved communities.
Heckstall began working for Citizen Schools, working with middle school students in Dorchester to provide mentorship and real-world learning experiences. While completing his master’s in education from Lesley University, Heckstall became a Teach For America corps member and worked as a science and special education teacher at what is now the Dearborn STEM Academy. Heckstall remained working in schools as a teacher, a Dean of Students and finally his most recent school-based role as co-principal of the 9th Grade Academy of Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Mass.
Heckstall joined Teach For America’s staff in the summer of 2018, leading the direct support and development of the current corps members in the region. In this role, Heckstall supervised the region’s school-based coaches and supported program management as the managing director of Teacher Leadership Development.
