Toyia Matthews

Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Partners, 

It has been a lifelong goal of mine to prepare myself with the skills and experiences needed to invest in the lives of students and adults. CMS is a district that supports my belief that everyone is constantly learning and cultivating into better educators. My passion for leading is fueled by the progress of others, especially our children. My five years as a Magnet School administrator has provided me with the insight to support our school's vision, mission, and improvement goals. Coaching teachers on differentiation and data analysis in order to plan instruction has been a focus in my current position. The ability to motivate students and staff members is one of my strongest skills which I believe promotes higher student achievement.

Instructionally, I have a background in K-12 education, working in the classroom, media center, and as a K-8 middle and elementary school administrator. I am a National Board Certified teacher who facilitates small candidate groups at NCCAT. My training in Reading Recovery and Direct Instruction, as well as interventionist and MTSS facilitator experiences, affords me the skills necessary to implement effective interventions and progress monitoring. My experience with Information Studies extends my depth of knowledge of the 21st century learner and the lifelong impact of technology. Planning with grade levels K-5 as a media specialist gave me hands on experience with the alignment of standards and implementation of CCSS. 

I have worked in a Title I school for six years and understand the federal mandates and key focus on parent involvement and student achievement. In addition to academics, I believe it is very important to meet the needs of the whole child. I have four years of experience working at a CMS school with a Basic School focus, which involved planning service learning opportunities for students. I attended a Leader in Me conference and participated in a parent book study to facilitate engagement around this initiative. I have been fortunate to open four new schools in various capacities: as a fourth grade teacher, a media specialist and a principal intern. This served to develop my level of working with constituent groups beyond the norm. I believe it was imperative that the community was heard and consensus was reached, from naming the school(s) to the creation of mission and vision statement(s).

I value people and believe more can be accomplished from a win-win approach. I am committed to building relationships with parents, forming joint partnerships in an effort to enrich their children’s lives with opportunities beyond the classroom setting. I am honored and humbled to lead the work at Dorothy J. Vaughan Academy of Technology, continuing Dr. Vaughan’s legacy through the lives of each Dorothy J. Vaughan scholar. I encourage each of us to pledge to support the impact this school will have locally, nationally, and globally. 

Best Regards, 
Toyia Matthews