Executive Director of African American Teaching Fellows Honored by University of Virginia

Dr. Tamara Dias, Executive Director of African American Teaching Fellows was honored by UVA President Jim Ryan at a ceremony on Grounds this week. Dr. Dias graduated from UVA Curry School in 2012 and earned her Doctorate in Leadership from Morgan State University. Of Dr. Dias, Vice Provost for Academic Outreach Louis Nelson stated, “Tamara Dias embodies in so many ways the continuing commitment to public service that we value so highly among our alumni. Citing her work with AATF he continued, “…she has invested boundless energy into the African American Teaching Fellows initiative, with the goal of sending excellent educators back to classrooms where the teachers mirror their students.”

 

Dr. Dias taught in the Charlottesville City and Albemarle County Public Schools as a Fellow with African American Teaching Fellows. She later applied for and became the Executive Director of AATF in 2016 where she has led the organization since. Dr. Dias sees service as, “an integral component of my personal values. I have always believed my skills and talents should be used to make the community a better place.” Of her role at AATF, Dr. Dias states, “So much recent attention has been given to the achievement gap in our public schools and our Fellows are a tremendous resource in overcoming that achievement gap. Our kids are our future so any achievement gap will be felt by all of us. Only by working together can we successfully move the needle on this issue.” Eric Johnson, AATF Board President states, “AATF is so lucky to have this dynamic, tireless visionary at the helm. She is a real treasure.”

 

Since its founding in 2004, the organization has recruited, supported and mentored over 40 African American teachers through the licensure process as well as the challenges of their first years of teaching. African American Teaching Fellows is a 501(c)(3) organization that recruits teaching candidates from throughout the Commonwealth. Fellows receive up to a $5,000 scholarship per year in addition to professional development and mentoring for each year they agree to teach in either the Charlottesville City or Albemarle County school divisions, up to a maximum of three years.