Jason Reyes

Born and raised in the Boogie Down Bronx, Jason Reyes has the honor and privilege to serve as Principal of M.S. 129, the Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership in District 12. He began his career in the New York City Department of Education in 2003 as a per diem substitute math teacher and throughout his tenure he was fortunate to become a certified math teacher, dean, and assistant principal. Jason’s passion and commitment to the educational success of his scholars is rooted in social justice and activism. He believes that leading a school that seeks to empower scholars can be a force of change in communities that have been historically overlooked and left out. As a Bronx native he values the inherent genius and excellence that his students bring with them into the classroom and truly feels that they can be the change needed to bring about systemic change and justice to their communities. In 2016, Jason received Lehman College’s Aspiring Educational Leadership Award while pursuing his Master’s in School Building Leadership. This was largely impart to his leadership philosophy, he states “An effective educational leader is one who places an emphasis on social change, targeting students who have been historically marginalized. These students need a leader whose objective is to challenge injustice and inequity while raising student achievement in the process.”