Kayode Ayetiwa

Kayode Ayetiwa is a native New Yorker and has worked for the New York City Department of education since 2004. As a highly successful urban science teacher who taught Regents Earth Science in middle school, his students, at a 97 percent pass rate, consistently outperformed both peer and high school students throughout New York State.

After briefly serving as an Assistant Principal, Kayode, in 2016, became Principal of an urban struggling school on the shortlist for potential closure. Within one year, Kayode moved the graduation rate from 67 percent to 82 percent, a 15 percent increase. The graduation rate continued to increase yearly with a current rate of 95 percent and a college and career performance index (CCPI) rate of 91 percent. Additionally, he founded four Career Technical Education level programs in Robotics and Drone Engineering, Medical Assisting, Cybersecurity, and Cosmetology and Business Management. He also founded an Urban Agriculture program featuring hydroponics and aquaponics that has received approval and recognition by New York State. These transformational changes led to renaming the school: Health, Arts, Robotics and Technology (H.A.R.T) High School.

Over the years, Kayode’s accomplishments have not gone unrecognized. Notable achievements include being currently designated as the Chancellor’s Master Principal as a high performing principal. Kayode is also a member of the Chancellors Principal Advisory cabinet. He has served as a coach to both principals and aspiring principals on behalf of the First Deputy Chancellors office and the Office of Leadership. Finally, he was selected as a finalist nominee to being a member of the U.S. Secretary of Education’s governing board under the Honorable Miguel Cordona. Kayode’s mission and passion is to take extraordinary measures to provide the rigorous academic foundation for the optimal success of our extraordinary students.