KIPP Massachusetts has a new executive director — Rhonda (Nikki) Barnes.
Appointed by the KIPP MA board of directors, Barnes replaces outgoing director Caleb Dolan, who recommended her for the position. Dolan is leaving after 10 years with KIPP.
Barmes has more than 20 years of classroom experience in elementary, middle, and high school, and 10 years of experience working in education non-profit organizations. She came to KIPP MA in 2013 as a sixth-grade teacher at KIPP Academy Boston, became the dean of students in 2014, and the principal a year later.
Under her leadership, KIPP Academy Boston experienced some of the highest student growth in the state of Massachusetts, including some of the best performance in reading growth on the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment in the KIPP national network. Most recently, Barnes has served as the chief schools officer of KIPP MA, supporting the five school principals. Barnes will be the first black woman to serve as executive director of KIPP Massachusetts.
“I made the decision to step down because I had the honor working alongside someone who I knew could lead our schools further towards the mission and vision we crafted with our families and alumni,” Dolan said. “Nikki is an educator with the experience, energy, and imagination to lead the evolution of our schools so that all students realize their aspirations for a choice-filled lives and a more just world.”
“I will work to make sure every child is seen, known, loved, and challenged,” Barnes said. “KIPP Massachusetts is a strong region of schools whose alumni are persisting and advancing towards amazing adult lives, where children are growing academically and socially, and where we are taking big steps towards sustainability with our money and our people. This is fertile soil for us to grow even stronger.”
