Dear Accelerated Schools Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of The Accelerated Schools, I am excited to share some fantastic news with you! After a thorough nationwide search for our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position, which included a series of community listening sessions with students, parents, and staff, the Board found an exceptional leader for our organization. This rigorous process began with 300 applicants, from which 20 candidates were selected. After a comprehensive interview process, we narrowed the field and interviewed four outstanding finalists.

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jesse Melgares, who brings an impressive array of experiences and accomplishments in educational leadership to our organization. Jesse will officially join the schools on July 2, 2024, and we are confident that his vision and expertise will significantly advance our mission of fostering academic excellence and equity.

Mr. Melgares holds a distinguished academic record with a focus on education and public management, including a Bachelors of Arts from UCLA, a Master of Arts in Education from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s of Management Studies in Public Education Management from the Yale School of Management. He has demonstrated outstanding leadership and a deep commitment to improving educational outcomes through various leadership roles, including his most recent role as Vice President of Teaching & Learning at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, where he managed academic systems and content teams across 26 schools, ensuring access to rigorous and culturally responsive instruction for over 13,500 students.

This is an exciting and consequential moment for our new leader to join the TAS community, building on the organization’s impressive history and strong fundamentals to continue driving an unwavering, unapologetic commitment to high student achievement and a rich student experience. Mr. Melgares will prioritize amplifying academic achievement. Essential to this work will be the way in which Mr. Melgares will join and come to really know the TAS community, actively listening and learning from those with deep institutional knowledge and taking the necessary time to understand the schools’ current approaches and priorities while supporting improvement and innovation. We look forward to the innovative strategies and collaborative leadership he will bring to our community.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Melgares to the Accelerated Schools family.

Sincerely,

Leonard Rabinowitz

President, Board of Trustees