LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Courtney Rodriguez Sales was nominated by Bloom Academy Board member, Sarah Ibrahim.

Mrs. Sales is highly qualified, passionate, driven, and results-oriented. She is a fellow of Building Excellent Schools (BES). BES is a national nonprofit organization committed to improving the academic achievement of underserved students in the nation’s urban centers. BES accomplishes this by training leaders to take on the work of establishing high-achieving, college preparatory charter schools.

It is extremely difficult to become a BES fellow. In fact, BES receives over 2,000 inquiries for ten to twelve fellowships per year. The criteria to become a BES fellow is incredibly selective. BES requires the fellow to be a leader who believes that all children can learn. It requires each fellow to be extremely intelligent, which enables fellows to not only have the intelligence to create a high-achieving school, but the ability to execute a lasting, high-achieving charter school. BES only selects leaders who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. BES looks for natural-born leaders who will use every minute possible to close the achievement gap. The BES application has high standards and requires extensive essays, an education background, stellar recommendations, and strong professional accomplishments. Then, applicants must face multiple rounds of interviews. In addition, candidates evaluate classroom instruction and are asked to do multiple written data analysis. BES only selects 1-3 percent of its applicants a year. After meeting Ms. Sales, it is clear why BES selected her as a fellow. She is a natural-born leader with amazing grit and the intellectual capacity and compassion necessary to build a high performing school in Houston, Texas.

Ms. Sales is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. She is a licensed attorney and a certified educator. She was on the Dean’s List for six semesters at Pennsylvania State University. In law school, she was a Child and Family Advocacy Fellow, which is a highly competitive program that offers tuition remission for graduates who commit to careers in public service work for families with children. After her undergraduate education, Ms. Sales became a Teach For America Corps Member. Teach For America has an acceptance rate of less than 11-15 percent. Teach For America is highly selective and only chooses the best applicants. She spent two years at PS 385 The Performance School in the Bronx, New York. As a product of the Bronx, Ms. Sales was inspired to give back to the community that raised her. She planned rigorous literacy and math curricula. She led classes to average over two years of reading growth in one school year. The New York City Teacher Data Reports listed her as achieving a high achievement level in English and above-average achievement level in Math. Her ability as a high-performing educator is proven.

After her time as a teacher, Ms. Sales decided to attend law school. During law school, she received multiple awards including the National Action Network “Woman of Excellence” Award, the Sari M. Friedman Endowed Family Law Honors Scholarship, and the Stephanie E. Kupferman Juvenile Justice Endowed Scholarship. In law school, her commitment to education remained as evidenced by her multiple presentations:

• Hunter College, New York, NY & Bronx Community College, Bronx, NY: “So You Want to Go to Law School: What Students of Color Should Know About Law School”;
• Hofstra Law School, Hempstead, NY: “Saving the Nation’s Expendable Children: A Proposed Moratorium on Student Suspensions”;
• P.S. 385 The Performance School, Bronx, NY, “College Bound Scholars: How to Change School Culture and Engage Students.

In addition, she published a nationwide paper on “Amending State Education Laws to Encourage Keeping Students in Schools.” Her commitment to education is indisputable and strong. She also helped establish Hofstra Law’s first Juvenile Justice Clinic and was the managing editor of the Family Court Review Journal. Her academic service during law school focused on youth, including volunteering for the Nassau County Youth Court and the Youth Advocacy Center.

As a legal intern, Ms. Sales demonstrated her commitment to public service. She spent a summer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in the Brooklyn Family Courts. She spent the following summer at The Legal Aid Society in Staten Island Family Court and managed both juvenile delinquency and child protective cases. Ms. Sales also interned with the New York Civil Liberties Union to develop a strategic plan to address high levels of suspension and expulsions in schools in Nassau County. After becoming a licensed Pennsylvania Attorney in October 2013, Ms. Sales joined the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She represented indigent adult clients and was quickly promoted to the Juvenile Division, where she represented children at all phases of the Juvenile Court process.

Then, she decided to move her professional focus solely on education. She spent two years as a Project Manager in the Department of Professional Development at the Pittsburgh Board of Education. She was responsible for managing cross-functional teams and implemented a number of plans and programs. During that time, she also was a member of three community service organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Attorney Advisor at Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, and a member of the Youth Court Initiative of Western Pennsylvania. She also received the Barack Obama Academy of Internal Studies “Community Partner Award.”

Ms. Sales is clearly a leader with a strong background in education. She has demonstrated her abilities since her time in college and throughout her entire professional career. Her knowledge of education spans from inside the classroom to professional development and even juvenile justice. This broad range of knowledge made Ms. Sales superbly qualified to be Superintendent of Bloom Academy Charter School. She wouldn't have received all the accolades, certifications, and fellowships if it weren't for her passion and commitment to education. She believes all children should learn, and all children have the capacity to do so with the proper support. Ms. Sales has done whatever is necessary to create a high achieving, lasting charter school in Houston.

As a BES Fellow, Ms. Sales went through a year-long, comprehensive, rigorous training program in urban charter school creation and leadership. She traveled to schools around the nation studying high-performing schools. She spent this time creating the footwork for Bloom Academy. Ms. Sales has been continuously selected by high performing education organizations such as Teach For America and BES. Both programs have highly selective recruitment, and the Board agrees that Ms. Sales is a strong Superintendent.

"As a Board, we took the time to study her background and have had many conversations about her commitment to creating a high-performing charter school. It is evident that she demonstrates the intellectual capacity and tenacity to be the our superintendent," said Ibrahim. "As a Board, we believe that Courtney is a LifeChanger...Since Bloom Academy Charter School has opened, Courtney has proven that she has the ability to not only make a beneficial difference in the lives of students, but to permanently impact their quality of life. Parents have raved about Courtney and the loving but demanding learning environment she cultivates at Bloom. Teachers have stated that she is a great leader and an amazing teacher developer. Lastly, we as a Board, know that Courtney will make a life-changing impact for her students, parents and the community."