Assistant Superintendent of Strategic Funding for School Quality
Nikki Stewart is a Certified Public Manager and education leader, specializing in federal grants and support programs, instructional leadership, assessment development, and data-action planning – all in the service of advancing educational equity for all students. She currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Strategic Funding for School Quality (FSQ), joining the FSQ team in 2019 after serving for 5 years as manager of OSSE’s statewide assessment program. In her role as Assistant Superintendent, Ms. Stewart and the FSQ team nurture LEAs, schools, and education partners to effectively use state supports to achieve equitable outcomes for all students. In addition to managing the District of Columbia’s major elementary and secondary education formula grant programs, including Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), the FSQ team also successfully administered over $600M in federal COVID recovery grants for schools.
Ms. Stewart is a master teacher and keen manager recognized for building strong infrastructures for success through meticulous research, strategic planning, and cultivating effective teams. No stranger to academic achievement, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Spelman College, is a fifth-generation teacher, and received numerous fellowships and awards for her research and writing on African American girls and education. She holds masters’ degrees in Women’s Studies, Teacher Leadership, and Instructional Design and Technology; certificates in Public Management, Education Finance, and Social Impact Storytelling; and is currently completing leadership coaching certification at George Washington University. From designing undergraduate courses of study, to serving on the founding team and, ultimately, as Chief Academic Officer of the District of Columbia’s first all-girls charter school, to managing DC’s transition to next generation assessments, Ms. Stewart continues her family’s multi-generational work to improve education for all.