As the Senior Managing Director of Programs in DC, Shoko oversees Flamboyan’s REAL Family Engagement programming across Washington DC. She leads the DC Program Team as they work with educators, school leadership, and systems level leaders to ensure staff have the mindset and skills necessary to deeply engage families. She is committed to education because she deeply believes that education can empower individuals and communities and is an essential part of creating a more just world.
Prior to joining Flamboyan, Shoko began her career as a middle school science teacher at a charter school in Washington, DC. After several years in the classroom, she became the Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction at a non-profit organization in the Boston area that provided out-of-school-time supports for middle and high school students and teacher training for the next generation of educators. After seven years in Boston, she returned to the DC area and joined DC Public Schools to help schools implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to ensure that all students received high-quality instruction and the supports they deserved. As a former middle school educator and current parent of a DCPS student, Shoko has experienced firsthand how critical family engagement is to student success.
Shoko holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and M.Ed in Instructional Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Outside of Flamboyan, Shoko can be found at the local playground with her 2 children or volunteering at her daughter’s DCPS school as part of the PTO.
Who was your favorite teacher in school? Mr. Jones, my AP US History teacher. He not only made history engaging but also was the teacher I went to for advice and guidance.