Jameelah Stuckey
Senior Manager, TNTP
2019 EP Fellow in Tulsa, OK
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Education Pioneers (EP), a significant milestone in our organization’s journey. To honor this occasion, we’re sharing an ongoing blog series to showcase EP Alumni who are actively addressing opportunity gaps within their communities.
Jameelah Stuckey’s career began in the structured environments of banking and public service. She interned on Capitol Hill and served as a Presidential Correspondence Associate, but felt a growing desire to tackle the inequities she saw in education, leading her to pursue her MBA. “I saw the education system as a business,” she reflected. “I figured that if I knew more about management, administration, and other fundamentals of business, I would be better positioned to challenge the issues that I saw.”
After graduation, she completed her EP Fellowship in Tulsa, OK, where she focused on equity initiatives and experiential learning projects, igniting her passion for disrupting the status quo. “My goal has always been to go against the grain when necessary. The EP Fellowship allowed me to do that,” she shared.
During her Fellowship, Jameelah was placed with Opp Project LLC, a local organization that served as an intermediary with Tulsa Public Schools, where her focus was social-emotional learning (SEL) for both in-school and out-of-school settings. She now serves as a Senior Manager at TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project), where she is part of a team of consultants who work to reimagine the public education system. She also supports the African American Leadership of Academy of Tulsa, which empowers leaders across industries for success in their roles.
Listening to Lead
Jameelah’s Fellowship in Tulsa taught her that true leadership involves listening deeply and empowering others. Reflecting on her approach, she notes, “A leader isn’t just someone who directs but someone who listens and fosters others’ growth.”
During her Fellowship, Jameelah led an initiative to address school transportation issues in low-income communities. Rather than imposing solutions, she paused to hear directly from community members. She then collaborated with the transportation department to install mock bus stops and review the data post-program, ultimately leading to a permanent bus stop in a key underserved area and improved school attendance rates across the community.
This experience inspired Jameelah to join with and encourage local leaders to advocate for their own communities. Now, as co-chair of the Greater Tulsa African American Affairs Commission’s education committee, she continues her commitment to community-led change.
Shaping the Future, Together
For Jameelah, the EP Alumni network represents a powerful ecosystem of leaders who are redefining what’s possible in education. “The fact that I have colleagues from my cohort like Ali Jaffrey working for KIPP Jacksonville brings me hope. When one of us wins, we all win. Knowing that our Alumni are out there, in every sector and role, means we can continue to lift each other up and tackle education’s biggest challenges together.”
Looking toward the future, Jameelah is energized by the collective power of EP Alumni to shape the next 20 years in the sector. “Like a potter, we have the clay, the wheel, and our own hands,” she says. “Just as a potter creates, we are molding a better public education system for all.”
EP believes in the power of mobilizing diverse, skilled professionals from inside and outside of the sector to transform education as we know it. If you’re an Alumni looking to multiply your impact, you can get involved by referring a Fellow or hosting a Fellow at your organization.
About our Alumni Network
After completing their Fellowship, EP Fellows join our vibrant Alumni network made up of more than 4,700 connected change makers at every level of educational leadership. Together, EP Fellows and Alumni drive meaningful change and work towards creating a more just and equitable future for all students. Learn more about the impact of our Alumni network here.
