Cassie Schwerner
![Cassie Schwerner headshot](/sites/default/files/styles/staff_photo/public/2024-06/cassie_schwerner_headshot.png?itok=3x4Ak-xW)
Cassie’s life work is dedicated to making positive social change at the intersection of racial justice and public education. Cassie came to Morningside Center in 2018, after two decades at The Schott Foundation for Public Education, most recently as Senior Vice President of National Partnerships. At Schott, Cassie was immersed in many of the same social and racial justice issues that are at the center of Morningside's work, including fostering restorative practices and ending discipline policies that disproportionately target students of color. Before Schott, Cassie was a research and editorial assistant for Jonathan Kozol, working on his books Savage Inequalities and Amazing Grace. She serves as a trustee of Kozol’s Education Action Foundation and is a board member of New York Appleseed. Cassie has a Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Boston College, where she specialized in social movement theory. She is a proud mother of two New York City public school students, Ezra and Vivian.
At a time when many of us are feeling bombarded by disturbing news, it can help to remember all the people who are working to bring joy and justice to our world.
I’m writing to let you know how much you and your support for Morningside Center mean for young people and educators during this most difficult year.
“I ask you to reimagine. So here I am at almost fifty, and I am forced to reimagine in the most powerful way possible – and I ask you, all of us, how can we reimagine?”
I want to thank you for the support you are providing to young people in our public schools.
On November 5, 2018, Cassie Schwerner became Morningside Center’s new Executive Director, picking up the baton from Tom Roderick, who had led the organization for 35 years.