School Leadership
Mr. Sanjay Mitchell is coming to Cesar Chavez PCS with over two decades in higher and secondary education. Most recently, he served as Director of Upper School, College & Alumni programs, where he ensured that 100% of seniors were accepted into college and more than 60% persisted and graduated within five years. Sanjay’s work has paved the way for students to enroll in and graduate from the Top 20 higher education institutions, including Stanford University, Yale University, University of Chicago, Pepperdine University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, Dartmouth College, UCLA, Emory University, Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Rice. Sanjay serves on the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) board and the DEI advisory board for The College of the Holy Cross. He previously served on the boards of Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL), the college advisory boards for George Washington University, Muhlenberg College, and the community advisory board for The Common App. Mr. Mitchell also served as Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY). Mr. Mitchell earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the State University of New York at Albany and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management Executive from Georgetown University. He resides in Washington, D.C., where he is a proud resident of Ward 7.
School Principal
Dr. Joshua Jackson
Dr. Joshua J. Jackson was hired as the Chavez School Assistant Principal in the Summer of 2022. Dr. Jackson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Chavez. Before his current position, he served as a middle school and high school social studies teacher, an instructional coach for middle school social studies, and a staff developer for equity. In addition, Dr. Jackson has developed curriculum and provided district-wide professional development for teachers and administrators on various topics. Dr. Jackson is a proud graduate of Bowie State University, earning a bachelor's degree in history. He has also obtained his master's degree from North central University in Educational Leadership. Dr. Jackson completed his final year of his doctoral studies journey at Liberty University, working on a degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
Director of Mission Programing
Mr. Clarence Cross III
For more than 10 years, Clarence Cross, III has been a dedicated teacher and college & career manager to youth across the District of Columbia. His ability to build relationships with youth allows him to create long-lasting, meaningful relationships that defy the norm. As a new teacher, Clarence learned that his passion went beyond the classroom, and for years, he dedicated himself as a volunteer to assist dozens of first-generation college school students to ensure that there would be no barriers for college access.In his role as Director of Mission Programming, he is responsible for ensuring that scholars are prepared to successfully compete in competitive colleges and for curating public policy-related experiences for all scholars. On a daily basis, Clarence is tasked with promoting a culture of college acceptance, public policy and advocacy, educating scholars on the importance of college education, and preparing students to excel in college and beyond. Clarence believes that ‘Decision Days’ are crucial because it motivates and inspires the entire student body. It is the highlight of his school year because it showcases the hard work and dedication of teachers, administrators, families, and students.Clarence also has a commitment to international education. He has led multiple high school cohorts to Africa and Asia. Clarence believes that all students (despite their income) should be afforded the opportunity to become avid travelers. Born in Washington, DC, Clarence is a proud product of DC Public Schools graduating from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. Clarence later earned his MBA from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. In his free time, Clarence swims, reads, and travels.
Director, Finance and Operations
Ms. Sade Creighton
Sade serves as the Chief Finance and Operations Officer at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, where she leads finance, operations, human resources, data, and enrollment strategy in service of student success and school sustainability. With a strong background in public education and charter school leadership, Sade brings over a decade of experience in building efficient, mission-driven systems that support both equity and excellence.
Prior to joining Chavez Schools, Sade held key leadership roles at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and within several Washington, D.C. charter school networks. Her work has included overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets, streamlining operations, enhancing compliance and reporting systems, and developing cross-functional teams to drive student-centered outcomes. She is especially passionate about aligning resources to close opportunity gaps and ensure all students have access to high-quality educational experiences.
Sade is proud to be part of a school community that empowers young people to become thoughtful leaders and policy advocates for their communities.