School Leaders
Nikeysha Jackson
Principal
Nikeysha Jackson is honored to serve as the Principal of John Lewis Elementary School! Ms. Jackson holds a Bachelor’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree from George Mason University. After working for many years in the HR field, she made the decision to become an educator because of her passion for positively impacting the lives of children. She joined Teach for America and moved to Washington, DC to serve the students and families in the DC metropolitan area.
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Prior to serving in the District, Ms. Jackson served in various capacities in Prince George’s County Public Schools including as a 2nd Grade teacher, Kindergarten teacher, and a Math Coach. During her time in the District, Ms. Jackson has served as Assistant Principal at Watkins Elementary School and Interim Principal at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus. Ms. Jackson completed her Principal Residency with New Leaders, a nationally recognized program that develops talented educators into transformational school leaders. As a school leader, Ms. Jackson has been instrumental in significantly increasing student achievement, building and sustaining partnerships with families, and developing staff capacity. Her educational philosophy is grounded in the following principles: all students have a right to high-quality education; all students can achieve; students’ needs differ; students need to be active participants in learning; families matter; and every student needs a champion.
In addition to serving children, Ms. Jackson loves spending time with her daughter, swimming, volunteering, and traveling the world.
Milton Bryant
Assistant Principal
Milton Bryant is thrilled to serve as an Assistant Principal at John Lewis Elementary School! Shortly after graduating from The University of Maryland, Milton discovered his passion for education while on the recruiting trail as a college football coach. He joined the Office of Special Education at DCPS’s Central Office in 2009 and later transitioned to teaching through the Inspired Teaching Certification Program in 2011. Over the next nine years, Milton assumed several roles at Ketcham Elementary School. He taught grades 3-5 for six years and received multiple awards and recognition due to his students’ success. Milton successfully transitioned into an Instructional Coaching role for one year, before joining the Mary Jane Patterson Fellowship and serving as an Assistant Principal at Ketcham for the past two years.
Milton has a LOVE for education and believes in Nelson Mandela’s famous quote that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He works in DCPS because he wants to empower young people in DC to utilize this weapon to improve their communities and this city. In his down time, Milton enjoys spending time with his family, coaching football, bartending, and hanging with friends.
Paul Schneider
Assistant Principal
Paul Schneider is excited to join the John Lewis team as an Assistant Principal! Before joining John Lewis Elementary School, Mr. Schneider served as the DCPS Resident Principal at Hart Middle School. Previously, he was the Assistant Principal at Moten Elementary School where he led instructional teams and helped implement school-wide tutoring. He also served as a Dean of Instruction and teacher in Oakland, CA, and spent five years teaching social studies and coaching basketball in Memphis, TN. A native of the DMV area, Mr. Schneider graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Ursinus College (PA) and earned his Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University (MD). Mr. Schneider loves DC sports teams, all things coffee, and taking long walks with his wife and dog, Blizzard.
