Donate

about us

The Teacher Accelerator Program is a solution for the greatest challenge facing America’s schools: a chronic talent shortage that has left thousands of classrooms without a dedicated teacher. TAP creates a clear pathway for professionals with bachelor's degrees and college seniors—not in the field of education—to graduate and enter the teaching profession. Beginning at our partnering universities, college seniors and career changers take a one-semester undergraduate course focusing on education foundations and teacher certification support. The course is followed by a paid summer internship where TAP participants will teach in Miami-Dade County Public Schools before landing a full-time teaching position. TAP participants will receive ongoing mentorship throughout their first year of teaching to support their professional development and to build a community of support.

History

Born out of a collaborative desire to improve our community, Achieve Miami teamed up with Teach for America-Miami-Dade and the University of Miami to mitigate one of Miami’s most critical needs–the teacher shortage. Achieve Miami, with a proven track record of success since 2015, created the Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) to provide a scalable workforce design modeled solution–a teacher training program that creates a new pipeline of teachers entering Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Since then, TAP has expanded its unique community partnership network to include Miami-Dade College and Florida International University.

Mission

Creating pipelines to mobilize, train, and mentor new cohorts of educators to ensure every student has a qualified teacher.

Vision

Collaboratively building a new cohort of teachers for our students and our future.

Meet Our Team


FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

Leslie Miller Saiontz is a philanthropist, educational activist, and impact investor. Leslie founded Achieve Miami in 2015 with the goal of launching, scaling, and developing programs that narrow the opportunity gaps facing low-income communities.

Before launching Achieve Miami, Leslie spent decades as a successful entrepreneur in retail and real estate. Leslie’s proudest accomplishment is seeing her six grown children dedicate their time and resources to strengthening their own communities.


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Melissa Sawyer is the Executive Director of Achieve. She is also the Co-Founder and former CEO of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), where she spent more than two decades advancing its core purpose: to empower young people to improve their lives and the lives of others.
Melissa began her career in New Orleans through Teach For America and later worked on reforms within Louisiana’s juvenile justice system. In 2004, she founded YEP - initially focused on supporting young people transitioning from incarceration - and grew it into a comprehensive youth development organization, internationally recognized as an innovative leader in high-quality programs for young people.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Melissa’s leadership has been recognized with several honors, including Woman of the Year by CityBusiness (and later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024), CEO of the Year by Biz New Orleans Magazine (2022), and New Orleanian of the Year by Gambit Weekly (2016).

Lydia Muñiz

Executive Consultant

Lydia has over 40 years of professional non-profit leadership experience, serving for 30 years as the President and CEO for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami. Through her company, LIVE YOUR DREAMS, Lydia helps social impact organizations unlock new opportunities for growth, sustainability, and fundraising effectiveness. Amongst her clients, are Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Centro Mater Foundation, Rebuilding Together, Brooke USA and The Education Fund. Ms. Muniz holds a B.A. from InterAmerican University, San German, Puerto Rico and a Master of Science in Social Administration degree from Case Western Reserve University. Her post graduate education also includes Harvard Business School’s “Strategic NPO Institute,” the Aspen Institute in Colorado, and Bank of America’s Neighborhood in Excellence Leadership Institute.

Jasmine Calin-Micek

Senior Director of Programming

Jasmine Calin-Micek is the Teacher Accelerator Program's Senior Director of Programming. Jasmine, or Jazz as she is affectionately known, has over a decade of experience in K-12 education having served as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, instructional coach, educational consultant, and elementary content specialist. As a Miami native, Jasmine brings her passion for education to her hometown, working to ensure every child has the teacher they deserve. She has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Davidson College and is a proud alumnus of Teach For America Miami-Dade.

Lauren Barnes

Director of Planning and Grant Management

Lauren is dedicated to creating educational opportunities. She brings to the team a variety of experiences in grant writing, curriculum design, and teaching. She believes in building a better community through connecting with others. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s of Science in Education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Cynthia Blanco

Director of Recruitment, Engagement, and Marketing

Angela Morello

Senior Program Manager

Angie Morello is a Program Manager at the Teacher Accelerator Program, where she leverages her diverse background in business, education, and human resources to drive impactful educational initiatives. With a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA focusing on Human Resources, Angie brings a well-rounded perspective to her role. She previously taught high school business classes for four years, igniting her passion for community-focused education. Outside of work, Angie enjoys Zumba, traveling, and spending quality time with her pet dog.

Maria Gabriela Castro

Administrative Director

Maria Gabriela was born and raised in Machala, Ecuador and lived in Massachusetts for 3 years before moving to Hialeah, FL at 11 yrs old. She attended the University of Central Florida where she earned a B.A. in Anthropology and certificate in TEFL. Since graduating, she has been working in non-profit organizations, most notably 7 years at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science where she wore many hats, including positions in the Education and Guest Services departments. Maria Gabriela is passionate about making education accessible to all and serving her community by understanding cultural needs. In her spare time, MG loves to travel, try new foods, visit gardens, and go to the beach!

Daniel Perez

Program Manager

Daniel Perez is a Program Manager at the Teacher Accelerator Program. Born and raised in Hialeah, FL, Daniel holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and brings five years of hands-on classroom experience as a middle school science teacher. He works to ensure that all students have access through knowledge (and science). Outside of his professional life, he is an avid reader and enjoys diving into imaginative worlds through Dungeons & Dragons.

Shelda Raymonvil

Program Manager

Shelda Raymonvil is a Program Manager at Teacher Accelerator Program. Born and raised in Miami, FL, Shelda began her teaching career as an elementary school teacher in Houston, TX as a Teach For America corps member before relocating to South Florida to continue teaching. With experience in program leadership, instructional coaching, and mentorship, Shelda is dedicated to fostering growth in student achievement and teacher performance. When Shelda is not working, she enjoys CrossFit weightlifting and traveling.

Meet Our Partners