Danielle Ragavanis
Queens
Summary
Seasoned Master Teacher with in-depth experience in program creation, curriculum development, and student engagement strategies. Possess strong communication skills, ability to foster positive relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. Demonstrated impact includes improved student experience and innovative teaching methods implementation.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Master Teacher & PLAN Pilot Mentor School Lead
Thomas A Edison CTE High School
Jamaica
08.2023 - Current
- Founded the Research and Development Department to use design thinking principles to innovate, scale, and disrupt systems
- Developed a professional development curriculum to support teachers as they created projects and lessons that align to the NY State proposal for the ideal graduate including AI for instruction, project based learning, Grant Wiggins AMT model
- Applied for, and administered grants including the XQ/NYC Reimagine Schools grant and the New York PLAN Pilot and Mentor school
- Lead for budgeting, annual and quarterly fiscal reports, as well as annual implementation plans
- Responsible for all communications with PLAN Pilot school mentees, regular attendance at all meetings, maintain data and records of communication, wrote quarterly reports
Special Education teacher/ PCT
Thomas A Edison CTE High School
Jamaica
09.2008 - 06.2023
- Established the award-winning Model United Nations program, competing at the selective high school and ivy league college circuits
- Launched an internship program at PS 175, MS 217, and MS358 where high school students supported elementary and middle school teachers in enrichment programs
- Piloted the Educator Pathway of FutureReady NYC and mentored schools implementing new CTE programs and pathways, attended citywide meetings during planning and implementation, met with Queens Community College to coordinate enrollment of interns
- Implemented the AP Capstone program and produced fully project-based learning curricula in Global History and US History
- Created a summer design institute for high school and middle school students to create a portable escape room for DIIT, based on a full sized escape room we developed during the pandemic to support the 11th grade ELA team’s Dracula unit
- Mentored new teachers, developed and provided schoolwide professional development both pre-pandemic and throughout remote/hybrid learning
Education
MS - Teaching
Pace University
NEW YORK, NY05.2008
BA - Political Science
Syracuse University
SYRACUSE, NY05.1998
EdD - Instructional Leadership
St. John’s University
NEW YORK, NYSkills
- Technology integration
- Project management
- Curriculum design
- Data analysis
- Grant oversight
- Team collaboration
- Problem solving
- Adaptability
- Mentoring
- Student engagement
- Diversity support
- Instructional design
Publications
- Shifting toward an Essential Skills Framework for Assessment - Kappan Online, Danielle Ragavanis, Philip Baker, 11/13/25, http://kappanonline.org/shifting-toward-an-essential-skills-framework-for-assessment
- How a ‘Dracula’-Themed Escape Room Helped Drive Deeper Learning with Project-Based Learning, Philip Baker, Danielle Ragavanis, 06/07/23, www.smartbrief.com/original/escape-room-problem-based-learning
- NYC High School Reimagines Career & Technical Education for the 21st Century, Andrew Bauld, 06/12/24, www.the74million.org/article/nyc-high-school-reimagines-career-technical-education-for-the-21st-century/?utm_source=The%2074%20Million%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=8c0f13785a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_07_27_07_47_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_077b986842-8c0f13785a-177065956
- Fellow: Moses Ojeda, Cahn Fellows, 06/07/24, vimeo.com/showcase/5225233/video/274741138
- Thomas Edison HS in Queens Equips Students for the Future with Life Skills, FOX 5 NY, 06/22/23, www.fox5ny.com/news/thomas-edison-high-school-queens?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR25LJKpy56VIVhBcWB70h-5H7pjiVtI3qVFRLS0o1Jyxum67rC8m-77eKg
- PBL World 2022 Champions, 2022, www.pblworks.org/blog/pbl-world-2022-champions
- Pilot School Spotlight, 2025, www.nysed.gov/plan-pilot/pilot-school-spotlight
- Teaching Life Skills at Thomas Edison HS, FOX 5 NY, 2023, www.fox5ny.com/video/1238484
Awards
- Queens South High School Award for Service to the School Community, 2023
- PBL Champion School, 2022
- Daniel Trust Award, 2019
Websites
- http://kappanonline.org/shifting-toward-an-essential-skills-framework-for-assessment
- www.smartbrief.com/original/escape-room-problem-based-learning
- www.the74million.org/article/nyc-high-school-reimagines-career-technical-education-for-the-21st-century/?utm_source=The%2074%20Million%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=8c0f13785a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_07_27_07_47_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_077b986842-8c0f13785a-177065956
Accomplishments
Queens South High School Award for Service to the School Community, 2023
Timeline
Master Teacher & PLAN Pilot Mentor School Lead
Thomas A Edison CTE High School
08.2023 - Current
Special Education teacher/ PCT
Thomas A Edison CTE High School
09.2008 - 06.2023
MS - Teaching
Pace University
BA - Political Science
Syracuse University
EdD - Instructional Leadership
St. John’s University