About
Our Team
Experts in learning transforming education together.
We are teachers and parents, administrators and board members, researchers and executives.
We are experts in learning, and we are always learning.
One thing we all have in common? A commitment to making progressive, place-based education available to all.
Gina Moore
Founder
Gina is a founding partner at AJOVista, a financial institution that manages U.S., international, and global equities ranging from public and corporate pension funds to endowments and foundations. A seasoned investor with experience at Price Waterhouse, Brandywine Asset Management, and Glenmede Trust, she spends her free time diving into the possibilities and challenges facing education today. Over the last ten years she has served on the board of The Philadelphia School, an independent progressive elementary and middle school: first as treasurer, then president, and now as honorary trustee. Gina also sits on the school board for KIPP Philadelphia, a network of college-preparatory charter schools ranging from elementary through high school.
Having two children experience the impact of a progressive education that focused as much on experience as on outcome, she is passionate about transforming education and making this type of learning available to all.
Justine Hoffman
Head of School
As Head of School, Justine is a collaborative and visionary educational leader. With a BA in Communications from Boston College and two MEd degrees from DePaul University, and over 25 years in public and private schools and communities in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, she brings a depth of experience as an educator, curriculum leader, Division Head and Head of School. She has a passion for curriculum design and instruction, leadership and community cultivation, and school partnership development. Prior to her appointment, Justine served as Middle School Division Head at The Hewitt School, Head of The Philadelphia School and has been part of Revolution School planning from the start. She has been a partner in the area of Institutional Advancement and most recently served as Associate Head of Revolution School.
Joel Dankoff
Founding Educator, History & College and Career Placement
Joel leads the History & Social Studies program at Revolution. He has taught Global History, United States History, World Religions, and History of Architecture for over fifteen years, most recently at Fleisher Art Memorial and Friends’ Central School. He also taught World History at Wayne State University in Detroit. Joel has a BA in History of Art & Architecture from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and an MA in History from Wayne State University with course-work at the University of Pennsylvania.
Joel developed and implemented a Student Leadership Training Program for high school students at Friends’ Central. He also worked as an Admissions Counselor at the University of Chicago. Joel has lived in Philadelphia for nearly twenty years and uses the city itself as a classroom to engage students.
Patrick Cassidy
Founding Educator, Mathematics
Patrick leads the Mathematics program at Revolution School. A longtime educator at independent and charter schools, Patrick has long been interested in education of the whole child — challenging students academically but also tending to their development as citizens and members of the school community.
Patrick spent over a decade at Friends Select School in Center City, working with both middle and upper school students in a variety of mathematics disciplines. In addition, Patrick was a coach of both the Mathcounts team and of multiple sports during his tenure there. As an advisor, Patrick helped students negotiate the academic and social challenges that school presents, as well as working with the students on a variety of service-learning activities. Previously, Patrick had worked at Brooklyn Friends School in New York, contributing as an educator, advisor, and coach there. Patrick’s most recent stop was at Boys’ Latin in West Philadelphia, where he taught a wide range of math classes and was a homeroom teacher, as well.
Dirk Parker
Founding Educator, STEM
Dirk Parker comes to Revolution School with 15 plus years experience teaching science to grades 2-12. He earned his B.S. in Biology minor Animal Behavior (Psych-Bio) and M.Ed in Secondary science education both from Beaver College, now Arcadia University.
Dirk spent over a decade teaching science, coaching middle school football and serving as an upper school advisor at Chestnut Hill Academy (now Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) before moving to St. Peter’s School in Society Hill Philadelphia.
Dirk is also active in real estate development in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and remains very active with various programs in Philadelphia including Waterborne (boat building program at various Philadelphia area schools), ManUpPhL (Man Up Philadelphia) mentoring men of color ages 18-35 who are statistically most impacted by gun violence in Philadelphia, as well as running his childhood youth athletic association Ivy Hill Youth Association. Dirk lives in Cheltenham but stays closely connected to his old Mt Airy neighborhood.
Sydnie Schwarz
Founding Educator, English & Spanish & Director of DEI
Sydnie joins us from The Rivers School, in Weston Massachusetts. She taught Humanities and was a DEI coordinator. She recently earned a B.A. in sociology and anthropology from Swarthmore College, where she minored in educational studies and Latin American & Latinx Studies, and was a member of the varsity women’s lacrosse team. In her time at Swarthmore, Sydnie was actively involved as a qualitative field research assistant with a number of professors with whom she collaborated and, in one case, co-authored a journal publication, on topics related to immigration, undocumented status, and English language learners.
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Georgia Getz
Director of Marketing & Communications, Admissions
Georgia has applied her many years of “engine room” skills to a wide range of industries, from Finance to Hospital Administration. A center city Philadelphia native, the entire scope of Georgia’s education from kindergarten through college took place on or near Broad Street. Georgia applies her vast knowledge of the city and its wonderful diversity to her role within the Admissions Team. When not writing and designing her next communication, you’ll find Georgia at the dog park with her Great Dane, Bessie.
Katherine Taylor
Learning Coach and Wellness Coordinator
Katherine is instrumental in providing a personalized learning experience for all students. In collaboration with our educators, Katherine develops strategies and tactics to support and motivate all learners to reach their academic goals. An active member of the Wellness Team and co-creator of the Health class, Katherine believes that knowledge = empowerment and that it’s never too early to begin making healthy choices. Katherine is a native New Yorker who has worked as a Philadelphia-based tutor since 2016. She has a graduate degree in environmental writing and science and a professional background in environmental education and community development. She loves working one-on-one with children and young adults, and is particularly skilled at supporting writing, speaking, science, project-based work, and organization skills. Having lived in various places, including Oregon, Montana, San Francisco and West Africa, Katherine has enjoyed making Philadelphia home. In her spare time, Katherine likes to read, see friends, explore the city and escape it.