Jermaine Gassaway
Educator & Author
Charlotte, North Carolina
About Jermaine Gassaway
Jermaine Demetris Gassaway is an educator, author, and advocate for educational equity whose work focuses on expanding opportunities for students and strengthening the teaching profession.
Throughout his career, Gassaway has remained a vocal advocate for improving educational outcomes by increasing access, strengthening school leadership, and promoting greater diversity within the teaching profession. He believes that students benefit from learning in environments where educators reflect the communities they serve and where excellence is paired with equity.
Gassaway is also the author of Unopened Books: Multiplying the 2% as well as When You Arrive: A Children’s Book About Racism.
Books
Through the personal narrative of Jermaine D. Gassaway, a native Washingtonian, educator, and school leader; coupled with practical solutions, Unopened Books provides insight to multiply the 2%. It is intended to not only be a provocative conversation starter but an actionable approach to increase the number of Black men in the classroom.
This book was inspired by their son and their desire to support and take part in a global movement to end a long and unfortunate history of systemic racism in our country. Jermaine and Apri have a combined 24 years of experience in education as practitioners and nonprofit leaders.
Expert Insights
News & Interviews
Jermaine Gassaway on Equity and Teacher Diversity
At fourteen, Jermaine Gassaway made a decision that would alter the course of his life. Growing up in Washington, D.C., he faced educational inequalities that many young people in underserved communities know all too well.
Why School Leadership Should Be Measured by Student Growth, Not Just Test Scores
If you spend enough time in education, you learn that numbers carry a lot of weight. School report cards, standardized assessments, proficiency rates, graduation percentages, and accountability rankings all influence how schools are perceived.
The Teacher Who Changed My Life: Why One Mentor Can Alter a Student’s Future
People often ask me why I chose education. They assume there was a single moment when I decided I wanted to become a teacher or school leader. The truth is, it wasn’t that simple.