Blanca Alvarado

Saman began her career at Alpha: Blanca in 2017 as an Instructional Coach after teaching high school at KIPP College Prep in Washington D.C. for three years. The role of Instructional Coach gave her the opportunity to observe and support Math and Science teachers to implement a rigorous curriculum and instructional strategies that promoted learning for all students. After having success as an Instructional Coach, Saman was asked to serve as an Assistant Principal beginning in 2018. Blanca was twice recognized as a top school in math for underserved students in the Bay Area by Innovate Public Schools, a testament to Saman’s strong leadership.

Saman also brings a wide variety of learning experiences to this new role. While at Blanca, Saman was a fellow in the Innovate Public Schools Start-up School Fellowship, where she trained with other school leaders to run excellent and equitable schools. Prior to Blanca, Saman was an EdPioneers Fellow at Teach For America in New York City. While in NYC, Saman found a non-profit called Coding4Success in partnership with Google and TFA which increased Computer Science opportunities for hundreds of students from underserved neighborhoods. Saman then went onto found the IT Academy at KIPP College Prep DC, the computer science department at the high school, and built partnerships with Howard University and Fortune 500 companies to ensure students were on a rewarding path to a career in Information Technology and Computer Science. Saman simultaneously worked at Opportunity@Work, a White House initiative, where she built partnerships with city councils, coding bootcamps, and employers to design pilot programs allowing young adults from underserved areas to gain access to technology education and employment in the field. Saman continues to work with Computer Science EdTech companies such as Edhesive as a consultant.

Saman received a Masters of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelors of Sciences in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. She holds an Education Specialist credential in California and a Special Education credential in Washington D.C.