DISTRICT PUBLIC
About Us
District Public helps school leaders and teachers turn their data into decisions. We specialize in working with K-12 school leaders in New York City. Since our founding in 2014, we have worked with over 100 public schools in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. We are a licensed and contracted vendor with the NYC Department of Education.
Our focus is on supporting principals, assistant principals, and teachers achieve the best possible results for their students. We recognize that every school and every team is unique. Our aim is to get to know your school and your team so we can support you with your most pressing problems. We then design a solution to provide the insights you need, save time, and build you and your team’s capacity to get the most out of your data.
Our Team
Photo credit: Joseph Squillante
Luke Davenport, Partner
Luke manages District Public’s operations and strategy and provides analysis, strategic advice, and professional development for school leadership and staff. Luke is passionate about helping school leaders succeed. He works collaboratively with school leaders to translate theory into practice, helping them harness their data to enhance instruction and put their best foot forward with stakeholders. Luke co-founded District Public with Som Pati in 2014. He is a former marketing professional with experience in the IT industry and in international development. When not working with schools, he is an avid salsa dancer and an advocate for school integration and equity.
Somak Pati, Partner
Som leads District Public’s analytic practice. Som is passionate about applying his cutting-edge analytical skillsets in creative and innovative ways to make a meaningful impact in education. Since co-founding District Public in 2014, Som has worked closely with school leaders to solve problems ranging from identifying gaps in instruction, to streamlining and automating time consuming processes, to identifying disproportionate outcomes in discipline, grading, and assessment results. Som is a former finance professional. In his spare time, Som enjoys outdoor hikes, playing chess, and daily meditation.
Zosia Skorko, Director of School Improvement
Zosia is passionate about inquiry in schools and supporting school leaders in thinking about ways to measure the impact of shifts in classroom instruction. Zosia joined District Public in 2021. She was a middle school math teacher in both the Boston Public School system and New York City Public School system for 10 years and then served as a School Improvement Specialist for several years in the Central Office of the NYC Department of Education prior to joining the DP team. These experiences have given her the ability to understand both the teacher and school leader perspectives when it comes to collecting and using data, as well as the day-to-day operations of schools across New York City. Outside of work, Zosia enjoys spending time playing the piano, writing short stories, and being outdoors.
Sarah Darby, Director of High School Planning
Sarah leads District Public’s high school practice. She is passionate about identifying and overcoming barriers to success for all students. She helps schools to strengthen program design and scheduling processes, to communicate effectively with students about their progress, and to uncover the insights buried in student data. Sarah joined District Public in 2019. Previously, she worked as a data analyst and programming specialist for ROADS Charter High Schools and New Visions for Public Schools. She has also consulted for school districts with Education Pioneers and Columbia’s Center for Public Research and Leadership. In her free time she enjoys exploring New York City and practicing her German.
Alex Wood, Director of Data Coaching
Alex works with school administrators and teachers to create analytic tools, data presentations, and targeted professional development. As a coach, he is excited to help schools understand and effectively use their data to create meaningful change. Prior to joining District Public in 2022, Alex was a program manager at Global Cities Inc., a nonprofit digital exchange program that connects middle school students from around the world. Alex began his career in the classroom, where for 14 years he taught social studies, humanities, and ELA courses in the New York City and Boston Public Schools. Alex has received professional development grants from the Fund for Teachers and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was a member of the New Visions EDesign Lab, a collaborative effort between teachers and technologists to imagine and prototype interactive digital learning experiences. Alex holds New York State School Building Leader and Professional Teaching Certifications.
Tamera McLeod, Senior Data Coach
Tamera works with school administrators and teachers to create analytic tools, data presentations, and targeted professional development. As a coach, she is passionate about assisting schools in understanding and effectively using their data to intentionally inform their instructional practices. She is dedicated to combining her analytical skills and early childhood expertise to work towards closing the achievement gap. Prior to joining District Public in 2023, Tamera was a data analyst at Bank Street Education Center. Tamera spent four years working as an early childhood teacher in various school settings and as a data and assessments specialist at a New York City charter school. Tamera received her BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MA in Education Policy and Social Analysis with a focus on diversity and equity in early childhood and K-12 educational systems from Teachers College, Columbia University. In her free time, Tamera enjoys traveling to new countries and spending time with her family and cockapoo, Whiskey.
Tasha Conti, Operations Manager
Tasha manages District Public’s internal processes so the DP team can most effectively serve our schools. She is an educator and actor and believes in the power of systems-thinking and data-driven strategy to create meaningful change. Prior to joining District Public in 2023, Tasha was the Director of Education at an executive performance consultancy. She previously coordinated an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and taught English and Theatre at the high school and undergraduate levels. Tasha has her MFA in acting; recent credits include Henry V with Classics on the Rocks and The Glass Menagerie with the Educational Theater of New York.
Andrew Melnichenko, Senior Analyst
Andrew supports schools by analyzing student performance and creating tools that help to capture and extract insights from data. Prior to joining District Public, Andrew worked as data manager in the NYC school system and instructional designer in coding bootcamps and educational consulting. Andrew is passionate about data visualization and storytelling, as well as finding ways to automate and improve processes using programming and no-code tools.
Declan Wilcox, Administrative Assistant
Declan supports the District Public team with internal systems and processes. He is an educator who is passionate about supporting students, teachers, and schools. Prior to joining District Public, Declan worked with the Yale Music in Schools Initiative to support music programs in New Haven public schools. Declan earned his Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Music Education in 2021 and his MM in 2023. Outside of District Public, Declan is a freelance musician based in New York City.
Janine Lim, Senior Analyst
Janine is passionate about data storytelling and how to help schools best leverage their data to help their students succeed. Janine works with the data coaches to analyze and uncover insights to help school leaders better understand trends and patterns within their schools. Prior to joining District Public in 2024, Janine worked as an analyst for WPP/BAV@WPP and a data assistant for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), an education non-profit dedicated to helping NYC high school students get into and through college. As a Queens native, Janine is passionate about public education and creating more equity within schools. In her free time, Janine enjoys running, watching and playing tennis, and traveling.