Cassandra “Dr. Cass” St. Vil is Chief Executive Officer at Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, the advocacy organization representing Philadelphia’s brick-and-mortar public charter schools and over 64,000 students.

Dr. Cass has served in multiple leadership experiences in and around public education for the past 25 years. She is an alumna of Teach for America New York, Peace Corps Rwanda, and was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to South Africa before founding Amateka College Prep, a Washington, D.C.-based education nonprofit which centered Black racial affirmation in public schools. Her dual careers in multicultural education and public education advocacy have led to affiliations with Leadership for Educational Equity, Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools, 4.0 Schools, High Tech High, CityBridge Education, Bard Early College, Education Reform Now, Omega Phi Beta, and the YMCA.

A native New Yorker, Cass’ upbringing in multicultural, multiracial communities in Queens, New York introduced her to the importance of racial and ethnic diversity and belonging, particularly in schools. As a youth herself, she confronted racial stereotypes and stigma associated with Black girls, defying a school counselor who said she shouldn’t apply to her top choice college because she would not be accepted. Cass would graduate from that very institution, Buffalo State University, with academic honors. She would graduate with her master's in social work from the leading institution for her chosen career at the University of Michigan and leaving as the student commencement speaker for the Class of 2006. She then achieved her doctorate in African Studies from Howard University at the age of 26. Dr. Cass now holds several degrees, including a master’s in special education from Hunter College, EdM from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and will complete the School Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in 2025.