Janine Gomez is the founder and executive director of I Dream Public Charter School, a PK-5th grade charter school in Southeast Washington, D.C.. Janine opened I Dream PCS in August 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been an educator since 1992, and an electrical engineer in an earlier life. Her extensive educational career in Maryland, D.C., and North Carolina includes serving as a school principal, educational consultant, and an elementary school teacher.

Janine believes every child deserves to tap into the power of directing their own learning of what matters to them. It is through the pursuit of their dreams that they discover their genius and their purpose in this world. This is especially true for Black and Brown children in undervalued communities, where the traditional paradigm of public school emphasizes adult-led teaching and deficit-based instructional models that stifle creativity and curiosity.

Janine loves the arts and learning new things. Golf, dance, music, yoga, and baking are her current passions.

Janine holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland – College Park, and an M.Ed. in School Administration from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.