D. Zakiyyah AbdusSalaam is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but also grew up in Anderson, South Carolina. She completed her undergraduate study at Howard University in Washington, DC where she earned a BA in Communications and Political Science. She was one of the first corp. members of TFA and initially taught in the New York City’s Public School System. She received her Master’s in Math Education Leadership from Bank Street College of Education in New York. After working 7 years in administration at Clara Muhammad School and teaching 6 more years at the Village Learning Center PCS in Washington, DC she first joined the KIPP Philadelphia Charter School in 2004. Zakiyyah now serves as the first assistant principal for KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy.