“Every child born into the world deserves the same level of education.”

This statement grounds Cedric Hall ’04 and has fueled his career trajectory. First as a teacher, then as a principal, an administrator specializing in educational equity, and starting July 1 as the newly appointed Vice President of Student Experience at Girard College, a private boarding school in Philadelphia for students from families with limited financial resources. The position and the office it leads is brand new and designed to bring a more holistic approach to the student experience.

Hall credits his time at GFS with instilling the urgency he feels to increase equity in education and pay forward what he experienced as a young student. 

“In coming to GFS, I had access to a world class education which I’ve since realized can be a differentiating factor between those who make it and those who struggle,” Hall said. “It’s my mission to close the education gap.” 

Hall remembers exceptional academic rigor at GFS (even harder than college, he says) but just as important to him was the close community he shared with his class and teachers which made learning “comfortable and natural.” A self-described “big energy kid,” he was at ease being himself, starting dance teams, competing in multiple varsity sports, and appearing on stage in almost every performance. He also values learning about patience and stillness. 

“My class was very special; we bonded and have stayed connected. We learned how big the world is–and GFS was the United Nations of students–everyone was included. Because of that, I don’t put limits on myself. I’m not afraid of anything. I have a lot of gratitude for GFS and want to share what has been given to me,” Hall said.

After serving as a teacher in Philadelphia, New York City, and elsewhere, he brought his front line experience to several fellowships in preparation to become a principal, serving as such at a school in Harlem, as well as the Eagle Academy for Young Men in Queens. His equity work became his driving focus, assessing and improving equity at every level of school operations from staffing, budgeting, and resources to enrollment and curriculum, weaving racial and social justice throughout courses and topics. 

His contributions led to state assessment data increases of more than 30 percent, and high school graduation rates up to 97 percent. He also has worked as a consultant for multiple community-based organizations and after-school programs, resulting in millions of dollars in grant funding and as much as an 80 percent increase in youth enrollment.

Most recently, Hall has been thinking about generational equity and how to honor and value the contributions of students in institutional planning processes. He believes schools do a disservice when they don’t include kids and what they want when making big decisions. 

“We can’t run the world for them without getting them involved,” Hall said. “We’re forgetting we were all kids. I’ve found that when we safely and appropriately include them, it leads to greater success.”

At Girard College, Hall is handling everything connected to students including academics, athletics, discipline, culture, and residence life. His most exciting charge is the launch of Girard’s first STEM Center. 

“We want to increase the bandwidth of the school and make more of its success, putting it on par with other independent schools in the area,” said Hall. 

Also, to further fulfill Girard’s equity mission, for the first time in many years, the school is piloting extending the school year through summer programs and other initiatives. 

“I want Girard to be the freshest, coolest, dopest campus where kids can be the superstars that they are!” 

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Hall graduated from Temple University before earning a specialist degree in Education Management at Seton Hall University. Hall also is an alumnus of New Leaders, the nationally acclaimed program that has developed more than 8,000 equity-focused education leaders who reach more than two million students in 45 cities across America.

For the past three years, Hall has been the Director of Equity and Climate for the New York City Department of Education. Before that, he was the principal of Eagle Academy for Young Men in Queens, New York. During his more than 16 years as a K-12 education professional, he has worked with youth in multiple cities and countries, and contributed to work for the United Nations.