Hye-Won Dandino

Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Compassionate Leadership

M.A., Educational Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University, B.A., Political Scienced and International Studies, Montclair State University.

Hye-Won Dandino joins EPS as the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Compassionate Leadership, bringing over fifteen years of experience in advancing student-centered and equity-driven practices in schools across the country. “What drew me to EPS was its clear and enduring commitment to belonging—not as a buzzword, but as a guiding principle for how we learn, lead, and care for each other,” she shares. “There’s a powerful alignment between the community’s values and my approach to inclusive leadership.”

Dandino has held a range of senior leadership positions in both public and charter school systems, most recently serving as Principal at Citizens of the World Charter Schools in Los Angeles. There, she led network-wide professional development in culturally responsive teaching and spearheaded equity audits that reshaped school policy and family engagement practices. Earlier roles include Chief Schools Officer in Los Angeles and Principal in Camden, New Jersey, where she designed student leadership programs and collaborated with community organizations to expand culturally relevant mentorship and outreach.

She holds a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Montclair State University, an MA in Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, an MA in Social Studies Instruction from the University of Pennsylvania, and a National Principal Fellowship from the Relay Graduate School of Education.

Outside of work, Dandino has been enjoying learning about gardening in the lush PNW climate, listening to the same indie rock music she liked twenty years ago, and baking bread- although most of her time out of work in this phase of life seems to be filled shuttling her three children to soccer, dance, and drum lessons.

“At the heart of my work,” she notes, “is the belief that equity and belonging are not just programs. They are the practices that help us become more human together.”