Who we are
University Prep offers a robust college-preparatory program serving both students in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx and those from all over New York City. With a 98% graduation rate, 100% college acceptance rate, and a 99% parent approval rating we are among the highest performing schools in the Bronx. We hold high standards for academic excellence and conduct and we pride ourselves on our inclusive and warm student culture.
Founded in 2008, University Prep Public Schools is the highest performing charter organization in the South Bronx. We offer a free, public education to students from all over New York City and the surrounding areas. We pride ourselves on our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and our doors are open to all students no matter their race, ethnicity, creed, sexuality, learning ability, or primary language. University Prep public Schools operates a middle school and a high school, serving nearly 1000 students.
Welcome to University Prep Public Schools
Welcome to the University Prep Public Schools website!
University Prep is an exceptional place to teach and learn. Our educators are unconditionally committed to providing a high quality learning experience focused on the individual needs of each child. Our school community has a long standing tradition of academic excellence in the South Bronx.
We know that success in school goes beyond test scores, and that’s why we work hard to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes a positive supportive school culture. For this reason, we call our school community the University Prep Family, and we are honored to have you as a part of our family.
The Mission of University Prep Public Schools is to prepare students for success in high school, college, leadership and life.
We achieve this mission by creating a student-centered environment that unifies the efforts of family, community and school to foster life-long learning, cross-cultural relationships, social responsibility, and academic excellence.
Our Philosophy
University Prep was founded in partnership with the United Federation of Teachers; at the time, an unprecedented partnership between a charter school and a labor union. This innovative and daring vision of our founders Steve Barr and Randi Weingarten has led to a flourishing and impactful partnership benefitting the students and families in the UP community.
We know that the single most important factor in determining the success of a child is the educator standing in the classroom. For this reason, UP pours our resources into finding, hiring, and keeping the best teachers available in New York and making them feel valued and heard.
We seek to impact the charter school sector and the national education conversation by demonstrating the viability and sustainability of partnerships between charter schools and unionized educators. A frequent casualty of un-unionized charter schools are faculty salaries essential to attracting and retaining highly-qualified and experienced professionals - thus resulting in high teacher turnover rate and inconsistency for students. University Prep Public Schools values and relies upon our partnership with unionized teachers. The cornerstone of our collaboration with teachers is our commitment to authentic teacher and staff voice throughout the school. Staff members serve on the board of trustees and are part of all aspects of school governance. Our model is unique in that we encourage collaboration for teachers from a position of strength – as members of a unionized body with all the benefits and privileges and responsibilities of a partner. We hope to encourage the proliferation of sustainable partnerships, and to serve as a role model for best practices in the charter landscape.
School LeaderS
Executive Director
UP Public Schools
As the founding teacher when we were known as Green Dot, it brings me immense joy to return as the University Prep Director. With a passion for teaching math and a deep belief in the importance of STEM fields, I'm committed to ensuring that our students receive a comprehensive education that prepares them for success. As a Bronx native, I am excited to contribute to the well-rounded learning experience that the students of the South Bronx deserve.
Chief Operating Officer
UP Public Schools
Mayreni Arias is a Bronx native of Dominican descent who is passionate about education. As the Chief Operating Officer for University Prep, she ensures that our schools are operating at their highest level by establishing and utilizing efficient and effective systems. This allows Teachers to focus on instruction and academic achievement.
A graduate of Monroe College, she earned her MBA in 2010. Graduating with honors and as a member of the Sigma Beta Delta (honor society for business students). Mayreni began her professional career in corporate America. However, after working for a non-profit organization in the South Bronx in 2014, where she trained minority women to become entrepreneurs, she discovered the infectious joy of empowering her community through information and support.
Mayreni joined University Prep in 2018 after serving as the Director of Operations for a charter school in East Harlem. There she developed and implemented structures and policies while overseeing all non-instructional activities. She strives to create operational excellence through innovation. A loving mother of two daughters, Mayreni is very passionate about gender equality and empowering females to build an equal future for all children. She's also a diehard basketball fan and loves to travel.
Assistant Principal
UP Public Schools
Nathaniel Bouie is native of Rochester, NY and joins the UPrep family after eight years of teaching. He relocated to the NYC area in 2014 to expand his career and educational interests. In doing so, he taught a variety of subjects and coached varsity basketball, demonstrating an ability to lead among several schools in the northern sector of the Bronx. Beyond education, his interests include learning, fitness and team sports of all kinds.
Mr. Bouie began his post secondary studies at Monroe Community College (Rochester, NY) and worked tirelessly to earn graduate honors. He would then move on to become a proud graduate of SUNY Cortland (Cortland, NY) and Mercy College (Bronx, NY) where he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Mr. Bouie is currently a doctoral candidate at Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA).
His commitment to urban education is driven by his own experiences and inspirations. Mr. Bouie uses his own life as evidence to support the idea that students of color from Impoverished urban communities can achieve. It is his unwavering belief in this idea that has allowed him to build meaningful relationships with students, parents and colleagues. When an opportunity was presented, Mr. Bouie excitedly joined the UPrep administration in 2020 as an Assistant Principal.
Principal
UP Public Schools
After nearly a decade of experience teaching in the South Bronx, Andrew Ayers joined University Prep as an English teacher in 2012. He earned both an undergrad and graduate degree from Fordham University, and became a teacher to share his love for the beauty of the written word. In the classroom, Mr. Ayers made it a point for his students to read, write, and think everyday. He made strong connections with students through realism and humor while exploring the rich thematic content of classics and the soon-to-be classics.
Mr. Ayers firmly believes that one must balance the needs of the mind, body, and soul. He is passionate about literature, sports, and music. He coached basketball for fifteen years, plays several instruments, and reads whenever possible to ensure that balance. Despite being born and raised in the Bronx, having lived all over the borough (City Island, Bainbridge, Parkchester, Co-op City), somehow, Mr. Ayers is an unapologetic Met fan.
The mission and continued success of University Prep is of the utmost importance to Mr. Ayers. He was honored to join the administration in 2017 and privileged to later become the high school’s principal. He hopes to ensure that UP students get to and through the college of their choice while supporting the teachers they way he was supported.
Assistant Principal
UP High School
Sally Schwab spent her entire teaching career in the South Bronx as a social studies teacher where she taught 10th grade global history, 12th grade government and AP Government and Politics. Throughout her time as a teacher, Miss Schwab was a member of her school's instructional leadership team, she served as the head of the Social Studies Department and she was also a Department of Education Model Teacher. Miss Schwab, a three time CUNY Hunter graduate holds her BA in History, a Masters in Adolescent Education for Social Studies and a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership.
Miss Schwab also has a love for musical theatre. In addition to education, music has always been her passion. Performing in Off-Broadway musicals herself, she wanted to bring her love of theatre to her students. In 2013, Miss Schwab started her school’s first ever musical theatre program. What started with 13 students in the first year, ended with 50 by her final production. While at South Bronx Preparatory, Miss Schwab directed and choreographed 6 school musicals.
Miss Schwab is thrilled to join the University Prep Charter High School team as Assistant Principal of Instruction. She is looking forward to working alongside an incredible faculty and incredible student body. Miss Schwab is excited to bring her strong instructional background, especially her work providing culturally responsive education to both students and staff.
Principal
UP Middle School
Prior to becoming the Assistant Principal at University Prep Charter Middle School, Mr. Rodriguez was a teacher at Samuel Gompers Career and Technical High School for 9 years and University Prep Charter High School for 10 years.
At Gompers, he served as the 12th grade Lead Instructor for the Pre-Engineering program, as the coach of the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team, and as the coordinator of the IBM Summer Internship Program. At University Prep, he has served as a teacher and member of the board of directors. He was also the coordinator of the summer school and SummerBridge programs.
He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester and an MS in Technology Education from Mercy College.
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Assistant Principal
UP Middle School
Denise Rodriguez is a New York native of Dominican parents who has educated students in the Bronx since 2004. She was a Spanish teacher at UP High School since 2009 and has been Assisnt Principal in the Middle School since the 2023-24 school year.
She resides in the Bronx with her two boys Jonas and Jesse. She is a Yankee fan and will forever be a Derek Jeter fan.
Board of Trustees
Steve Barr, Co-Founder AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Steve Barr founded Green Dot Public Schools in 1999 with the vision of transforming secondary education in California by creating a number of high-performing charter high schools using available public dollars. Under Steve’s leadership, Green Dot became the leading change agent in the region, starting in fall 2000 by founding one of the first comprehensive public high schools in the Los Angeles area in thirty years.
In 2008, in collaboration with Randi Weingarten, Steve founded a Green Dot Charter High School in NYC (changed later to University Prep). Their partnership and vision for the school ensured that teacher voice would guide decision making and build an exemplary learning institution.
In 2010, Steve formed Future Is Now Schools, built on the successful secondary Green Dot Public Schools model, union reform and systemic district change, to take the foundational principles outside of California.
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President
American Federation of Teachers
Host, Arts in the City Host / Book It
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Associate for Dean for Operations
City University of New York
Justin Pasternak
US History Teacher
Former Vice Chancellor
City University of New York
