Title: Lead Teacher
Company: Prospect Schools
Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Maria Arroyo Peña, MA, Lead Teacher at Prospect Schools, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Education.
Ms. Arroyo Peña is a distinguished educator and community advocate, currently serving as a lead teacher at Prospect Schools in Brooklyn, New York, since 2024. In this role, she is dedicated to creating a stable and nurturing environment for her students, emphasizing socio-emotional learning through morning meetings. Her responsibilities include grading, preparing lesson plans, tracking student progress, and teaching weekend Spanish classes. Additionally, Ms. Arroyo Peña contributes her expertise as a curriculum writer for Saint Nick’s Alliance in Brooklyn, an enrichment after-school program, where she has been involved since 2024.
Leveraging her former success, Ms. Arroyo Peña was a lower elementary teacher at C’E Montessori from 2023 to 2024. Her career in education began in 2020 as an associate teacher at Success Academy Charter Schools in Brooklyn, where she later became a lead teacher in 2021. Ms. Arroyo Peña advanced to become an associate teacher at LEEP Dual Language Academy Charter School from 2021 to 2022 before becoming a lead second-grade teacher between 2022 and 2023.
Ms. Arroyo Peña’s commitment to education is deeply rooted in her academic background. After earning her undergraduate degree, she completed a Master of Education from American University in 2024. Her earlier academic pursuits included political science and citizenship and civic engagement at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University from 2016 to 2020 and coursework in education studies at Syracuse University in 2020. These educational experiences have equipped Ms. Arroyo Peña with the skills necessary to apply education through a culturally responsible lens and excel in bilingual education.
Beyond the classroom, Ms. Arroyo Peña has been affiliated with various civic engagements. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, a political organization that advocates for democratic socialism in the U.S. She has also been heavily engaged in volunteer work with organizations like Rustic Pathways since 2013 and buildOn since 2017, highlighting her long-standing commitment to community service. Since 2018, Ms. Arroyo Peña has served as a mentor for the Gates Scholarship program, guiding students toward academic success. Earlier, she volunteered for the Montessori de la Condesa from 2013 to 2017. Earlier, Ms. Arroyo Peña has volunteered more than 100 hours of community service throughout her career.
Ms. Arroyo Peña’s efforts were recognized with the Presidential Community Service Award 2015. Her family’s influence has been evident in her work ethic and career path. Her mother was a pioneering director at the Wiseman Museum of Art, while her father was an award-winning architect in Mexico City. These influences have fueled Ms. Arroyo Peña’s passion for art and global understanding, which she integrates into her educational approach.
Looking ahead, Ms. Arroyo Peña aspires to earn a doctorate with a focus on multilingual education and curriculum design to advance her career further. She envisions driving educational reform by integrating technological advancements into learning environments. Ms. Arroyo Peña aims to collaborate with startup founders and software engineers to create an innovative platform that streamlines tasks, including assessments, lesson planning, curriculum design and student data analysis using artificial intelligence.
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