Vida Charter School Staff Use Doctoral Degrees to Strengthen Education 

Two of Vida Charter School’s chief staff, executive director Christine Miller and principal Elana Nashelsky, have earned Doctor of Education degrees to further enhance bilingual math instruction and build empathy among educators. Dr. Miller earned her degree in educational leadership from the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Nashelsky concentrated on organizational leadership with the University of Pennsylvania.  

Both were inspired to pursue their doctorates over the COVID-19 lockdown. “Unprecedented questions arose for both of us during the first year of COVID,” says Dr. Nashelsky. “I found myself writing Continuity of Education plans—which aim to minimize interruptions to education—asking what comprised attendance and how we knew children met educational standards as they learned from home.” 

In their studies, both Dr. Miller and Dr. Nashelsky sought improvements to Vida’s educational methods. “While my Vida colleagues are excellent sounding boards, I craved conversations with school leaders working in different environments who could help us develop solutions we hadn’t considered,” says Dr. Nashelsky. “I focused on how schools bring out educators’ different perspectives and how they can progress with empathy when those perspectives conflict. I created a professional development initiative, the Collaborative Narrative Space, which uses creative writing to help educators surface their unique perspectives and work through clashes. It’s now a part of our annual professional development calendar.”  

A public, tuition-free school, Vida teaches all subjects in both English and Spanish using a dual language model. “Teachers bridge content learning to the partner language. It isn’t translating or repeating teaching in the other language but instead helping students use metalinguistic awareness, an ability that allows us to grasp the nuances and flexibility of language,” Dr. Miller explains.  

Dr. Miller used improvement science to identify and solve a problem within Vida’s system, benefiting teachers and students. “I observed that our Spanish classroom teachers were more likely to help students connect their math learning to the English language, while our English teachers were less likely to bridge math learning to Spanish, which is an essential technique in a 50/50 bilingual model like Vida’s,” she says. “The cross-linguistic strategies must happen in both directions to support students from all language backgrounds and capitalize on their full linguistic repertoire. Our teachers have become increasingly skilled at planning and facilitating this essential ‘bridge’ technique.” 

These improvements align with Vida’s People & Legacy 2029 five-year strategic plan. The plan outlines the school’s vision to increase their commitment to biliteracy and strengthen connections with families and community partners. It also informs Vida’s curriculum development, ensuring Vida remains a leader in dual-language education. “I hope to continue supporting our teachers and staff as we consistently implement best practices to ensure rigorous instruction in both English and Spanish to help all students excel,” Dr. Miller says. Vida is currently accepting enrollment applications for 2025–2026. To learn more about Vida or its enrollment process, visit vidacs.org or reach out to the office at 717-334-3643.  

Vida Charter School has served students in kindergarten through sixth grade in a dual-language immersion model for the last 15 years. With a commitment to bilingualism, diversity, and holistic child development, Vida provides a nurturing environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and culturally.