Welcome to Banneker
About the Executive Director
Dr. Sherley E. Bretous’s journey as an educator began in 1996 at the Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School (Banneker). She has served the school as a classroom teacher, Curriculum Director, and Deputy Director. Currently she is the Executive Director, a position that she has held since 2012. Banneker is in her Blood! She was born in Queens, New York, to Haitian immigrant parents, who instilled the importance of an education in her at a very young age. As a young adult, she moved to Massachusetts to pursue her Bachelor’s degree, and the Commonwealth has been home to her ever since. Dr. Bretous is the proud mother of three adult children, all of whom attended the Banneker. She received her Doctor of Education degree in Education Leadership and Policy at Boston University on May 20, 2023. Driven by the quest for excellence, she expects the same of Banneker’s students and staff.
Here at the Banneker, we’re much more than a school, we’re a school community. Yes, we are a high tech, cutting-edge science, engineering and math school for elementary school children, but we also hold on to an old-fashioned notion that belonged to the one-room schoolhouse.
This schoolhouse mentality means every child and their family is important to us. We get to know every child here really well. And because of that, we know what triggers them to excel, what inspires them, what motivates them. This helps us build trust quickly with parents and families.
Our teaching staff is amazing. They are among the most highly qualified and dedicated teachers in the area. They are a big part of our success.
Our philosophy is one of inclusion, all of us: teachers and family together, educating the whole child. Our monthly parent meetings are one way we keep everyone involved in this process. We have a variety of campus events geared toward insuring families are equally involved in the education of their child. And we’re constantly expanding the world of our students through field trips, outdoor activities, partnerships with local universities, and hosting events.
And because we’re a charter school, we have lots of autonomy to innovate, make quick changes, fix things on the fly, do things better to be better. This approach of continuous improvement for our staff and our students fits nicely with the essence of who we are as a science, technology, engineering, and math school.
I invite you to explore this website, and better yet, make plans to visit our school, spend some time with our teachers and students, and learn first hand what the “Banneker difference” is all about.
Dr. Sherley Bretous
Executive Director
