Arthur Samuels is the Co-founder and Executive Director of MESA Charter High School, which opened its doors in August 2013. Since then, the school has grown into one of the strongest, non-selective public high schools in Brooklyn; in fact, the New York Post said that MESA “just might be the best charter high school in New York State.”

Mr. Samuels believes fervently that a child’s future should not be determined by his or her zip code, and has spent his career working to create better educational options for students and parents. Prior to the founding of MESA, Arthur worked in college access at two other charter schools and at the TEAK Fellowship in New York City.

Mr. Samuels is a New York City Education Policy Fellow for the 2020-2021 school year. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, a JD from Harvard Law School and a Masters in Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and his two young daughters. He is now retired from making educational rap videos.