Our Story

Brownsville, Brooklyn

You get to know someone - really know someone - when it’s after midnight on a work day that started before 7 a.m. and you look in each other’s bloodshot eyes and agree: “We’re practicing this PD again until we get it right.” Act as if. Take it from the top.

William and Cameron were among a dozen young, passionate educators who signed up to found a middle school in Brownsville, Brooklyn in 2012. William came from Miami, Florida, leaving his brothers and mother behind. Cameron was freshly out of a Masters program in Literature at Brooklyn College and determined to take root in Brooklyn rather than go back to Texas.

From engaging auditoriums full of hundreds of students to having difficult meetings with families and at-risk students, the two relied on each other in what became an inseparable partnership. It only made sense, then, that when William’s mother - Barbara Silva - was diagnosed with cancer, Cameron stepped in so he could be with his family. Which leads me to…

The Beards

The beard in the logo is not just some trendy symbol - it represents the beard the two each grew together, along with William’s brothers in Miami, to show support as his mother underwent chemotherapy. Shortly after the birth of William’s first child, the world lost his mother in the physical form, but not in spirit. Like her spirit, the beards live on.

Barbara’s Legacy

The grit William’s mother instilled in him - the same grit he gravitated toward in Cameron’s work ethic and determination - is the foundation of SMC. The duo spent over a decade developing strong school and classroom cultures, delivering top academic growth and impressive absolute results, scoring high marks as people and team leaders, and connecting with families and students in unique and everlasting ways. Those we served had no idea they were being touched by the legacy of those who came before us, but we know they will pay it forward long after us.

The Brothers’ Expertise

While working together, our competitive sides supercharged our passion to serve our school community. As a result, we developed a shared expertise. However, where one brother is good at something, the other has developed into an absolute expert (and vice versa).

Over the last 15 years of his career, Will has found success as a Dean of Students, Instructional Coach, Department Lead, Recruiter and Teacher. He has taught Math, Science, History, Art, and Dance. He was consistently in the top third in his network in growth and absolute performance in core assessments while maintaining best-in-class student, parent, and peer survey results. Will specializes in STEM Instruction and Coaching, Operations, People Leadership, and School Culture.

In the same time period, Cameron has served as an Operations Team Leader, Dean of Students, Instructional Coach, Leadership Coach, Department Lead, Professional Development Owner and Teacher. He has taught Literature, Writing, History, Math, Science, Art, and P.E. He boasts network-leading state test growth in ELA year after year, as well as best-in-class team health and teacher retention. Cameron specializes in Humanities Teaching and Coaching, Systems Leadership, Vision Setting, and School Culture.