Treopia G. Washington, MEd, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, is a respected and beloved educator and author who has dedicated her career to advancing early childhood education and supporting historically Black colleges and universities. As the director of special initiatives at the College of Education at Bowie State University since 2011, Ms. Washington oversees the development and implementation of non-academic and non-teaching programs. With her unique and innovative stamp, she creates and spearheads projects such as annual award ceremonies, the wardrobe initiative through which faculty and staff donate clothes to students, and events for Black History Montha—all to support the college community.
Before joining Bowie State University, Ms. Washington was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 2001 to serve as Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Highlighting her commitment to promoting educational equity and access for minority students, she additionally served as vice president of partnerships and minority affairs at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, traveling extensively across 22 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, to work with national associations and promote educational standards. After unexpectedly losing her job due to budget cuts at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Ms. Washington met with the former dean of Bowie State University. Impressed by Ms. Washington’s proactive professional approach, the dean offered her the position of director of special initiatives, which she gladly accepted.
Ms. Washington began her career in education as a kindergarten and first grade teacher with Baltimore City Public Schools for more than a decade. She enjoyed creating her own curriculum materials and was proud to play a role in the city’s efforts to incorporate kindergarten education. She prepared for her career at Hampton University, an historically Black institution, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education in 1956, and later graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Master of Education in 1969.
Throughout her career, Ms. Washington has been active in giving back to her community. She serves on the board of her local church and is involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Washington and Maryland. Among her numerous career highlights, she was featured in a YouTube video titled “A Conversation with Angie Jerabek & Treopia Green Washington,” created by the BARR Center in 2022. She was also an invited presenter for BARR for three years. Her own creative works include her 2022 memoir, “In Spite Of…”, in which she shares her experiences growing up during the Jim Crow era in Little Rock, Arkansas. Despite the challenges of segregation, Ms. Washington is proud that her family and community instilled in her a strong sense of self-worth and resilience. She chronicles her educational career and the enriching experiences she’s had since leaving the classroom. With a deeply personal connection to integration and civil rights, Ms. Washington’s mother and aunt, both teachers at Dunbar High School, were part of a group that sued the Little Rock School Board for equal pay for Black teachers, represented by the famed lawyer, later turned Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Growing up with the example of such brave, trailblazing women helped inspire and solidify Ms. Washington’s lifelong commitment to education and social justice.
As Ms. Washington continues to cherish the meaningful connections she has made throughout her life and career, her primary goal moving forward is to continue appreciating and enjoying each moment, embracing the joy and fulfillment that every interaction and experience brings. When she is not busy improving the quality of education, Ms. Washington enjoys her leisure time designing dresses and reading about home design and interior decorating.