Hilderbrand Pelzer III

Pelzer is a native of Philadelphia, where he was raised with strong character values and a desire to excel. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Hampton University and a master’s degree in educational administration from Cheyney University. Later in his career, he received his superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Saint Joseph’s University and completed the Leadership for Large-Scale Improvement training program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Harvard Institute for School Leadership.

 

Throughout his career, Pelzer has been driven by a vision of improving students’ lives through quality education and meaningful mentorship. His passionate approach to being a change agent has earned him the respect and admiration of students and peers alike. Pelzer has achieved something that few educators have accomplished: he has led five different urban schools and served as an assistant regional superintendent. He has also participated in three major reform efforts to turn schools around and has delivered curricula to students outside traditional academic settings. Pelzer has directed educational programs in correctional facilities and has designed two high school models for expelled students. Among his accomplishments is the creation of a successful school model for serious high-risk youth offenders in Philadelphia’s prison system. His leadership has challenged long-held false assumptions about access to quality education for juveniles in adult correctional settings. He has also designed an evidence-based model focusing on system-level solutions to legal, logistical, and educational challenges in correctional settings, clearly demonstrating his ability to strategize, focus on students, and collaborate in large, complex public-sector organizations. Based on his well-established track record of expanding opportunities for students in highly challenging situations—particularly incarcerated youth, young people who have dropped out of school, struggling readers, and expelled students—he is actively sought out to speak, inspire, and motivate educational and juvenile justice professionals and community leaders.

 

Early in his career, Pelzer found inspiration in incarcerated youth. Working as a physical education teacher at the Bensalem Youth Development Center, a secure state facility serving incarcerated male juveniles, Pelzer realized that he was on the right career path. He became curious about why incarcerated youth were disconnected from their in-school learning. As his experience and expertise grew, he quickly understood that he not only had to enact change to help incarcerated youth but also inspire teachers who could make lasting changes in classrooms and schools.

 

Throughout his career, Pelzer has drawn on his powerful educational foundation to build an exciting resume as an educator and leader. He has excelled as an assistant regional superintendent, principal, assistant principal, and physical education teacher. These roles have fueled his passion for bringing quality education and mentorship to students in the most challenging life situations. He has profound and sought-after expertise and insight into K–12 education, leadership, equity, juvenile justice, and the intricate connection between school, negative feelings of self-worth, and juvenile delinquency. Leveraging the distinctive lessons he learned inside jails, Pelzer teaches his audience how to positively affect students’ education, care, treatment, and custody by recognizing their essential roles in students’ learning and building strong connections with them.

 

In his book, Unlocking Potential: Organizing a School Inside a Prison, Pelzer examines urban education from a perspective that is highly underrepresented in national discussions—namely, that of incarcerated students. The book draws on his early professional experiences and nationally recognized public education work within one of the nation’s largest jail systems, the Philadelphia prison system. He offers insights into the indispensable mental perspective and leadership strategies that he relied on to create a school model that cultivated a strong educational culture in Philadelphia’s six major correctional facilities. His invaluable insight into correctional education underscores the prominent role of education in all institutions with children under their guidance. In addition, he has used multiple platforms globally to spread his words and spirit of hope. He has reached audiences at a wide range of venues, from TEDx to conferences and public forums, and his perspective on the value of education during incarceration and public school–related factors that contribute to juvenile crime and delinquency is profound and a highly sought-after topic by educators at all levels.