Digital Pioneers Academy

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A Conversation with 12th Grade Dean Tarneil Miller: From Founding 6th Grade Class to First Graduating Class

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As a founding educator at DPA, Tarneil Miller has worn many hats: middle school teacher, high school teacher, and dean of students. This spring, the 6th graders he first recruited in 2018 will receive their high school diplomas. We sat down with Mr. Miller to talk about what brought him to DPA, what he’s learned over the past six years, and what his hopes are for DPA’s founding class.

What brought you to DPA as a founding teacher?
I first met Digital Pioneer Academy founder, Mashea Ashton, in 2017. I was teaching at another DC charter school, and she visited our campus to observe. She told me about her vision for this new school, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. We’re living in a whole new world, with a huge tech focus. The idea of scholars from Wards 7 and 8 being taught computer science starting in 6th grade was mind-blowing to me. The school’s values of integrity and optimism were already aligned with how I go about my day. That made it easy to jump on board.

What is the most rewarding part of being a founding teacher? I love seeing students grow from where they were when they first came to DPA to where they are now. For sixth graders, they don’t see themselves going to college. They think it’s so far away. Seeing them now as sophomores, juniors, and seniors, college is becoming real to them. It’s rewarding for me to see our founding class writing college essays, filling out applications, and getting acceptance letters.

How have you grown as a teacher at DPA?
My big area of growth is patience. It’s a lot of hours and time that you invest in trying to set students up for success. It’s not one of those things where you do something one week and you see results the next week. Some days you feel like you’re pouring things into your students and don’t see it clicking as fast as you would like. That’s where patience comes in. I can say this now because I’ve seen my students grow. Things I said to my scholars in 8th grade, I’m seeing their gears turning now in 11th and 12th grade.

What has kept you at DPA all these years?
I want to see it through. I have to see the results of all these years of investing in my scholars. I’ve been promising to be at their high school graduation, to be there when they go to college, to be at their college graduation. I’ve been telling them these things since 6th grade.

Your first class of DPA students has grown from 6th graders to high school seniors. They are now applying to colleges and making plans for life after high school. What has it been like to watch them grow?
We’ve taught students the importance of working hard and having the will to overcome setbacks. We emphasize that they should see failure not as the endpoint, but as an opportunity for growth. Before, when they were presented with a difficult task, they would say, “I’m not even going to try.” Now, they try. And if they fail, they ask themselves, “What do I need to do differently to succeed next time?”

What is your favorite moment or memory from the Class of 2025?
At the end of our first year, we had an end-of-year celebration in the cafeteria. There were all sorts of activities, including a robotics competition with three different teams. We let the students choose which teachers they wanted to pie in the face. I got pied, of course. I remember wiping the whipped cream out of my eyes and watching a bunch of kids celebrating, just being on cloud nine. That was one of the first and most memorable moments for our founding class.

DPA’s football team had an incredible season their first year. Many of your founding students are on the team, or the cheerleading team. What do you think that means to DPA?
It’s beautiful, and I think it’s needed. Many of our students have been looking forward to playing football for years. And it brings a sense of community. Everyone in the building – staff and scholars – has a connection to the players and the coaches on the team. This is ours. We’re rooting for them. They’re representing DPA, and we’re letting them know that we’re all behind them.

What are your hopes for DPA’s founding class as they prepare for life after high school?
I want them to be able to get into a career that they love. I want them to find something where every day doesn’t feel like work. And I hope they will come back and invest in their community. To give back to the next young boy or girl who’s coming from where they’re from, and to tell those children how they took their path to get where they are. It would be amazing to have students come back to teach at DPA. I already have one scholar who wants to come back and work at Digital Pioneers Academy.

How do you think you will feel on graduation day?
I’ve already told my students, I’m not holding back the tears. It’s going to be a very emotional night. I feel like it’ll be a release of all the energy and emotion we’ve poured in – just an explosion of joy. I’m really looking forward to it!

NEWS & BLOG

A Conversation with 12th Grade Dean Tarneil Miller: From Founding 6th Grade Class to First Graduating Class

By: Tarneil Miller

Dec 5, 2024

Blog Posts

As a founding educator at DPA, Tarneil Miller has worn many hats: middle school teacher, high school teacher, and dean of students. This spring, the 6th graders he first recruited in 2018 will receive their high school diplomas. We sat down with Mr. Miller to talk about what brought him to DPA, what he’s learned over the past six years, and what his hopes are for DPA’s founding class.

What brought you to DPA as a founding teacher?
I first met Digital Pioneer Academy founder, Mashea Ashton, in 2017. I was teaching at another DC charter school, and she visited our campus to observe. She told me about her vision for this new school, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. We’re living in a whole new world, with a huge tech focus. The idea of scholars from Wards 7 and 8 being taught computer science starting in 6th grade was mind-blowing to me. The school’s values of integrity and optimism were already aligned with how I go about my day. That made it easy to jump on board.

What is the most rewarding part of being a founding teacher? I love seeing students grow from where they were when they first came to DPA to where they are now. For sixth graders, they don’t see themselves going to college. They think it’s so far away. Seeing them now as sophomores, juniors, and seniors, college is becoming real to them. It’s rewarding for me to see our founding class writing college essays, filling out applications, and getting acceptance letters.

How have you grown as a teacher at DPA?
My big area of growth is patience. It’s a lot of hours and time that you invest in trying to set students up for success. It’s not one of those things where you do something one week and you see results the next week. Some days you feel like you’re pouring things into your students and don’t see it clicking as fast as you would like. That’s where patience comes in. I can say this now because I’ve seen my students grow. Things I said to my scholars in 8th grade, I’m seeing their gears turning now in 11th and 12th grade.

What has kept you at DPA all these years?
I want to see it through. I have to see the results of all these years of investing in my scholars. I’ve been promising to be at their high school graduation, to be there when they go to college, to be at their college graduation. I’ve been telling them these things since 6th grade.

Your first class of DPA students has grown from 6th graders to high school seniors. They are now applying to colleges and making plans for life after high school. What has it been like to watch them grow?
We’ve taught students the importance of working hard and having the will to overcome setbacks. We emphasize that they should see failure not as the endpoint, but as an opportunity for growth. Before, when they were presented with a difficult task, they would say, “I’m not even going to try.” Now, they try. And if they fail, they ask themselves, “What do I need to do differently to succeed next time?”

What is your favorite moment or memory from the Class of 2025?
At the end of our first year, we had an end-of-year celebration in the cafeteria. There were all sorts of activities, including a robotics competition with three different teams. We let the students choose which teachers they wanted to pie in the face. I got pied, of course. I remember wiping the whipped cream out of my eyes and watching a bunch of kids celebrating, just being on cloud nine. That was one of the first and most memorable moments for our founding class.

DPA’s football team had an incredible season their first year. Many of your founding students are on the team, or the cheerleading team. What do you think that means to DPA?
It’s beautiful, and I think it’s needed. Many of our students have been looking forward to playing football for years. And it brings a sense of community. Everyone in the building - staff and scholars - has a connection to the players and the coaches on the team. This is ours. We’re rooting for them. They’re representing DPA, and we’re letting them know that we’re all behind them.

What are your hopes for DPA’s founding class as they prepare for life after high school?
I want them to be able to get into a career that they love. I want them to find something where every day doesn’t feel like work. And I hope they will come back and invest in their community. To give back to the next young boy or girl who’s coming from where they’re from, and to tell those children how they took their path to get where they are. It would be amazing to have students come back to teach at DPA. I already have one scholar who wants to come back and work at Digital Pioneers Academy.

How do you think you will feel on graduation day?
I’ve already told my students, I’m not holding back the tears. It’s going to be a very emotional night. I feel like it’ll be a release of all the energy and emotion we’ve poured in - just an explosion of joy. I’m really looking forward to it!

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