Marco Menendez

Deputy Head of College / Director of Quality Assurance & Strategic Performance

I was born and raised in the United States with cultural roots from Cuba and Puerto Rico. My upbringing, education, and amazing opportunities in life have cultivated a passionate love of travel, nature, cuisine, music, and family.

Throughout my career, I have made inquiry-based learning, culturally responsive teaching, interdisciplinary approaches, and world citizenship the pillars of my leadership in education. As a teacher, in the US, Guatemala, and China, I used the transformative learning approaches of collaboration, project-based learning, and formative assessments to engage every student and guide them to achieve high academic standards. Those experiences proved equally beneficial when I transitioned to administration. Before joining Discovery College, I have been fortunate to serve as a Head of School for a British international school in Guangzhou, China, a Dean of Academic Services for a community college in California, and a Principal for a New Tech High School in Silicon Valley. In each of these positions, my leadership was based on a culture of inclusion, positivity, and diversity, which is why I was delighted to join the DC community. 

My wife is from China and is also a teacher. We have two boys who are happy to attend Discovery College.