Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School

Founding member Megan Berkes returns to BSC as a 6th Grade History teacher. Since graduating from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, in Nashville, Tennessee, Ms. Berkes has taught 5th Grade Geography and 7th and 8th Grade American History. During her time in Nashville, Ms. Berkes coached girls’ lacrosse and worked with children with special needs as part of a volunteer position with Top Soccer.

Hanna Campbell Operations Fellow

Hanna Campbell joins Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate this year as our Operations Fellow. After completing her undergraduate degree at Amherst College, Ms. Campbell was the Campus Campaign Manager with Teach For America where she was integral in increasing TFA’s campus recruitment. Most recently, Ms. Campbell was a 6th Grade Reading teacher in Atlanta, GA, as part of the TFA program.

Sarah Canavan 6th Grade Science Teacher

Before joining the 6th Grade team at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Ms. Canavan taught middle school Science at the Henry Street School for International Studies here in New York City. Ms. Canavan received her B.S. in Biology from The College of New Rochelle and while completing her NYC Teaching Fellows program, received her Master’s of Science degree in Education from the City College of New York.

Melissa D'Agostino Co-Director of Operations

Prior to helping found Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate in 2008, Melissa D’Agostino received her MBA from Columbia Business School. Ms. D’Agostino previously worked as an Associate in the risk management group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and then joined the NYC Teaching Fellows program through which she taught middle school math in Washington Heights for three years. Ms. D’Agostino holds a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University and a Master’s of Science degree in Education from the City College of New York.

Allison Dunne 6th Grade Math Teacher

Allison Dunne joins BSC in our second year as a 6th Grade Math Teacher. Ms. Dunne received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech University, where she served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the Biology department. Prior to coming to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Ms. Dunne taught a summer school program through Teach For America and has been actively involved in community service to raise awareness in various children’s health issues.

Melissa Duphiney 5th Grade Writing Teacher

Before joining Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 5th Grade Writing teacher, Ms. Duphiney was a teacher at St. Ann’s School in Flushing, N.Y. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University, Ms. Duphiney became a Corps Member in the Teach For America program where she taught English, Social Studies and Theater at a Bronx middle school.

Ryan Frailich 5th Grade Math Teacher

Ryan Frailich returns to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as a 5th Grade Math teacher. Mr. Frailich began his teaching career in Shelby, Mississippi as a 4th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher through Teach For America where he also served as the coach for the junior varsity football team of a local high school. Mr. Frailich received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Minnesota and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree as part of the Teacher U program at Hunter College.

Eric Green Instructional Fellow

Eric Green joins us from Williamsburg Collegiate as an Instructional Fellow. Mr. Green is in his third year with the Collegiate network and most recently was a 6th Grade Math Teacher and Math Department Chair at WCCS. Mr. Green began his teaching career in Japan, teaching English to Japanese students through the JET program. Mr. Green then moved to New Orleans where he served as a Teach For America Corps Member. In New Orleans, Mr. Green taught sixth grade and served as a grade chairperson. Prior to joining Uncommon Schools, Mr. Green worked as a Teach For America Program Director in Philadelphia, where he worked on professional development with 47 TFA teachers.

Pamela Guelpa Operations Associate

Pamela Guelpa returns to BSC in our second year as our Operations Associate. Ms. Guelpa is a graduate of SUNY College at Fredonia, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Prior to joining the founding team at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Ms. Guelpa worked as a Data Specialist for the donor relations department at Yeshiva University in New York City.

James Gumpper 5th Grade History Teacher

James Gumpper comes to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 5th Grade History teacher. Prior to joining BSC, Mr. Gumpper worked in the MATCH charter program in Massachusetts as an AP US History Teaching Assistant, as well as a Tutorial Curriculum Advisor. Mr. Gumpper received his B.A. from Dartmouth College, where he received the Rufus Choate Scholar Award and was the President and Social Chair of the Alpha Chi Alpha Fraternity.

Raana Kashi Social Worker

Raana Kashi joins Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our Social Worker. Ms. Kashi received her undergraduate degree from Temple University and her Master’s Degree from Columbia University School of Social Work. Prior to joining the Collegiate team, Ms. Kashi worked as a Staff Analyst at the Administration for Children Services.

Kelsey Kopro 5th Grade Math Teacher

Kelsey Kopro joins our 5th grade Math team after teaching summer school through Teach For America. Previously, Ms. Kopro was a Program Assistant Coordinator at the Joint Educational Project in Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Kopro received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Southern California, where she had served as the Director of Philanthropy as part of the Student Government board.

Mabel Lajes-Guiteras Co-Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Prior to helping start Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate in 2008, Mabel Lajes-Guiteras was a founding Literacy Teacher and Chair of the Literacy Department at Boston Preparatory Charter Public School, which opened in 2004-05. In 2007 and 2008, her students were ranked second out of all districts statewide on the 8th grade English Language Arts state exam. Previously she taught high school English in West Nyack, NY, served as Curriculum Director at Exploration Summer Programs, and taught literacy at Roxbury Preparatory Charter Public School. She is a graduate of Amherst College where she majored in Psychology and Theater and Dance. She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Theatre and English at New York University.

Jennifer McCormick 5th Grade Reading Teacher

Jennifer McCormick returns to BSC as a 5th Grade Reading Teacher. After earning her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Ms. McCormick taught 7th and 8th Grade English at Gompers Middle School in Watts, California as a part of the Teach For America program. Prior to her employment with BSC, Ms. McCormick managed future classroom leaders for the Greater Philadelphia-Camden division of Teach For America.

Myra McCormick 5th Grade Science Teacher

Myra McCormick comes to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 5th Grade Science Teacher with a strong background in working within the Collegiate family. Ms. McCormick has served as an interim Director of Operations at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School and as the Program Director at Boston Collegiate Charter School, an associated Uncommon school. Ms. McCormick received her undergraduate degree from Willamette University and her Master’s Degree from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Christina McNamara 6th Grade Math Teacher

Before joining BSC as our 6th Grade Math Teacher, Christina McNamara worked as a 5th Grade Teacher in Phoenix, AZ. In addition to serving as her school’s K-5 Teacher Representative for Math Adoption Process, she also was her grade-level Team Leader and the Girls Soccer Coach. Ms. McNamara received her undergraduate degree from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH and her Master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix in Phoenix, AZ.

Brett Peiser Founder

As Managing Director of Collegiate Charter Schools, an Uncommon Schools network of middle and high schools in Brooklyn, Brett Peiser is the Founder of Williamsburg Collegiate, Kings Collegiate, Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Brownsville Collegiate, and Uncommon High Charter Schools. From 1998 to 2005, Mr. Peiser was the Founder, Principal, and Executive Director of Boston Collegiate Charter School, a college preparatory middle and high school serving 500+ students. Prior to this, Mr. Peiser taught History at Midwood High School in New York City. Mr. Peiser received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and a Master of Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Justin Pigeon 6th Grade Reading

Justin Pigeon joins BSC in our second year as our 6th Grade Reading Teacher. Mr. Pigeon began his teaching career as a 6th grade reading teacher in Houston, TX as part of the Teach For America program. Before coming to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Mr. Pigeon worked at the Lee Campus of YES Prep Charter Schools as a 6th grade ELA teacher. Mr. Pigeon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA.

Thomas Rochowicz 6th Grade Writing Teacher

Thomas Rochowicz returns to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 6th Grade Writing Teacher. Prior to BSC, Mr. Rochowicz worked for Teach For America as a specialist in the Alumni Engagement department and was a 9th grade writing instructor for the Legal Outreach Program. Mr. Rochowicz received his B.A. from Boston College and his Master’s Degree from Fordham University in the Bronx.

Shawn Sadjatumwadee Dean of Students

Shawn Sadjatumwadee comes to BSC as our Dean of Students after working as a 12th Grade Counselor and Tutoring Program Coordinator with the Upward Bound Program, part of the Double Discovery Center at Columbia University. Mr. Sadjatumwadee received his B.A. from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and his Master’s Degree from Teachers College at Columbia University.

Jessica Wagner Special Projects Coordinator

Jessica Wagner returns to BSC as the school’s Special Projects Coordinator. Before joining BSC, Ms. Wagner worked with City Year New York as a service leader in P.S. 308 in Bedford Stuyvesant. Ms. Wagner graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where she received her B.A. in Educational Studies and Anthropology.

James Martin Special Education Coordinator

Beginning his career in education as a NYC Teaching Fellow in 2004, James Martin now joins Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate in our second year as our Special Education Coordinator. Mr. Martin taught for three years at a middle school in the East Flatbush area of Brooklyn, and then moved on to establish the Department of Instructional Services as a founding faculty member at The Middle School for Marketing and Legal Studies. Mr. Martin received his Master’s Degree from Pace University and his J.D. from Massachusetts School of Law.