Ms. Noormuhammad previously served as Leadership Prep’s Dean of Students.  Before joining the Leadership Prep faculty as Founding Lead Teacher, Ms. Noormuhammad was a first grade teacher at C.S. 50 The Clara Barton School in New York City through Teach For America.  She served as Program Coordinator for Global Learning in Liberia and Costa Rica.  Her role included arranging the teaching schedules in four elementary schools comprising one-thousand students and conducting daily meetings in both English and Spanish.  Ms. Noormuhammad holds a B.A. in International Relations from Wellesley College and has studied at Casa de las Americas in Havana Cuba.

Russ Graney   Director of Operations

Before joining Uncommon as an Operations Fellow, Russ was an Associate Consultant with Bain & Company, a management strategy consultancy.  Working in the New York office for 2 years, Russ served clients in the IT, consumer products and financial services industries and led work in manufacturing rationalization, competitive portfolio analysis, product design and cost management. Prior to joining Bain, Russ served as Executive Director of CityStep, a Boston community outreach program that seeks to enrich  the educational and life experiences of 100 middle school students annually through a curriculum of dance and other creative activities. Russ graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a concentration in Social Studies and a Spanish language certificate.  While at Harvard, Russ conducted research in parental involvement in urban education. His senior thesis, “Multiculturalism at the Padres School: A Blueprint for Encouraging Community and Parental Involvement at an Ethnically Diverse Public School,” explores the role of ethnic identity in the formation of parental community.

Elaine McNeil-Girmai   Dean of Students

Prior to joining Leadership Prep, Ms. McNeil- Girmai served as the Program Coordinator at New Heights Charter School in Los Angeles, CA.  She has an extensive background in education including serving for several years as a second grade teacher and special education teacher. Before joining New Heights, Ms. McNeil-Girmai worked for the Children Youth Family Collaborative as Education Director. She holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Boston College, a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University.

Anne Albrecht   Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Albrecht is a second-year corps member of Teach For America, a nationwide teacher corps that recruits and trains outstanding college graduates to serve in public schools.  Her prior experiences include serving as the Teach for America Campus Campaign Coordinator in Madison, Wisconsin and spending a summer teaching English to Chinese students in Shanghai, China.  Ms. Albrecht received her B.A. in Communication Arts with a Certificate in Business from the University of Wisconsin.

Alexa Andersen   Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Andersen previously taught seventh grade math for two years at PS 265 in Brooklyn, New York, through Teach For America.  Prior to this, she was a second grade summer school teacher at Excellence Charter School in Brooklyn, New York, and second grade student teacher at Tonda Elementary School in Canton, Michigan.  As an undergrad, Ms. Andersen was Founding Secretary of the Student Michigan Education Association and President of the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority.  She received her B.S. in Elementary Education (Graduated with High Distinction) from the University of Michigan and received her Certificate in Teaching and Secondary Mathematics from Pace University.

Sonya Bapna   Third Grade Teacher

Ms. Bapna is a second-year corps member of Teach For America.  She made a shift to education after spending a year as an International Strategic Planning Analyst at Mattel and over two years as a Consultant at The Monitor Group.  Ms. Bapna also served as a tutor at Brainfuse in math and reading for elementary students.  Ms. Bapna received her B.A. in Finance and General Accounting from New York University.

Nequandra Bowen   First Grade Lead Teacher

Ms. Bowen is a second-year corps member of Teach For America.  Previously, she founded the Princeton Inmate Outreach Project to help inmates acquire basic educational skills necessary for their reintegration into society once released.  She has a strong interest in prison reform and alternatives to incarceration and wrote her senior thesis titled A Mother’s Hope: An Ethnography of a Mother Supporting her Incarcerated Son.  Ms. Bowen received her B.A. in Anthropology with a Certificate in African-American Studies from Princeton University.

Amy Bush   Kindergarten Teacher

Prior to joining Leadership Prep, Ms. Bush was a Music Teacher at North Star Academy Charter School in Newark.  While at North Star, Ms. Bush created the first music curriculum for North Star’s 5th through 12th grade students.  Ms. Bush also taught drama and choir at James Deady Middle School in Houston, Texas.  Before working in education, Ms. Bush was a Music and Graphics Production Assistant at ABC News.  Ms. Bush received a Bachelor of Music from McGill University where she was the Co-Founder and President of the University’s first a cappella ensemble.  

Rachel Chapman   Learning Specialist

Ms. Chapman is first-year corps member of Teach for America.  Prior to joining Leadership Prep, Ms. Chapman tutored over 20 students in math and science and led writing projects with America Reads in New York, New York.  Ms. Chapman received her Bachelor of Arts in History from New York University where she was a Presidential Scholar. 

Daniel Cosgrove   Fourth Grade Teacher

Mr. Cosgrove is a second-year corps member of Teach For America.  Prior to this, he spent one summer interning at the Development Communications Associates in Boston working with senior executives of non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations and government.  He also spent another summer interning with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services working with beneficiaries and case workers.  Mr. Cosgrove received his B.A. in Sociology (Phi Beta Kappa) from Trinity College.

Emily Crouch   Second Grade Lead Teacher

Ms. Crouch is an alum of Teach For America, a nationwide teacher corps that recruits and trains outstanding college graduates to serve in public schools.  She has had an array of diverse work experiences including serving as a Fitness Consultant and Personal Trainer in Bloomington, IN.  She was a Volunteer Coordinator and Mentor at Powerhouse, a program which sponsors beneficial, mostly athletic, activities for 100 at-risk adolescents.  Ms. Crouch received her B.A in Religious Studies from Indiana University. 

Katherine Cunningham   Third Grade Lead Teacher

Ms. Cunningham previously taught second grade at Martin Luther King Elementary in Hartford, Connecticut as a member of the Teach for America corps.  Ms. Cunningham worked with a high percentage of special education students and successfully differentiated her classroom techniques for multiple learning styles.  In addition, Ms. Cunningham served as Grade Level Data Team Leader, providing support to fellow teachers in their employment of data to drive instruction across her entire grade level.  Ms. Cunningham studied at The College of William & Mary, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology.  She was named the Benjamin Stoddart Ewell Award for Outstanding Student Leadership and served as President of the Inter-Sorority Council and Every 2 Minutes, a peer advocacy program.

Kathryn Dahlberg   Office Manager

Ms. Dahlberg came to Leadership Prep Bedford-Stuyvesant from New Orleans, LA where she received her BA from Tulane University, majoring in Political Economy and Classical Studies.  Kathryn has served as the Office Manager of Leadership Prep Bedford-Stuyvesant since August of 2008.  She loves serving families and helping them get the most out of their child's education.

Samantha DeLuke   Third Grade Teacher

Ms. DeLuke is a first-year corps member of Teach for America.  Prior to joining Leadership Prep she held various supervisory and corporate training positions with corporations such as Uno Restaurant Corporation and Adecco North America.  Ms. DeLuke earned her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting & Mass Communication cum laude from the State University of New York at Oswego. 

Anne Glazer   Music Teacher

Prior to coming to Leadership Prep, Ms. Glazer taught band and general music at The Portledge School in Locust Valley, New York. As a musician, she has performed with the Columbia Summer Winds, Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band, Bucknell Concert and Jazz Bands, and New York All-State Orchestra.  Ms. Glazer holds a BM in Music Education from Bucknell, Kodály Certification from NYU, and an MA in Music and Music Education from Columbia University Teachers College.

David Hartstein   Kindergarten Teacher

Mr. Hartstein is a second-year corps member of Teach For America.  His previous experiences include working as a Consultant and Youth Educator for the National Conference for Community and Justice and a Complaint Counselor for the American Civil Liberties Union of Easter Missouri.  He also spent several summers as a classroom teacher at the Clayton Child Center.  During his semester abroad at the University of Cape Town, he taught life orientation classes to low-income high school students at the Leap Academy for Maths and Sciences.  Mr. Hartstein received his B.A. in Social Thought and Analysis (Latin Honors) and Minor in Psychology and Legal Studies from Washington University.

Gibran Jourdain-Earl   Second Grade Teacher

Mr. Jourdain Earl is a recent graduate of Morehouse College.  While at Morehouse, he served as a student representative to the Morehouse College Leadership Center Advisory Board and as the project manager of the ARCHF HIV/AIDS Awareness Program.  He also worked with the Oprah South Africa Leadership Project in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mr. Jourdain-Earl has taught in Leadership Prep’s Summer Academy for the past two years and has completed internships with College Summit and Time Warner. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Morehouse College and is participating in Teacher University.

John E. King   Learning Specialist

Mr. King is a former corps member of Teach For America and taught First Grade at Leadership Prep. Through TFA, he was a 3rd Grade Teacher at Dysart Elementary where he was a TFA Team Leader, a Learning Club Sponsor, and the School Test Coordinator.  Mr. King was also a Corps Member Advisor at Teach For America Atlanta Summer Institute. Prior to teaching, he was a Peer Coordinator at Commonwealth College where he supervised 18 undergraduate peer advisors in an academic dean’s office.  He holds a B.A in English and a B.A in Biological Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts, and an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Arizona.

Maia Kohl   Fourth Grade Teacher

Before joining Leadership Prep, Ms. Kohl served in the Teach for America corps as an 8th grade science teacher at Dr. Susan S. McKinney School of the Arts in Brooklyn, NY.  As head of the middle school science department, Ms. Kohl initiated a robotics and GenYES technology program, taught after-school preparatory classes and served as the advisor to the middle school student council and National Junior Honors Society.  Ms. Kohl received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Neurobiology and Psychology from Kenyon College.

Allison Kosty   First Grade Teacher

Ms. Kosty is a first-year corps member with Teach For America, a nationwide teacher corps that recruits and trains outstanding college graduates to serve in public schools. Prior to joining TFA, she served as an elementary and high school tutor with Homework Helpers in Los Angeles, CA.  During college, she participated in a study abroad program in Athens, Greece.  Ms. Kosty holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern California.

Lauren Krevet   First Grade Lead Teacher

Ms. Krevet joins Leadership Prep after serving for two years in Teach for America as a 1st grade teacher at PS 230 in the Bronx, NY.  During her time with PS 230 Ms. Krevet served on the Data Inquiry Team, analyzing English language learner student data to develop strategies to best address and serve students’ needs.  Ms. Krevet has also worked as a home-based therapist and research assistant in the University of Maryland Psychology Department.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Erin Larkin   Learning Specialist

Ms. Larkin has had previous teaching experience with third and fourth grade students at P.S. 206M Jose Celso Barbosa Elementary School in New York City.  She has also mentored teachers-in-training at the Hunter College Learning Lab.  While at Hunter, Ms. Larkin tutored  kindergarteners with ADHD, creating and implementing special behavior plans and teaching methods.  Ms. Larkin holds an M.A. in Education with a concentration in Learning Disabilities from Hunter College and a B.A in sociology from Wesleyan University.

Connie Lee   First Grade Teacher

Ms. Lee is a first-year corps member of Teach for America.  Her previous teaching experience includes tutoring over 20 individual students and student athletes in writing and study strategies at the University of California, Berkeley and teaching English to rising night graders from low income communities in San Francisco.  She also tutored 5th and 6th grade ESL students to build their literacy skills.  Ms. Lee received her B.A. in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley and her Masters of Philosophy in Early Modern European History.

Hannah Lofthus   Third Grade Lead Teacher

Hannah Loftus is an alum of Teach For America. Before joining the Leadership Prep staff, Ms. Loftus was a Teacher’s Assistant at University Academy Charter School.  In this role, Ms. Loftus taught lessons and aided in all classroom activities. Ms. Loftus also interned in Kansas City, KS, at the Kauffman Foundation where she researched and interviewed various non-profit leaders with the hope of devising creative solutions to the most pressing issues facing Kansas City’s youth.  She holds a B.S. in Political Science and a B.S. in Philosophy, both from the University of Missouri- Kansas City.

Lauren Long   Second Grade Lead Teacher

Prior to joining Leadership Prep, Ms. Long was a Dual-Language Teacher to First and Second grade students at PS 48 in New York, NY as a Teach for America corps member.  Ms. Long also facilitated reading intervention instruction for 3rd through 5th grade English language learners, worked as the Lead Teacher on the Science Curriculum Planning team to adapt and enhance curriculum and organized parent reading workshops.  Ms. Long earned her Master of Science of Teaching summa cum laude from Pace University and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Catholic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.

AnneMarie McClain   First Grade Teacher

Ms. McClain joins Leadership Prep as a Teach for America corps member.  She has served as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher at Williams Experiential Education Department in Massachusetts and a Substitute Teacher at Highland Central School District in New York.  Ms. McClain founded and served as Student Director of Purple Mountain Scholar Mentors, a peer mentoring initiative involving over 60 students.  Ms. McClain earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Williams College.

Katie Melcher   First Grade Lead Teacher

Ms. Melcher is a veteran of Teach For America, after teaching for two years at PS 224 in East New York.  While in East New York, she was also the Head Coach for the girl’s track team.  Prior to this, she was an HR consultant at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.  Ms. Melcher received her B.A. in Religious Studies and Political Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Masters of Education from Pace University.

Annie Olsen   Social Worker

Ms. Olsen is the Social Worker at Leadership Prep Charter School.  Before joining the Leadership Prep community, Ms. Olsen was an Outpatient Mental Health Therapist at the Wyandot Mental Health Center in Kansas City, KS.  At Wyandot, Ms. Olsen had many responsibilities including conducting psychosocial evaluations for children and adults and implementing group therapy for clients 5-18 years old. She also worked as the House Manager for KEYS Youth Services, a program that provides impoverished boys with housing.  As House Manager, Ms. Olsen supervised a team of 8 and provided monthly treatment plans for the individuals involved in a given youth’s case.  She earned both her B.A. and her M.A. in Social Welfare from the University of Kansas.

Andrea Palmer   Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Ms. Palmer is a second-year corps member of Teach For America. Her prior experience includes serving as a Teach For America Campus Campaign Coordinator, as Director of the Tucker Foundation Book Buddies program in Hanover, NH, and as a Summer Learning Fellow with the Partnership for After-School Education in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to holding a variety of leadership positions as an undergraduate, Ms. Palmer studied abroad in both New Zealand and France. Ms. Palmer received her B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in Art History from Dartmouth College.

Brett Peiser   Managing Director

Brett Peiser is Founder and former Principal and Executive Director of Boston Collegiate Charter School. Boston Collegiate, a college preparatory middle and high school serving over 500 students, is one of Massachusetts’ highest performing schools. In 2005, Mr. Peiser founded Collegiate Charter Schools, an Uncommon Schools network of middle and high schools in Brooklyn, New York. The network's first and second schools – Williamsburg Collegiate and Kings Collegiate Charter Schools – were the #2 and #6 ranked middle schools in all of New York City on the Department of Education’s 2009 progress reports. Since those schools began, Mr. Peiser has also helped start two new middle schools, Bedford Stuyvesant and Brownsville Collegiate Charter Schools, as well as Uncommon Charter High School which will serve students from all of Uncommon’s New York City elementary and middle schools. In 2009, Mr. Peiser became Managing Director of Uncommon New York City, overseeing nearly 2,000 students across Uncommon’s 10 elementary and secondary schools in Brooklyn. Uncommon New York City will ultimately grow to serve 7,000 students across 20 schools. Mr. Peiser is a graduate of New York City Public Schools and a resident of Brooklyn where he taught History at Midwood High School and founded an after-school community basketball program for Midwood/Flatbush teenagers. Mr. Peiser received a BA from Brown University and a MPP degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he also earned the 2001 Rising Star award.

Jennifer Quinn   Second Grade Teacher

Ms. Quinn is a second-year corps member of Teach For America.  Ms. Quinn’s diverse previous experience includes acting as the Campus Team Recruiting Coordinator for Cargill and Psychiatric Business Office Patient Representative for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  She also spent a summer in London organizing and mobilizing 40 street teams to complete weekly promotional activities across the UK.  Ms. Quinn received her B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communications and Women’s Studies from the University of Iowa where she received the Presidential Scholarship.

Farrell Sharkey   Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Ms. Sharkey came to Leadership Prep as a Teach for America alum.  She spent one of her two years at P.S. 75 in the Bronx as a First Grade Inclusive Special Education Teacher and the other year as a First Grade General Education Teacher.  During her undergraduate experience, Ms. Sharkey was a Head Peer Counselor at the Lafayette College Dean of Studies Office and the President of Amnesty International in Easton, Pennsylvania.  She is a member of the Gotham Women’s lacrosse team and involved with CityLax, a nonprofit organization providing lacrosse opportunities for inner city students.  Ms. Sharkey received her B.A. in History, Government and Law from Lafayette College and Masters of Science in Teaching from Pace University. 

Sebastian Turner   Fourth Grade Lead Teacher

Before joining Leadership Prep, Mr. Turner taught 5th grade as a Teach for America corps member at PS 149 Danny Kaye School in Brooklyn, NY and served as the Inquiry Team’s Data Specialist to boost reading scores of at risk second graders.  Mr. Turner is also the Co-Founder and Director of Program Development of Writing Our Dreams, a program that aims to positively change the lives of at-risk youth in South Central LA by challenging them to express themselves through written stories and public performances.  Mr. Turner earned his Master of Science in Teaching from Pace University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South California.

Suzanne Vera   Director of Arts Education

Ms. Vera previously served as the K-5 Art Teacher at Community Partnership Charter School in Brooklyn where she organized annual student exhibitions and Family Arts Workshops, tracked the progress of 300 students, led staff development workshops, and designed and managed a digital student portfolio system and assessment tools. She has also worked as the Education Director at Cypress Hills Development Corporation in Brooklyn.  Ms. Vera holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in Education from the Pratt Institute.

Lisa Wilcoxen   Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Before coming to Leadership Prep, Ms. Wilcoxen spent two years as a Teach for America corps member teaching third grade at PS 149 at Danny Kaye Elementary School in New York.  Prior to that, she spent a summer as a first grade teacher with Achievement First in Brooklyn.  As an undergrad, she was a Research Assistant at the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory where she conducted a comprehensive review of current literature about power and risk.  Ms. Wilcoxen received her B.A. in Psychology (Cum Laude) and Minor in Education from the University of California, Berkeley and Master of Arts in Education from Pace University.

Nikeya Bridges   Instructional Fellow

Ms. Bridges came to Leadership Prep for the 2008-09 school year with a breadth of teaching experience.  She co-designed an introductory college-level writing curriculum and taught an introductory college composition class at the University of Wisconsin.  She was also a curriculum specialist at Teach For America where she delivered 150 hours of curriculum sessions to Teach For America corps members.  Ms. Bridges also taught second and fourth grade with the Bronx Charter School for the Arts.  Prior to that, she was the lead fourth grade teacher and Teacher of the Year nominee for Fisk-Howard Elementary School in New Orleans.  Ms. Bridges received her B.A. in English and Minor in Theology from Georgetown University, Masters of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and Masters of Arts in Literary Studies (PhD in Literary Studies Candidate) from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Brendalyn King joined Uncommon Schools in 2005 as a volunteer for Excellence Charter School for Boys.  She was later hired as the founding Office Manager for Leadership Prep Bedford Stuyvesant.  In that role Brendalyn recruited the initial kindergarten and first grade cohorts, managed admissions, and created all front office systems.  She has since worn many hats, including reading teacher, afterschool program instructor, and Director of Special Projects (DOSP). In her role as DOSP, she has tackled school transportation by implementing a safe dismissal system, met all Dept. of Education and Dept. of Health compliance standards and created valuable resources for school wide events.  Brendalyn is humbled by her acceptance into the Operations Fellowship as she is the first former office manger and current Uncommon Schools employee to become a fellow.   She looks forward to expanding her leadership skills while building new school systems and shaping school culture for a new Uncommon School.  Brendalyn earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Fordham University.  She is currently working towards her master’s degree as a member of the inaugural cohort of Teacher U, the innovative, newly-designed Master Teacher Training Institute created by Uncommon Schools, KIPP, and Achievement First.   

Owen Losse   Instructional Fellow

Mr. Losse has served as the 7th grade team leader and math teacher at Harlem Village Academy Middle School in New York, NY.  Prior to joining Harlem Village Academy, Mr. Losse was a Teach for America Math Content Specialist, supervising the development of first-year Teach for America corps members, and served as a corps member himself at MS 390 in the Bronx, NY as a 5th through 8th grade Math Teacher.  Before receiving his Master of Science in Teaching and Adolescent Education from Pace University, Mr. Losse was a Dean’s Scholar at Lewis & Clark College, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.