New York, NY  MetLife Fellows Bios

Dan Abramoski graduated from Brown University in 2001 with a B.A. in International Relations and Teachers College at Columbia University in 2005 with an M.A. in Social Studies.  Currently, he is starting his fourth year of teaching at Mott Haven Village Preparatory High School where he teaches 12th grade government and economics.  His classes focus on projects based and experiential learning while helping students understand the current political and economic climate of our country and world.  In addition, Dan is the Chapter Leader, a member of the School Leadership Team, and a senior class advisor.  In TNLI, he has completed research on the graduates from Mott Haven that focuses on how to improve college enrollment and retention for low income students of color.  He has presented the research at AERA and ITRC.

Anthony Bambrola is entering his fifth year of classroom teaching at P.S. 198 in Manhattan. He has taught in the fourth and fifth grades, both in general education and CTT settings. He has served as a grade leader in the fourth grade, as well as a member of the school's data inquiry team. Anthony has also been an instructor in the In Addition after school mathematics program at P.S. 198 for the past two years. The program's curriculum is generated from student interests and the team creates learning experiences in a project-based setting that integrates problem solving, communication, and parental involvement.
Anthony received his B.A. from the University of Maryland in 2003 and a master's degree in Childhood Education from New York University in 2004. At NYU, he completed a supervised semester-long independent research project studying writing in mathematics instruction. Anthony's interests include project-based learning and community building, as well as teacher preparation and new teacher retention.

Audra Benjamin has been teaching Special Education in NYC public schools for the past five years. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College she joined the New York City Teaching Fellows and began working at Ditmas Intermediate School in Brooklyn. After three years of working in self-contained classrooms, she transferred to the University Neighborhood High School on the Lower East Side where she has served as a collaborative team teacher, resource room teacher, IEP coordinator, and Transition Coordinator. She is also a member of her school’s Data Inquiry Team and Programming department. All of these experiences have enriched her understanding of how schools operate and her commitment to making public education more effective, efficient, and appropriate for all students.

Robert Bussell is now enjoying his third year teaching physics and independent research at The Brooklyn Latin School in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Robert joined the New York City Teaching Fellows after earning a Ph.D. in science from Cornell University. Experience in the lab taught him that ownership of a question fosters motivation and depth of intellectual engagement. Realizing this, he created an independent research course in which students explore their own interests in science and engineering and connect with summer internships.

Robert is interested in facilitating rapid and accurate feedback between teachers and students without increasing teacher load or requiring additional teacher training. To this end, he designed and wrote software to quickly analyze assessment results from high stakes exams that aggregates the data in a teacher friendly way. The results inform differentiated teaching practices and student groupings. In addition, Robert is interested in conceptual and multi-disciplinary approaches to teaching science.

Christiana Cavaliere is entering her fifth year of teaching at The Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem. She spent the last two years teaching second grade in charter schools in Chicago’s west and south sides. In addition to teaching in Chicago, she was a 2007-08 TNLI fellow and a selector for the Chicago Teaching Fellows. Christiana earned her B.A. in History from the University of Rhode Island. She taught kindergarten and first grade as New York City Teaching Fellow, while working towards her master’s degree in Childhood Education from Brooklyn College.

Julie Cavanagh has been a teacher at P.S. 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn since 2001; prior to that she was a teacher in Bloomington, Indiana where she also attended Indiana University. Julie received her master’s degree from Fordham University in 2005, with an emphasis on helping struggling readers as an Ennis Cosby Scholar .She recently received her administration and supervision advanced certificate degree with Departmental Honors from Brooklyn College in May of 2008. Julie spearheads many initiatives at P.S. 15 including supervising the school's student leadership group, The Student Roundtable, as well as serving as the grant coordinator and recycling coordinator. She has worked in various ways to increase student service and parent engagement and has partnered with several community based organizations to create student and parent groups that empower and work to create meaningful change.

Aisha Chappell graduated from the University of Michigan in 2004 with a B.A. in Economics and Spanish. That summer she moved to Queens, New York to begin the New York City Teaching Fellows program. Through this program Aisha received her M.A. in Secondary Math Education from City College of New York. She began teaching middle school math at I.S. 143, in Washington Heights, Manhattan. In 2006 Aisha moved to Washington Heights to become part of the community where she teaches. In this same year she became the math coach at her school. 2007-08 found Aisha returning full time to the classroom at the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS). This year Aisha is heading the math department at WHEELS. During her 4 year tenure as a teacher she has also coached, organized, and supported student athletics, especially track. She developed her passion for student athletics over 10 years culminating during her time at University of Michigan where she was a Big Ten Scholar Athlete.

Aisha is thrilled to be part of the Teachers Network Leadership Institute as education policy and reform has been a field of interest since she became an educator. She is interested in studying attrition rates of urban school children, the implementation of constructivist math, as well as best practices, and literacy in the math classroom. In addition, Aisha has researched and continues to explore the field the nutrition and student achievement. She truly believes a crucial part of education is collaboration, thus she would like to thank her family and friends for all their guidance and support as she continues her journey in education.

Barbara Condliffe is an educator in her third year at the School for Democracy and Leadership where she teaches middle school and high school English. She currently serves as a team leader for the 11th grade team and is also the chair of the English Department. Before entering the New York City Teaching Fellows, Barbara worked at the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, DC. She received her B.A. from Bowdoin College and her M.A. in English Education from Brooklyn College.

Lyntonia Coston teaches Global History at Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School (BCAM). As one of the founding staff members of the school, she is excited that BCAM will be entering its third year of existence this September. Lyntonia received her B.A. in International Relations from Wellesley College in 2003 and went on to join the NYC Teaching Fellows, receiving her master’s degree in Secondary Education from Lehman College. She believes that teaching history tasks her with the job of constantly relating the past to the present and then to the future; that her students understand history best when “we all can find some relevance to our lives.” At BCAM she is the History Department Chair as well as the Hiring Chair and a member of BCAM’s Cabinet Team. She leads a College Now course in Government and Policy and is the liaison for their Student Council group. Outside of school, Lyntonia is still involved with the NYCTF; participating as a Selector who hires program candidates and a Fellow Visitor who observes and provides feedback for newly hired NYC teachers. In her spare time she enjoys listening to Stevie Wonder and cleaning her new home in Brooklyn.

Joanna Dolgin is entering her third year as the 12th grade English teacher at East Side Community High School. She has developed a curriculum for a differentiated classroom that emphasizes critical thinking and analytical writing for college readiness. Joanna trained in inquiry education and alternative assessment at The Urban Academy Laboratory High School as a STEP/PONSI fellow. She has a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center and is a graduate of Yale University.

Tadashi Dozono is entering his 6th year teaching at New Design High School in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He serves as department facilitator for the social studies department, and co-teaches two CTT 9th grade world history classes as well as 12th grade government/economics. As a department facilitator, Tadashi runs professional development days for the department once every three weeks, as well as coaching department members. He also facilitates the Design Your Own (DYO) assessment system for the department, where all social studies teachers work to develop school-wide assessments to track student progress, and collect student writing samples to improve instruction.
Tadashi received his B.A. at Wesleyan University in American Studies, and completed a MA at Columbia Teachers College in Secondary Social Studies Education in summer of 2003. His research interests include reforming world history education, the need for higher ordered thinking texts for low literacy readers, and LGBTQ student needs.

Judi Fenton been working in NYC public schools since 1986. She taught Prekindergarten at PS 127 in East Elmhurst for 14 years, and then worked as a site facilitator with the New Educator Support Team, a new teacher mentor in Region 9, and she is currently a Lead Instructional Mentor on an Empowerment Network Team .

Natalie Ferrell is a sixth and seventh grade ESL/bilingual science teacher at Harbor Heights Middle School in Washington Heights, which specializes in serving newcomer students from Latin America, many of whom are students with interrupted formal education. Now entering her third year of teaching, she began her career in education as a Teach For America corps member. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Natalie has served as Co-Chair of the School Leadership Team, a founding member of the Inquiry Team, Coordinator of the Harbor Heights Yearbook, and an instructor for the after-school music program and Saturday intervention program.

Natalie received her B.A. in Latin American Studies and International Development from Tulane University. She recently completed a master’s program in Education at Pace University. Natalie feels honored to have been chosen to serve with other teachers across New York City to influence changes in education policy. She is particularly interested in the implementation of language allocation policies in bilingual schools, the effect of teacher collaboration and interdisciplinary planning on student learning, and the process of creating an achievement-oriented school culture embraced by students and teachers alike.

Renny Fong is currently the Technology Teacher at Public School 130 Manhattan, where he has taught for the past ten years. He has taught kindergarten, fourth, and fifth grades. Renny received his B.A. from Columbia College in 1993 and his master’s degree in Elementary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1994. His wife and his two-year-old son are his joy and inspiration.

Megan Freund began her teaching career in 2003 at I.S. 98 in the South Bronx, as a New York City Teaching Fellow. There she taught eighth grade English and social studies. Two years later, she transferred to CASTLE Middle School, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, where she continues to teach English to students from sixth to eighth grade. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Megan is serving as her school's literacy coach for the 2008-09 school year.

Megan graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in English and German. She received a master's degree in English Education from City College, and is currently working on a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Baruch College. In addition to teaching, Megan formed and coached a track team, the CASTLE Knights, in collaboration with the New York Road Runners Foundation, and served as her school's Chapter Leader for the UFT during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years. She is also an active member of her school's Leadership Team and Inquiry Team.

Matthew Frizzell is entering his second year at The International Leadership Charter School in the Bronx as a sophomore English Language Arts teacher, where he also played an instrumental role in the creation and direction of a Model United Nations club. Originally from a small town in Vermont, Mr. Frizzell earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature at West Virginia Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in English Education at New York University. He is interested in the correlation between the fairly rapid decline in traditional reading and the increased access to the mass media reading style cultivated by the Internet.

Elizabeth Gil is the Academic Intervention Services Coordinator at Mosaic Preparatory Academy in East Harlem .Prior to joining Mosaic’s faculty, Elizabeth taught in the Bronx for nine-and-a-half years .She participated in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Program for educators, traveling to Japan to visit different educational institutions as a member of the October 2003 cohort and has also participated in National Endowment of Humanities (NEH) summer workshops.

Brenda Gonzalez is an IEP teacher/Peer Coach at M.S. 399 in the Bronx where she will begin her fifth year. Brenda spent the last four years teaching bilingual special education where she was primarily responsible for teaching math and literacy. Brenda has been secretary for the school leadership team, assisted with the design of the curriculum and played an instrumental role on the Inquiry Team. She has also helped to coach the M.S. 399 Roadrunners club.

Brenda received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and her Ed.M in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is currently enrolled in the Principal's Institute at Bank Street College where she will receive an M.A. in School Administration which will allow her to move into school administration.

Having worked with ELL students and students in special education has really helped Brenda understand how easily students can fall through the cracks of public education. Brenda believes that in order for school to be truly successful, a solid bridge has to be established connecting school life to home life. This will be Brenda’s third year as a TNLI MetLife Fellow.

Martin Haber has been a special education teacher for many years at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn. He has also been an adjunct instructor in the UFT Teacher Center Professional Development Program, teaching courses in multicultural studies and cross cultural communication in the College of Mount Saint Vincent's Urban and Multicultural master's program, and for the Master's Program in Education at Brooklyn College. In addition, he has developed his own courses on Global Citizenship, and Immigration on Film, which he designed for experienced colleagues seeking salary advancement. He has taught on all grades and levels, and continues to teach a humanities survey course for high achieving students through the College Now collaborative program in association with the City University of New York.

Martin has been the recipient of a good number of national and local honors and awards, which have included the National Peace Corp's Peace Educator of the Year Award, the PBS-sponsored Human Rights 101 Grant, the New York Council for the Humanities’ Lives Worth Knowing Project, two UFT Mini-Grant Program Awards, Gilder-Lehrman Grants in American History, and many NEH Seminars and Institutes for Schoolteachers. He is most proud of the Fulbright Exchange he took part in from 1997-98, when he taught in Sheffield, and then London, England, while his counterpart lived and taught in New York City. He has presented papers on a variety of education-related subjects at conferences in the United States and the U.K., on topics ranging from art and literary history to peace studies and comparative immigration experiences. An essay he wrote describing a class trip celebrating the legacy of Frederick Douglass was published by Teachers and Writers Collaborative in 1994; other articles and essays have appeared in education journals since then.

Aletha P. Heggie is a native New Yorker born and bred in the New York City Public School system. In the fall of 2002 she joined an ambitious and dedicated team at Concord High School in Staten Island. The school had just undergone a restructure and she was hired as the teacher of culinary arts and the Coordinator of Student Activities (COSA). The school was on the SURR (Schools Under Registration Review) list and had the challenge of being removed from the list within the next three years or facing closure. As the COSA her responsibilities were to initiate, organize, and execute school wide activities and events to foster student participation and attendance. Her efforts as teacher and COSA assisted Concord in being removed promptly from the SURR list. Her passion is teaching young people multiculturalism through foods. Her Culinary Arts Program works in conjunction with C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program). In addition to teaching Culinary Arts she collaboratively teaches Music Appreciation with SunDog Theater and The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. She has also served on the School Leadership Team and is a curriculum writer at The Discovery Institute, College of Staten Island.

Aletha earned her Culinary Arts degree and Hotel/Restaurant Management degree from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI in 1990 and 1993 respectively. She completed her Occupational Education coursework at City College in 1997. After working in the Restaurant business since she was 14, she went on to become a teacher in 1994 at Thomas Jefferson High School in East New York. Aletha has just completed her 11th year in The New York City Public School system and looks forward to continuing to serve the young people of New York.

Abby Hludzik is entering her fourth year as a literacy teacher at MS 399 in the Bronx. She is responsible for the delivery of the Scholastic Read 180 instructional program to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, she has also been a member of MS 399's curriculum planning team for the last two years, helping to align the curriculum not only to literacy standards but also to other contents to give students an interdisciplinary education.

Abby received her B.A. in Journalism from Ohio State University and a master's degree in Secondary English Education from Pace University. She worked as a newspaper reporter for two years before joining Teach For America in 2005 to pursue a career in education. Abby's research interests include the integration of technology in the literacy classroom as well as alternative certification teacher retention rates.

David E. Kirkland is an Assistant Professor of English Education at New York University. His research focuses on urban youth popular culture; language and literacy; teacher research; and urban teacher education. For five years, Dr. Kirkland taught secondary reading and English language arts in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan. Currently, he is writing two books: A Search Past Silence: Literacy in the Life of DeShawn Stevens and The Promise in their Eyes: Using Youth Culture to Teach Secondary English.  His most recent book, Narratives of Social Justice Teaching: Negotiating Preservice and Inservice Spaces (With Others), is currently in print.

Valerie Lewis taught for one year at a Manhattan charter school before joining the NYC Teaching Fellows program. She is beginning her fourth year at PS 27 in Red Hook, Brooklyn where she has co-taught fourth, third, and second grade classes. This year she will be co-teaching second grade.

Prior to teaching Valerie worked at CASES, a non-profit, alternative to incarceration program for juvenile offenders. It was there that she became interested in education reform; literacy education and the importance of relationships between schools and the communities that they serve.

Anne Looser is in her second year teaching ninth grade Special Education at Lehman High School in the East Bronx. After studying political science and economics, she became a teacher in 2005 as a New York City Teaching Fellow. She received her Master's in Urban Education from Mercy College in 2007. Anne’s research interests include literacy instruction, data driven instruction, small schools, and the effects of the military in schools. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and the outdoors.

Jeanette Luna is entering her third year at P.S. 32 in the Belmont section of the Bronx, otherwise known as “the real Little Italy.” She teaches an energetic, diverse, and talented group of bilingual third graders. Jeanette has just completed the New York City Teaching Fellows Program where she received an M.A. in Urban Education from Mercy College. She is thrilled to begin her TNLI Fellowship because it gives her the opportunity to keep learning and exercise active citizenship,something she learned to value while at Tufts University where she received a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Latin American Studies.
This year Jeanette hopes to built a stronger sense of community within her school, and then to reach out to the Belmont community and its leaders. She is a strong believer that it takes “a village to raise a child” and therefore schools should work closely with the greater community and take advantage of its rich resources. Further, Jeanette plans to continue her work with her school’s Inquiry Team and to cultivate her students’ many talents. She enjoys teaching her third graders how to express themselves through music, dance, writing, and theater. When she is not teaching, she loves to travel, write, dance, and to learn and explore new things. In the fall, she is taking her first ever sewing class!

Evan Madin has been teaching English literature and journalism for the past five years at Newtown High School in Elmhurst Queens. Evan serves as a Disciplinary Dean of Student Affairs, a member of the school’s Inquiry Team and is the School Advisor overseeing the production of the student school newspaper, The Tower. Evan joined the New York City school system through the Teacher Fellowship Program and completed his graduate work at Queens College as well as his advanced degree in School Administration from The College of Saint Rose. In 2007, Evan received the honor of the Education Update’s Teacher of the Year award. He has great passion for education reform, school policy as a changing agent, as well as a dedication to returning education back to where the focus should be: the students and their learning. His goal is to be the Chancellor of Schools for the City of New York. Here’s hoping!

Reema Marji is currently a journalism/literacy enrichment teacher at PS 49 in the Bronx. She has taught at PS 49 for eight years as a first and second grade teacher. Reema also serves as a UFT chapter delegate and was the 2nd grade leader for five years. She has served as the school's yearbook editor, treasurer of the school leadership team, and is the chairperson of the school’s social committee.

When Angela (Imani) Matthews made the decision to transplant herself from the suburbs of Chicago to New York City, she discovered a true second home.  She came to the city to pursue a graduate degree in Public Policy from Columbia University with hopes of working for an education policy think tank. However, her equally avid interest in engaging education in a more a direct way led her into the New York City classrooms.  For the second half of the1990s, she served as a lead teacher and Diversity Committee Chairperson at an elite private school in the New York area. Her commitment and passion to take on the challenges of politics, public policy, and pedagogy have shaped her career.

After teaching a little over five years in private school education, Ms. Matthews looked more deeply at her career interests and recommitted herself to making a difference in the realm of public education.  In 2001, she moved to the Institute for Collaborative Education (I.C.E.), a public 6-12th grade school that draws its students from all five boroughs of New York City.  During her time at I.C.E., Ms. Matthews has developed a vast amount of original curriculum for middle and high school students in both history and English courses. She currently serves as the Chair of the Humanities Department and is a member of the School Leadership Team. She also worked for four years as a point person to help kids organize weekly school-wide Town Meetings and serves as the faculty advisor  for I.C.E.’s literary magazine, DEEDS.

Her continued journey on this path has taken her back to Columbia University where she is currently pursuing a masters' degree in Educational Administration as part of the Summer Principal’s Academy.  She looks forward to serving as a   MetLife Fellow for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Sam McElroy is a special education/history teacher at Flushing High School. in Queens where he works with ninth through eleventh graders. He teaches global history and geography and United States history and government in 15:1 self contained classrooms. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Sam represents his department at UFT meetings within the school, coaches Junior varsity football and basketball, and is active in school improvement efforts. After graduating Cum Laude from Towson University with a B.A. in Philosophy, he entered the New York City Teaching Fellowship and has been teaching for three years. He also holds an M.S. in Special Education from Queens College. His educational interests include teaching for social justice, special education policy, and the new teacher induction process.

Tara Redican is currently teaching Chemistry at Manhattan Village Academy, a small public high school.  She has been at MVA for six years and has taught Math A and General Science courses; in addition, she has acted as Team Leader and PM School Coordinator, participated in the School Leadership Team, coordinated school-wide assemblies and events, and is the faculty sponsor for the Delta Club and the school newspaper.  She also is a member of Earthwatch, and she brings this aspect of her life into the classroom, educating students about environmental issues.

Prior to teaching at MVA, she was an early childhood educator for six years and earned her Masters from Bank Street College.  She received her undergraduate degree is in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Tara is interested in how small schools can offer individualized instruction while creating a family-style learning community.  She is also interested in how gender plays a role in the science classroom.

Michael Richman teaches ninth grade English and Latin American literature at New Design High School on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He also co-teaches an introductory education class in the M.A. program at NYU. He has been teaching (full or part time) since 1996 B.I. (before iPods) with a brief stint at Microsoft. While his first teaching job was in a Montessori middle school, he has been happily teaching high school for all but one of those years and thinks one day he might just be crazy enough to open a school of his own.

Michael wrote a thesis paper on homework and gender for his M.A. at UC Berkeley and has been fascinated with the subject ever since. His interests have broadened to homework in general, especially since it’s frequently a challenge for most of his students. Thus, he spends a lot of time helping students establish structures in their academic lives which can help them be the most successful students possible. You’d be amazed at just how helpful organizing a 3-ring binder after school can be. He’s thinking this “helping-kids-get-organized-and-make-a-plan” thing might be a possible candidate for his action research. We’ll see.

Carmen Robles is one of the founding members of University Neighborhood High School in the Lower Eastside of Manhattan where she has been teaching for the last seven years.  Carmen teaches Humanities, combining the study of history with literature analysis. She strongly believes that a curriculum geared towards active student engagement promotes enduring learning. Her approach to teaching is using experiential experiences, portfolios, and projects to engage her students and encourage a personal connection to history. She sees the classroom is a reflection of the school community, a place where she can help her students become more engaged in civic responsibility, and see their role within communities and the larger society.

Carmen’s specific pedagogical interests include integrating technology into her curriculum and school reform. She looks forward to taking part in the Teachers Network community and is hopeful that the action research will help her identify the ways that educational policy is impacting her students so that she can better serve their needs.

Fari Rufetu is a Zimbabwean-South African who is here as a Fulbright scholar on an exchange program. He is the South African National Science Educator Award winner and also holds the South African Excellence in High School Teaching Award. He holds a high school diploma from Ndebele College.  He also has an advanced certificate with science as a major and math a minor, and a B.Ed. honors degree in computer integrated education (CIE) both from the University of Pretoria. Fari is currently teaching in Manhattan at a school known as Manhattan Village Academy. He is an Assistant Principal back home and has three lovely kids with his wife.

Anokhi Saraiya has a B.A. in Religion, with a minor in Education, from Bryn Mawr College; a M.S. in Childhood General Education from Bank Street College of Education; and an Ed.M. in Public School Building Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. Anokhi completed her undergraduate work in 2002 and immediately began her teaching career at the Luis Belliard School, P.S. 8M, in New York City, as a Teach For America (TFA) corps member. After three years as a classroom teacher, Anokhi served as the school's Comprehensive School Reform Coordinator, overseeing the school's restructuring efforts and providing professional development for teachers as they implemented new reform initiatives. Anokhi is excited to be returning to the classroom this fall as a fifth grade English language arts teacher in a new departmentalized program at her school.

Her passion for education stems from the fact that everyday is fresh and new, and she is constantly learning, reflecting, and changing practice. Every child she meets and every colleague she speaks with leaves her with new and interesting ways of looking at the world and education. Her specific interests include school reform, discipline in schools, and standards-based teaching. In addition to her passion for education, her other interests include traveling, exploring new cultures, cooking, and reading.

Amanda Savarese is in her fourth year as an educator at University Neighborhood High School. She has earned a B.S. and an M.A. in English Education from New York University. Amanda is a teacher of humanities, instructing students in global history, American history, and literature in general education as well as Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) settings. Amanda also serves as UNHS’s Yearbook Advisor and Poetry Magazine Faculty Editor.
Amanda is committed to creating, for her students, substantial national and global travel opportunities designed to connect curriculum, culture, and global awareness. Some of her previous excursions include extended-stay trips to Washington, DC; Copenhagen, Denmark; Greece; Italy; and France. Amanda views her role in the creation of these globally conscious students as one of her greatest accomplishments.

Cara Shuckett is a special education teacher at School of the Future where she has taught since 2001. She recently returned from a sabbatical, where she traveled through Southeast and South Asia with her husband. Cara completed a master’s degree in Learning Disabilities at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is interested in the structures and effectiveness of special education programs in middle and high schools. When Cara is not working, you can find her running in Central Park, cooking or in tap dance class!

Susannah Tamarkin received her master's degree in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute, and a Post-Master's Advanced Certificate for Leadership in Education from the College of Staten Island. She is the first teacher in the New York City Department of Education to receive Library Media National Board Certification. Susannah's curricular projects are widely presented at such venues as the American Library Association Annual Conference, Computers in Libraries/Internet@Schools East Conference, and the NYCDOE Office of Library Services Fall Conference. She is a consultant on instruction and library development for the New York Public Research Libraries' Education Outreach Program, NYCDOE Office of Library Services, and the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen. She also serves as a mentor for the St. Johns University Partnership for Underserved Urban Children scholarship program in the library science department. Susannah's work in education was acknowledged with both an Astor Center for School Libraries and a Center for School success award from New Visions for Public Schools. Her projects received funding from the Toshiba America Foundation, the UFT Teacher's Center, J.P. Morgan Champions of Active Learning, and Chase Active Learning Foundation.

Susannah began her career in education as a teacher's assistant in the early childhood after school program and summer school at the renowned University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. For the NYCDOE, Susannah has worn many hats: as a Library Teacher, Interim Acting Assistant Principal, Project ARTS Liaison, School Leadership Team member, and technology staff developer on the middle and high school levels. She currently teaches library and information technology at the Frank Sinatra Performing Arts High School.

Terna Tilley-Gyado, a peace educator, works as a Special Education teacher at Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music in New York City. She holds a B.A. in the Humanities from University of Chicago, and a M.A. in International Conflict Analysis from Kings College, London. Previous professional positions include a stint with the United Nations. Terna is passionate about collaborative, interdisciplinary, socially conscious education. She is the coordinator of the Peer Mediation program at her school operating: “Young people are the real seeds of lasting peace,” she says. She looks forward to her time as a MetLife Fellow.

Deborah van Doren is a second year TNLI Fellow entering her fifth year as a New York City public school teacher. She teaches a fifth grade Collaborative Team Teaching class at the Louisa May Alcott Magnet School for Math, Science and Technology (PS 10) in Park Slope .Deborah entered the NYC public school system in 2004 as a NYC Teaching Fellow. Prior to teaching in New York, Deborah had taught English in Spain, Germany, Vietnam and Ecuador. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hunter College and an M.S.T. from Pace University in elementary education.

Audra Vanderland is entering her third year of teaching students with autism spectrum disorders in District 75. She began teaching as a Cohort 12 NYC Teaching Fellow in 2006. Currently, Audra serves on her school's School Leadership Team and acts as a new teacher mentor. She plans to continue working with students with moderate to severe disabilities, where she acts as a passionate advocate, believing that every student can learn, grow, and achieve continued success. This past year, Audra implemented and researched the effects of a reverse inclusion program on students with autism and their typically developing peers. She is currently in the process of submitting her action research to academic journals for possible publication.

Jason Wagner is entering his sixth year of teaching high school English in the Bronx. He began his career at Adlai E. Stevenson High School through the NYC Teaching Fellows program and has spent the last two years teaching at Millennium Art Academy, on the Stevenson Campus. He currently serves as Lead Teacher for Humanities, a role which allows him to work with other teachers to improve instruction and climate across the school while also serving as the eleventh grade English teacher. He is also serving as the UFT chapter leader for the school for the third year.

A native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Jason graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in English in 2000. He earned his Master of Science in Teaching from Fordham University in 2004. An adjunct instructor at Hostos Community College, Jason developed and taught “Mythology Matters” a College Now Foundations Course.

Dafina Westbrooks is a second year New York City Teaching Fellow. She currently teaches in a fifth grade Combined Team Teaching (CTT) class at The Dr. Betty Shabazz Elementary and Preparatory School for the Performing Arts (PS/IS 298) in Brownsville, Brooklyn. She is completing her M.A. in Special Education at Brooklyn College. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Neuroscience at Williams College.

Dafina entered teaching after working in the New York City Early Intervention Program. After seeing the amazing benefits early intervention provided, she wanted to continue to help the children after they entered the public school system. Her current focus is on finding the most effective and engaging way of differentiating instruction in order to reach all learners at all levels of ability in an inclusion classroom. She looks forward to working with the TNLI to produce research that enables policymakers to make sure that all children truly receive a "free and appropriate education."

Amanda Winkelsas is a high school English teacher at the Frederick Douglass Academy (FDA), a public 6-12 college preparatory school in Harlem. Prior to teaching at the high school level, she spent five years teaching middle school English and a year working as a middle school Literacy Coach. Amanda has participated in the School Leadership Team, the Inquiry Team, and the Professional Development Team at FDA. In addition, she is involved with several extracurricular programs, and has traveled around the world with The Frederick Douglass Academy, making educational trips to Italy, South Africa, China, and Ghana.
Amanda earned her B.A. from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where she was a secondary English education major. She earned an M.S. in Curriculum and Teaching from Fordham University and is now in her third year of the Ph.D. program in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center. Amanda is interested in teacher education (particularly teacher education for social justice), attrition and retention rates, and the subsequent effects of poor retention rates on both student learning and students’ consideration of teaching as a career option.

Garth Wolkoff has been a teacher for the last 13 years. He has taught creative writing, journalism, college composition, adult and teenage literacy, and currently teaches English at High School for Public Service in Crown Heights Brooklyn, where he was one of the school's founding teachers in 2003. He is a fiction writer, produces a blog undergroundreads about reading in the subway, and lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

Kimberly Woodcox is a graduate of Michigan State University, with a B.A. in Political Science and African-Diasporic Studies, Ms. Woodcox holds an MST from Fordham University's Graduate School of Education. Upon completing her studies at Fordham Ms. Woodcox continued to further her education by enrolling in the Ennis Cosby Young Reader's at Risk Scholarship Program. Upon completing the Young Reader's at risk program Ms. Woodcox went on to become a BETLA scholar at Bank Street College. Ms. Woodcox hopes to research and analyze the effects of meaningful professional development followed by guided practice on a school that services primarily low-income families, with a relatively young staff.

Seung Yu is a ninth grade English teacher at the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn. He is entering into his second year of teaching and joined the teaching profession as a Peace Corps Fellow. He is currently working towards his M.A. in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and earned his B.A. in English Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Prior to teaching in New York City, Seung served as the Executive Director of the State Education Agency K-12 Service-Learning Network (SEANet), based in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, he has extensive experience in the non-profit field through his work at Reading Is Fundamental and PBS.