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Faculty/Staff Biographies
 
Megan Aponte Student Support Fellow x225

Megan Aponte is Excel Academy’s Student Support fellow.  Ms. Aponte previous served as Excel's afterschool tutoring specialist. Ms. Aponte has worked for numerous museums and galleries including Boston’s Museum of Science and Museum of Fine Arts. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at Boston University.

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Lorraine Bacos School Counselor x214

Lorraine Bacos is Excel Academy’s school counselor.  Ms. Bacos has previously worked as a counselor at Lowell Middlesex Academy.  Ms. Bacos has a Master’s Degree from Cambridge College.  She graduated from Merrimack College.

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Carmen Baez Office Manager x200

Carmen Baez is Excel Academy’s Office Manager. Prior to joining Excel Academy, Ms. Baez worked for more than ten years as a paralegal.  Ms. Baez holds a degree from North Shore Community College.

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Komal Bhasin Principal x270

Komal Bhasin is Excel Academy’s Principal. Previously, Mrs. Bhasin served as Excel’s Dean of Curriculum and Instruction. Before joining Excel, Mrs. Bhasin served as a founding teacher for a KIPP-affiliated school in New Orleans and, more recently, as founding Assistant Principal of KIPP-affiliated schools in New Orleans and Houston. Mrs. Bhasin was also a corps member in the Teach For America program. Ms. Bhasin graduated from Harvard University. .

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Caitlin Campbell 5th Grade Math Teacher x204

Caitlin Campbell is Excel Academy's 5th Grade Math Teacher.  Prior to joining Excel, Ms. Campbell served as a mentor and events coordinator for the Strong Women, Strong Girls program and has worked in the Harvard College Admissions office.  During the 2009-10 school year, she served as Excel's SSAT Fellow. Ms. Campbell is a graduate of Harvard University.

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Rebecca Cass Interim Executive Director x215

Rebecca Cass is Excel Academy's Interim Executive Director.  Ms. Cass has extensive experience in charter school policy and management, having served as the Director of Policy and National Activities for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.  Ms. Cass has also worked in the Charter School Office of the MA Department of Education.  As a member of Excel Academy's Board of Trustees since 2006, Ms. Cass is honored to serve as the school's Interim Executive Director.  Ms. Cass holds a Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a Master's of Public Administration from Suffolk University. 

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Shannon Coyle English Language Learner Program Manager x269

Shannon Coyle is Excel Academy's English Language Learner Program Manager. Ms. Coyle previously taught adult ESL classes as part of the Literacy Project, based in Cambridge, MA. She also has a number of years of business experience. Ms. Coyle is a graduate of Boston College.
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Katie Dankleff Dean of Administration x217

Katie Dankleff is Excel Academy’s Dean of Administration.  Previously, Ms. Dankleff was Excel Academy’s Director of Development. Before joining Excel, she was a corps member of Teach for America, through which she taught English at Roberts Vaux High School in Philadelphia.  Ms. Dankleff is a graduate of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
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Maureen Foley 6th Grade Math Teacher x205

Maureen Foley is Excel Academy's 6th grade math teacher.  Prior to joining Excel Academy, Ms. Foley served as a Teach for America corps member, teaching for two years at a public middle school in New York City.  Ms. Foley earned a Bachelor's Degree from Boston University and a Master's of Science in Teaching from Pace University. 
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Jocelyn Foulke Operations Manager x223

Jocelyn Foulke is Excel Academy’s Operations Manager.  Prior to joining the Excel team, Ms. Foulke initiated a program called Media Smart Kids, designed to heighten media awareness for teenagers.  She also has experience working with middle school students in New York City.  Before assuming the position as Excel's Operations Manager, Ms. Foulke served as the 5th Grade Math Teacher. Ms. Foulke is a graduate of Bowdoin College.
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Megan Fraker Dean of Graduate Services & High School Placement x212

Megan Fraker is Excel Academy’s Dean of Graduate Services & High School Placement.  Previously, Ms. Fraker was the Program Director for life skills and community service at St. Mary’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Additionally, Ms. Fraker served as the Everybody Wins! Power Lunch Program Manager of Boston Partners in Education for three years.  She has also taught English in Istanbul, Turkey, and was a City Year Corps Member.  Ms. Fraker is a graduate of St. Lawrence University. 

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Shoshana Freedman Art Teacher TBD

Shoshana Freedman is Excel Academy's Art Teacher. Prior to joining the Excel team, Ms. Freedman served as an Assistant Art Teacher at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA (fall 2009) and as a Student Teaching Intern at an elementary school in Somerville, MA (spring 2010). Ms. Freedman is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Art Education from Tufts University.

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Laura Goldworm Director of Graduate Support x216

Laura Goldworm is one of Excel Academy’s Director's of Graduate Support. Most recently, she served as a Site Manager for Jumpstart.  Ms. Goldworm has previous teaching experience and taught for three years in NYC public schools through the NYC Teaching Fellows program.  Ms. Goldworm earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a Masters degree from Fordham University.  

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Sarah Gordon ELL Specialist x269

Sarah Gordon is Excel Academy's ELL Specialist. She most recently served as Excel’s Tutoring Specialist. Prior to joining Excel, Ms. Gordon taught English as a Foreign Language in Spain. Ms. Gordon is a graduate of Colby College.  

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Keith Guerin 5th & 6th Grade Associate Dean of Students x268

Keith Guerin is Excel Academy’s 5th and 6th Grade Associate Dean of Students.  Before joining Excel, Mr. Guerin most recently taught at the Tudor Hill School in Chelsea.  He has also served as the Art Director for the Manchester (MA) Community Center.  Mr. Guerin is a graduate of Montserrat College of Art.
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Kendra Heinricher 8th Grade Math Teacher x207

Kendra Heinricher is Excel Academy’s 8th grade math teacher.  Previously, Ms. Heinricher served as a founding member of the MATCH corps.  She also has two years of experience working at schools in Bellingham, Massachusetts.  Ms. Heinricher is a graduate of Roger Williams University
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Ryan Holmes 7th Grade Math Teacher x211

Ryan Holmes is Excel Academy’s 7th grade math teacher. Before joining Excel Academy, Mr. Holmes worked as the founding program director for the Boston Charter School Alliance where he focused on political advocacy on behalf of Boston-area charter schools. He has also served as a MATCH Corps Fellow.  Mr. Holmes earned his Bachelor’s degree at UMASS – Amherst.

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Lauren Jones 7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher TBD

Lauren Jones in Excel Academy's 7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher. Ms. Jones is a Teach for America alum, having served as a first grade teacher at a Title I school in Glendale, Arizona. Ms. Jones is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and holds a Master's of Education--Elementary Education from Arizona State University.

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Chris Kirchgasler 5th Grade English Teacher x219

Chris Kirchgasler is Excel Academy’s 5th grade English teacher.  Mr. Kirchgasler previously served as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher in Guinea for two years through the Peace Corps.  Mr. Kirchgasler graduated from the University of Utah.       

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Katie Lewkowicz 5th & 6th Grade Science Teacher x227

Katie Lewkowicz is Excel Academy’s 5th and 6th grade Science teacher.  Before coming to Excel, Ms. Lewkowicz served as a Fulbright teaching assistant in an elementary school in Spain.  She is a graduate of Williams College.
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Kate Lints 5th & 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher x209

Kate Lints is Excel Academy’s 5th & 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher.  During college, Ms. Lints student taught in a number of Winston-Salem, NC, public schools.  Ms. Lints graduated from Wake Forest University. 
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Marcy Long Learning Specialist x203

Marcy Long is one of the school’s two Learning Specialists.  Ms. Long has student teaching experience at three different schools in the Boston area. She also has experience working at the Hun School of Princeton’s summer school program.  Ms. Long holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Boston College.

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Rebecca Longworth Director of Resource Development

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Rebecca Longworth is Excel Academy's Director of Resource Development.  Prior to joining the Excel team in Spring 2010, Ms. Longworth worked as a Campaign Manager at the Massachusetts Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Ms. Longworth is a graduate of Colby College with a double major in Spanish & Latin American Studies.

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Stephanie-Lee Morgan 7th & 8th Grade Dean of Students x221

Stephanie-Lee Morgan is Excel Academy’s 7th & 8th Grade Dean of Students.  Prior to coming to Excel, Ms. Morgan taught for three years in a New York City public, middle school through Teach For America. Most recently, Ms. Morgan served as the 7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher and as the Science Department Head..  Ms. Morgan graduated from Connecticut College and has a Master’s Degree from Pace University.

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Caitlin Moore 7th & 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher x213

Caitlin Moore is Excel Academy as the 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher.  Ms. Moore, who has also taught at North Central Essential Charter School, graduated from Bowdoin College.
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Becca Moskowitz 7th Grade English Teacher x224

Becca Moskowitz is the 7th grade English teacher at Excel Academy.  Ms. Moskowitz has extensive experience at Citizen Schools, where she has held roles including Citizen Teacher, Teaching Fellow, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Curriculum Coordinator.  She has also served as a District Coordinator for Project Citizen and a Teaching Fellow for Discovering Justice.  Ms. Moskowitz is a graduate of Carleton College.
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Brett Pangburn 6th Grade English Teacher x222

Brett Pangburn is Excel Academy's 6th Grade English teacher.  Before coming to Excel, Mr. Pangburn taught middle and high school students in Boston and Cambridge public schools. Previously, he worked as a corporate and health care lawyer in Boston.  Mr. Pangburn is a graduate of Bowdoin College, received a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Adam Prinsen Athletics & Extracurricular Manager TBD

Adam Prinsen is Excel Academy’s Athletics and Extracurricular Manager.  Mr. Prinsen is a member of the Teach for America – Boston corps.  He has experience as a soccer coach and academic tutor. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

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Jessie Ricker Excel Fellow x207

Jessie Ricker is Excel Academy's Teaching Fellow. Prior to joining the Excel team, Ms. Ricker served as a technical research assistant at Brigham & Women's circadian biology lab. She also has volunteer teaching experience in South Africa. Ms. Ricker is a graduate of Bates College.

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Emily Salander Learning Specialist x201

Emily Salander is one of Excel Academy's Learning Specialists. Ms. Salander comes to Excel Academy as the first Teach for America- Boston corps member placed at the school.  Through Teach for America, Ms. Salander has experience teaching in the Chicago Public School system.  She has worked on behalf of the education program at the Comtemporary Art Museum (St. Louis).  Ms. Salander is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. 
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Carolyn "CeSea" Saunders-Webb Director of Post-Secondary Support TBD

CeSea Saunders-Webb is Excel Academy's Director of Post-Secondary Support.  Prior to joining the Excel team, Ms. Saunders-Webb served as a Family and Community Coordinator at The Academy of Public Service for Boston Public Schools, and most recently as the Senior Associate Director/Chief Operations and Program Director at Boston HOPE (Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation, Inc.) Ms. Saunders-Webb is a graduate of Suffolk University and holds a Master's in Mental Health from Springfield College, and a Master's in Organizational Management and Leadership from Springfield College.

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Sarah Stuntz 8th Grade English Teacher x226

Sarah Stuntz is Excel Academy’s 8th grade English teacher. Ms. Stuntz has worked as a Research Assistant for the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning and as an Operations Coordinator for Teach For America’s Houston Summer Institute. Ms. Stuntz graduated from the University of Virginia.

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Nicole Simoes Director of Graduate Support x220

Nicole Simoes is one of Excel Academy’s Director's of Graduate Support. Before joining Excel, Ms. Simoes served as a supervising grant coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital. Most recently, Ms. Simoes served as a permanent, substitute Spanish teacher at Medford High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree and a Masters degree from Tulane University.
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Denise Weaver School Nurse x210

Denise Weaver, the school nurse, joined Excel Academy in 2003.  Ms. Weaver has held a variety of nursing positions in Massachusetts schools and hospitals.  Ms. Weaver holds degrees from Northeastern University and North Shore Community College.

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