Meet our award-winning team of Mentor Teachers.

Morgan Carter

Morgan began her career with Teach For America as a kindergarten teacher at Achievement First (AF) Amistad Academy Elementary School in New Haven, Connecticut. She then became a principal-in-residence at AF Bridgeport Academy Elementary School and was the founding principal at AF Providence Mayoral Academy Elementary School. During Morgan’s tenure as principal of AF Providence, the school achieved "Commended School" status for its students' academic achievement. A mathematics instructional leadership coach in schools across the country for the past six years, she has helped schools achieve up to 55 point year-over-year gains on student proficiency on their state math assessments. Morgan earned her B.S. in history with an elementary education teaching endorsement from the University of Washington and her M.S. from Walden University.

Emma Colonna

Emma began her career with Teach For America teaching kindergarten at Nashville Classical Charter School in Tennessee. She continued on as founding grade level chair for second grade before returning home to New York City to teach third grade at Uncommon Schools. Emma later returned to Nashville Classical to serve as the director of kindergarten through eighth-grade literacy and humanities. Under her tenure, network-wide kindergarten through second-grade reading proficiency on benchmark assessments reached levels above 85 percent and third- through eighth-grade reading proficiency on the state assessment grew 23 points in one year following the pandemic. Now an education consultant in New York City, Emma supports schools and organizations to maximize their academic impact. Emma earned her B.S. in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt University, her M.Ed. from Lipscomb University, and her M.A. from New York University.

Jill Cruoglio

Jill began her teaching career with Teach For America in New Orleans, where she taught science at Stella Worley Middle School. There, she partnered with the University of California, Berkeley to pilot a cell-scope program, bringing cutting-edge microscope technology into the classroom. She later joined KIPP Rise Academy in Newark, NJ. Fo five consecutive years, her students outperformed the city average on state assessments by 10 to 20 percent. Jill went on to serve as an instructional coach for fifth- through eighth-grade humanities teachers, leading to continued success—these classrooms also exceeded the city average by up to 20 percent from 2017 to 2020. Jill then served as the assistant principal of special education at KIPP Rise Academy, where she helped strengthen inclusive practices and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. She now serves as the middle school director of special education, supporting multiple schools in advancing equitable and high-impact special education programs. She holds a B.A. in History and Gender Studies from The College of New Jersey and an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University.

Lizzie Eisen

Lizzie Eisen began her career with Teach for America in Huntsville, Alabama. Following her corps experience, she joined the founding team at Nashville Classical Charter School, where she served for nine years in various roles, including teacher and principal. Under her leadership, Nashville Classical was named a Tennessee Reward School and the Best Nonprofit in Nashville by the Nashville Business Journal. Lizzie was also recognized as one of Nashville's 30 Under 30 for her contributions to education. Over the past three years, she has worked as an independent consultant, partnering with schools and nonprofits to support teacher development and improve student outcomes, with a focus on early literacy. Lizzie earned a B.A. in communication and theatre from George Washington University.

Christina Gellos

Now in her third year as a Mentor Teacher, Christina began her career teaching seventh-grade math as a Teach for America corps member at Achievement First East New York Middle School in Brooklyn. Over three years, she increased student proficiency on the New York Common Core mathematics exam by 43 percentage points. She then joined the school’s leadership team as academic dean for math, coaching and developing teachers and managing the math department. The following year her school achieved 92 percent proficiency across all grades on the New York Common Core math exam. Currently, Christina works as an education consultant specializing in teacher coaching and development. Christina earned a B.A. in public policy with a minor in education and political science from Duke University and an M.A. from Relay Graduate School of Education. She is pursuing a M.Ed. in education leadership from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

Melanie Green

Now in her third year as a Mentor Teacher, Melanie began her career with Teach for America teaching eighth-grade math in Newark. She then joined Achievement First Voyager Middle School in Brooklyn as a founding fifth-grade math teacher. She went on to teach sixth-grade math, and was named grade-level chair and math dean. Melanie's fifth- and sixth-grade students increased their proficiency on the New York State Common Core math assessment by 28 and 26 percentage points, respectively. As dean, she led her math faculty to make the highest student growth of Achievement First’s ten schools for each of the past four years. Achievement First named Melanie a Distinguished Stage 4 Teacher and a principal fellow. Melanie earned a B.S. in economics and public policy from Duke University and a M.A. from Relay Graduate School of Education.

Emilee Harris

Emilee Harris started her career as an 8th grade math teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia, and spent 18 years teaching middle and high school math across five states, most recently in New York City. She transitioned from high school math teacher to instructional leader, serving as an elementary academic director in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Director of Middle School Math for KIPP NYC, and Senior Director of K - 12 Mathematics for the KIPP Foundation. She coached regional math leaders across KIPP regions to drive learning outcomes within the domains of equitable instruction, strong content knowledge, enabling systems, data analysis, and strategic professional learning. She then built the learning experience design team at GreatMinds, and is now the Senior Assessment Content Manager for mathematics at Khan Academy. Harris holds an M.Ed. in elementary education from the University of South Carolina, Upstate, and a B.A. in secondary math education from Clemson University.

Jasmine Harris

Jasmine began her career as a mathematics teacher at Achievement First Bushwick Middle School, where she earned recognition as a Distinguished Teacher for her outstanding instruction and student outcomes. Over the years, she taught fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-grade math, while also taking on various leadership roles, including network facilitator, Dean of Students, Dean of Mathematics, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director. Her passion for educator growth led her to transition into coaching and professional development, where she supports teachers in creating meaningful learning experiences. Jasmine's leadership in instructional planning and curriculum implementation has significantly enhanced instructional quality and student achievement. She holds a B.A. in mathematics from the University at Albany and an M.Ed. from Relay Graduate School of Education. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in instructional design and technology at Full Sail University.

Brian Johnson

Brian’s career began teaching high school math with Teach for America at Thurgood Marshall Academy in New York City. He then was a founding eighth-grade math teacher at KIPP Infinity Middle School, where he received several teaching awards. Brian was a semi-finalist for the U.S. Department of Education Classroom Teaching Ambassador Fellowship for moving students beyond two years of growth in math and ELA for over a decade. A recipient of the Sontag Prize in Urban Education, he studied pedagogy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and taught at-risk students in Boston. In 2023, Brian presented a TED-Ed Talk on student engagement and culture. Brian holds a B.A. in marketing from University of Kentucky, a M.S.T. in adolescent education from Pace University and an advanced certification in special education from St. Rose College.

Cheryl M. Kelley-Henderson

Cheryl began her teaching career in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and later joined the founding team at KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary, where she served as a teacher, grade-level leader, and assistant principal for nine years. She then became Associate Director of Literature for the National Summer School Initiative, designing K–2 literacy curriculum used nationwide. Currently, Cheryl is the K–8 Director of Literacy at the KIPP Foundation, supporting teachers in delivering rigorous, joyful ELA instruction. She holds a B.A. in English from Florida A&M University and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida. Cheryl is also a certified run coach and founder of Ascension Strategic Coaching & Wellness, where she helps others thrive through education, wellness, and coaching.

Jonathan Laven

Jon began his career as a Teach For America corps member in Las Vegas, where he taught high school math. He was a founding team member at Hiawatha Academies in Minneapolis, where he taught and later served as an instructional coach. He is especially interested in math instruction that centers student thinking and helps learners make sense of problems through discussion and reasoning. Jon is the co-founder of Snorkl, a formative assessment tool that uses AI to help students share their thinking and get instant feedback. He holds a B.A. in math and philosophy from St. Olaf College, an M.Ed. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and an M.A. from the Yale Divinity School.

Alicia Lynch

Alicia began her career with Teach for America in Connecticut, where she taught first grade at Elm City College Preparatory Elementary school and served as an Achievement First lead math planner during the adoption of the Common Core standards. Alicia then taught kindergarten at Achievement First Bushwick Elementary School in Brooklyn; she went on to become the school’s kindergarten through second-grade academic dean. In 2014, Alicia joined the Achievement First Teaching and Learning Team where she now serves as the senior director of kindergarten through eighth-grade mathematics. In her role as an achievement director, Alicia has led the network adoption and implementation of research based equitable practices in all math classrooms, including the adoption of cognitively guided instruction. Alicia earned her B.A. in marketing at the University of Florida and a M.A. from Relay Graduate School of Education.

Stephanie Lyon

Stephanie began her career teaching 4th grade in Atlanta. Since then she taught kindergarten and first grade with Achievement First in Connecticut, helped open a charter school in New Orleans, Louisiana, and returned to Achievement First to lead K-12 math across the network. She then began partnering with other districts and charter networks in strengthening their instructional model and math programs. She continues to do this now, as Lyon Educational Consulting. Stephanie earned her BS in Elementary Education from Mississippi State University in 2002 and her MS in Education from Southern Connecticut State University in 2008.

Will Roble

A veteran Mentor Teacher, Will began his teaching career with Teach for America in the Bronx. He went on to teach middle school math at Rise Academy, a KIPP school in Newark, then Achievement First (AF) in New York. There, Will’s eighth grade class achieved 100 percent proficiency on the New York state exam, and he later went on to become the director of middle school math achievement. Will then joined Avenues: The World School, an international network of private schools, where he taught a thinking skills class designed to strengthen conceptual reasoning, build cognitive flexibility, and promote empathy. He currently teaches seventh- and eighth-grade math, and leads a math circle and the middle school math team at Greenwich Academy, an all girls private school. Will holds a B.A. in cultural anthropology and Italian studies from Trinity College and a M.S. from Pace University.

Megan Li

Megan began her educational career with Teach for America as a 4th grade teacher in Brooklyn, New York. She then continued her career at Achievement First as a kindergarten and 1st grade teacher, earning the distinction of distinguished, and then master teacher. She then became a founding Academic dean at Achievement First North Brooklyn Prep. For the last four years, Megan has worked as a mathematics instructional leadership coach with schools across the country. Megan earned her B.A. in marketing with a minor in Spanish at Tulane University.

Jordan McNiven

Now in his third year as a Mentor Teacher, Jordan began his career leading youth development and after-school programs in his hometown of Minneapolis. As a program coordinator and instructor at the YMCA, he oversaw experiential learning and led trips to New York City, Sweden, Russia, and Peru. Jordan taught fifth-grade social studies and coached soccer at the Achievement First Endeavor Middle School in Brooklyn. Returning to Minneapolis, he joined Hiawatha Academies, where for six years he has taught ELA at the elementary and middle schools. In 2020, he was awarded the National University Teacher Award for the state of Minnesota. Jordan earned his B.A. from the University of Minnesota in psychology and comparative literature and a M.A. from the Relay Graduate School of Education.

Carrie Roby

Now in her fourth year as a Mentor Teacher, Carrie began her career teaching second- and third- grades with Teach for America in the South Bronx. Her students averaged 1.7 grades of growth in reading and 84 percent were proficient in math each year. Carrie was a founding second-grade teacher and leadership resident at Success Academy's flagship school, before becoming founding principal of Success Academy Upper West. Her school received the Blackboard Award for Rising Star Grade Schools and was ranked first in math and eighth in ELA, based on student performance on the state assessments. Carrie was a cognitively guided instruction math consultant for schools across the country and currently trains and coaches school leaders and teachers on the implementation of evidence based practices in literacy and math. Carrie earned a B.A. from Harvard University in psychology and a M.S. from Pace University.

Rachael Ross

Rachael Ross’ career spans school, district, state, and national leadership. She currently leads the review of instructional materials at EdReports, a national nonprofit. Previously, Rachael oversaw the pre-K-2 literacy initiatives for the state of Tennessee as the senior director of early literacy strategy for the Tennessee Department of Education. During her tenure, she led the implementation of the Tennessee Literacy Success Act - the state’s Science of Reading policy. She has extensive experience working with aspiring and practicing teachers serving as an assistant professor of elementary education at the University of Memphis and an adjunct instructor of literacy at the University of Tennessee. She was recognized as a Top 40 under 40 professional in Tennessee by Knox News. Rachael holds a B.S. in early childhood education from Lee University, a M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. in literacy, language, and culture from Clemson University.

Em Slezak

Em's career began at Achievement First Endeavor Middle School in Brooklyn as a fifth-grade learning specialist and co-teacher in ELA and history. During their eight years at Achievement First Endeavor Middle School, Em served as grade-chair, dean of special services, dean of student experience and principal-in-residence. Em then moved to Los Angeles and joined the regional office of Citizens of the World Charter Network as the senior manager of special education, inclusion and instruction. Currently, Em is the director of the empower program service at Achievement First Bushwick Middle School. In the Fall of 2024, Em will be pursuing a M.Div. at Union Theological Seminary. Em earned a B.A. in cinema-television: critical studies from the University of Southern California and a M.A. from Relay Graduate School of Education.

Kimberly Tan

A returning Mentor Teacher, Kimberly Tan began her career at P.S. 161 in Manhattan, NY. Since then, she has worked at the Shanghai International Studies University, Success Academies in Harlem and Central Queens Academy in Queens, where she was hired as the literacy coordinator for grades 5-7 and founding 5th grade ELA teacher. From 2015-2022, Kim developed curriculum and taught 5th grade at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Kim’s love of linguistics and language eventually evolved into a passion for literacy curriculum design and coaching, and she consulted with EL Education for two years, supporting principals in the Bronx with their yearly instructional workplanning. Kim is currently the lower school literacy coordinator at Riverdale Country School, serving grades preK to 5th grade. She holds a B.S. from Cornell University in human development and an M.S. in TESOL from the City College of New York.

Donavan Tracey

Donavan began his career as a classroom teacher at a charter school in New Haven, teaching social studies, ELA, Math, and Science. He then went on to serve as an academic dean and principal-in-residence. As a principal, Donavan led a turnaround that significantly improved teacher retention rates, staff organizational health, and student performance metrics. Donavan participated in various fellowships, including The RELAY National Principals Academy Fellowship, The Leadership Fellows Program, and The National Fellowship of Black and Latino Male Educators in the C-Suite Executive Program. He currently serves as the chief academic officer at an independent school. He holds a B.A. in architectural engineering from the University of Hartford, an M.S.Ed. from Southern Connecticut State University, and an Ed.D. from Johnson & Wales University.

Joel Tracy

Joel began his career as an educator at Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, where he taught high school history. He then joined Excellence Boys Charter School in Brooklyn, where he taught history and math, before transitioning into instructional leader and dean of students roles. Joel later served as dean of curriculum and instruction at Leadership Prep Brownsville, fostering school-wide instructional gains while leading 84% of 7th grade ELA students to pass the state exam after returning to classroom teaching mid-year. As principal at Brownsville Collegiate Charter School, Joel led a turnaround that resulted in an average of over 20% growth in student achievement, a 63% reduction in suspensions and a 96% family satisfaction rate. Joel then returned to the classroom, where he led a 53% increase in pass rates for AP Research students, while co-designing and executing Uncommon Schools’ innovative High School 2.0 pilot program. Joel currently serves as 6th grade humanities teacher and culture coordinator at Brooklyn Independent Middle School. In July, Joel will enter a new role as senior director of leadership development at Explore Schools. He holds a B.A. in history from Brown University and an M.S.Ed. from Hunter College.