Regional Team

I was born & raised in Malden MA, and attended Union College as a Posse scholar and first-gen student. Though initially interested in working in the criminal justice field, I unearthed my passion for education while teaching at Breakthrough Cambridge in 2012. It was here that I witnessed the transformative impact that lies at the intersection of academic opportunity, justice-driven programming, and the unabated belief in the potential of young people. Upon graduating Union College, I took a position at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester via City Year, then attended graduate school at Boston College as a Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar. 

The path was then clear to begin my official career at KALC as the Pre-AP World History 9 teacher. Soon after, I went on to help found KALC’s first ever Black Student Union and Brother Strong affinity group. Meanwhile, I wrote and launched what is now known as Activism & Advocacy. There, I engaged 9th graders in the topics of oppression, race, gender and sexuality while arming them with tools to navigate and disrupt systems of inequity. In the fall of 2019, I transitioned to Assistant Principal in hopes of contributing to a shifting school culture & policy. Just a few years later in July of 2022, I moved to Chicago with my partner to begin her med school journey while simultaneously starting a new role as the DOA for Secondary ELA , working on alignment + rigor through a DEI lens. With yet another blessing to boot, I’ll be transitioning to MD of Equity come July 2023 & am excited to contribute to the good work our region continues to execute. 

In my free time I enjoy making memories with family &  friends (including my pup named Brix), exercising, listening to soul music & audio books, tending to my real estate ventures, and traveling the world on my credit card miles!

Cassy Burnham began her career in education in Baltimore, MD in 2010 and taught multiple grade-levels and content areas over the next few years. She then joined the KIPP MA team in 2014 as a founding Kindergarten teacher at KIPP Academy Boston Elementary (KABE). After founding Kindergarten and first grade at KABE, she stepped in the curricular leadership world and has led the KIPP MA elementary mathematics program for the last 7 years and has worked with our elementary literacy program for the last 2 years. She is now the Managing Director of Elementary Academics.

Cassy is from Maine and attended the University of Vermont and Johns Hopkins for her post-secondary education and masters work. In her free time, Cassy enjoys spending time with her husband (Chip) and her daughter (Lou), taking her dog (Frank) on walks, and being outside.

Danielle began her career in education 13 years ago as a Special Education Teacher for the Cayman Islands Government. Since that time, she has held the positions of Special Education Lead Coordinator, Deputy Principal, and Principal. She now serves the KIPP community as the Managing Director of Student Support Services overseeing the body of work for our Directors of Special Education, Directors of Academics for Exceptional Learners & Director of Academics for Multilingual Learners.

Danielle has always had a passion for Special Education and Support Services as she believes it is our duty to ensure that all children have equitable access to the education that they deserve. She considers herself fortunate to be able to assist students, educators, school leaders, and families in making the educational journey a success. Her educational philosophy is that schools are most effective when they take a holistic approach to this journey emphasizing the whole growth of learners. In this role she intends to prioritize collaboration between her regional team, the schools and families building on KIPP’s solid foundation to enhance the support services structure together.

Lauren (Estebanell) Adams feels lucky to have been at KIPP MA for almost 12 years, where she initially started as the Founding Director of School Counseling at the High School (KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate), and then transitioned to the Regional Office where she joined the Talent Team.  First as a Recruitment Manager, then Director of Recruitment, to now the MD of Recruitment & Retention, where she believes staff retention is one of the keys to student success since retention brings our staff, students, and families consistency, predictability, calmness, and greater sense of belonging. 

Prior to joining the KIPP MA team, Lauren worked at The Oliverian School for five years; an alternative boarding school on a working farm. First dorm parent and Spanish teacher, and eventually ending her time at Oliverian as the Director of Student Supports, where she oversaw both the counseling and advisory programs. Lauren now has the pleasure of being one of Oliverian’s Board Members, where she has been a Trustee for 6 years.

Lauren is a native Spanish speaker, who feels she is at home when surrounded by love, laughter, strong hugs, and a lot of Spanish or Chilean food!  Lauren lives on the northshore with her husband (Joe), and two sons (Seve and Luca).

Becca (Hazlett) Root is entering her 6th year working at KIPP MA. She started at KIPP Academy Lynn Elementary as the founding Director of School Operations. Becca transitioned to the regional office in the summer of 2020 when she joined the Development and Communications team. Her current role is the Managing Director of Development and Communications. 

Prior to joining KIPP MA, Becca taught pre-kindergarten in Oklahoma City Public Schools with Teach for America. She graduated with her B.A. from Hamilton College in 2013, where she also played collegiate hockey, and received her Masters in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University in May 2020. 

Becca resides in Boston with her husband, Jesse, and their dog, Nellie. Becca is an avid sports fan who loves to spend time hiking with their dog and exploring new restaurants and breweries.

Jonathan Haynes is entering his 6th year working at KIPP MA. He started as the Associated Dean of Students at KIPP Academy Boston before transitioning to serve as the Dean of Students and then Assistant Principal at KIPP Academy Boston. Jon currently serves as the Managing Director of KIPP Forward. Before joining KIPP MA, Jon worked as a Physical Education teacher and a Math Specialist at Prospect Hill Academy in Somerville, MA. 

Jon is a native of North Carolina and holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Concentration in Education. In his free time, Jon loves traveling with family and friends and winning fantasy football championships. 

Kate is passionate about supporting the wellbeing and development of educators, leaders and staff working on behalf of students and families. As Managing Director of HR and Talent Development at KIPP MA, her focus is on providing employees with the resources, accessibility and support they need in order to bring their best selves to work and remain engaged and fulfilled.

Prior to coming to KIPP MA in 2019, Kate worked in talent selection and recruitment, school operations, nonprofit fundraising and business development. A former public school teacher as well, Kate loves having the opportunity to witness KIPP MA’s excellent educators in action.

Kate graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Anthropology and History and holds an M.S. in Education from Pace University. She lives on the North Shore with her husband Josh and daughters Lila, Alice and Maisie.

Meg finds joy sharing curriculum and content with teachers and leaders. Through her work as Managing Director of Secondary Academics, Meg aims to improve the student experience by enhancing the quality of our curriculum and the ways that teachers and leaders implement that curriculum to best engage and excite students.

Meg MacIlvain joined the KIPP MA team in 2015 as an Assistant Principal at KAB. While at KAB, Meg focused her attention on improving the student experience by coaching teachers. Under Meg’s leadership, the teaching team shifted lesson design to incorporate daily student data and create more student centric lessons. In 2018, Meg joined the regional office team as the ELA Director of Academics for middle schools, taking the same focus to the regional ELA program. In 2020, Meg was promoted to Managing Director of Secondary Academics.

Since entering education as a History teacher in 2006, Meg has always sought opportunities to reflect, listen, and learn how to improve curriculum and instruction for students. Meg holds a MEd from Harvard Graduate School of Education and in 2016, Meg earned her EdD from UConn, which focused on research to improve teacher coaching and teacher development.

Emily Rodriguez started in education as a middle school teacher in Queens, NY in 2001 as a NYC

Emily Rodriguez started in education as a middle school teacher in Queens, NY in 2001 as a NYC Teaching Fellow. She has spent the last 22 years teaching and leading in elementary, middle schools and central offices in New York City, Philadelphia, and the greater Boston area. She was a founding principal, Middle School Academic Director, Director of Literacy,  Director of Leadership Development, and Managing Director of Elementary Academics. Throughout all these roles, Emily has been obsessed with making learning engaging, relevant, and meaningful.

Emily has been with KIPP MA since 2012. She is currently the Senior Advisor for National and Regional Initiatives. Emily has 3 children, ages 9, 11, and 12 who consistently encourage her to see challenges as opportunities. 

Zach Trotsky joined the KIPP MA team in 2015 as the Operations Manager at KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate (KALC). After three years of planning field trips, coordinating student events, and managing school-wide testing he was promoted to the Director of School Operations and took on additional responsibilities. Zach led the Operations team through many changes, including overseeing the design and construction of KALC’s current campus and move to Wheeler Street in Lynn.

Zach transitioned to the KIPP MA Regional Office in 2021 as the Managing Director of Operations where he manages the Directors of School Operations and the Facilities team.

Before coming to KIPP, Zach spent time as a youth soccer coach in Somerville and then coached KALC’s boys varsity soccer team for two years. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management and Policy.

Zach lives on the North Shore with his wife Sarah, and their two children, Avery and Emmett.

Kate Kiley started her career in education teaching English in France. After completing two years of a teaching fellowship with AmeriCorps, Kate transitioned to City Year Boston where she supported site-wide extended day programs and managed a school-based team of AmeriCorps members. Kate joined the KIPP MA team in 2019 as the Education Programs Manager, focusing on building relationships with the Department of Education, reporting on district accountability, and supporting teachers with MTEL certification. In 2021, she transitioned to the role of Director of Compliance and Information Management where she now manages the Compliance team.

Kate graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in French. In her spare time she enjoys relaxing with her dog, baking and tackling home renovation projects.