School Leadership

Shelby Jean-Michel is currently the lead physics teacher and Science department chair at KALC. He finds great joy in seeing young minds grasp science concepts found in everyday life. In the same way he enjoys seeing students grow and succeed, Shelby finds much joy in finding systems that allow for the instructional genius of his teammates to be brought into classrooms. He is dedicated to bringing the best of learning and growing to both students and fellow teachers.

Shelby was born and raised in Boston, MA. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2015 with his BS in Biology. His admiration for science led him into teaching. He began his career in the school system as a Special Education Specialist for 2.5 years at Roxbury Prep charter school. Later on in his career, Shelby found KALC where he’s been able to cultivate leadership skills and develop as a teacher for the past four years. When Shelby is not working with students and other teachers, he enjoys spending time with his Wife and two kids, reading and photography.

Kerri Brown joined KIPP MA in 2014 after teaching Creative Writing and English in Colorado and Cape Cod, MA. After eight years in the classroom at KALC (and some at KAL!) she transitioned to leadership as Assistant Principal of the Lower School, primarily coaching Humanities. While at KALC, she coached the Indigo Society Poets, who took home the Louder than a Bomb State Championship in 2017. She lives in the North Shore with her husband and daughter. 

Bio coming soon!

Meghan Blume was born and raised in Sheffield, MA, a small town in the Berkshires. She got her start in education in 2008, as a member of the Teach for America Greater New Orleans corps. After teaching middle school ELA for two years, Meghan became a founding member of Abramson Sci Academy in 2010. While there, she taught English 11, worked as a literacy interventionist, and served as a Culture Dean. Meghan’s experience in New Orleans was foundational to who she is as an educator today: One who leads with love, finds joy, and centers students and community.

After returning to the Northeast to be closer to family, Meghan joined KALC in the summer of 2014 as the founding English 12 teacher and senior Grade Level Chair. She served in both roles until becoming Assistant Principal in the fall of 2020. She loves the school community deeply and considers KALC home.

In her spare time, Meghan enjoys reading, lifting, and spending time with family, including her dog, Toni.

Photo and bio coming soon!

Photo and bio coming soon!

Deborah is entering her sixth year working at KIPP MA and has been in the education field for 11 years. She was born and raised in Lynn, MA. She is currently serving as Dean of Students at KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School.

Deborah currently holds a BA in Educational Studies and Spanish from Salem State University. As well as a Certificate in Translation. Deborah also holds a Masters in Modern Foreign Languages and Education from Salem State University and is currently enrolled in another Masters program in Educational Leadership with UMASS Lowell.

Deborah is a mom of two wonderful boys and loves spending time with her family and exploring the North Shore!

Wamakonzi “Konzo” Alognon was born in the West African country of Togo. Konzo joined KIPP in 2016 as a teaching fellow right after graduating from college and would become a Lead ELA Teacher by the end of the year. Throughout his first year, Konzo taught a variety of grade-levels and loved building relationships with students across the school. Konzo stepped into his first leadership role as the Grade-Level Chair during his 3rd year of teaching and became Associate Dean of Culture and eventually Dean of Student Culture. After his second year of being in his previous role, Konzo transitioned into the Assistant Principal of Culture position at KIPP Academy Lynn.

Konzo loves spending time in Lynn with his family, enjoys playing rugby and loves to talk sports!

Photo and bio coming soon!

Melanie Ramirez is entering her 5th year working at KIPP Massachusetts. She was born and raised in Jackson Heights, a multicultural neighborhood located in Queens, New York and is the daughter of two Dominican immigrants. 

She came to Massachusetts to attend Boston University and now holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from the Questrom School of Business and a Masters in Education in Mathematics Curriculum and Teaching from the Wheelock School of Education.

Melanie joined Teach For America in 2018 and had the privilege to start her career at KIPP Academy Lynn (KAL) as an 8th grade math teacher. Throughout her time at KIPP she has served as a grade level chair, teacher leader, and piloted the first year long 8th Grade Algebra program at KIPP MA. 

She is eager to continue to serve the incredible community of Lynn, a place she now calls her second home, as the upper school STEM Assistant Principal at KAL.

Jimmy Seter was born and raised in Southern California to a family that anchored itself in education and love. Jimmy began his educational career in 2013. He joined Teach for America Oklahoma and taught 7th and 8th Grade History at KIPP Tulsa College Preparatory. While at KIPP Tulsa, Jimmy served as the 7th Grade Level Chair and History Department Chair. Following his time in Tulsa, Jimmy joined KIPP Massachusetts in 2016. Jimmy joined the team at KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School as the re-founding 5th Grade Social Studies. After two years in 5th Grade, Jimmy moved into leadership and became the Dean of Students in 2018. After being Dean, Jimmy transitioned to being the 7th/8th Grade Humanities Assistant Principal for three years.  In 2021, Jimmy became the Principal of KIPP Academy Lynn where he is excited to anchor our students, teachers, and families in Challenge and Collaboration.

Jimmy enjoys reading, sports, dancing, diving into culturally relevant texts and historical lessons, and spending time with his wonderful girlfriend and puppy

Patricia Tejeda (Heng) joined KIPP MA in 2019 as a teaching fellow in Kindergarten at KIPP Academy Lynn Elementary. She then went on to become a Lead Teacher as well as a Grade Level Chair. In 2023, Patricia transitioned into the role of Assistant Principal at KALE, where she coaches the Kindergarten team. 

Patricia Graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston (Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education) and from Fitchburg State University (Masters of Education in Curriculum and Teaching). In her free time, Patricia enjoys spending time with her family!

Bio coming soon!

Breanna Herzog received her bachelor’s degree from Endicott College in Creative Arts Therapy and her master’s degree from Lesley University in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Art Therapy. Breanna is a registered art therapist and has received her certification in Social, Emotional Learning and Character Development from Rutgers University. Breanna is part of the founding team at KALE. During her eight years at KALE she has supported students learning through a variety of roles. Breanna spent most of her time developing KALE’s School Counseling Program to support all students’ social, emotional needs. In September of 2022 Breanna became a new mom to her daughter.

Marlaina Johnston has been an educator for 11 years. She started off her career in 2010 as an elementary school teacher in Revere and since then has worked in DC and other Greater Boston schools. While in DC Marlaina worked at KIPP DC and fell in love with the KIPP network. When deciding to move back to the Boston area she wanted to continue her work at KIPP and became a founding 4th-grade teacher at KALE. Currently, she is an Assistant Principal at KALE and is in her second year in the role.

Marlaina lives in Lynn, MA with her husband Rob and has enjoyed exploring everything the Lynn community has to offer. When she is not working, she likes to spend time with her family, check out local restaurants, and work out.

Justin began his career in education as a second grade teacher in the Newark Public Schools in Newark, New Jersey. Following his time in NPS, Justin joined SPARK Academy, a KIPP school in Newark, as a founding second grader teacher. In 2015 he joined KIPP Academy Lynn Elementary’s founding team as a kindergarten teacher. Justin transitioned into the role of assistant principal at KALE the following year. Justin loves coaching teachers, supporting his leadership team, and building lasting relationships with the students and families in the KIPP Lynn community.

Justin and his wife have two amazing sons that keep them very busy. When Justin is not working with his incredible KALE team, he loves reading, playing with his boys, and learning new things.

Elizabeth Garcia is currently serving as the Director of School Operations at KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School.  As the Director of School Operations (DSO), Elizabeth co-leads the Operations team at the High Rock campus as well as managing the KIPP MA nutrition program.  She is passionate about the impact of high quality school operations on student achievement and teacher efficacy.  Elizabeth began her career teaching elementary music and high school choir for KIPP Delta Public Schools in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas as a Teach For America corps member.  While in Arkansas, Elizabeth observed the dramatic impact that effective operations teams can have on both school culture and student academic outcomes.  She joined the KIPP MA operations team in 2018.  Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.  She is currently pursuing her Ed.M. in Educational Leadership & Policy from Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education.  She is active in the Teach For America Massachusetts community, supporting other Operations leaders and mentoring recent alumni.  Elizabeth lives on the North Shore and enjoys cooking & making music.

Elsy Estevez-Hicks is a KALE founder who joined the team in 2015. She taught Kindergarten at KALE for two years, before joining the second grade team as a founder and Grade Level Chair. She has also served as the instructional leader and Assistant Principal of both second and third grades at KALE. During her early career, Elsy taught first and third grades at both district and charter schools in Newark NJ. She takes pride in leading a school in the richly diverse Lynn community and is passionate about serving the children of immigrant families like herself.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Crystal started teaching after working as a supervisor in the Washington state court system. She began her teaching career as a Teach for America corps member in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood. There she taught 2nd and 4th grade Math and Writing at a predominantly African American charter school, and served as 4th grade team leader. After working as a math teacher and Academic Instructional Coach in her hometown of St. Louis for 3 years, she returned to Chicago to again teach math on the West Side, this time to 4th– 6th graders. Crystal has served as Math Lead, Math Club sponsor, and coached boys flag football. She earned her BA in Sociology  from Washington State University (Go Cougs!), and has since earned an MAT in Elementary Education, an MSE in Reading, and an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.  Crystal  is a firm believer in the transformational power of education, and the importance of literacy across the curriculum. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her daughter Nia. She is excited for the opportunity to transition from teaching to my role as Assistant Principal.

Joel Brockberg joined KIPP Massachusetts in 2017 as a 5th Grade science teacher at  KIPP Academy Boston. Over the next 4 years he worked on the 7th Grade team as a science teacher, math teacher, and grade level chair. In 2020, Joel was a member of the inaugural cohort of the KIPP MA Emerging Leaders program and also served as the Leader Fellow at KAB. 

He currently lives in Jamaica Plain with his dog, Slider, and in his free time enjoys cooking, backpacking, and watching the Lions.

Meghan began teaching in 2012, after graduating from Northeastern University. She taught sixth grade ELA for seven years, first at KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy in Denver, Colorado and then at KIPP Academy Boston. Meghan loved working with students in the classroom and helping them discover the joy of reading. In 2019, Meghan transitioned to the role of assistant principal at the Boston campus. This year, she is excited to be working closely with the third and fourth grade students, families, and teachers.

Emily started working in education after graduating from Georgetown University in 2011. She began her teaching career at the Lawrence Family Development Charter School in Lawrence, MA, where she worked as a classroom teacher in grades 1-3 for seven years. Following that, Emily transitioned to an Assistant Principal role and worked at Match Community Day Charter School in Mattapan for two years. 

Emily joined KIPP MA as an Assistant Principal in 2020, and is excited to be partnering with first and second grade students, families, and teachers this year. She loves instilling a love of reading early and is passionate about ensuring that all students have access to grade level rigor.

Keith joined KIPP Massachusetts in 2014 as the founding PE Teacher at KIPP Boston Elementary. Since then he has held positions as a Dean of Students, 5th Grade Science Teacher, Family engagement Coordinator, and is now an Assistant Principal Of Kindergarten at KAB. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, dominating the KIPP Fantasy Football League, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. Keith has 1 son, Kameren, who also attended KIPP Academy Boston.

Ashley joined the KIPP Massachusetts team in 2014 as a 5th grade math learning specialist and is now the Assistant Principal of Students Supports at KIPP Academy Boston K-8.

Ashley started teaching in Boston Public Schools as a special education teacher in an autism inclusion classroom. Before Ashley became a special education teacher, she was an ABA specialist traveling to several Boston Public schools and providing in-home support to students and families. Ashley believes that schools should be designed at the margins, allowing students to get what they need and deserve and be able to thrive in their school setting. Ashley is a passionate advocate for students and families to get an equitable educational experience.

When Ashley is not at school, she enjoys cooking new recipes, walking around Boston and her new favorite hobby is gardening!

Vanessa was born in New York (the Bronx). After completing her undergrad, Vanessa felt like she needed a change of scenery. Although she loves New York (you’ll hear her talk about it all the time), she felt like a change was necessary. That’s when she decided to move to Massachusetts.. She began working at a CSA agency called Children’s Services of Roxbury as an Intensive Care Coordinator and after a year transitioned to Phoenix Charter Academy in Chelsea where she worked as a Student Support Specialist.

In 2018, Vanessa began working in KAB as a Co Teacher in the Achieve sub separate classroom and later moved on to become one of KABs School Culture Specialists. Through both of her roles at KIPP Vanessa began building strong relationships with staff, students, and their families. Vanessa enjoys being herself with the children all the while being able to guide them in the right direction to be strong, successful, and educated, well rounded individuals.

Vanessa loves traveling, trying new foods/restaurants, shopping, and most recently, being a mom. Vanessa and her husband are parents of a beautiful 2 year old girl named Isabella Rose, and look forward to someday expanding their family.

Vanessa was overjoyed when offered to be KABs new Dean of Students. Working at KIPP MA has brought so much joy, motivation, growth, and so many memorable moments. She looks forward to continuing to grow as a leader and is excited to model for others, what a strong team of educators should look like!

Zach joined the KIPP Massachusetts team in 2014 and is the Principal at KIPP Academy Boston K-8. This is Zach’s fourth year as Principal and sixth year in school leadership.

Zach started teaching in Chicago in the fall of 2010 on the west side of Chicago. In the fall of 2012, he started his career with KIPP in Chicago teaching 5th grade reading. In 2014 Zach moved to Boston and began teaching at KIPP Academy Boston as a 7th grade reading teacher and Grade Level Chair. During the founding year of KIPP Academy Boston Elementary, Zach taught in the same hallway as the founding Kindergarten class. Those Kindergarteners are now in 7th grade, and it has been one of the highlights of his career watching that group of kids (and many others) grow up at KAB.

When Zach is not at school he enjoys spending time with his wife Jesse, his dog Riggins, going on runs, and reading lots of books.