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Meet our 2011-12 cohort of Miles Family Fellows: find out what roles they held prior to this fellowship, and learn why they want to be school leaders with KIPP.

Click here to learn more about the Miles Family Fellowship.

Mitchell Bartkiewicz

Memphis Middle School

Mitch Bartkiewicz began his work in education as a Corps Member for Teach For America in 2007, teaching fourth grade in Washington, DC. During this year he coordinated the fall Saturday School Program, and coached two students to the District-wide Spelling Bee. He also began working towards his Master's of Arts in Teaching from American University, which he completed in the spring of 2009. Since then he has taught students from fifth through eighth grade, and worked as a Team Leader, Culture Specialist, and as the Building Representative to the Washington Teachers' Union. During the summer of 2009 he co-authored a Comprehensive Honor Code for school implementation. He returned to Teach For America's Institute last summer to work as a Corps Member Advisor, and has been teaching 6th-grade science and co-directing Saturday School at KIPP Diamond in Memphis since Fall of 2010.

Knick Dixon

Nashville High School

Knick is currently teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies and advising the History Club and African-American Student Affinity Group at Cary Academy in Cary, NC. His teaching career began in Greensboro, NC where he was a finalist for Rookie of the Year in Guilford County Schools. Prior to joining Cary Academy, Knick was a founding teacher at KIPP Pride High School in Gaston, NC. While a member of the Pride, he taught courses in Social Justice, Journalism, Civics and Economics. In addition, he served as grade level chair, intersession coordinator, and advisor to numerous student organizations. In the summer, he teaches Pre-Law for the highly acclaimed Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP). Knick received his B.A. in History with a minor in Ethnic Studies from East Carolina University. Next year he will teach language arts and serve as Saturday School Coordinator at KIPP Academy Nashville. He would like to become a school leader because he desires to eliminate the ever-widening achievement gap. He feels that as a KIPP school leader he will be in a position to leverage resources that eradicate underachievement in disadvantaged communities, and that he can ensure all students receive an excellent education.

Caroline Gifford

Bay Area School

Caroline is currently the Director of Student Support at KIPP San Jose Collegiate in San Jose, California. She also serves as the ninth grade level chair and teaches English Foundations, a course designed to support students who struggle with reading and writing skills. Last year, Caroline taught eleventh grade AP U.S. History and U.S. History at KSJC and served as the history department chair. Prior to joining the KIPP team and family in 2010, she spent three years teaching seventh, ninth and tenth grade history, as well as reading support, at Washington Latin Public Charter School in Washington, DC. During this time, Caroline served as the ninth and tenth grade team leader and the history department chair at Latin, in addition to being the student government advisor and dance team coach. Caroline received her B.A. in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University in 2007. She is very excited about the opportunity to develop as a teacher and leader at KIPP as a Miles Family Fellow!

Michael Horne

Dallas Elementary School

Michael Horne is a Miles Family Fellow based at KIPP TRUTH Academy in Dallas, TX. Prior to the fellowship, Michael served as an instructional interventionist providing academic support to teachers and students across 5th and 8th grades in english language arts, science, and mathematics. Additionally, Michael is an advanced doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where his current research includes examining the connections between elementary school leaders’ cultural frameworks and the systems and practices as they enact in reaction to a particular policy context. Prior to entering the doctoral program, Michael was a kindergarten teacher and summer school director at Excellence Charter School of Bedford Stuyvesant, part of Uncommon Schools, Inc. Michael was also a seventh grade English teacher at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School. In addition to teaching, Michael has also managed literacy-based mentoring programs in the New York metropolitan area. Michael earned a B.A. in Sociology from Amherst College, an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Michael enjoys spending time with his wife Marissa and their daughter Bailey.

Alex Jarrell

New Orleans Middle School

Alex teaches 6th grade reading at KIPP Central City Academy. He also is the 6th grade team leader and serves on the curriculum and culture teams for the school. Prior to joining KIPP, he taught writing, social studies, and reading to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Livaudais Middle School. Alex received his Bachelors in History and Legal Studies from Northwestern University. He received his educational training through Teach for America, where he has served as a Collaboration Team Leader and Corps Member Advisor.

Pegah Javidpour

Houston Middle School

Pegah is currently teaching 8th grade Math and Algebra and serving as the math department chair at KIPP Academy Middle School in Houston, Texas. She received a dual degree in Business Honors and Management Information Systems, along with minors in Spanish and Persian, from The University of Texas at Austin. During her college tenure, she gained more experience in education public policy at both the state and federal levels. However, her policy experience underscored her true passion to enter the classroom and make a much more direct impact. She taught Algebra and Spanish through the Breakthrough Collaborative program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was instantly hooked. During her final year in college, Pegah applied and was selected into the 2008 Teach For America Corps in Houston, where she was placed at KIPP Academy Middle School. In the fall, she will move into an administrative role at KIPP Academy, managing curriculum, initiatives, and teacher support for math and science, while still teaching one section of her current 8th grade math classes. As a Miles Family Fellow for the next school year, Pegah plans to build on the cultural strengths her school currently has to help improve the academics and rigor in all STEM fields.

Freddy Kullman

New Orleans Middle School

Freddy Kullman is returning to KIPP Believe College Prep after spending the past year working on education policy for Mayor Mitch Landrieu in New Orleans, Louisiana. Prior to working at City Hall, Freddy was part of the founding staff at KIPP Believe where he taught 5th – 8th grade history for four years. Before joining KIPP, Freddy spent two years in the South Bronx as a New York City Teaching Fellow. While teaching at Urban Science Academy, he received a Masters in Secondary Social Studies from Lehman College. Freddy also holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Virginia. After Hurricane Katrina, Freddy, born and raised in New Orleans, felt compelled to return to his hometown and play a part in rebuilding the city’s education system. After a year away with the Mayor, there is no other place Freddy wants to be more than with the teachers and students at KIPP Believe. He is excited to get back in the classroom and is honored to be a Miles Family Fellow.

Greg Leap

Philadelphia Middle School

Greg is a 2006 Teach for America Atlanta corps member who just finished his fifth year of teaching mathematics and reading at his placement site, Crawford W. Long Middle School. He was honored as one of Project GRAD’s teachers of the year in 2008 for his outstanding performance and dedication to providing quality, data-driven instruction. Much of his energy has also been spent connecting with students outside of the classroom, teaching fundamental skills and teamwork as a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He has been involved with Teach for America Atlanta Institute for every summer of its existence, holding multiple roles such as Corps Member Advisor Coordinator and School Director. He received his B.A. in History with a minor in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University and his M.A.T. in Secondary Social Studies from The University of Southern California this past May. Next year, he will be the founding 7th grade mathematics teacher at KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Academy and cannot wait to get started!

Erin Lynch

Bay Area Middle School

Erin is currently serving as Dean of Instruction and Literacy Coordinator for KIPP Heartwood Academy in San Jose, CA. Prior to this role at Heartwood, she taught 8th grade English and served as Humanities Department Head for two years. During the 2010-2011 school year, Erin participated in the KIPP Teacher Leader Program. Before joining the KIPP team and family in July of 2009, she spent four years teaching English in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she started her career as a 2005 Teach For America Corps Member. In addition to teaching, Erin also dedicated her efforts to school-wide and district-wide efforts that included drafting policies with the Positive Behavior System committee, developing and facilitating professional development for staff, writing ELA Interim Assessments, contributing to the School Improvement Team, participating in an ELA PLC to improve literacy instruction throughout the district, and leading the English Department in the creation of common assessments and a tracking system for student writing. Erin received her B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from DePaul University and an M.Ed. in Secondary Curriculum and Instruction from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Nikki Miller

Nashville Middle School

Nikki will begin teaching 8th grade language arts at KIPP Academy Nashville in July 2011. For the past two years, she taught 9?12 Spanish at Whites Creek High School in Nashville, Tennessee. At WCHS Nikki served as the World Language Department chair and team leader for the Global Academy, a small learning community within the school. She originally moved to Nashville as part of the Teach For America Nashville Charter Corps in 2009. Through this opportunity, Nikki has collaborated with the other world language teachers in the district as the TFA Learning Team Leader in Nashville. Nikki received a B.A. in Spanish and journalism from the University of Dayton, a M.A. in intercultural communication from the University of Dayton, and a M.Ed. in School Leadership and Administration from Lipscomb University. She is driven to be a school leader in Nashville because there is such a need for high schools that prepare all students for success in college.

Jenna Molinski

Memphis Elementary School

Jenna is currently in her second year of teaching fifth grade reading at KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle School. She also serves as Grade Level Leader for the fifth grade team and initiated the first swim team at KIPP Memphis. She participated in the KSLP Leadership Team Program last year and engaged in summer coursework focused on organizational culture, organizational alignment, data analysis, and instructional leadership. Currently, Jenna is involved in the Memphis Teacher Resident Program, which requires observing, coaching, and supporting a new teacher daily. During the 2009-2010 school year, she taught fourth grade at Promise Academy. She was also a Learning Team Leader with Teach for America in the Memphis and Nashville region. From 2008-2009, Jenna taught Kindergarten, and committed her time and energy on a school-wide level by coaching the soccer team, interviewing prospective teachers, and coordinating professional development sessions. Prior to teaching in Memphis, Jenna started her teaching career in New York City at the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning. She taught second grade for two years and was chosen as the Teach for America School Team Leader. While teaching in the Bronx, she served as a recruiter for Teach for America at the Louisiana State University Campus. Jenna received her Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Pace University.

Luke Naegele

New Orleans Middle School

Luke Naegele is currently the Dean of Instruction at McDonogh 15 Middle School in New Orleans. For three years prior to joining KIPP New Orleans, he served as the seventh grade Math teacher at KIPP Gaston College Preparatory, where he also served as the grade level chair. Throughout the past two summers, Naegele has been a school director at Greenville Weston High School with the Teach For America Delta Institute. Before KIPP, he taught U.S. History at Garinger High School in Charlotte, NC as a Teach For America corps member. After teaching two years in Charlotte, Luke worked for the Teach For America Atlanta institute as a Curriculum Specialist to facilitate sessions designed to provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and mindsets to beginning teachers.

Theresa Schmitt

New Orleans Middle School

Theresa joined KIPP Central City Primary (KCCP) in January of this year. Prior to joining the New Orleans KIPP team, Theresa taught grades 3-6 in Memphis, TN; Atlanta, GA; Compton, CA; Silver Spring, MD; and Gulfport, MS. She has served on professional development committees, coordinated a reading intervention program with community volunteers, served as a model classroom teacher, and served on several curriculum building teams. Her wide range of experiences has helped prepare her for her new role as Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at KCCP. Theresa received her undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University in Elementary Education and her graduate degree from Georgia State University in Educational Leadership and Administration. She is thrilled to be joining such an amazing group of leaders that are dedicated to making transformational changes in education.

Erin Seal

Houston Elementary School

Erin joined the KIPP Coastal Village community in its founding year as a First Grade Teacher. She actively participated in creating the cohesive curriculum in literacy, math, and science in her first year at KIPP and continued growing the curriculum as a Second Grade Teacher and Grade Level Chair during her second year. Erin also acts as a Teacher Mentor and middle school tutor. Previously, Erin gained invaluable experience through a co-teaching mentorship with her kindergarten teacher at Saint Mary’s Hall and taught the International Baccalaureate Curriculum at Quest Academy, an IDEA Public Charter School. She has also enjoyed teaching her students dance and acting as a visiting choreographer. Erin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a major in Markets and Culture and a minor in Dance Performance.

David Tell

Houston Middle School

David just finished this past school year as the seventh grade life science teacher, also serving as the science department chair and Director of Solutions at KIPP Sharpstown in Houston, Texas. He has been a member of the Sharpstown team and family now for three years, starting off as the founding sixth-grade math teacher and then later moving up with the class of 2015 to become the founding seventh-grade science teacher. As the Director of Solutions he helped to maintain a positive culture among the students, families, faculty and staff. Prior to joining Sharpstown, he was a 2002 Teach for America Corp member in New Orleans, Louisiana. He later moved to Baytown, Texas where he served as a founding sixth-grade teacher at The Chinquapin School, a private boarding school dedicated to lower socio-economic students in the Houston area. While at Chinquapin he coached the school’s first Speech and Debate team and middle school track team. He received his degree in Public Relations from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He looks forward to completing his Miles Fellowship year at KIPP Coastal Village in Galveston, TX.

Kristin Wiens

Nashville Middle School

Kristin Wiens began her teaching career as a Teach for America Corps member in South Louisiana where she taught high school math at North Central High School. As a corps member, Kristin led students to achieve a passage rate of 96% on the state math graduate exit exam compared to previous school average of 64%. Following her time in the corps, Kristin trained twelve new teachers as a Corps Member Advisor at Teach For America's New York Institute. Most recently, Kristin taught middle and elementary science at Edward Brooke Charter School in Boston. Her fifth-grade scholars at Brooke ranked third in the city of Boston for achieving a passing rate of 100% and an advanced/proficient rate of 63% on their state assessment. Kristin earned an Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an Honors B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University. Kristin is thrilled to assume her new role of Academic Dean at KIPP Academy Nashville.

Savina Woodyard

Los Angeles Middle School

Savina Woodyard first became acquainted with the Los Angeles urban education landscape after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (with a major in English Literature) and being accepted into the Teach for America 2005 corps. She completed her two-year commitment as an English instructor at Jordan High School, which is located in the Watts region of South Los Angeles. After completing her Masters in Education at Loyola Marymount University, she decided to pursue her Doctorate of Education at the University of Southern California. It was at that time that she also shifted from teaching at Jordan High School to Locke High School, which had become a part of the Green Dot transformation project. She currently serves in her first administrative capacity as the Dean of Students at Locke High School. During the upcoming academic school year, Savina will serve as an Assistant Principal at KIPP Academy of Opportunity. She is excited about her new venture and looks forward to being a member of the KIPP family.