Faculty & Leaders

Kathryn Baxter    Writing Teacher
Ms. Baxter joins BSC as our 5th grade Writing instructor. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of Maryland-College Park and a Master of Education in Secondary Teaching & Learning from DePaul University. She completed her student teaching at the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School in Chicago, IL and most recently worked as an English Language Arts teacher with UNO Charter Schools, also in Chicago.

Megan Berkes   History Teacher
Founding member Megan Berkes returns to BSC as an 8th Grade History teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Ithaca College and a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, in Nashville, Tennessee. Ms. Berkes has taught 5th Grade Geography, 6th grade Ancient History as well as, 7th and 8th Grade American History at BSC. During her time in Nashville, Ms. Berkes coached girls’ lacrosse and worked with children with special needs as part of a volunteer position with Top Soccer.

Jacqueline Boyd    Reading Teacher
Ms. Boyd returns to BSC as our 7th grade reading teacher. Before joining BSC, Ms. Boyd taught high school English at Thistletown Collegiate Institute in Ontario, Canada. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University in English and Politics, and her Bachelor of Education degree from York University.

Laura Brandt    History Teacher
Ms. Brandt joins BSC as our 7th grade history teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cornell University and spent the last year as Corps Tutor & 6th & 7th grade ELA teacher with the MATCH Teacher Residency in Jamaica Plain, MA.

Sarah Canavan   Science Teacher
Sarah Canavan returns to BSC in our fourth year as the 6th Grade science teacher at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate. Before joining BSC, Ms. Canavan taught middle school Science at the Henry Street School for International Studies here in New York City. Ms. Canavan received her B.S. in Biology from The College of New Rochelle and while completing the NYC Teaching Fellows program, received her Master’s of Science degree in Education from the City College of New York.

Jamie Clark    Math Teacher
Mr. Clark joins BSC as our 8th grade math teacher, having spent the last four and half years teaching math in the Chicopee Public Schools district of Chicopee, MA. He holds a Masters in the Art of Mathematics from Western New England College and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Culture from Clack University.

Melissa D'Agostino  Co-Director of Operations
Prior to helping found Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate in 2008, Melissa D’Agostino received her MBA from Columbia Business School. Ms. D’Agostino previously worked as an Associate in the risk management group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and then joined the NYC Teaching Fellows program through which she taught middle school math in Washington Heights for three years.  Ms. D’Agostino holds a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University and a Master’s of Science degree in Education from the City College of New York.

Shemanne Davis    Dean of Students
Before joining BSC as our Dean of Students, Ms. Davis obtained her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law. She earned her Bachelors and Masters of Arts degrees from Emory University. She taught at Stephenson Middle School in DeKalb County, GA and served as a special education liaison for the school. Ms. Davis was also as a summer associate at Burr and Forman, LLP and interned with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, Atlanta Public School Legal Department, and the Georgia Legal Services Special Education Program.

Melissa Duphiney Reading Teacher
Melissa Duphiney returns to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 5th Grade Reading teacher. Prior to joining Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Ms. Duphiney was a teacher at St. Ann’s School in Flushing, N.Y. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Sociology from New York University, Ms. Duphiney became a Corps Member in the Teach for America program where she taught English, Social Studies, and Theater at a Bronx middle school.

Danielle Esposito    Social Worker
Ms. Esposito joins BSC as our social worker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from Boston College and a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. She spent the last two years as the social worker for the Brooklyn Charter School and has interned with the Boys & Girls Harbor Charter School in Harlem and Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Aaron Gillaspie  Math Teacher
Mr. Gillaspie returns to BSC as our 7th grade mathematics teacher. He attained his BS in Business Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he was also a student athlete for their Division I football program.

Pamela Guelpa   Director of Special Projects
Pamela Guelpa returns to BSC in our fourth year as our Director of Special Projects. Ms. Guelpa is a graduate of SUNY College at Fredonia, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Prior to joining the founding team at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Ms. Guelpa worked as a Data Specialist for the donor relations department at Yeshiva University in New York City.

Lauren Harris Vance   Associate Managing Director, Collegiate Network
Prior to serving as Associate Managing Director with Uncommon Schools, Lauren Harris co-founded Kings Collegiate Charter School in 2007, and served as Principal from August 2007 – June 2010. Before moving to New York City to join Uncommon Schools, Lauren taught 7th and 8th grade mathematics at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Boston, MA, and Ferndale Middle School in High Point, NC. During her last year at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, her students ranked #1 out of all districts statewide on the 8th grade Math MCAS exam. While at Roxbury Prep, she also served as Grade Level Team Leader and Numeracy Inquiry Group Facilitator. Ms. Harris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Grades Education at Appalachian State University in North Carolina and a Master of Education degree at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.

Misha Jemison    Apprentice Teacher
Ms. Jemison joins BSC as an Apprentice Teacher and will teach reading and manage other reading initiatives at the school. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology & Audiology from CUNY Lehman College. Ms. Jemison has served as a Corps Member with NYC Civic Corps, as both a Program Assistant with Blue Engine and a Grassroots Readiness & Response Program Assistant with World Cares Center.

Jacob Jung    Math Teacher
Prior to joining BSC as our 5th grade Math Teacher, Mr. Jung taught second and fifth grade math in Houston, TX through Teach for America. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Margaret Kearney    Writing Teacher
Ms. Kearney joins the BSC staff as our 6th grade Writing teacher. She spent the last three years teaching English Language Arts and Mandarin Chinese at the Middle School for Marketing and Legal Studies in Brooklyn as a New York City Teaching Fellow. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature from Yale University as well as a Masters in Secondary English Education from Brooklyn College.

Andrew Klein    Special Education Coordinator
Mr. Klein is joining BSC this year as the Special Education Coordinator. Mr. Klein is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky, where he received degrees in Political Science and in French. After graduation, he joined Teach For America as a corps member and has since taught at the elementary and middle school level in the East Tremont neighborhood in the Bronx. Mr. Klein earned his Master’s Degree from Pace University.

Kelsey Kopro   Math Teacher
Kelsey Kopro returns to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 5th grade Math teacher. Previously, Ms. Kopro was the Program Assistant Coordinator at the Joint Educational Project in Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Kopro received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Southern California, where she had served as the Director of Philanthropy as part of the Student Government board. She received her Master’s Degree in Education from Hunter College Teacher U.

Mabel Lajes-Guiteras   Co-Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Prior to helping start Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate in 2008, Mabel Lajes-Guiteras was a founding Literacy Teacher and Chair of the Literacy Department at Boston Preparatory Charter Public School, which opened in 2004-05.  In 2007 and 2008, her students were ranked second out of all districts statewide on the 8th grade English Language Arts state exam.  Previously she taught high school English in West Nyack, NY, served as Curriculum Director at Exploration Summer Programs, and taught literacy at Roxbury Preparatory Charter Public School.  She is a graduate of Amherst College where she majored in Psychology and Theater and Dance.  She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Theatre and English at New York University.

Kristen LaPlante    Math Teacher
Before joining BSC as our 6th grade Math teacher, Ms. LaPlante earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Bard College. She has worked as an apprentice math teacher for the International Community High School, Academy of Applied Mathematics & Technology and the Leadership & Community Service Academy all in Bronx, NY. Ms. LaPlante earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Middlebury College.

Jason Lukose   History Teacher
Mr. Lukose returns to BSC staff as our 6th grade history teacher. He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he received his BS in Sociology. Mr. Lukose was active at Morehouse, serving as the Financial Administrator for their Pre-Freshman Program, the President of the Student Ambassadors, and a Resident Advisor.

James Martin   Special Education Teacher
Beginning his career in education as a NYC Teaching Fellow in 2004, James Martin returns to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our Special Education Coordinator. Mr. Martin taught for three years at a middle school in the East Flatbush area of Brooklyn, and then moved on to establish the Department of Instructional Services as a founding faculty member at The Middle School for Marketing and Legal Studies. Mr. Martin received his Master’s Degree from Pace University and his J.D. from Massachusetts School of Law.

Charlene Martinez   Special Education Teacher
Ms. Martinez returns to BSC as one of our special education teachers. Prior to her arrival at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, she taught ELA at MS 7 here in New York City. Charlene Martinez earned her BA in English at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Myra McCormick    Science Teacher
Myra McCormick returns to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate as our 5th Grade Science. Prior to joining Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Ms. McCormick served as an interim Director of Operations at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School and as the Program Director at Boston Collegiate Charter School, an associated Uncommon school. Ms. McCormick received her undergraduate degree from Willamette University and her Master’s Degree from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Laura Lee McGovern  Chief Operating Officer, Collegiate Network
Laura Lee McGovern is the Chief Operating Officer of the Collegiate Network of Uncommon Schools. Ms. Lee joined Uncommon Schools in 2007 as the Founding Co-Director of Operations at Kings Collegiate Charter School. Ms. Lee helped establish the systems, processes and cultural foundation that has led Kings to early outstanding achievement and parent/student satisfaction. Ms. Lee also worked as a Summer Fellow and Education Pioneer with Uncommon in 2006. In this capacity, she helped develop school inspection and performance measurement processes. Previously, Ms. Lee worked as a management consultant at Katzenbach Partners LLC, advising companies on strategic and organizational issues, and also served as the founding Director of Analytics in student enrollment at the New York City Department of Education. Ms. Lee received her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar and co-leader of the Education Leadership Group. Ms. Lee earned her A.B. in Social Studies at Harvard College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Brett Peiser  Managing Director, Uncommon Schools New York City
As Managing Director of Collegiate Charter Schools, an Uncommon Schools network of middle and high schools in Brooklyn, Brett Peiser is the Founder of Williamsburg Collegiate, Kings Collegiate, Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Brownsville Collegiate, and Uncommon High Charter Schools.  From 1998 to 2005, Mr. Peiser was the Founder, Principal, and Executive Director of Boston Collegiate Charter School, a college preparatory middle and high school serving 500+ students.  Prior to this, Mr. Peiser taught History at Midwood High School in New York City.  Mr. Peiser received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and a Master of Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

Justin Pigeon Reading Teacher
Justin Pigeon is returning to BSC as our 6th Grade Reading Teacher. Mr. Pigeon began his teaching career as a 6th grade reading teacher in Houston, TX as part of the Teach For America program. Before coming to Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate, Mr. Pigeon worked at the Lee Campus of YES Prep Charter Schools as a 6th grade ELA teacher. Mr. Pigeon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA.

MK Pope    Writing Teacher
Ms. Pope joins BSC as our 7th grade writing teacher. She previously worked as a Teach for America Corps member and taught 7th & 8th grade reading and English Language Arts at a middle school in Temple Hills, MD. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Duke University with a minor in Religion.

Keith Schneider   Science Teacher
Prior to his arrival at BSC, Mr. Schneider taught science in Harlem at Democracy Prep Charter School, and in Boca Raton, Florida at Don Estridge High Tech Middle. He is returning this year as our 7th grade science teacher. Mr. Schneider earned his BA in Psychology at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Eva Seligman    History Teacher
Prior to joining BSC as the 5th grade history teacher, Ms. Seligman received her Master’s in the Art of Teaching from Bard College. She taught English as a foreign language for two years in Romania through the Peace Corps and spent the last year working as student teacher at both the International Community High School in the Bronx and the Urban Assembly School for Music and Art in Brooklyn. Ms. Seligman received her Bachelor of Arts degree in both Religion and Gender & Women’s Studies from Oberlin College.

Rachel Siegel    Science Teacher
Ms. Siegel joins BSC as our 8th grade science teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lafayette College and Masters of Arts in Teaching from SUNY Empire State College. Prior to joining BSC, she served as the Science Coordinator and teacher of fourth and eighth grade science for The Ethan Allen School in East New York for four years.

Charles Voltz    Dean of Curriculum and Instruction
Mr. Voltz returns to BSC as our Dean of Curriculum & Instruction. He began his career as an educator in Peace Corps/Tanzania and continued teaching for 4 years in New York City at Bushwick Community High School. Mr. Voltz received his B.S. from Georgia Tech and earned his M.A. in Mathematics Education at Teachers College Columbia University. He is currently working on his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Administration at Fordham University.

Caitlin Webster    Math Teacher
Ms. Webster joins BSC as our 6th and 7th grade math teacher. Prior to joining the BSC team, Ms. Webster completed student teaching at LaGuardia High School and MS 223, both in New York City. Ms. Webster holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Cornell University and Masters of Arts in Mathematics Education from NYU.