FirstLine Schools Leadership

Jay Altman, Co-Founder and CEO

Since 1990, Jay has partnered with like-minded parents and educators to provide quality educational opportunities for students in New Orleans open-admission public schools. He taught in the city for several years before co-founding New Orleans Charter Middle School. He was also a founder of James Lewis Extension School, New Orleans Outreach and New Orleans Summerbridge. As director of education for London-based ARK schools from 2005 to 2008, Jay helped develop a British network of academies, charter-like schools in complex urban environments. He also was instrumental in establishing two training programs there – Future Leaders for aspiring principals of open-admission schools, and Teaching Leaders for mid-level school leadership.

Dr. Tony Recasner, Co-Founder

Tony (known throughout the schools as “Doc”) has worked to reform public education in his native New Orleans for almost 20 years. He left his post as a psychology faculty member and administrator at Loyola University to become Director of James Lewis Extension in 1994;  he and Jay founded New Orleans Charter Middle School together in 1998; and he founded Samuel J. Green Charter School which opened in July, 2005. Under Tony’s leadership, these schools have received national support and recognition for their innovative educational practices. Tony is also active in charitable and educational organizations in New Orleans and nationwide, serving on the boards of New Schools for New Orleans, Teach for America, Children’s Hospital and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Adrian Morgan, Chief Operating Officer

Prior to joining FirstLine Schools, Adrian worked for 4^th Sector Solutions, a charter school consulting firm, where he specialized in organizational capacity building, school operations, and led the firm’s business development activities.  Mr. Morgan served as the General Manager for 4^th Sector’s Baton Rouge office where he led the team that provided start-up and operations support for five schools in the Recovery School District.  Adrian was with Edison Schools Inc. from 1995-2005, in a variety of roles including start-up project manager, national enrollment manager, and vice-president of business development.  In this capacity, Adrian worked with dozens of charter schools nationwide and has personally led the founding, start-up, and expansion of several highly successful charter schools.

A certified teacher, Mr. Morgan has a BA cum laude in history with a minor in Spanish from the University of Dayton, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.  Adrian is also a member of the advisory board of EARN Academy, a new residential charter high school in Chicago.

Natasha Baker, Chief Academic Officer

Natasha began her professional teaching career in Compton, California and continued that work in Queens and Brooklyn, New York. She is a former English teacher and dean who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education and a single-subject teaching credential in English from California State University, Long Beach. Natasha earned her master's in English from Howard University. She is a former Fellow with Building Excellent Schools (BES), a Boston-based not-for-profit charter school leadership training program. During her residency, Natasha was recruited to join the ranks of another BES Fellow-founded school and accepted the position of Middle School Principal at New Orleans College Preparatory Charter School (NOCP).  Under her leadership, NOCP became an EPIC Award winning charter school in  for making dramatic gains in student achievement during the 2008-2009 school year. In addition to serving as FirstLine's Chief Academic Officer, Natasha is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education at the University of New Orleans.

Aqua Stovall, Director, Arthur Ashe Charter School

Aqua Stovall is a graduate of New Leaders for New Schools.  During her residency for New Leaders, she was the Lower Elementary Assistant Principal at KIPP:  McDonough 15 School for the Creative Arts in the French Quarter.  Prior to moving to New Orleans, she taught in Gwinnett and Cobb County Public Schools in Georgia and Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland, teaching special education inclusion.  She has previously taught pre K-3, first, second, third, and fourth grades, and additionally tutored students from first grade to college.  While in the classroom, she served as a leader in the school by mentoring new teachers and served on several committees to improve student instruction.  She has worked in the educational arena and in the healthcare field.  She is a native of Prince George County, Maryland and has lived in the Atlanta area for the past eight years.  She is elated to work in the educational community in New Orleans.  Aqua received her Master’s Degree in 2005 and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1996.  She believes that all children, regardless of their situation, are entitled to a world class education so they are able to compete in the global economy.

Ava Lee, Director, Samuel J. Green Charter School

Ava Lee is a native of New Orleans.  She was educated in both parochial and public schools. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Dillard University, earned a Masters in Elementary Education from Brooklyn College in New York City and earned a second Masters in School Administration at Xavier University.   In 2000 she was elected teacher of the year by her peers at Lafayette Elementary School.   In 2002 she received a Fulbright Memorial Teacher Scholarship to Japan where she studied the school system and collaborated with her peers and government officials.  Ava is a National Board Certified Teacher and school administrator.  Most recently, she has served as a Literacy Facilitator, Vice Principal and Principal.  She has served as a classroom teacher for over fifteen years teaching both in New York and New Orleans.  However, she is most proud of her work in returning to New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild the education system of the city.

Sivi V. Domango, Director, Dibert Community School

Ms. Domango began her teaching career at Lusher Extension School in language arts, then  joined the staff of James Lewis Extension School in history.  Sivi was the Program Director for New Orleans Outreach for four years before coming to New Orleans Charter Middle School as the School Culture and Behavior Specialist.  After Katrina, she worked for a year as Program Director in the Children’s Charter School in Baton Rouge.  Ms. Domango returned to New Orleans to help take over and rebuild Samuel Green Charter School in 2006 as Director of Student and Family Support Services and Community Partnerships.  She became Dean of Students and then Vice Principal at Green, as well as Director of Culture and Behavior for FirstLine Schools in 2008.  She is a member of the 2008 class of Leading Educators.

Diana J. Archuleta, Middle School Principal, Dibert Community School

Diana graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2003 and came to New Orleans through Teach for America (TFA) at McDonogh #42 Elementary School.  She taught fifth-seventh grade and became a Learning Team Leader for other TFA members her second year in the program.  Ms. Archuleta became a Program Director at Teach for America New Orleans in 2005 and subsequently rose to become a Senior Program Director and then Managing Director of their operations.  Diana has excelled at teacher retention and  raising student achievement.

Alice Meyer, Primary School Principal, Dibert Community School

Alice graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then went to work for Joshua Butler Elementary School through Teach for America.  She was a first grade teacher and reading interventionist.  In 2006 Ms. Meyer moved to New York City and became a Program Director for Teach for America.  A year later she began teaching first grade and kindergarten at Edward Brooke Charter School in MA.  She returned to New Orleans in2009 as an Incubation School Leader at Samuel Green Charter School.

Martha McKnight, Director of Development

Martha began her fundraising career at the Memphis College of Art before moving to New Orleans some twenty years ago.  She has served as the Director of Development for the Arts Council, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, where she worked to build NOCCA/Riverfront.  Martha was Assistant Director, then Director, of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Tulane University for ten years before joining the leadership team at FirstLine Schools.  Her volunteer activities include:  Junior League of New Orleans, CAC, Church of the Annunciation, and the local Yale Alumni Club.  She has a charming husband and three fabulous children.

Elizabeth A. Ostberg, Director of Talent Management

After completing her masters degree at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education in 2006, Elizabeth moved to New Orleans to help rebuild the public education system. She was the Director of Student Services at the New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School until 2008 when she joined the leadership team at FirstLine Schools. Prior to her work in New Orleans, Elizabeth was as a social worker in a Hispanic community in central Pennsylvania and then taught at and managed an education program for students who had dropped out of high school and adults who were returning to work from prison in Philadelphia.

Donna Cavato, Director Edible Schoolyard NOLA

Donna has over 17 years experience in program development, project management and public policy work. Prior to joining The Edible Schoolyard NOLA, she led the citywide Community and Schoolyard Gardens Project in New Orleans, developed a pilot public school gardening program, Sow & Grow, and developed the Kids’ Café Teaching Garden. She holds a Master’s in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While in Chicago, she worked on statewide policy issues for low-income women and families, and conducted program evaluations for shelter and housing programs. Donna is thrilled to be leading The Edible Schoolyard NOLA, as it provides a way to share her lifelong passions of gardening, cooking, and eating with the next generation of New Orleanians.

Cameron MacPhee, Director of Facilities

Cameron MacPhee was born and raised in New Orleans.  He comes to FirstLine Schools with 13 years experience in commercial and residential construction and renovation.  He has alternately been a welder and fabricator for both the US government and private firms, a car and motorcycle mechanic, and briefly, a builder of gamma-ray detectors.

Chad Webb, Strategic Initiatives Manager

Before becoming Strategic Initiatives Manager, Mr. Webb served as Principal for John Dibert Community School for the 2009-2010 school year. He came to New Orleans from Ohio and his position as School Director of Summit Academy Community Schools, which specialize in therapeutic special education. Previously, Chad was a Mentor Teacher for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Atlanta and the Literacy Enrichment Program Specialist in Columbus, Ohio. He has taught K-6 as well as ninth grade and worked closely with various parent resource centers. Mr. Webb has a Master of Education from Ashland University.

Our People

• FirstLine Schools Leadership
• Board of Directors