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.

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.

Sabrina Pence, Director, Arthur Ashe Charter School

Sabrina Pence graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and subsequently joined Teach For America,  teaching in Pointe Coupee Parish for four years.  During that time, she received her Master’s Degree from Louisiana State University in Educational Administration in 2005.  She served as a teacher leader, leading parish-wide professional development and teaching a K-3 alternative teacher certification course through the New Teacher Project.  In 2006, she moved overseas to Qatar and worked in educational reform as a science consultant for K-6 schools, training Qatari teachers to implement standards-based science instruction.  In 2008, she returned to the U.S. to join New Leaders for New Schools, because of a belief that all students have the right to attend an excellent school. After completing her New Leaders residency at Arthur Ashe, Pence served as Principal of Albert Wicker Literacy Academy, where the school saw unprecedented gains, but has returned to Ashe most recently as Vice Principal, because she knew it was home.

 

Ava Lee, Director, Samuel J. Green Charter School

Ava Lee 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 in 2009 as an Incubation School Leader at Samuel Green Charter School before becoming Primary School Principal at John Dibert Community School.

Vanessa DeGuia, Director, Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School Freshman Academy

Vanessa has a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and began her teaching career at John Hope College Preparatory High School on the south side of Chicago through Teach For America.  She gained an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University and served as a TFA Summer Institute Corps Member Advisor as well as a Teacher Selector for the Chicago Teaching Fellows program.  After four years at John Hope, she joined the faculty of Pritzker College Prep as a Noble Network Founding Teacher and became the Director of School Culture for the Noble Network in 2008-9.  Vanessa was also a founding member of  6 to 16 Curriculum Design Team at the University of Chicago.  She is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from Vanderbilt University.

Reginald Coleman, Principal of Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School, Core Program

Reginald graduated with a degree in Child Psychology from Lewis University, where he also played varsity basketball. Mr. Coleman worked with many non-profit organizations, such as Maryville Academy's Shelter for Boys and Girls and Luther Social Services Center before becoming the founding Dean of Discipline, Athletic Director and boys basketball coach at Chicago's ACE Tech Charter High School.  In 2006 Mr. Coleman was the founding Dean of Discipline at Pritzker College Prep, a Noble Network School, where he also coached boys' and girls’ basketball and track, as well as serving as Athletic Director for the Noble Network. In 2010 he moved to New Orleans to bring his experience developing high performing urban high schools to Clark Prep.

Elizabeth Ostberg, Director of The NET @ Clark

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.

Rebekah Cain, Director of Development & Communication

Rebekah comes to FirstLine Schools from the local chapter of the American Red Cross where she was the Manager of Marketing and Communication.  Prior to her time with the Red Cross, Rebekah had ten years experience in relationship management, first at the Smithsonian Institution and later at a wholesale tourism company.  Rebekah volunteered in a leadership capacity for two dog rescue organizations in Washington, DC, Boston and New Orleans over a nine-year period.  Rebekah has a Master’s Degree from The George Washington University and is looking forward to talking to you about FirstLine Schools.

Bebe Ryan, Director of Talent Management

Prior to joining the Greater New Orleans Afterschool Partnership, Bebe directed the growth and development efforts of KIPP New Orleans Schools from 2007 until 2010.  As KIPP's Director of Growth and Development, she raised approximately $10 million in private commitments and led the growth of the highest performing network of public charter schools from 2 schools serving 550 students to 7 schools serving 1700 students.  Prior to KIPP, Bebe worked on hurricane recovery efforts in the Office of the Mayor of Lake Charles, Louisiana.  From 2003 to 2006, Bebe served as the Development Director for Teach For America for the State of Louisiana, increasing revenue by more than 40 percent.  Bebe also worked for three years at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, where she served as the grant writer, securing several major multi-year awards from national foundations. Ms. Ryan graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in History and French, and is an alumna of New Orleans Public Schools.

Aqua Stovall, Director of Student Support

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.  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.

Kirsten Feil, Director of Academic Support

Kirsten Feil graduated from Furman University with a BA in Sociology, and through Teach for America became a Reading teacher at St. Mark's Treme Street Academy, then taught Social Studies at New Orleans Charter Middle School for 5 years.  After Katrina, Feil evacuated to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to get a Masters in School Administration.  She returned to New Orleans in 2008 to help rebuild New Orleans public schools with a focus on curriculum development and teacher development and training.  You may see Ms. Feil running around town training for marathons.

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.

Andrew West, Director of Technology Services

Andrew West joined Firstline Schools in the summer of 2011 tasked with the commission of engineering an innovative computing environment and infrastructure capable of supporting the dynamic and growing presence of integrated-technology instruction into Firstline’s curriculum. Andrew has overseen technology support, data-center operations, network infrastructure management, and instructional technology operations working in higher education and K-12 for the past 6 years with Dillard University and served the Algiers Charter Schools Consortium as Director of Information Technology.  Additionally, Andrew brings a wealth of corporate IT experience to Educational Technology as he has worked in technology support and management capacities with CNN/Turner Broadcasting, MCI WorldCom, and CapitalOne Bank. Andrew is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi.

Christopher J. Van Vliet, Chef/Director of Food Services

Chris has over 32 years of food and nutrition management experience including ownership of a bakery and catering business. He was the Supervisor /Director of Nutrition Services for Marion County Public Schools in Ocala, Florida for the past 6 years. His culinary background and school nutrition background includes General Manager of Mom’s Best Cookies , contracting all cookie production for Disney World ,Orlando. Chris has experience in kitchen design, menu –nutrition analysis, staff training and cost labor production in large and small school districts. He has a lovely wife and 2 teenage children who currently reside in Ocala, Florida. Chris looks forward to leading a signature food service operation to benefit the students and community of FirstLine Schools.

Jeremy Vidito, Director of Data Management

Jeremy comes to FirstLine with 8 years experience working as a teacher, finance manager and executive director for urban education organizations in the San Francisco Ba Area.  As Executive Director of Oakland Collegiate, a bay area charter school, he managed all aspects of school design and charter development.  Jeremy has an MBA from the University of California at Davis, and taught math and other subjects for 4 years.  He is thrilled to be in New Orleans with FirstLine Schools to help students benefit from data-driven instruction and a developed and aligned organization.

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