The KIPP Team & Family

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." - Jackie Robinson

The success of KIPP LEAD College Prep depends on the quality of its faculty, whose pursuit of excellence models the efforts we expect of our student leaders.

In 2005, April Goble was accepted by the KIPP Foundation into the KIPP School Leadership Program. This twelve-month program included a six-week School Leadership Institute at the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, six months of residencies at KIPP schools and other exemplary schools, and a six-month school start-up period.

Ms. Goble has ten years of teaching experience and was a founding teacher at KIPP STAR College Prep Charter School in Harlem, New York. While at KIPP STAR, April taught 5th and 6th grade math, in addition to serving as a grade level chair. Students entering Ms Goble's 5th grade math class in the fall of 2003 entered with an NPR score of 38%. After two years of KIPP instruction, students increased their score by 54% with a Spring NPR score of 92%. Ms Goble is a 1998 Washington, DC TFA alumna, and the first recipient of the TFA Cartier Award for Excellence in teaching and community involvement. Ms. Goble has trained and selected corps members serving as both a TFA Program Director and School Director. She received her master's in education from Trinity College and her undergraduate degree in Philosophy and History at Indiana University

Staff Profiles

Becca Allen, 5th Grade Social Studies and Science
Becca attended Washington University in St. Louis where she earned a B.A. in English Literature. She then spent time teaching abroad in India and returned to complete her Master's in Education at Northwestern University. Prior to joining the team at KIPP LEAD, she spent the past two years teaching fourth and fifth graders at a Chicago charter school.

Patricia Allen, Development Associate
Prior to coming to KIPP LEAD, Patricia had twelve years of extensive work experience in government, public service, and community development for the citizens of Gary. She is a proud wife of an endearing husband and the dedicated mother of three intelligent and challenging sons; one who is a KIPP LEAD student in the Class of 2014. Patricia loves new experiences in life and is a graduate of West Side High, Class of 1990. She earned two Associate Degrees, one from Indiana Business College, and the second from Brown Mackie (formerly Commonwealth) in Office Management and Business Administration. It is her personal belief that: "It's not the hand that you are dealt in life, but how you play your cards."

Anirban Bhattacharyya, 5th Grade Mathematics
Anirban was on the founding staff of KIPP LEAD as an Intern in 2006. He is a 2005 Teach For America corps member from St. Louis and fluent in Bengali. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to teaching fifth grade math, Anirban serves as technology coordinator.

Lauren Casty, 7th Grade Mathematics
Lauren, a Chicago native, recently graduated from Columbia University in New York City, earning her B.A. in Philosophy and Italian. Studying abroad for a semester studying in Bologna, Italy, Lauren focused on both Italian Language and Photography. Lauren is a Teach For America corps member and currently pursuing her Masters in Elementary Education at Dominican University.

Glenn Davis, 6th Grade Mathematics
Glenn was the founding mathematics teacher at KIPP LEAD and a 2004 Teach For America corps member in New York City. He earned his B.S.B.A. in International Business and Social Thought & Analysis from Washington University's Olin School of Business and a Master's of Science in Teaching from Pace University. Glenn is a 2008 KIPP Excellence in Teaching Award recipient and a 2008 Miles Family Fellow.

Amy Duarte, 5th Grade Reading
Amy Duarte graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 2004. After graduation, she was a Teach For America (TFA) corps member in Washington, DC where she taught bilingual first grade for two years. She then moved to Chicago where she was the TFA Wisconsin Recruitment Director and recruited over 75 seniors to join TFA. Most recently, she worked for the Human Assets team at TFA where she worked on creating a robust and talented pipeline for TFA's staff. She received her Master's from American University and is the Grade Level Chair for fifth grade

April Goble, Founder, School Leader and Teacher
While a Teach For America corps member in Washington, DC, April Goble was the first recipient of the Teach For America Cartier Award for Excellence in teaching and community involvement. April earned her B.A. in Philosophy and History from Indiana University – Bloomington and her M.A. in Teaching, Early Childhood Education from Trinity College.

Shalanda Holmes, Director of Student Solutions/Special Education
Shalanda is a founding member of the KIPP LEAD staff with seven years of teaching experience in public schools. She is a native of Gary, Indiana and very active in her community and politics. Shalanda earned her B.A. in Telecommunications from Indiana University and her M.A. in Communications from Purdue University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and is currently pursuing her Master's of Science Degree in Special Education at Indiana University.

Jennifer Howard, 6th Grade Reading
Jennifer graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 with a B.A. in English. She was a 2004 Teach For America corps member in Atlanta, Georgia. After teaching for two years, she then joined staff at Teach For America as the Ohio Recruitment Director and held that job for two years, as well.

Soenda Howell, Assistant Principal
After earning her B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College, Soenda became a 2001 Teach for America Corps Member in the South Bronx in New York City. After her two-year commitment, she joined the founding staff at KIPP STAR College Prep in Harlem, New York. During that time, Soenda earned her M.A. in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2004, Soenda moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she gained experience working with charter schools during their start-up phase as a charter school consultant. After working in Minneapolis, Soenda joined the founding staff at KIPP LEAD College Prep in Gary, Indiana. During the summer of 2008, Soenda attended the KIPP School Leadership Program at New York University in the Principal Prep Pathways.

Laura C. Kabel, 7th Grade English Language Arts
Prior to coming to KIPP LEAD, Laura was a Literacy teacher in Harlem. She was a 2001 Jersey City Teach For America corps member. Laura earned her B.A. in English and Irish Studies, cum laude, from Fordham University, her teacher certification from St. Peter's College, and her M.A. in the Humanities with an English Concentration from the University of Chicago.

Ken Legum, 6th/7th Grade Science
Ken was a professional musical director and teacher in New York for eight years. Ken received his Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in 1997. He came to KIPP LEAD as a Saturday School Volunteer Drama Teacher before joining the team part-time as the 5th and 6th grade Social Studies teacher. He is currently enrolled in the post-baccalaureate pre-health program at Loyola University Chicago and is also the proud papa of twin boys, born in May of 2008.

Makiyah Moody, Development Director
After working for three years at KIPP Foundation, Makiyah joined the team at KIPP LEAD in December 2007. Prior to working for KIPP, Makiyah worked at Leadership for Quality Education's Charter School Resource Center in Chicago. Makiyah earned her B.A. in Hispanic Studies, magna cum laude, from Wheaton College (Mass.) and her M.A. in the Humanities from the University of Chicago. She is a native of Nashua, NH.

Braden Kay, Director of Facilities and the Arts
Braden is a mixed media installation artist with experience working with urban students using found objects and recycled material.  He has exhibited in galleries, Carleton College, and other locations and has worked with sixth through eighth grade students in North St. Louis and Bronx, NY.  He earned his B.A. in American Studies from Carleton College.

Ayanna Pearson, 7th Grade Performing Arts
Ayanna graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA in January of 2002. She was a Chicago TFA corps member and remained at her placement school for six years. Ayanna continued her education and received a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis in 2004 and is a recent graduate of Concordia University, where she received her second Master's in School Leadership with Type 75 Certification. Ayanna loves the arts and is extremely excited about teaching all things arts at KIPP LEAD.

Shanesha Rowe, Operations Associate
Shanesha is a lifetime resident of Gary, Indiana and the middle child of twelve siblings. A graduate of Roosevelt High School, Shanesha studied business management at Ivy Tech College in Gary. Additionally, Shanesha is a licensed cosmetologist currently employed at Studio 5 Salon in Gary. She also has experience in banking, as a supervisor of casino operations and is the proud parent of a KIPP LEAD seventh grade student.

Antavis Spells, Physical Education
Antavis is a 2007 graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a B.S. in Sports Administration/Business Marketing. He first encountered KIPP LEAD in the summer of 2006 as an intern. He earned his certification as a SPARKS Administrator in July of 2007.

Bobby Srivastava, Chief Operations Officer
Bobby Srivastava is a 2005 graduate of Miami University with a B.S. in Business Administration. Outside of his work with KIPP LEAD, Bobby volunteers with the Taproot Foundation, Chicago Professionals for Youth, and College Summit.

Doron Jamil Townsell, 6th Grade Social Studies
Born in St. Louis and raised in Philadelphia, Doron brings four years of teaching experience to KIPP LEAD. Prior to joining the staff at KIPP LEAD, Doron taught at Harmony Community Prep in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served as English teacher for grades nine through twelve. Doron is a self-published author who wrote Look in the Mirror, a book designed to challenge urban youth ages twelve and up to make better choices in our communities. Doron received his B.A. in History from the University of Kentucky.

Sara Waly, 6th Grade Writing
Sara is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received her B.A. in journalism and international studies. As an undergrad, she studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Prior to coming to KIPP LEAD, she taught at a bilingual charter school in Phoenix as a 2007 Teach for America corps member. She is currently earning her Master's in Elementary Education from Dominican University, as a 2008 Chicago TFA corps member.

Annie Wright, 5th Grade Writing
Annie Wright is 2008 Teach For America Corps member. She earned her B.A. in Communications and Women's Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in teaching at Dominican University.

We are seeking an instructional staff with a track record of results in student achievement and strong leadership skills. Our teachers must share a deep belief in our mission: to empower students with the knowledge, character, and leadership skills necessary to graduate from college and help change the world.

• An opportunity to teach in a disciplined, rigorous academic environment;
• A competitive benefits package and salary;
• The chance to work with like-minded professionals who are driven by a shared mission;
• Various opportunities for leadership and training responsibilities.

Don't miss the opportunity to have an impact on the lives of very deserving Gary students and families as a KIPP LEAD teacher!

For further information contact April Goble, Principal, at (219) 801-2668 or agoble@kipp.org

Interested candidates may also submit their resumés to KIPP Teach, the teacher application system for KIPP schools nation-wide.

Summer Internship Program

We are looking for Teach For America teachers who are between their first and second year, and are truly committed to solving the problem of educational inequity in this country. Interns will be paid a stipend, and duties will be tailored to the skills and interests of each participant.

• Business Operations
• School Administration
• Student Recruitment
• Summer school operations
• Community Development

In addition, interns will be able to observe excellent classrooms during summer school and create personalized professional development sessions with teachers and administrators. This is a great opportunity for Teach For America corps members to widen their scope in our common movement.

For more information, contact Anirban Bhattacharyya (abhattacharyya@kipplead.org)