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.

As the Executive Director, Ms. Goble is accountable, directly to their Regional Board and indirectly to the KIPP Foundation, for the performance of the region and the schools within the region. Her primary goal is to ensure the high quality, strategic growth and operational sustainability of Chicago-Gary region.   

Ms. Goble was the former School Leader & Founder of KIPP LEAD College Prep in Gary, IN. 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 undergraduate degree in Philosophy and History from Indiana University – Bloomington and her M.A. in Teaching, Early Childhood Education from Trinity College. As the first person to attend college in her family and the product of programs for low-income students, Ms. Goble recognizes the transformational power of education. 

Ms. Soenda Howell, Principal, KIPP LEAD College Prep

After earning her B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College in 2001, Soenda became a 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 as the 5th grade Social Studies/Science teacher. During that time, Soenda earned her Master’s Degree in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.  In 2004, Soenda moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and worked as a charter school consultant, assisting schools with start-up tasks related to instruction, finance, and governance.

In 2006, Soenda joined the founding staff as Assistant Principal at KIPP LEAD College Prep in Gary, Indiana.  During this time, she worked with teachers on using various ways to collect and analyze student data to drive instruction.  In 2008, Soenda was accepted into the KIPP School Leadership Program at New York University.  This program included a six-week School Leadership Institute at New York University, where participants attend classes in education and business.  She has received her Master’s in Educational Leadership at National Louis University.

Ms. Laura Kabel, Assistant Principal, KIPP LEAD College Prep

Originally from Bridgeport, CT, Laura graduated from Fordham University in 2001 with a BA in English. As a 2001 Teach for America corps member in Jersey City, NJ, she taught first grade for two years. In 2003, she returned to the Bronx and was a founding staff member at Bronx Charter School for the Arts, where she taught Kindergarten for two years. Laura then moved to Chicago, IL in 2005 to pursue a MA in Humanities at the University of Chicago.  Upon completion of her MA, she joined the founding staff at KIPP LEAD in June of 2006.  For the next three years, Laura taught fifth grade reading, seventh grade ELA and was the grade level chair.  During the summer of 2009, she was accepted into the KIPP School Leadership Program at New York University, where she took classes in education and business.  Laura is currently working on her MA in Educational Leadership at National Louis University and is the Assistant Principal at KIPP LEAD.  She lives in Chicago with her husband and two sons.

Mr. Glenn Davis, Fisher Fellow

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. Glenn was accepted into the highly competitive KIPP School Leadership Program as a Fisher Fellow. The Fisher Fellowship offers a year-long program which will prepare Glenn to found a new KIPP High School in Gary, Indiana in the fall of 2010. This Fellowship includes intensive summer coursework at New York University, residencies at KIPP schools, and individualized coaching.

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)