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Essence Prep Team

With a wealth of experience, expertise and talent, our dream team is paving the way and building success for today, tomorrow, and the future

Our staff instills and embraces joy and excellence in our students by teaching character development with a culturally affirming curriculum to foster student’s growth. Our board consists of advisors and advocates for academic excellence, sharing our strengths to support our students, meet them here.

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

Essence Prep’s SLT is the team that oversees the way our strategic plan and other guiding principles are put into action.

Akeem Brown

Chief Learning Officer/Principal

Superintendent Akeem Brown (he/him/his) has dedicated his career to serving students living within San Antonio’s Eastside. By founding Essence Prep, he seeks to provide scholars with the pathways to opportunities lacking in many areas of the city.

Mr. Brown ensures Essence Prep scholars will grapple with real-world issues and develop the skills necessary to be effective agents of change. Essence Prep adopts community-building traditions like morning circle meetings and weekly family gatherings and uses a “whole self” curriculum to teach social and emotional learning skills.

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Angel Ladd

Chief of Staff

Trishawn Clarke-Taylor

Assistant Principal of Instruction

Marcelynn Saine

Dean of Empowerment

Isaiah Carrizales

Director of Operations

Damika Burton

Director of Family Engagement & Enrollment

Support Team

The support team is essential in ensuring our scholars are learning in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Mia Morris

School Counselor

Stephanie Magallan

Director of Scholar Services

Brandy Allen

Enrollment Coordinator

Mr. Greg Tate

Education Technologist

Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)

Under the guidance of the CLO/Principal, the ILT improves instruction by focusing on scholars learning and achievement, as well as build teacher capacity through differentiated support.

Marisa Renteria

Testing Coordinator/Instructional Coach

Kevin Shandy

Director of Programs

Teachers

Developing our scholars as leading agents of change in their communities.

Ms. Sanchez

PK3 Teacher

Ms. County

PK3 Teacher

Ms. White

PK3 Aide

Ms. Brown

PK3 Aide

Ms. Romo

PK4 Teacher

Mr. Burleson

PK4 Teacher

Ms. Marte

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Campos

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Maldanado

Kindergarten Aide

Ms. Byrd

Kindergarten Aide

Ms. Soliz

SPED Teacher

Ms. Sabrina Gomez

First Grade

Ms Reyes

First Grade

Dejanique Derry

Second Grade

Rosalind Forte

Second Grade

Elizabeth Randle

Third Grade

Ms. Barraza

Third grade

Ms. Mandujano

Fourth Grade

Gracie Word

Fifth Grade

Ms. B. Thompson

Middle School Math & Science

Denise Mercado

Elementary SPED Teacher

Sharmon Thompson

MTCSS Coordinator and Math Teacher

Ms. Jones

Middle School ELAR

Judith Guerrero

Paraprofessional

Coach Brown

Physical Education

Coach Hubbard

Physical Education

Ms. Ledon

Kitchen Manager

Ms. Rubio

Food Staff

Ms. Beltran

Custodian

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