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- Our team-old-2.0
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.
Read MoreSupport 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
Student Services Coordinator
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.
Lizbeth Gonzalez
Kinder
Math
Dejanique Derry
First Grade
Math & Science
Elizabeth Randle
Second Grade
ELAR
Maria Romo
Third Grade
ELAR
Sharmon Thompson
Fourth Grade
Rosalind Forte
Second Grade
Math & Science
Gracie Word
Fourth Grade
ELAR & Social Studies
Denise Mercado
Elementary Special Education Teacher
Judith Guerrero
Paraprofessional
Coach Hubbard
Physical Education
Kirk Brown
Physical Education
