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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

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

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