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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.

Essence Preparatory Public School: Akeem Brown, Founder

Akeem Brown

Superintendent

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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Jennipha Ricks

Chief Learning Officer/Principal

Kizzie Thomas

Dean of Empowerment and Culture

Alicia Sebastian

Director of After-School Programs

Damika Burton

Director of Family Engagement & Enrollment

Ikeida Manning

Director of HR and Finance

Angel Ladd

Assistant Principal of Operations

Dr. Jeanie Murphy

Advocacy Manager

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

SPED Coordinator

Kim Sonders

Front Office

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.

Trishawn Clarke-Taylor

Director of Programs

Teachers

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

Stephanie Flores

Pre-K
Teacher

Kim Anderson

Kinder
ELAR &Social Studies

Veronica Gonzalez

Kinder Teacher
Math & Science

Dejanique Derry

First & Second Grade
ELAR & Social Studies

Selena Mitchell

First & Second
Math & Science

Essence Prep Team: Gracie Word

Gracie Word

Third & Fourth
ELAR & Social Studies

Marisa Renteria

Third & Fourth
Math & Science

Sharmon Thompson

Third Grade

Rosalind Forte

Fifth & Sixth
Math & Science

Devonte Collins

Fifth & Sixth
ELAR & Social Studies

Aquanetta Thompson

Fifth & Sixth

Kirk Brown

Physical Education

Coach Hubbard

Physical Education

Nanetta Richardson

School Aide

Cecilia Torres

TIR

Join the Team

Are you ready to help shape the future and make a difference?

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