Team

Jesse Solomon founded the Boston Teacher Residency program in 2003, Previously, he taught middle and high school math for 10 years — at the King Open School in Cambridge, Brighton High School, and City on a Hill Public Charter School. He was a founding faculty member, lead teacher, and a member of the board of directors at City on a Hill, where he began and directed the Teachers' Institute, a school-based teacher preparation program. Mr. Solomon has been an instructor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is a National Board-certified teacher. He holds a BS in Mathematics from MIT and an MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The Barr Foundation named Mr. Solomon a Barr Foundation Fellow in 2009 for his leadership, and he is also a Pahara-Aspen Institute Education Fellow. Contact: jsolomon@bpe.org

Clara is the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, managing the finances of BPE and its two teaching academies, Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School (DSNCS) and the Dearborn STEM Academy (DSA), including compliance with all internal financial controls and external regulations and reporting requirements. In addition, she oversees operations for the organization, including human resources, information technology, and office management. Before joining BPE, she led the finance team at Nurtury, Inc., a nonprofit early education organization. Clara holds a BA in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross, a graduate certificate in nonprofit finance and administration from Suffolk University, Sawyer School of Business, and an MBA in nonprofit management from Springfield College.

Dr. Tasheena Burnett is a lead learner in her work as Director of Boston Teacher Residency (BTR). She leads the BTR program and holds Boston families and their students learning at the center of all decisions she makes. Since graduating BTR in 2011, Tasheena spent a combined ten years in Boston Public Schools teaching English Language Arts and serving as a Data Inquiry Facilitator. She earned a B.S in English from Suffolk University, MS in Human Resource Management from Emmanuel College, M.Ed from UMASS Boston, and Ed.D from Regis College. Her research focus is on black male success in higher education. Her inspiration comes from her family, her students and their families, and her mentors. She is committed to developing teachers who bring joy, curiosity, and rich content knowledge to their classrooms.

Emily is the Director of Talent, providing strategic direction in the areas of recruitment and selection for the talent pipelines across BPE—the teacher residency, Promise Corps, teaching academy schools, and central staff. Prior to joining BPE, she worked for Young Voices, a RI non-profit organization working to transform youth into powerful advocates who partner with major state leaders to create systemic reform and policy change. Emily holds a BA in English from Juniata College and a MA in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University. When not working, Emily enjoys spending time with family and friends (including a growing number of nieces and nephews!), reading, running while listening to podcasts, learning and unlearning.

A lifelong learner, Mr. Heckstall hails from Middletown, Conn. and attended Trinity College in Hartford, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Neuroscience. While completing his Master of Education from Lesley University, Mr. Heckstall became a Teach For America corps member and worked as a science and special education teacher at what is now the Dearborn STEM Academy. Mr. Heckstall remained working in schools as a teacher, a Dean of Students and finally his most recent school-based role as Co-Principal of the 9th Grade Academy of Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Mass.

As Chief Improvement Officer, Ed Liu oversees research and data across BPE's programs and schools. Before joining BPE, Dr. Liu was Assistant Professor of Educational Administration at Rutgers University, and he began his career as a high school history teacher and as founding co-director of Summerbridge Portland (a Breakthrough program). Dr. Liu holds an EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he was an original member of the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers and co-authored "Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools" (AACTE Outstanding Book of 2005). He also holds an MBA and AM in Education from Stanford University, and a BA in History from Yale.

Melanie Winklosky joined BPE in 2012 as the Chief Advancement Officer, leading BPE's team responsible for public and private fundraising and communications. Melanie has been working in public education for nearly 30 years and has raised more than $50 million to support students, educators, and programs. Before joining BPE, she was the Vice President of Development and Operations at Mass Insight Education, and spent 13 years at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She holds a BA in Psychology from Saint Vincent College and an MA in Human Development from Boston College. Melanie is the proud mother of a high school student and a college student, and writes fiction in her spare time.

Corey J. Allen is a Boston native and a graduate from Boston based institutions, beginning with the Charles H. Taylor Elementary School in Mattapan and ending with the University of Massachusetts at Boston in Dorchester. With experiences in education, nonprofits, and corporate, Allen brings his cross sector knowledge and network to BPE as our inaugural Director of Industry Partnerships, bridging the gap between where students are and where they envision themselves in the future through interactive and experiential learning, networking, as well as internship and career opportunities. In his spare time, Allen enjoys volunteering, DIY projects and playing chess.

Dr. Matthew Andrade earned a Ed.D from Regis College and both a M.Ed and B.S in Biochemistry from UMASS Boston. He is dedicated to empowering young scholars to unleash their brilliance in all spaces and firmly believes that Black Lives Matter. “I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will."

Tania Baez, Dearborn STEM Academy's new Work Based Learning Manager brings 7 years of experience working with youth in student support roles. As the Work Based Learning Manager, Tania brings to the role a wealth of knowledge and experience cultivating internship partnerships and laying the foundation not only for schools but also businesses to create internship programs designed for high school students. Tania holds a Bachelors Degree in World Languages and Culture and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Higher Education in Student Affairs.

Monique Davis served as a recruiter for the Boston Teacher Residency (BTR) since the organization’s inception in 2003, recruiting talent on a local and national level and building relationships and cultivating partnerships. She currently oversees placement of BTR graduates in Boston schools and coordinates a network of over 250 alumni. Previously, Ms. Davis worked as an employment manager at the Home for Little Wanderers, a Boston-based non-profit human services organization. She has also worked for the Vinfen Corporation and the Boston Stock Exchange. Ms. Davis earned a BA in Finance and Accounting from Northeastern University and an Executive MBA from Dartmouth College in Minority Business.

Currently the program director for Dudley Promise Corps, Rhea coaches and develops new educators in K-12th grade classrooms with hopes they can maintain empathetic and safe schools for all students.Rhea's journey in education began in studying and designing a culturally sustaining math curriculum. After obtaining her Bachelors in Mathematics and Masters in Education, Rhea became a 7th grade math teacher in Massachusetts. Rhea also serves on the Advisory Committee for Bunker Hill Community College's Education department and recently completed a fellowship with Mass General Hospital's Department of Psychology. With her heart belonging to students and supporting young adults, Rhea seeks to improve the way education develops a diverse range of families.

Ms. Jacquays has worked in the field of education for 20 years, having spent many years as an elementary teacher and reading specialist/consultant. For the past ten years, she worked with the Boston Public Schools as a district-wide literacy coach, Vice Principal/Director of Instruction at the Ohrenberger Elementary School, and as a Response to Intervention (RTI) Curriculum Specialist at the Haley Pilot School. She has taught graduate classes at the University of Massachusetts and has worked as a literacy consultant for Tufts University.

As a graduate of the BTR program and former employee of BPE, Felicia is pleased to be returning as a science coach this year. For the past fifteen years, Felicia has worked as a middle school science teacher and induction coach in Boston and Cambridge. Felicia lives in Jamaica Plain with her two young children and her husband, David (who she met in cohort 4). In her free time, Felicia enjoys cooking, biking, and listening to audiobooks on long walks.

Helene joined BPE in Spring 2020 as the Advancement Associate. Prior to BPE, Helene worked for several years at Year Up where she held positions in operations and events. A Dorchester/Roxbury native, Helene is excited to be a part of an organization that serves youth in these communities. In her spare time, Helene is an avid concertgoer and enjoys recording music.

I grew up in China and came to the States to pursue masters' degrees. I joined BPE in fall 2018 as an intern and turned into full-time when graduated from Suffolk University with MSA & MST. I like watching soccer games, reading and travelling in my spare time.

Jay Pedrero holds the title of Early College Manager at Dearborn STEM Academy. After completing his undergraduate degree at Boston College, he became a TRiO Mentor, where he spent five years guiding students through the college-going process and supporting parents and families with financial aid. Jay saw a need to help students navigate post-secondary opportunities and took on the role in 2021 as Early College Associate, where he helped build a sustainable program that provides over 100 students with early college opportunities. His expertise is geared towards providing students in underserved communities with the support needed to get them into college, and it has been transformative for students. Jay has recently transitioned to a new role at Dearborn as the Summer DECK Director, where he provides middle school students with a pathway to gain their Associate's degree from FCTech while they also graduate from Dearborn STEM Academy.

Chris joined BPE as Human Resources Manager in 2021. Prior to that he worked at City Year Boston for 18 years where he had a number of roles including his last nine years building and overseeing HR at the site. Chris is passionate about the education and non-profit space and is excited to be a part of a mission-driven organization. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in Human Resources and Leadership from Northeastern University.

Grace joined the financial department in August 2016. She graduated from Wuhan University of Technology with a bachelors in accounting, and worked five years as an accountant in China. Grace also holds an associate degree in accounting in the US and is pursuing a degree in taxation. She is so glad to be part of BPE. In her free time she enjoys watching movies, traveling, and hanging out with friends.

Kai has served two years at Dearborn with College Advising Corps - BU, working with students to develop their post-secondary plans. As a post-secondary adviser, he supports Dearborn graduates navigate college and their post-high school lives. Kai graduated from Davidson College in 2020 with a degree in philosophy. In his free time, he enjoys camping/hiking, cooking, following sports, looking at trees, and is a passionate player of kendama, a traditional Japanese wooden skill toy

Chelsea has served in a number of roles at BPE. Currently, she facilitates strategic projects for BPE and our schools, including developing the Dearborn Next program and supporting Dearborn’s Innovation Pathways. Chelsea has been an instructional coach for teachers and residents, the facilitator of Dearborn’s school design process, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for our Innovation Pathways, and the AmeriCorps Program Director. Chelsea earned her BA in Geography and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, her MAT in secondary history from Brown University, and her EdM in School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.