Team

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.

Ms. Allen has been with the Dudley Street School for the past three years as a K1 Teacher Assistant and Lead Teacher. She also completed her student teaching at DSNCS, and worked at Somerville Public Schools as a Special Education Paraprofessional. She earned a master's in Special Education Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 from UMass Boston. She also attended Florida A&M University and earned a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. Ms. Allen is a native of Dorchester, MA and her goal is to combine her range of experience with her ability to be a compassionate and enthusiastic teacher.

My name is Ms. Arroyo and I am a Kindergarten Teacher. I am a graduate of BPS, I have 3 daughters who have all gone to or are still at a BPS school, and I have been a teacher in BPS for 12 years. I believe that learning should be an adventure created by my student's curiosity. My goal to teach each student in a way that they are able to learn giving them the opportunity to access what they need to be successful moving forward in their education while making sure that they have fun learning!

Jenae Barrett-Sequeira comes to Dudley Street School after teaching 1st grade at the Higginson Lewis K-8 school for the past 3 years. She received her Master of Science in early childhood education from Wheelock College through the Wheelock Teach Boston program. Mrs. Sequeira is a lifelong resident of Boston, growing up in the Roxbury/Dorchester neighborhoods. Her passion is building relationships with families and the community. She enjoys gardening, cooking and spending time with her family.

My first experience teaching was on the island of Fogo, Cape Verde. I taught English to 6th and 7th graders. I have been teaching PE for a few years now and can't wait to get back in the building and meet my new students at a new school just a block from home!

I am a third grade teacher at Dudley Street. I received my degree in teaching from the University of New Hampshire and have taught in Lawrence and Boston. This is my ninth year teaching and my 4th year teaching at DSNCS. I love being a part of the Dudley community and working with scholars and their families.

Saundra Coaxum is a native of John’s Island, South Carolina. She received her Masters of Education in Middle and Secondary English Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her Bachelor of Arts in English from Benedict College. She has taught on both the middle and high school levels. Ms. Coaxum has taught high school in both the Sequoia Union High School District in California and with the Atlanta Public School System. She has been teaching in Boston Public Schools since 2000. While teaching in BPS, she has mentored a number of Boston Teacher Residents, Boston College Graduate Students and pre-practicum students. She has also been a part-time New Teacher Developer. Ms. Coaxum has been an active member of the Instructional Leadership Team at Thomas Edison Middle School for nine years. Ms. Coaxum enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. You can catch her hanging out in the Sweet Carolinas on any extended break. Though Ms. Coaxum has been teaching for a while, her curriculum and pedagogy is continuously evolving.

Ms. Dumbuya is entering her 3rd year at DSNCS and her 6th year as a classroom teacher. Previously, she taught K1 at Adams elementary school in East Boston, and K2 at KIPP Academy Lynn Elementary School. Ms. Dumbuya obtained her B.A. in Early Childhood Education and Women's and Gender Studies from Wheaton College (MA) and her M.Ed from the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development at Boston University. Her passions include advocating for social justice, and when not teaching, Ms. Dumbuya most enjoys camping, figure skating, and spending time with family/friends.

Alicia grew up in Maine and has been a teacher since 2007. She has lived in Italy, Canada, and Indonesia. She also works as a potter and loves to garden, bike, and read. She currently lives in Roxbury with two pets, a parrot and a rescue dog.

Miss Fleck comes to the Dudley Street School after teaching elementary students for the past three years. She received her Master's degree at Clark University in Worcester, MA in 2012. She was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and moved to MA for college, and has not since been able to leave. Caitlin is excited to continue her work bringing joy to learning math with the Dudley Street community.

Julia was born and raised in Boston and graduated from Boston Arts Academy and Boston University. She is a passionate educator and second grade is her favorite grade! When Julia isn't at school you can find her reading in the sun, paddle boarding or going for walks with her dog.

I have been an educator since 2005. This will be my 7th year at DSNCS. I have a Bachelors degree from Lesley University. I am the mother of two boys ages 19 & 12. Fun fact about me is that I was born in Canada.

Alexa Kinney comes to Boston from NYC and Binghamton, NY. After 7 years teaching in NYC, she is excited to begin her 3rd year at DSNCS. She loves to instill the joy of learning in 1st graders and provide a solid foundation for future success. Outside of school, Ms. Kinney loves to be outside and exploring New England!

Briana has been the school nurse here at Dudley Street since 2018. She loves getting to know all of the students and watching them learn and grow over the years. She moved to Boston from Phoenix and attended Curry College for nursing. She loves spending time with friends and family, especially her 2 dogs!

I am Haitian American. I speak, write, and read in my native language. I am the youngest of 7 children. I am currently in college for my Bachelors of Education- Special Education. I love to dance!

Danielle Navarrete, born in Miami, Florida, decided to move to Boston to work towards a Bachelor’s in Music Therapy and a Minor in Psychology at Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, Danielle was placed at clinical sites with different populations including early intervention students, older adults, adults with mental health needs and women experiencing homelessness. She has since then worked as a Music Therapist at the Community Music Center of Boston with children and adults with developmental disabilities. Danielle is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a Music Teacher at Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School and she looks forward to filling classrooms with music!

Marcie Osinsky has been a leader in the Boston Teacher Residency for the past 13 years. Prior to that work, she was an elementary classroom teacher and a teacher educator at Wheelock College. This year, she is a member of the school leadership team at Dudley Street School engaged in the development and implementation of the Teaching Academy model. She will work to develop a strong professional learning community at the school, directly supporting the roles of BTR coaches, collaborating teachers and residents. Marcie Osinsky is deeply invested in the preparation of new teachers. She is committed to ensuring resident teachers have the beliefs, skills, and knowledge to positively impact student engagement and achievement, both in their residency year and as future teachers in the Boston Public Schools.

As director of mathematics at Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter school, I oversee the school’s math program and provide instructional coaching/support and professional development for DSNCS teachers and Boston Teacher Residency teaching residents. I also teach the BTR Elementary Math Methods course. My work -- firmly rooted in the belief that all children are capable of powerful mathematical thinking and problem solving -- is focused on building teachers’ capacity to: 1) help students develop positive math identities and believe in the inherent value of their mathematical ideas; 2) promote equity through intentional disruption of practices that perpetuate marginalization, exclusion, and unjust outcomes.

Lilly Siu, Ed.D, oversees ELA curricular decisions, professional development, and instructional coaching at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School (DSNCS), and serves as the Language and Literacy methods instructor for the Boston Teacher Residency (BTR). Dr Siu holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Ed.D from Harvard University. Her research interests include student engagement, social and emotional education, and critical theory and pedagogy. Dr Siu is a mother of three, a daughter of immigrants, and a native of San Francisco, California.

Aida is a first grade teacher at Dudley Street. She was born and raised in Roxbury and is a Boston Public School Alumni. Aida received her BA in Early Education and worked in many centers in the city of Boston. Aida then got her Master's through the Boston Teacher Residency (Cohort 16). She is of Afro-Dominican decent. !Y habla espanol!

Ms. Wise began her teaching journey in college, where she taught ESL to adults. From 2009-2012, Ms. Wise served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia, where she taught 5th and 6th grade at a rural elementary school. She has an M.Ed in elementary education from Boston University and is currently pursuing her Ed.S. in reading at Gordon College. Outside of school, Ms. Wise enjoys reading, watching TV, and spending time with her family and friends.

My name is Matt Bibeau. I live in Somerville Mass where I have been for the past 7 years. I love to read, play sports, and hike with my dog, June Bug.

I graduated from Bridgewater State University and have some experience in a first grade classroom. I enjoy learning from others. A fun fact about me is that I enjoy power washing my home. I find it relaxing.

Ms. Phillips is a triple AmeriCorps alumna with a passion for creating positive change. She graduated from Smith College in 2019 and then worked in schools as a tutor, inspiring her pivot towards elementary education. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and trying new restaurants.

"I have been a BPS Student all my life up until college and always loved teaching kids in my community of Roxbury, whether it is tutoring or being a Junior Counselor at a camp. I have never thought about becoming a teacher until my second year of college where I was blessed to work with first graders and loved the connections I built with the teachers and children I was working with. This career so far has given me a reason to wake up excited to start the day and will hope to blossom your children into beautiful and enriched trees and flowers.
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My name is Harry, I originally grew up and went to school in Chicago, and moved to Boston to get a masters in elementary teaching through BTR. I've spent a couple years teaching English in Japan and am excited to be back in America. Looking forward to working with you all!

Adam Weil is a Resident at DSNCS in BTR Cohort 20. He attended Vassar College graduating in June 2022 with a double major in Educational Studies and History. His educational passions lie in Constructionism, Historically Responsive Literacy, and Critical Love. He is looking forward to continue to develop his craft as a teacher and an educator. In his free time, Adam enjoys going singing, watching soccer, and listening to audiobooks. He cannot wait to be apart of this community !

Boston has always been home, from K1 through Bachelors Degree. In my free time I enjoy exploring, traveling and watching the sun. Representing love, I am Ayanna."

I was born and raised in Boston. I graduated in 2020 with a degree in early childhood education from UMass Boston. I spend my summers working as a camp counselor at the Boston Nature Center. I am passionate about the environment and teaching kids how to protect our earth.