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 began her teaching career as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Somerville Public Schools. She joined DSNCS in 2013 as a K1 Teacher Assistant and over the years she has taught K1, K1/K2 and K2 grade levels. She earned a Master's in Special Education Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 from UMass Boston, and also earned a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Florida A&M University. 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!

Talya Auger (she/her) completed her undergraduate degree in Women's and Gender Studies, and graduated from Boston Teacher Residency in 2019. Talya loves working as an ESL teacher at DSNCS, and this will be her third year in this role. She enjoys doing art and crafts with her students, and makes jewelry at home!

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!

Ms. Brown grew up in Vermont and earned her M.Ed in Elementary Education at the University of New Hampshire. She has experience working as a teacher in grades 1-5. She loves being a part of the DSNCS community and getting to know 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 4th year at DSNCS and her 7th 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. When not in the classroom, Ms. Dumbuya enjoys camping and figure skating.

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 4th 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 attended Curry College and is a Nationally Certified School Nurse. Briana loves spending time with friends and family, especially her dogs Henry and Louie.

I am a BPS graduate and have been working for Boston for over 22 years ! I am first generation born Italian/Sicilian-American and am proud of my culture. I love learning new languages and learning new recipes. I look forward to supporting, learning and working with everyone.

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 overseen BTR’s teacher preparation curriculum since 2003. With her BTR colleagues, she continues to innovate and improve the residency experience, blurring the boundaries between course and field work, keeping BPS students’ achievement at the center of residents’ teaching, and building collaborative communities to engage teachers in ongoing learning and development. Marcie began her education career teaching the first and second grades in the Cambridge Public Schools. Her experiences there led her to explore how partnerships with community and educational institutions can support teacher preparation, student achievement and the role of teacher leadership in urban schools. She then became a liaison between Wheelock College and the Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School in the Boston Public Schools, working with college faculty and public school educators to design a year-long internship program focusing on mathematics and equity. Ms. Osinsky holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Masters in Education from Lesley University.

Chelsea has been teaching multilingual learners at DSNCS since 2021. In 2016 Chelsea went to Lesley University to pursue a degree in education with the hope of eventually teaching in Boston Public Schools. They are so grateful they now get to work with BPS students every day! They have a corgi named Maestro and in their spare time they love to read, play video games, garden, and try new things.

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.

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.