SPI Educators

ERICK GORDON is the founding director of the Student Press Initiative at Teachers College, Columbia University where he is also a fulltime instructor in the Teaching of English Masters Program. He comes from a background in small press publication that later led to classroom teaching, first in Northern California and then New York City. He has worked on student press literacy projects for over fifteen years, and has helped support thousands of young authors into print.

An alumna of Teachers College, Columbia University, Britta earned Masters degrees in Counseling Psychology before teaming up with Professor Ruth Vinz to found the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers (CPET). As the Center’s Associate Director, Britta is the go-to for anything admin or grant related, and has been playfully named SPI Medicine Woman, because when she’s not coordinating with schools, writing proposals, or dreaming up the next project, she’s studying to be a practitioner of acupuncture and oriental medicine. Peace.

Dr. RUTH VINZ taught middle and high school students for twenty-three years before coming to Teachers College. She is a Professor in the English Education Program and the Enid and Lester Morse Endowed Chair in Teacher Education. She directs the Morse Center for the Professional Education of Teachers and is senior advisor to the Student Press Initiative.

Uzma currently works full-time as an educational consultant with three schools in the Bronx, supporting teachers with curriculum development and effective pedagogical strategies. Her focus is on literacy, but she works with teachers from all content areas. She has also worked with teachers in New Jersey and Utah, in elementary schools and mostly secondary schools. She taught high school for five years in Connecticut and New York City, 7th through 12th grades, and 12 AP English. She has led several workshops and professional development sessions, with teachers and administrators, around Backward Design curriculum planning and other modes of reflection on teacher and student work. Uzma is a doctoral student in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. JULIETTE LAMONTAGNE is a former New York City public school educator and the founding director of the VOW Arts Institute for Young Women.

Originally from Colorado, Roberta Kang graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in English Education. She worked for five years at a large urban high school before moving to New York City, where she continued her teaching career at one of the largest high schools in New York. Currently pursuing her EdM in Teaching English from Columbia's Teachers College, Roberta is a Professional Development Advisor with the National Academy for Excellent Teaching. She has served as a New Teacher Mentor, a college writing coach, a Literacy Lab Site Leader, and has written several district wide curricula for Denver Public Schools and the NYC Department of Education. Roberta is dedicated to urban education and is excited to be a new member of the SPI team.

Bill Lundgren has taught and worked in public schools and a youth prison in New York City and Maine. A graduate of the MA program in English Education at Teachers College, his eclectic resume also includes work in politics, truck driving and organic farming. In addition to his ongoing work with SPI, he serves as a small schools advisor for the National Academy for Excellent Teaching, creating professional development opportunities for The Green School in Brooklyn. He is co-author of Becoming Other(Wise): Enhancing Critical Reading Perspectives and the editor of Smoke Signals: Oral Histories from Long Creek and is currently at work on a memoir about his experiences teaching incarcerated youth.

KERRY McKIBBIN taught in both NYC public schools, and South East Asia before joining SPI at Teachers College. As Senior Curriculum Consultant with Student Press Initiative, she brings years of experience in the field of educational oral history and project-based learning to her work. She is the author of Project Notes: Conducting Oral History in the Secondary Classroom.

Nita Noveno taught ESL in New York City public high schools for over nine years and has been a mentor and literacy consultant for four. She also taught as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa and is an English instructor for CUNY’s summer reading & writing program for incoming freshman. Nita is a graduate of Teachers College and The New School MFA Creative Writing Program. She has published in Lost and Found: An Anthology of Teachers’ Writing, Worldview, and Ducts.org. In 2002, she founded Sunday Salon (www.sundaysalon.com), a monthly prose reading series that hosts established and emerging writers.

Lance Ozier has taught and worked in schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels. A graduate of Oglethorpe University's Education and Urban Leadership program, he taught in public schools in Atlanta, Georgia. He holds a MA in Sociology and Education Policy from Columbia University and an EdM in English Education from Teachers College. Currently an small schools advisor with the National Academy for Excellent Teaching, he creates professional development programs in the South Bronx. For the last nine years, Lance has coordinated education programs at Morry's Camp, a year-round youth development organization serving urban youth in the Tri-State area.

Colleen is an alumna of Teachers College, Columbia University and taught English in a New York City public high school for six years. After leaving full-time teaching to raise her family, Colleen returned to TC as an adjunct instructor in the MA English Education program. In addition to teaching, she supervised many student teachers and first-year teachers from the Peace Corps Fellows Program, also based at TC. She is very excited to join the SPI team to re-immerse herself in collaborative, rewarding work with both students and fellow teachers.

Heather J. Pinedo-Burns is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her studies focus on qualitative research methodology, aesthetics and secondary ELA. Heather is adjunct instructor at Pace University and Adelphi University. Previously Heather worked as a middle school English teacher for the Rochester City School District and as preschool teacher in New York City.

Jaime Lynn Quackenbush has been with SPI in the dual role of Program Coordinator and Curriculum Consultant since 2006, working with teachers and students in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. (All of which make for a long commute from her home in Brooklyn!) Having taught in public schools in North Carolina, upstate New York, and New York City, Jaime is now working on her dissertation in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College. Her main scholarly interests lie in the use of autobiography as a tool for exploring gendered identities. Having completed a Masters degree in Reading Education at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Jaime loves working with teachers and students of all ages on differentiated literacy activities across content areas. Her work has been published in her former advisor Janice F. Almasi's book, Teaching Strategic Processes in Reading.

Jeannine has worked for the past four years as an educational consultant in grades three through twelve, in New York City and around the country. Currently, she works part-time as a consultant to New York City high schools and as an adjunct instructor in the Teaching of English program at Teachers College. Her focus is on middle and high school literacy, but she works with teachers from all content areas. She taught middle school and high school English classes in Brooklyn, NY, Madrid, and Japan. Jeannine is a doctoral student in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Both a working artist and writer, Diane Rosen has taught art and creativity strategies to high school students and adult learners. Her articles have been published in several art journals. After receiving an undergraduate degree in English literature, Diane spent a year doing independent study in Paris on a French Government Fellowship.

NINA TAUB has taught high school history and worked with middle school students and teachers to enfuse technology into project based literacy and Social Studies units. She is excited to work with the Student Press Initiative as she begins her studies at Teachers College in Social Studies Educaiton.

A recent graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, Chris brings experience in web design and photography, including a year at Speos, the photographic institute of Paris. With a bachelor's degree in English literature and French studies, Chris seeks a Master's Degree in English education at Teachers College.

A graduate of the Teaching of English Masters Program at Teachers College and Northwestern University, Jim Fenner's past experiences in audio engineering, graphic design and music education are employed in his position as SPI Production Coordinator.

Alexis Kuczynski is currently an MA student in the Inclusive Elementary Education and Teaching Students with Dis/Abilities program. She studied film and philosophy at Queen's University in Canada and is interested in making educational videos for the inclusive classroom that encourage philosophical and adaptive thinking.

Skye is in the Instructional Technology and Media program studying for an EdM. He is interested in exploring the connection between literacy/language learning and digital video and music. Prior to coming to TC, Skye was travelling and filming in far-off places such as Istanbul, La Paz, Fez, and the West Indies. His travel bug started in the Peace Corps, where he was a music teacher.

Laura Starecheski is an independent radio producer based in New York City. She has reported for WNYC's The Next Big Thing, Radio Lab, Studio 360, Weekend America, and PRI's, The World. She is a mentor for NPR's Next Generation Radio, and teaches sound production at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Ann Hawley is a Master of Arts student in International Educational Development at Teachers College, Columbia University. After completing a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Morocco, she stayed on to work for a USAID funded project, Morocco Education for Girls (MEG). Upon closure of that project, Ann took the position of Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for a US Department of Labor project, Adros (meaning “I study” in Arabic). The goal of this project was to provide non-formal education to underage girls working as domestic servants. After nearly six years in Morocco, Ann returned to the United States to pursue higher education in her field.

Mary is a student in the Teaching of English Masters Program at Teachers College. A graduate of the University of Texas, Mary moved to New York after a sojourn in China, where she taught English, ESL, and History at a private international high school in Shanghai.

A New Jersey resident and 2007 graduate of Rutgers University, Greta is currently enrolled in TC's Teaching of English 38 point Masters Program and student teaching at an SPI site in the South Bronx. She looks forward to continuing to work with SPI when she enters the NYC public school system as an ELA teacher in the fall.

Rocky Schwarz is the Guardian Angel of the Student Press Initiative.

Amy Starecheski works full time at Columbia University’s Oral History Research Office and is the Chair of the Oral History Association’s Education Committee. She has numerous years of experience using oral history as an educational tool.

Amina taught in Islamic Schools in different parts of the United States for 7 years. She completed her masters from Stanford University School of Education in 2007, where she did research on political socialization in Islamic Schools. As an offshoot of the research, she worked on building a curriculum for Islamic Schools which sought to discuss notions of civic identity in both Islamic Studies and Social Studies classrooms. She also worked on a curriculum draft for young adults in an effort to help in eliminate honor killings in northern Pakistan. She is a doctoral student in the Anthropology and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Lalitha Vasudevan is an Assistant Professor of Technology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently working on a multimedia storytelling project with young men who attend a court-mandated education program and is exploring how they talk about, photograph, and create digital stories about their lives.

Jondou comes to SPI as a part of the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellows program, and is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at Teachers College. Previously, Jondou was a homeless shelter director and a public school social studies teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a youth center director in San Diego before coming to Teachers College.

Mateo recently joined the SPI team through his Zankel Fellowship at Teachers College. He moved here after spending six years in the San Francisco Bay Area (Oakland!) developing youth leadership programming for teens of color focused on community health and social justice issues. Previous to his work in the Bay, Mateo worked with teens for three years in domestic violence shelters, churches and community centers in North Portland. He graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in Social Work/Psychology. He is now pursuing his Master's in Social Organizational Psychology with a concentration on Organizational Consultation and Change. He has nine years of work experience in non-profits working with and learning from teens. He deeply misses his crew at HIFY (Health Initiatives for Youth) and he can't wait to meet the fantastic new youth leaders in his life through the Lab School.

Michelle is a first-year doctoral student in the Economics and Education program at Teachers College. She recently moved to New York City from New Mexico where she was a Special Education teacher on the Zuni reservation and then an English and Reading instructor at the University of New Mexico in Gallup. Prior to teaching, she attended Columbia University and majored in Economics and Political Science.

After earning a B.A. in English Education at Wake Forest University, Lauren moved to Virginia, where she has been teaching for five years in Fairfax County Public Schools. She has taught high school English to 10th through 12th graders, including seniors in the International Baccalaureate program. Lauren is currently taking a leave of absence from her school in Virginia to pursue an M.A. in the Teaching of English program at Teachers College.

I was born and raised in the Chicago Suburbs of Illinois. I went to undergrad in the University of Illinois-Urbana, Champaign, studying political science and speech communications. After doing some extracurricular activities working with kids, such as summer school teaching, ESL teaching in Japan, and being an after-school mentor in an elementary school, I decided to go into teaching. I am now at Teachers College, receiving my Masters in elementary education, and I love it! I really enjoy living in New York City, and getting to know more about urban education. Some of my favorite activities in NYC are going to small venue concerts, taking walks in the park, and eating good halal food (the best is the food cart on 53rd and 6th). I came to SPI as a part of the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellows program.

Leah is currently a Research Assistant for the National Center for the Restructuring of Education, Schools, and Teaching. She comes to SPI as a part of the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellows program, and is a doctoral student in International Educational Development at Teachers College focusing on language education policy. Previously, Leah taught English in Austria as an Austrian Fulbright and Ministry of Education teaching assistant. She also spent a year studying at the Ruprecht Karls Universitaet Heidelberg on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. Leah holds a Masters of Education from Teachers College and a Bachelor of Music Education from Otterbein College.

Victoria Ndibo is a doctoral student in the Organization & Leadership Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. She brings with her years of research and teaching experience in Adult Learning and Leadership.

After earning a B.A. from the Johnston Center at the University of Redlands, Joy Ravona taught Social Studies at the Los Angeles Unified School District for five years. She has worked with students in grades six through twelve. Joy recently moved to New York to pursue an M.A. in Teaching of Social Studies at Teacher’s College and is looking forward to an exciting year with SPI.

Leigh is a high school English teacher from Zimbabwe, where she specialized in teaching Literature to advanced students. She is in New York pursuing a Masters degree in English Education at Teachers College. She is thrilled to be working with the SPI team and hopes to utilize the lessons learned through this experience, when she returns home, by encouraging an innovative approach to student writing and publication.

Christina came to us from Los Angeles, California where she had been teaching 9th and 10th grade English in an independent high school for several years. She also completed her undergraduate degree in Los Angeles at Occidental College. Currently, Christina is working towards an M.A. in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Giulia is recent arrival to TC from Los Angeles, CA where she was studying Psychology and Spanish at the University of Southern California. She brings with her experience working in academic enrichment programs in LAUSD and numerous years of research in the mental health field. She is currently a masters student in the Counseling Psychology program.

Dr. Liza Bearman is currently a full-time Lecturer, Faculty Advisor and University Supervisor at TC and is most interested in issues of urban education, equity and school change specifically within the small schools movement. She brings with her many years of experience in different facets of education, including directing the Intern Program for high school and college students for a U.S. Senator in DC, teaching high school English and Social Studies in New York City, and serving as the Assistant Director of a new small high school in Los Angeles. Upon returning to New York in 2002, Liza has worked primarily with new small secondary schools in the City (mainly in the Bronx) as a Professional Development Advisor, Literacy Coach and Consultant.

Adele brings a background in theatre to her work with SPI. She holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Washington and has worked for several years as a director, writer, and professional actress. Adele currently teaches at the New York City Lab School.

Katherine Cincotta first published as a high school student herself, and credits these early publications for her motivation as a writer and student of English. She is currently teaching at Sleepy Hollow High School in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Patricia Cortés has served as consultant to the United Nations, the government of Chile and lecturer in several universities in Chile. She has worked in various research projects related with social policy, gender equity, migration, human rights and local economic development. Her most recent publication, “Migrant Women of Latin America and the Caribbean: Human Rights, Myths and Harsh Realities," can be read in, Population and Development No. 61, ECLAC, United Nations.

Recently back from a two year teaching stint in rural Nicaragua, Isaac is a K-6 certified teacher with an interest in urban education. He received his undergraduate degree from UC San Diego in Media (Film/Video) and his Masters degree in Educational Technology at Teachers College. His resume includes work on video documentaries, photo documentaries along with web site design and database driven applications. His Masters project involved the creation and implementation of multimedia multilingual storybooks into NYC public schools.

After completing a masters degree in the Teaching of English at Teachers College, Beth returned to sunny California to teach middle school Language Arts.

Peter taught high school English for five years in New Jersey before joining Teachers College in 2006 to pursue his Master's degree full-time. While teaching he coached soccer and swimming, and was a leader and coordinator of the school's German exchange program. He has led backpacking, canoeing, and sailing trips with teenagers.

Karen LaBonté has worked as a high school writing teacher, writer, and curriculum consultant for almost two decades. Currently a doctoral student in English Education at Teachers College, and a literacy consultant in NYC public schools, Karen holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her greatest passion lies in facilitating students and other teachers in the process of discovering themselves as writers, and in helping them develop as vital members of a writing community.

While student teaching 9th Grade English, Alexa Mazarakis led production for the publication of Illuminating Chaucer, and experienced first-hand the power of going public with student work. Alexa is currently teaching at the New York City Lab School.

Roderick Mickens, a Senior Museum Photographer at The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, has trained extensively in both portraiture and documentary photography. He holds a BFA from The School of Visual Arts, and has also studied at Parsons School of Design.

Sarah Moon has taught Spanish, worked as a literary translator and a creative writing teacher. She is currently teaching at a NYC public high school.