Laurie D’Amico teaches different levels of band, an AP Music Theory course (which she started), and is the Assistant Director of the Marching Band. She started a Leadership Class training students to run different sectional rehearsals on their own. She is the Director of the Salute to Music band program, runs the New York State School Music Association Solo and Large Ensemble Festival and mentors new teachers both as the dedicated music teacher mentor at her school and as part of the Paul Simon Music Fellows (as well as informally with the many students who have gone on to careers in music). She worked with Montclair State University to offer in state tuition for any NYC student entering their music program.

Persephone DaCosta started the dance program at her school and specializes in teaching choreographed traditional African dances. Over the summers, she runs a free dance intensive program “My Brooklyn, My Arts” (which she also founded), for kids interested in dance but unable to afford lessons. She averages about 25 students from all different age ranges and skill sets. In addition to dance, she also teaches a leadership class for women called R.O.S.E. (Respectful Outstanding Sisters of Excellence). The students in this class help plan school wide events as well as serve as mentors to other female students. They are also learning basic etiquette training, visiting college campuses, and learning self-care and mental wellness.

Anastasia Difino is a Peer Collaborative Teacher, a lab classroom leader and a member of the Instructional Leadership Team. She changed the way the 4th and 5th grade English and Social Studies subjects are taught school wide by introducing and writing the curriculum for a thematic approach to subjects that stress deep dives into smaller concepts. Her class was filmed and is now utilized by the DOE as a “lab classroom”. She is also piloting the DOEs “Civics for All” program in its first year at the school. She is helping design how each grade approaches various topics within the “Civics for All” umbrella as well as working with the student council on related school wide initiatives.

A big focus of Joshua Modeste’s teaching is how to broaden representation for people of color in the fields of STEM. He is an anchor teacher for NYC Men Teach and is pursuing his PhD in Science Education with the goal of impacting underrepresented groups in the science field. His curriculum is creative, inclusive and thoughtful. During the summer he participates in a Columbia University Summer Research Program for Teachers which culminates in a four-day workshop that he helps program and run for NYC public school students. He feels that hands on research is important for students. He and his students founded a Science Research club at his school where students actually present their findings in front of professional scientists at conferences.

Cheriece White teaches art fused with technology and multimedia focusing on practicable tools and skills like branding and content creation learned through hands on experience. Students create movies and commercials based on socials issues or build decks for businesses they hope to run one day. She used remote learning as an opportunity to “evolve as a teacher” learning new ways to engage students for instance by building a virtual “campus” for students to interact with. During the pandemic, she taught colleagues how to use various technology in an unofficial course. She helped found the cheerleading squad which made national news when they qualified for Nationals and successfully raised $30,000 (with a campaign she launched) to go to the competition.