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Essence Prep Team

With a wealth of experience, expertise and talent, our dream team is paving the way and building success for today, tomorrow, and the future

Our staff instills and embraces joy and excellence in our students by teaching character development with a culturally affirming curriculum to foster student’s growth. Our board consists of advisors and advocates for academic excellence, sharing our strengths to support our students, meet them here.

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

Essence Prep’s SLT is the team that oversees the way our strategic plan and other guiding principles are put into action.

Essence Preparatory Public School: Akeem Brown, Founder

Akeem Brown

Superintendent

Superintendent Akeem Brown (he/him/his) has dedicated his career to serving students living within San Antonio’s Eastside. By founding Essence Prep, he seeks to provide scholars with the pathways to opportunities lacking in many areas of the city.

Mr. Brown ensures Essence Prep scholars will grapple with real-world issues and develop the skills necessary to be effective agents of change. Essence Prep adopts community-building traditions like morning circle meetings and weekly family gatherings and uses a “whole self” curriculum to teach social and emotional learning skills.

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Jennipha Ricks

Deputy Superintendent/CLO

Kizzie Thomas

Principal in Residence

Dr. Jeanie Murphy

Director of External Relations

Damika Burton

Director of Family Engagement & Enrollment

Ikeida Manning

Director of HR and Finance

Angel Ladd

Assistant Principal of Operations

Support Team

The support team is essential in ensuring our scholars are learning in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Mia Morris

School Counselor

Stephanie Magallan

Student Services Coordinator

Kim Saunders

PEIMS/Office Manager

Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)

Under the guidance of the CLO/Principal, the ILT improves instruction by focusing on scholars learning and achievement, as well as build teacher capacity through differentiated support.

Trishawn Clarke-Taylor

Early Learning Instructional Coach

Kevin Shandy

Director of Programs

Teachers

Developing our scholars as leading agents of change in their communities.

Stephanie Flores

Pre-K
Teacher

Kim Anderson

Kinder
ELAR & Social Studies

Lizbeth Gonzalez

Kinder
Math

Dejanique Derry

First Grade
Math & Science

Rosalind Forte

Second Grade
Math & Science

Essence Prep Team: Gracie Word

Gracie Word

Third Grade
ELAR & Social Studies

Sharmon Thompson

Third Grade

Miguel Preciado

Third Grade
Math

Maria Romo

Third Grade
ELAR

Kit Cura Bullrich

Fourth Grade
ELAR

Emerald Turner

Fifth Grade
Math

Michelle Rodriguez

Fifth Grade
ELAR

Aquanetta Thompson

Fifth & Sixth

Marisa Renteria

Third – Fifth Grade
Testing Coordinator/Instructional Coach

Denise Mercado

Elementary Special Education Teacher

Daniel Cordero

MS Science

Frankson Collins

MS Math

Donte Chatman

MS ELAR

Judith Guerrero

Paraprofessional

Geletha Darter

PE Elementary

Coach Hubbard

Physical Education

Kirk Brown

Physical Education

Nanetta Richardson

School Aide

Cecilia Torres

Art Teacher

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