EVERGREEN CHARTER SCHOOL
Administration, Faculty & StaffAdministration
Our Administration, Faculty, and Staff work hard to provide a rich learning experience for all of our students.


Karen Leeper
ECS Acting Principal
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Ms. Karen Leeper has been in education for over 10 years, as both a teacher and administrator. She has extensive administrative experience, and for the past seven years at Evergreen Charter School she was a teacher, the Assistant Principal, and now she is the Principal.
Ms. Leeper holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences from University of Buffalo, with a concentration in Early Childhood. She also holds a graduate degree in Childhood Education, and completed a post-master’s Certificate in Advanced Study in Educational Leadership and Administration at College of Saint Rose.


Christine Weigand
School Director
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Ms. Weigand has been in education for almost 32 years. She has served as an Elementary School Teacher, Dual Language Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Academic Intervention Teacher, Director of Curriculum/ Instruction and School Director.
Ms. Weigand holds several degrees including a Master’s Degree in Education with a Specialization in Early Childhood. Ms. Weigand brings passion and dedication to ensure that all children receive an excellent education aligned to state standards. She works with all staff providing to students a learning experience in a safe, positive, and academically rich environment.


Elena Litescu
School Director
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Ms. Elena Litescu has been in education for more than 17 years, with more than nine years of experience as an Administrator.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, with a dual major in Physics and Chemistry. In 2002, she decided to go back to school, and completed a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Human Resources. Ms. Litescu continued her educational journey, and this Spring she was conferred a Doctoral Degree in Education. She is passionate about helping students reach their full potential.


Lara Gonzalez
School Director
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Dr. Lara Gonzalez has been a public-school educator for over 25 years. Prior to becoming a school administrator 12 years ago, she was a full time secondary Social Studies teacher. Dr. Gonzalez has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a Masters in International Relations, and a Masters and Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Her doctoral work focused on New York suburban school systems and how central administration and boards of education collaborate to narrow achievement gaps for students. Dr. Gonzalez is a passionate advocate for her students, their families, and the community she serves.


Lisett M. Knox
Director of Finance and Operations
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Lisett M. Knox holds the position of Director of Finance and Operations at Evergreen Charter School. Ms. Knox has over 14 years of experience working in educational settings and over 7 years of experience in the banking industry. She holds a degree in Business Administration and holds a certification in Family Development completed at Cornell University. Ms. Knox also has over 3 years of experience overseeing the operations of all the school’s facilities. Ms. Knox has been directly involved in the planning, project management, and vendor relations as they relate to the preparation of the school’s buildings and grounds to support the school’s expansion.


Diana Soto
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
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Diana Soto has been in education for fifteen years, as a teacher and an administrator. She has three years of experience as an administrator working in a private school setting. As an administrator, she has worked tirelessly to provide learners from all backgrounds with the best opportunities possible.
Ms. Soto holds several degrees, including a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Fordham University with an emphasis on multicultural learning. She is deeply committed to multicultural education and serving diverse communities.
As an Latina/o immigrant, woman of color, and first generation college graduate, Ms. Soto’s purpose is to bring a high level of passion and dedication to the area of curriculum and instruction at Evergreen Charter School.


NICHOLAS AGOSTI
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Grades 2 – 4
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Nicholas Agosti has been serving in education for over 10 years, serving a multitude of roles in a wide variety of educational settings.
Nicholas received his undergraduate degrees from Molloy College in 2010, receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology and Bachelor’s of Art degree in History. In 2013, Nicholas enrolled in K.U. Leuven, and took his learning overseas as he studied for his Master’s in Educational Sciences and Psychology. During this time he was selected to represent North America in a conference hosted in Madrid, Spain that would discuss and compare the variety of educational systems from around the world. During his time in Spain, Nicholas studied and became accredited as an English as a Second Language educator at the International TEFL Institute.
Nicholas’s passion for education is evident in his interactions with students and his drive to ensure that all children are afforded the opportunity for a rigorous and joyful learning experience.


Ana P. Morron
Director of Data, Attendance and Assessments
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Ana P. Morron is a scholar and an educator from Queens, New York. After graduating from Williams College (Williamstown, MA) in 2009 as a Mellon Mays Fellow with a B.A. in English and Religion, she went on to Yale University (New Haven, CT) to obtain a master’s degree in Religious Studies. Currently, she is a PhD Candidate and David L. Clark Fellow at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) where she is completing a mixed methods study on higher education access among undocumented Latine communities in the Northeast. She is particularly interested in how ideologies and discourses are shaped by structural relations of power, such as race, class, culture, and gender. Her published works have appeared in Anthropology and Education Quarterly and Lexington Books.
In addition, Ms. Morron has been in education for over ten years. She has worked in various educational settings, including Phillips Academy (Andover, MA) and Taunus Gymnasium (Germany). She has also taught introductory courses at the university level to students enrolled in teacher training programs. More recently, she worked as a researcher at the National Institute for Early Education Research analyzing data on childcare facilities during the pandemic. As the new Director of Data at Evergreen Charter School (Hempstead, NY), Ms. Morron believes it is important to use data and theory to inform educational practices and policies. She is driven by the belief in quality education as an instrument for social change and liberation.
Business And Admissions Office
Cristel Collado
Admissions Officer
Victoria DeGennaro
Business Office Associate
Genesis Peña-Colon
Interim Admissions Officer
Mariela Plasencia
Human Resources Coordinator
Yessica Sanchez
Admissions Officer
Jeannie Tembra
Admissions Officer
Data And Attendance Office
Wyn Gomez
Data and Attendance Assistant
Rafael Gonzalez
Data and Attendance Assistant
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICE
Samuel Laloi
IT Coordinator / Data Privacy Officer
Motiur Muhith
IT Specialist
Faculty and Staff (Grades K – 1)
Linda Abraham
Kindergarten Teacher
Christian Aguilar
World Languages Teacher
Cathy Austin
AIS Teacher
Gabriella Burgos
First Grade Teacher
Lisa Camilli
Reading Specialist
Devan Casey
First Grade Teacher
Ana Castro
Art Teacher
Maria Espinar
Principal's Administrative Assistant
Hina Gul
ENL Teacher
Brooke Haber
Kindergarten Teacher
Brittany Kosta
First Grade Teacher
Laura Laine
Kindergarten Teacher
Jaclyn Lee
First Grade Teacher
Daniel Levitan
Physical Education Teacher
Shanice Manning
Math Specialist
Angelica Martinez
Kindergarten Teacher
Leslie Melendez
Social Worker
Paola Perez
World Languages Teacher
Joelly Quezada
Kindergarten Teacher
Nancy Reyes
Receptionist
Mary Beth Roth
Kindergarten Teacher
Yasmin Santana
Kindergarten Teacher
Christina Shortell
Special Education Teacher
Lizmary Shah
Nurse
Shaun Skariah
Special Education Coordinator
Joan Soares
Kindergarten Teacher
Dillian Soto
Kindergarten Teacher
Cabrina Tasevoli
First Grade Teacher
Evelyn Tavarez
First Grade Teacher
Anthony Vasquez
Facilities Manager
Bridget Venegas
Kindergarten Teacher
Chemene Webber
ENL Teacher
Robyn Webster
Permanent Substitute Teacher
Luis Zamora
Music Teacher
Faculty and Staff (Grades 2-4)
Kathuscia Alexis
Nurse
Natalie Alicea
Teacher Assistant
Wendy Alix
Receptionist
Joanne Banz
Second Grade Teacher
Jessica Blake
Fourth Grade Teacher
Ilsi Burgos
Social Worker
Taylor Caggiano
Third Grade Teacher
Elena Chwat
Second Grade Teacher
Jenifer Corcoran
ENL Teacher
Nuria Figuera
World Languages Teacher
Jessica Francavilla
Fourth Grade Teacher
Alexandra Frank
Second Grade Teacher
Lisa Gail-Hinds
Technology Teacher
Jorge A. Garavito
Facilities Manager
Hailey Greenfield
Permanent Substitute Teacher
Jacquelyn Lanciotti
Special Education Teacher
Jillian Logan
ENL Teacher
Francesca Lombardo
Special Education Teacher
Patricia Markey
Grade 4
Edwin Mejia
World Languages Teacher
Escolatica Mezquita
Receptionist
Kathleen Mulvaney
Fourth Grade Teacher
Margo Oszczypala
AIS Teacher
Christina Russo
Second Grade Teacher
John Saffian
Physical Education Teacher
Michelle Smith
Math Specialist
Vanessa Taveras
Second Grade Teacher
Karla Vasquez
Third Grade Teacher
Alexandra Yereshchenko
Art Teacher
Luis Zamora
Music Teacher
Faculty and Staff (Grades 5 – 10)
Farah Abidi
Science Teacher
Jasmine Alvarez
Receptionist
Mayra Alvarracin
World Languages Teacher
Dana Andrews
Permanent Substitute Teacher
Alex Benabides
Social Studies Teacher
Christa Buccola
Special Education Teacher
Marian Casey
Fifth Grade Teacher
Kenneth Cieri
Technology Teacher
Alexander Eichhorn
Social Studies Teacher
Michael Faulter
Physical Education Teacher and Athletic Director
Taylor Foerster
Art Teacher
Christopher Gehrig
Math Teacher
Elizabeth Gomez
ENL Teacher
Maritza Gonzales
World Languages Teacher
Harold Gutierrez
Music Teacher
Gracia Guzman
World Languages Coordinator
Heather Hirsch
Math Teacher Teacher
John Holt
Math Teacher
Stephanie Khan
English Teacher
Carla King
Math Coordinator
Mary K. LaSpisa
AIS & Reading Specialist
Merilee Lehmuller
Fifth Grade Teacher
Yvette Medrano
Principal's Administrative Assistant
Andrew Mege
Physical Education Teacher
Danica Mendez
Math and Science Teacher
Sandra Mesonero
World Languages Teacher
Luis Navarro
Facilities Manager
Cristina Ras
Teacher Assistant
Veronica Ortiz
Guidance Counselor
Pedro Rincon
Music Teacher
Maria Perez-Llona
Social Worker
Kristy Restivo
English Teacher
Alexandra Schropfer
ENL Teacher
Kristin Spagnuolo
Fifth Grade Teacher
Dara Shalom
Nurse
Virginia Sullivan
Science Teacher
Gina Tornabe
ELA and Social Studies Teacher
FOOD Services Department
Joshua Poveda
Chef
Jose Aliaga
Chef Assistant
Maria Amaya
Chef Assistant
Despoina Englezou
Dishwasher
Blanca L. Gonzalez
Lunch Aide Coordinator
Wendy Lemus
Assistant Chef