Meet our Team.  Change History.

Norman Atkins, Founder and Board Chair

Uncommon Schools

Hometown:  Montclair, New Jersey

Favorite Teacher:  “Mr. V” James Verrilli

Favorite Book:  Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 

Favorite Recent Book:  History of Love by Nicole Kraus

What is the best part of working at Uncommon?  Seeing our students head off to top colleges. 

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon?  Not being able to offer more college prep experiences for more students faster.

If you weren’t leading Uncommon Schools, what would you be doing instead?   Playing sports or – lacking sufficient skill or youth to pay the bills that way – writing about sports.

Celestina De La Garza, Teacher and Hollyhock Fellow

Leadership Preparatory Charter School, Brooklyn, NY

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Favorite Teacher:  Ms. Murie, my first grade and fourth grade teacher. She was the first of a handful of teachers that instilled in me a sense of responsibility and a work ethic. 

Favorite Book: If I had to choose one, it would be The Pearl, by John Steinbeck.  It was a required reading in seventh grade and it the one of the first books that really moved me to tears.  It was also the first book that I felt a real connection to being that the characters and the story itself were tied to my Mexican culture. 

What is the best part of working at Uncommon? The best part of working at Uncommon is the understanding that teaching and education is serious work.  All teachers at Uncommon are treated as professionals, and every student and his or her needs are taken seriously.  Uncommon truly values each and every individual that works and learns within its schools. 

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon? The hardest part of Uncommon is the drive to always improve.  It can be difficult for a teacher to continuously reflect on and improve her own teaching practices.  However, the exercise of constant reflection and improvement of teacher practices is essential in ensuring that each and every student succeeds academically and socially.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be instead? A politician.  I studied Growth and Structure of Cities and concentrated my studies on the cultural and political aspects of society.  My initial intent was to go law school and work in public policy.

Meghan Fitzgerald, Director of Special Education

Uncommon Schools

Hometown:  Horseheads, NY.  Yes, it is pronounced just like it is spelled.

Favorite Teacher:  Dr. Rosemary McEwen, Professor and now Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at SUNY Geneseo, was my teacher and mentor.   I enrolled in her Spanish Conversation class as an elective my sophomore year, and was immediately hooked by her fun and challenging teaching.  That year, I spent hours tediously practicing Spanish vowel pronunciations--which I remember with crystal clarity to this day--in her office..  Later, as Spanish became my concentration, Rose taught me how to interpret and appreciate historic Hispanic/ Latino literature, like the work of Jorge Louis Borges.  Despite the countless hours I passed away with Rose doing and redoing some of the most mundane linguistic tasks, she was a relentless coach who taught me that when I fail, there is no shame in picking myself up and trying it again.  Her creativity, honesty, and passion for teaching still inspires me.

Favorite Book:  Brilliant Idiot, an autobiography written by Dr. Abraham Schmitt, is a gripping story of a man who fought against a long lineage of profound dyslexia to become a literate and lauded scholar.  The book details insightful illustrations of his severe phonological processing disorder and provides timeless lessons about the strength of the human spirit and the importance for us, as teachers, to carefully consider each child’s abilities and challenges.

What is the best part of working at Uncommon?  My home office and school-based colleagues are among the most intelligent, reflective, and compassionate educators I’ve ever worked with.  I’m honored to be a part of this team and am in awe of their dedication and ingenuity.

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon?  Not working with students daily.  I was very fortunate to complete a graduate school practicum at one of our schools last summer.  Although it was the most physically, emotionally, and psychologically challenging work I’ve ever done, I popped out of bed at 5:00 AM every day eager to greet and teach them.

If you weren’t Director of Special Education at Uncommon, what would you be instead?  This is a very difficult question because living and working in New York City has afforded me opportunities that I may not have otherwise been granted as a young teacher, but I imagine I would be a middle or high school Resource Room teacher in Upstate New York.

Jessica Goldberg, Reading Teacher

Kings Collegiate Charter School, Brooklyn, NY

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Favorite Teacher: My favorite teacher of all time was Mr. Johnson.  He was my 12th grade A.P. English teacher.  What I remember most about Mr. Johnson is that he challenged each of his students to analyze literature more deeply and write about literature more precisely.  Every day in class he told jokes, while always maintaining a palpable sense of scholarship in the class.  I wanted to please him more than any other teacher I had at the time.  When I found out I was moving to New York to become a teacher, he was one of the first individuals I wrote in order to thank him for helping me reach this milestone.

Favorite Book: My favorite book is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.  Interestingly, Foer is a young author who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.  This book is about a 10-year-old boy whose father was killed on September 11, 2001.  Oskar, the protagonist, ends up going on an adventure throughout New York City in order to learn more about his father.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is such a beautifully written book, told from the mouth of a young, brilliant boy, whose emotions and thoughts stay with readers long after the book has been read.  I’ve yet to read a more clever, artistic and touching story.

What is the best part of working at Uncommon? The best part of working at Uncommon is the fact that I know I am working TOGETHER with a smart group of individuals who share a common mission (which is consistently communicated to students).

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon? The hardest part of working at Uncommon is the long hours we dedicate to this work.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be instead?  If I weren’t a teacher, I would likely be a school psychologist.  Originally, I planned on getting a PhD in psychology and ended up joining Teach For America instead. 

Laura Lee, Founding Co-Director for Operations

Kings Collegiate Charter School, Brooklyn NY

Hometown: Anoka, MN

Favorite Teacher: Mr. Olsen, my 7th grade Social Studies teacher. He brought so much energy and enthusiasm to class every day, and made us think about issues in the world around us.

Favorite Book: The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. I love the intensity of the characters and the twists and turns and constant intrigue in the story.

What is the best part of working at Uncommon? Seeing our kids’ smiling faces every day and knowing that we are making a difference in their lives.

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon? Not having enough hours in the day to do all that we would like to do for our kids, our staff, and ourselves.

If you weren’t a school leader, what would you be instead? Perhaps working in a strategic leadership role for an education non-profit or public school district, or returning to consulting.

Jesse Rector, Co-Director for Instruction and Operations

North Star Academy Middle School, Clinton Hill Campus

Hometown: Edison, New Jersey (New Jersey is the greatest state in the Union, in case you care!)
Favorite Teacher: I have two favorite teachers: My favorite teacher in school was my tenth grade English teacher, Mr. Gundry, who was also my cross-country coach.  He taught me, through literature and coaching, the value of integrity, hard work, and honesty.  I remember having the feeling of never wanting to let him down, neither in class nor while I was running for him.  From him, I learned to appreciate the value of self-critique.  He made sure that my worst critic was myself.  
My second favorite teacher was/is my mom.  My mom taught me to read when the school that I attended told me that I would never be able to do so.  She taught me to believe in myself and to make my own reality.  Never settling for the limitations that others place upon you is one of the most important life lessons I have ever learned.  
Favorite Book: My favorite book is easily The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck (or anything by Steinbeck for that matter).  This book, to me, stands as a testament to the power of language.  It was such a powerful critique of fascism that being caught with it in occupied France during World War II resulted in execution.  Steinbeck, a committed pacifist, wrote this book as his contribution to the war effort.  The idea that he was able to stay true to his values and still affect change and isnpire hope in people is amazing to me!
What is the best part of working at Uncommon? The best part of working for Uncommon Schools is knowing that you are working with people who are as deeply committed to the children we serve and education in general.  Seeing the impact that we have daily is just amazing.  I worked for a large urban district for a long time before making the switch to Uncommon.  When I got to North Star it just felt like home.  
What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon? I don’t know that there is a hardest part of working for Uncommon.  Of course the work we do is hard, but I feel like that is for what I signed up (working for social justice is hard work- affecting change might be the hardest thing in the world).  Uncommon actually makes it easier to do the work we do.  The structures in the schools are smart, the support that Uncommon staff gives us is incredible, and all of this allows me to focus on my job!
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be instead? If I did not go into teaching, I am not sure what I would do.  I wanted to teach since I was fourteen.  If I had to choose, I guess I would sell used cars.  I don’t know, maybe I would drive a truck or dig ditches or something.  I could always bake bagels (I did this for 9 years while I was in high school and college).  

Stacey Shells, Founding Principal

True North Rochester Preparatory Charter School, Rochester, NY

Hometown: Cincinnati

Favorite Teacher: Mrs. Brown, Ancient and Medieval history

Favorite Book: The Souls of Black Folk, by W.E.B. Du Bois

What is the best part of working at Uncommon? Access to the best people in the business!

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon? People send emails at 3:00 in the morning, which is a reminder that the passion never fades!

If you weren’t a school leader, what would you be instead? A ROCK STAR!  Or Radio personality!

James Verrilli, Co-Founder, Principal, Teacher

North Star Academy Charter School, Newark, NJ

Hometown:  I was raised in a little suburban town of Wilton, Connecticut.  At that time, it was still farms, woods, and suburban homes.

Favorite Teacher:  I had two favorite teachers growing up.  The first was Mr. Meglathery, whom we all called Mr. Mac.  He taught sixth grade and did a wonderful job.  For science, he had demonstrations where a cone rolled up a slanted plane instead of down and that absolutely puzzled us.  He had us work to figure out why.  In English, we wrote our own books and got them bound with a hard cover. The second was Ms. Pazar who fostered a lot of exciting discussions in high school history.  She would have us role-play the perspective of different people in history or would put labels on us, like, “Here goes Sam Adams- Verrilli calling out for the rights of the people again.”  Though she often chided us for our contrarian views, she respected our opinions and took us on intellectually.

Favorite Book: I have several:  The Grapes of Wrath—the people, no matter how oppressed, will survive!;  The Harry Potter series- just lots of fun!; and a number of religious books on Sufism, Buddhism, Gandhi, and Christianity.

What is the best part of working at Uncommon?  The chance to be a part of the new Civil Rights Movement!  To be teamed up with people who care passionately about changing history and making a difference for some of the most underserved children in our country.  To be among people who will work tirelessly to make change happen and to open doors of college and opportunity. To know that we are not in this fight alone, but that there is now a network of excellent schools working together not for a seat in a restaurant or in the front of the bus, but for a seat in a college classroom, for a seat in the executive board room, and for a seat in City Hall!

What is the hardest part of working at Uncommon? This is no easy job and is not for the partially committed. It takes a tremendous amount of work to make the kinds of changes we are fighting for, and we need to sacrifice to make those changes happen.  Teaching is an extraordinary craft and to do it well requires an incredible work ethic and a willingness to always push oneself to do better.  This amount of work is necessary but never easy.

If you weren’t a school leader, what would you be instead? I would teach!  Whether it be students, teachers or other school leaders, I would teach.