Carolyn Abney has been with the Imagine Family since the start of the 2009-2010 school year. She has been fine tuning the minds of children for over 15 years. She studied Early Childhood Education at Prince George’s Community College andlooks to continue her academic endeavors at the University of Maryland.
Soheila Ahmad is the First Grade Girls teacher. She graduated from SUNY Oswego in New York state, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Theatre. She went to graduate school at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts for Elementary Education. In 2008-2009 she taught in a 6th grade classroom. This is her third year teaching and she is having a fabulous and fun time educating the girls!
Claudia Alexander is from Washington, DC. She has been with Imagine Southeast Public Charter School for three years and is currently employed as an Instructional Assistant. She enjoys working with children of all ages.
Obianuju Anyaogu is an Instructional Assistant for Pre-Kindergarten at Imagine SE PCS. She is also the Step Drama Instructor for the Extended Day Program. Ms. Anyaogu graduated from Slippery Rock University and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She is passionate about providing children with a quality education and is devoted to being the best instructor she can be.
Devoria Armstead-Scarlett hails from the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. Ms. Scarlett joined ISE in December 2010 as the Math Specialist. Ms. Scarlett has been in the Education field for 11 years. She holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and possesses a robust passion for Mathematics, in particular.
Paula Capers is a fourth year highly qualified Pre-Kindergarten teacher who is passionate about educating children. Ms. Capers has been refining her craft for over ten years. Many of her students embrace the love of reading and go on to become lifelong learners.
Jeff D’Onofrio is a graduate of George Washington University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master’s in Secondary Education. He is excited to teach third grade in hist first year at Imagine Southeast. Mr. D’Onofrio strongly believes in the benefits of single-gender teaching techniques.
Tumeka Dembry has 11 years of teaching experience. She is an alumni of NC A&T State University. Ms. Dembry holds a Bachelors in Child Development and Family/Consumer Sciences. She also has a Masters degree in Education Management. Ms. Dembry is a firm believer in having high expectations not only for herself, but for all students that I teach.
Ola Deen is a Nurse at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School. She enjoys working with children very much.
El Ta’Shik Faruq Sir has over 26 years of experience working with children at-risk. He specializes in Behavior Modification, Behavior Management and Conflict Resolution. For the past ten years he has taught and trained teachers and administrators in the areas of early intervention techniques and post-crisis recovery. At Imagine Southeast, Mr. Faruq’s focus is on building a positive single-gendered culture by forging teacher-to-student relationships that will undoubtedly promote higher learning through maximizing our students’ potential.
Joseph Fernandez was born and raised in the Philippines. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with specialization in Math. Mr. Fernandez has his masters in Educational Management. He has been teaching for twenty-four years in the Philippines, New York, and Maryland school systems. Mr. Fernandez considers teaching as a ministry where the privilege of serving my students is a genuine joy.
Antoinette Ferrell received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Trinity University. She is passionate about educating children in urban communities. She is currently pursuing a counseling degree at Argosy University where she can extend her service to help urban youth outside the classroom. Ms. Ferrell has been in the education field for over five years as a lead teacher, paraprofessional, tutor and an extended day instructor.
Diana Hayden-Tharpe is a native Washingtonian. She is a passionate and dedicated educator with an extreme love of Mathematics and Science. Ms. Hayden has been teaching in the DC Public School system for nine years and joined the ISE family in August 2010. She is currently the Before and After Care Coordinator.
Brittany Islar-Lambert has a true passion and desire to make a difference in the lives of children. After years of working as a mentor to dozens of children, she has found that teaching has brought her the most joy. She currently works as the Instructional Assistant in a Kindergarten class, while she continues to pursue her degree in Secondary Education. “I love knowing that my dedication to the students each day will make future educators and great leaders of tomorrow.”
Markia Jackson teaches the wonderful Third Grade Girls at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School. She is a native Washingtonian and a product of the Washington, DC public school and charter system. Ms. Jackson is excited to give back to her community and to help in the development of our future female leaders.
Marvin John is the Food Service Manager at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School. His position is to ensure that the students receive healthy, balanced and nourishing meals and he strives to accomplish this everyday with diligence. Mr. Holloway enjoys working with both the staff and the students at Imagine Southeast.
Dr. Joyce Johnson is from Atlanta, Georgia. She joined ISE in Nov. 2011 as the Core Knowledge Curriculum Coordinator. Dr. Johnson has eighteen years experience as an elementary teacher and middle school math teacher in Georgia and South Carolina. For the past fourteen years she has been a school administrator in Washington, DC and Georgia. As a member of the Zeta Phi Sorority, Dr. Johnson is committed to serving students and the community.
Shanee Johnson is a Pre-Kindergarten 3 teacher and Academy Leader. She has been with the Imagine Southeast Public Charter School since its opening in August 2008!
Makia Jones has been teaching for 9 years. This is her third year teaching in an all-girl classroom. She loves to motivate young girls to be leaders, and to explore and create adventures through reading. Ms. Jones enjoys reading in her spare time.
Claudia King is a Kindergarten teacher with over ten years of experience as an educator. King’s educational philosophy is: children live what they learn. Hence, she models positive behavior daily and displays excellent moral values.
Jennifer Lee joined Imagine as the Reading Specialist in November 2011. She studied Development Psychology with Education and Child Study at Smith College. Ms. Lee has taught in various school settings throughout Massachusetts and Maryland leading her to pursue her masters at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She believes in literacy’s potential to propel social justice and desires to see education provide opportunities for people throughout the world.
Talaya Lee is a passionate Pre-Kindergarten 3 teacher and the head of our Fundraising Programs. She is the mother of three beautiful children. She possesses over 15 years of experience in early childhood education. Ms. Lee has a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and will be working on obtaining her Master’s soon. She is a current member of the Outstanding Organization Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Ulaka Lewis is the Physical Education teacher at Imagine Southeast. She is a passionate teacher with 10 years experience developing an enthusiastic classroom in Physical Education. She has established high expectations for students, continuously seeking out new ways to improve instruction and link learning with fun.I am a team player who believes in collaborating in the best interest of the students and the school.
Tony Martin has taught all boys education for three years and currently teaches 1st Grade Boys at Imagine Southeast. He was born and raised in Washington, DC, and has taughtfor nine years. Mr. Martin attended Carson Newman College. He has a daughter named Toni that is currently in Pre-Kindergarten.
Jermaine Mathis was born and currently lives in Washington, DC. He graduated from H.D. Woodson Senior High School in 2007 and is currently studying at Prince George’s Community College in pursuit of a degree in Early Childhood Education. Mr. Mathis plans to own his own daycare in the future.
Maximilienne Mbinack is a graduate of Howard University. She was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, but her heritage stems from Cameroon, West Africa. She is enjoying Imagine Southeast for all it has to offer and hopes to continue to see the school grow.
Jamahr McDaniel is the Assistant Principal of Imagine Southeast Public Charter School. He is a graduate of Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Mr. McDaniel is very passionate about educating youth, being a positive role model and leader.
Magella McFarlane is a highly qualified, efficient and dedicated teacher with a Master’s in Math Education. She has been teaching math for 19 years and has extensive experience having taught at the university, secondary and elementary levels. She is currently a lead teacher for 6th grade Boys. Mrs. McFarlane was recognized as Imagine Southeast’s Teacher of the Year for the 2010-2011 school year.
Jennifer Mitchem currently teaches 1st Grade Boys at Imagine PCS. Ms. Mitchem obtained herB.A. in History and Elementary Education from University MD Baltimore County. She is entering her 9th year teaching.
Joy Moreland has been at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School for two years and currently teaches Pre-Kindergarten. She has four years of teaching experience and loves to makes learning fun! She loves working, not only with students but with parents and colleagues. She believes that team work makes the dream work!
Sharon Munroe is a native of the very beautiful island of Jamaica. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, and has been teaching for over twenty years. She is an Instructional Assistant at Imagine Southeast. Ms. Munroe has been married for over twenty years and she is the mother of two unique daughters and a fantastic granddaughter.
Paula Nesmith is a graduate of Howard University with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. Mrs. Nesmith has seven years of experience as an Elementary School teacher and has a particular interest and passion in teaching students in Reading. She is a highly qualified teacher and has been recognized for her dedication to excellence in teaching. Currently, Mrs. Nesmith teaches 2nd Grade boys at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School.
Felix Osuchukwu attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, DC. In 2001, he founded the visual arts department at Cesar Chavez Public Charter High School for Public Policy, in Washington, DC. He served as the department chair and visual arts instructor for over eight years. Felix has provided visual arts instruction and workshops to various organizations in Washington, DC for over 15 years; including Martha’s Table and the YMCA through has arts education program, I Live to Create Studios, Inc. an arts education and portfolio development program in which he is the founder.
Okiemute Pelais a Howard University graduate and has been serving children and families in the District of Columbia since 2001. She feels privileged to have taught children from kindergarten thru the 5thgrade. A dynamic teacher, Pela’s greatest asset is her ability to push her students to strive for personal excellence and high standards. Pela was awarded the Academic Achievement Award at Imagine for the 2010-2011 school year. Ms. Pela knows the importance of making connections with her students and her families and wants parents to know that she is invested in their child’s success.
Jamaal Ramsey was educated in the DC Public School System. Mr. Ramsey enjoys playing basketball and loves children. He has an Associate’s degree in Electrical work. He is currently obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management.
Louis Roberts joined the ISE family as the Music Teacher after two years of teaching in the public school system of South Korea. He earned his Bacherlor’s in Music from Bethune-CookmanUniversity in 2007. Mr. Roberts is currently earning his Master’s of Education from Grand Canyon University on a full academic fellowship and has a 4.0 GPA. He has passion for education and community and is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Gamma Beta Chi National Service Fraternity, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity and the Music Educator’s National Conference.
Marcia Robertson is a teacher in the special Education department. She has been teaching since 2001 and is a native Washingtonian. Ms. Robertson enjoys both educating children and learning from them as well. She received her B.S. degree from Bowie State University and is currently working on her Master’s.
Melodi Sampson is the school’s Enrollment Specialist. She hails from Columbia, Missouri and graduated from American University. Ms. Sampson loves the Imagine Southeast family and is pleased to be a part of such a strong team.
Mary Anne Santos is currently a Kindergarten teacher at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School. Ms. Santos loves teaching Kindergarten. Her passion is making sure her students have fun while they are learning new things.
Louise Shorts comes to Imagine Southeast with over 15 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. She believes that a child is never too young to start learning, and uses her knowledge and creativity to make every child’s learning experience a life impacting memory. It is her pleasure to work at Imagine Southeast with a unique and skilled team of educators who have the same goal in mind: to see every child achieve academic success.
Kareen Thomas-Wilson has been with the Imagine Family since 2008 as a Pre-Kindergarten 4 Lead Teacher. She studied at the University of South Florida, Tampa and holds a Master of Arts in early childhood education. She believes that education is the only key to success!
Ekisha Totten started work as an educator in Baltimore County 12 years ago. She has a passion for reading literacy and closing the achievement gap. Mrs. Totten holds a BA in Special Education and a Master’s in Education Administration anduses her educational background to accentuate her leadership in Special Education Services and the Recruitment Task Force. Her greatest joy is student achievement!
Darryl Tucker has been with Imagine Southeast Public Charter School since its opening. Mr. Tucker brings great enthusiasm to the Imagine Southeast family as an Instructional Assistant.
Shakilah Smith is the Assistant to the Principal. She has been with Imagine Southeast PCS since July 2011. Ms. Smith is a Washingtonian. She enjoys working in the school environment.
Melissa Winters is the Compliance Officer at Imagine Southeast. She has been a part of the team since September 2009. She was previously employed at a construction company as an Office Manager. She also has prior experience working as a teacher at the Judy Hoyer Extended Day Center with three and four-year-old children. She currently resides in Suitland, Maryland with her beautiful daughter Aniyah.
Linda Young has a long history working with children. She currently serves ISE as an Instructional Assistant. Ms. Young has been teaching and caring for children since she was 11 years old. She is a single mother of three and a grandmother of two little girls.