Faculty

Quick access to forms, DOE email, and information specific to DOE employees.

Robert Groff, Principal

Bob earned his masters in Public Administration before deciding to go into education as a 2002 Teach for America corps member. He is now entering his 11th year in education. He taught 5th and 1st grade in the South Bronx and Kindergarten in Harlem for 4 years. During this time he also obtained a Masters of Science in Teaching and a Masters in School Leadership at Pace University. He used these experiences to co-found TALES, become its founding literacy specialist and was the Assistant Principal before becoming the Principal. In his off time, Bob enjoys running, biking and triathlons.

Tu Harris, Assistant Principal I.A

Tu hails from Tacoma, Washington where she grew up with a view of Mount Rainier. As much as she loved the Pacific Northwest, she was always dazzled by big cities and came to New York City to attend Columbia University. She has made New York City her home since graduation and she currently resides in Brooklyn. Tu has been both a classroom teacher and a science teacher (she loves PBS and Channel 13 programs) for the past seven years. She received her Masters in Teaching and Masters in Administration & Supervision from Pace University. When not teaching, Tu enjoys reading, designing clothes, cooking, and entrepreneurship.

Carmen Acevedo, Kindergarten Teacher
Carmen is entering her 4th year at TALES. Prior to becoming a NYC Teaching Fellow, she worked in hospitality and in fundraising. Carmen graduated with a MA in Organizational Communication from the University at Albany. For the past five years, she has been teaching English as a Second Language for grades K – 3 and completed a MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at City College. She enjoys being an active member of her community in Williamsburg Brooklyn, dancing and visiting new places. Carmen has helped design our successful Language through Movement program prior to moving into Kindergarten last year.

Denise Alfredson, Teacher-1 st Grade
Denise is excited to begin her 2nd year as a first grade teacher at TALES. She began her teaching career in 2003 as a preschool teacher at Twin Parks Montessori School in Manhattan. In 2006, she joined the teaching staff at PS 165, teaching kindergarten for three years and first grade for two years. Denise graduated from SUNY Old Westbury with a B.S. in Elementary Education, and later obtained her M.A. in Special Education from Adelphi University. When not teaching, Denise enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and hiking.

Teresa Dubin, Teacher 3rd Grade

Teresa is embarking on her 10th year as a teacher and her 3rd year at TALES. She graduated from Queens College with a B.S. in Elementary Education and Anthropology. She also obtained a Master's degree in Childhood Education specializing in Language and Literacy from Queens College. In continuing her education, Teresa has attended Columbia University to take part in Teachers College leadership groups and Reading and Writing Institutes. In her spare time, she enjoys being a mommy, reading, traveling, bike riding, and playing sports. She is looking forward to a fun and successful 2012- 2013 school year.

Helen Chin, Paraprofessional

Helen has worked for the Department of Education for 10 years. Prior to the DOE, she worked for Dow Jones & Co. - Wall Street Journal for 13 years in Manhattan as a Senior Statistician and News Assistant. Helen graduated from Pace University with a B.S. in Marketing.

Charlene Cruse, Teacher- Kindergarten

Prior to joining TALES in 2008, Charlene taught for 3 years in Bed Sty New York. She was born and raised in Buffalo N.Y. and enjoys spending time with her 2 nieces and her nephew. She has taught Kindergarten for 2 years,3rd grade for 2 years, and Pre-K for 3 years. Charlene is a graduate from Buffalo State College with a B.S. in Early Childhood/Childhood Education. She also has a Master's Degree in Special Education from Touro College in grades 1-6. Even after completion of her masters she continues to take courses in education to help her in learning new and exciting ideas for her classroom. In her spare time, Charlene likes to travel, spend time with her friends, family, read, cook, and exercise.

Karen Darrell, Paraprofessional

Karen Darrell has been with the NYC Department of Education since 2006 working for District 75 Special Education Citywide Programs and now entering her third year at TALES. She served on the Board of Directors of her local preschool as Treasurer for seven years while helping to support their Universal Pre-K program. Karen attends Queens College and is studying Elementary Education and English Literature.

Josie Dershowitz, 1 st Grade Teacher

This is Josie’s third year at TALES and she is thrilled to be teaching first grade once again. She previously taught first grade at PS 165 in Manhattan and middle school EFL (English as a Foreign Language) at a private school in Quito, Ecuador. Josie holds a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Vermont and an M.A. in Bilingual/Bicultural Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her professional interests include children’s literature and multicultural/multilingual education.

Esther Eng, Kindergarten Teacher
Esther was born and raised in Flushing, NY. She attended Barnard College, Columbia University for her undergraduate education where she majored in English and Education. She received her masters degree at Queens College. She taught first grade at P.S 51Q in Richmond Hills before joining the TALES staff. She has taught Kindergarten for 3
years at TALES. She left for a year to teach prekindergarten in the Albany City School District and is back this year to teach kindergarten. On her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, blogging and walking her puppy, Brian.

Brittany Fedus, Kindergarten - Special Education Teacher
This is Brittany’s second year at TALES. Brittany graduated from Queens College with her a B.A. in Psychology and Dance. While substituting in District 75 Schools, Brittany went on to receive her M.S. in Childhood Education/Early Childhood Education/Special Education with a concentration in autism from Long Island University – C.W. Post. Brittany has also taught preschool for students with special needs. For the past seven years she has taught dance to students ages 2-18. Brittany wants to create an engaging learning environment that allows her to share a mutual learning experience with her students. Her personal interests include choreography, traveling, and biking.

Leslie Franco, Paraprofessional

Leslie Franco has been a special education paraprofessional since 2006 and a Spanish instructor for Kings Borough Community college since 2009. Leslie enjoys her career in the education field and finds it very rewarding. In her spare time she enjoys reading, meditating and learning about different cultures.

Theresa Goldstein, Teacher-1 st Grade
Theresa has been teaching Kindergarten and First Grade in New York City schools since 2006 and enjoys being a member of the TALES community. She graduated from SUNY Cortland with a B.S. in Childhood Education and later earned an M.S. in Childhood Math and Science Education from CUNY Hunter. Theresa believes that life is an ongoing learning experience and that she learns every day from new challenges, experiences, and most importantly, children.

Stephanie Graziano, Teacher-Kindergarten

Stephanie is a Flushing native who grew up minutes away from TALES. This is her third year of teaching kindergarten. Stephanie graduated from St. John's University in 2006 with a B.S. in Childhood Education. She continued her education and received a Master's in Early Childhood Education in 2009 while substituting at TALES. She is eager to continue teaching in the neighborhood where she grew up. Stephanie is passionate about teaching and also her favorite baseball team-The Yankees!

Ema Hustea, Paraprofessional

Ema graduated from Baruch College in 2003 with a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)/ International Marketing. As she attended college, she worked at Lag CC as a tutor for students with learning disabilities. Ema recently graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Early Childhood education.

Kim Ilardi, Teacher, Language Through Music/ESL Teacher

Kim is entering her fifth year of teaching at TALES. She graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2001 with a BA in Music and French and holds an MA in French Studies from Middlebury College (2002) and an MS in Teaching TESOL from Fordham University (2011). Prior to joining the NYC Teaching Fellows program, Kim lived in France teaching English to elementary students in Paris. In New York, she worked in arts management, administration and arts education at the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Passionate about languages and the arts (especially music) she is committed to bringing her previous experience and expertise to her work with the students and families at TALES. On weekends, Kim can be found teaching family music classes as a registered Music Together teacher. She is thrilled to be teaching Music Together Preschool at TALES this year and is looking forward to making music with all of the students and families in our school community.

Rebecca Kaizerman, Teacher-ESL/Literacy

Once an aspiring ethnographer, Rebecca studied Cultural Anthropology at Rutgers University (B.A.) and Cornell University (M.A.) before moving to China to do fieldwork in the late 1990s. While there, she taught English part time to supplement her income, and unexpectedly found teaching far more interesting and rewarding than ethnographic research. She then spent several years teaching English in China, to students of all ages and abilities, before returning to Rutgers to obtain an Ed.M. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Prior to coming to TALES, Rebecca spent five years teaching Kindergarten and first grade ELL’s at P.S. 170 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn .

Magda Kowalczyk, Teacher- ESL/ Literacy
Magda graduated from Queens College with a BA in TESOL. She earned her MS degree in Instructional Technology from NYIT. Within her five years of teaching in the NYCDOE, she has received her certificate in Childhood Education. Magda was a self contained ESL first grade teacher for three years and a self contained ESL fourth grade teacher for one year. She also has a year experience as a push-in and pull out ESL teacher. Magda looks forward to joining the TALES school community.

Christian Alberto Ledesma, Teacher-Science

Christian Alberto Ledesma was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and attended NYC Public Schools. He graduated from New York University and received his Masters of Science in Teaching from Pace University. He is currently working on a Graduate Certificate in Science Education from Montana State University. He has taught 2nd and 4th Grades, as well as serving as a Reading Specialist and a Science teacher. Christian has led TALES' efforts in being recognized as a Healthy School by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation two years in a row. This Fall he begins his eleventh year of teaching. In his spare time Christian enjoys playing outdoors, running long distances, biking, swimming, martial arts, hiking, and dancing. He currently lives with his wife, Wendy, and baby boy, Santiago, in Astoria, Queens .

Tahsina Khatun, Paraprofessional – Pre-Kindergarten
Tahsina is entering her second year at T.A.L.E.S. She has been a paraprofessional for over 10 years and is fluent in several languages.

Daniela Kleva, Teacher- 2 nd Grade
This is Daniela’s second year as a classroom teacher. Before becoming a classroom teacher, Daniela has been a substitute teacher at TALES. Daniela graduated from Queens College in 2009 with her BA in Childhood Education. She has completed her MS in Education: TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) also at Queens College. She is looking forward to another wonderful year full of learning. Besides her love for teaching, Daniela enjoys watching her favorite sports teams play, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

Jacqueline Mark, Teacher- ESL/Literacy

This will be Jackie’s second year with TALES. A native Midwesterner, Jackie journeyed west to attend Pomona College in California, where she graduated with a degree in Psychology, German, and Media Studies. After college, she moved to Berlin, Germany, and began her career teaching English as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant. Passionate about languages and culture, Jackie knew she wanted to pursue a career in ESL instruction. Upon returning stateside, she joined the NYC Teaching Fellows program and completed an M.S. in TESOL education. Before TALES, she taught ESL in a variety of settings in the Bronx, at PS 91 and Outward Bound’s Bronx Expeditionary Learning High School. In her free time, Jackie loves to read, play and listen to music, spend time outdoors, play lacrosse and train for marathons.

Jessica Navarro, Teacher-Second Grade
Jessica was born and raised in Queens, NY. She graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Politics and Urban Studies and received her M.S. in Urban Education from Mercy College. She joined the NYC Teaching Fellows in 2005, and taught kindergarten, first and second grades at P.S. 126 in the Bronx. Jessica is an avid reader and conservationist and loves motorcycles, sunny days and the outdoors.

Anna Oliveri, Teacher-Pre-Kindergarten

Anna is proud to be working in a school whose underlying philosophy is health, nutrition, and exploring hands-on balanced education. Prior to joining the T.A.L.E.S. team, Anna taught third grade in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and kindergarten in Elmhurst, Queens. She looks forward to continuing her educational journey in pre-k. Anna graduated from Queens College with a B.A and an M.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Additionally, she holds a TESOL certificate. Anna is entering her fifth year at TALES.

Jessica Pasternak, Teacher-1st Grade Prior to joining TALES, Jessica worked in Whitestone for 2 years teaching first grade and Fresh Meadows for a year teaching various grades from pre-k to fifth. Jessica graduated from SUNY Cortland with a Bachelors of Science in Education. She has her Masters from CW Post in Literacy. She loves teaching and is entering her 4th year with the TALES family. Jessica enjoys going to Broadway shows and spending time with her family and friends. She looks forward to a very successful year of learning!

Karen Sandner, Teacher-Kindergarten

Karen is a new member of the TALES staff this year and is looking forward to joining the wonderful team of educators at PS 244. Karen grew up in Rockland County, enjoying the parks, lakes and mountains of upstate New York. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from University at Albany and then began her teaching career by joining the New York City Teaching Fellows in 2001. She earned a Master’s of Science in Teaching at Fordham University in 2003 and has been working towards a second Master’s in School Psychology at Brooklyn College. She taught first and second grade for three years in the Bronx and has spent the last six years teaching Kindergarten in Brooklyn. Karen is a passionate educator who enjoys fostering a creative learning environment for her Kindergarten students and is active in environmental education in the schools. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, yoga, music, crafts and healthy cooking!

Maggie Stratigakos, Teacher-ESL/Literacy

Maggie has been part of the TALES family since its opening. Prior to joining TALES, Maggie served as a first grade teacher at P.S. 197, An Early Childhood School, in the Bronx for three years. She taught 1 st Grade at TALES for 2 years and this year she will be continuing to serve as the Literacy/ ESL push- in for first and third grade, in addition to serving as the school's Reading Recovery teacher. Maggie graduated from Queens College in Flushing with a B.S. in Elementary Education and Psychology, and later earned a Master's degree in Children's Literature. She completed a TESOL program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) so as to better serve the needs of English Language Learners. In her spare time she loves to have fun with her two children.

Patricia Taormina, Paraprofessional

Patricia Taormina has been a paraprofessional with the NYC Department of Education for ten years. Her love for education began when she became a “Learning Leader” at her daughter’s Elementary School. She served as a PTA Co-President there where she implemented the “Student of the Month” Award. She continued on to become Co-President at her daughter’s Junior High School, while working as a special education paraprofessional with severely handicapped students in District 75. At the same time, Patricia worked to obtain her B.A. from Queens College, and then continued her education by receiving her Masters of Science in Education from Touro College.

Rita Tautonico, Teacher - 2 nd Grade
This is Rita’s second year as part of the TALES family. Rita has worked with students for many years before coming to TALES. She tutors students after school and enjoys working with them! She graduated from Queens College in 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and History. She has recently earned her Master’s Degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Queens College. Being from Flushing, she is looking forward to teaching students from her own neighborhood. In her spare time, Rita enjoys cooking, traveling, reading and going to the beach.

Stephanie Tybinka, Teacher - 3rd Grade

Stephanie is thrilled to begin her second year at TALES. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2007, she began teaching 4th grade in Brooklyn where she remained for four years. While teaching, she earned her MA in Childhood Education at Pace University and now plans to pursue additional certification in other areas. While not working, Stephanie enjoys reading, backpacking, hiking, and playing soccer. She is looking forward to another great year in third grade!

Rachel Wolf, Teacher-Special Education

Rachel is excited to begin her fourth year at TALES. She attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and received her undergraduate degree in Human Development. After graduation, Rachel spent two years at Teachers College at Columbia University, where she received a Dual Masters in Childhood Education and Special Education . She was the Special Education teacher in an ICT classroom for a year in South Ozone Park before coming to TALES. This year, Rachel is excited to return to school to pursue a future in administration at Hunter College. She is passionate about music and theater and hopes to share that love with her students.

Andy Yung, Teacher -Pre-Kindergarten
Mr. Andy has been a resident of Flushing since he was 8 years old. He attended P.S. 24 for elementary school, I.S. 237 for middle school, and Francis Lewis for high school. He studied to become a teacher at Queens College for both his Bachelor’s in elementary education and Master’s in teaching English to speakers of other languages. After graduating from Queens College in 2009, Andy started working for CAPA after school while subbing for TALES in the morning. This year will be Andy’s first year teaching in pre-k. In his free time, Mr. Andy loves to read and play video games. He believes books and video games can teach people valuable life lessons. When he’s not reading or gaming, Mr. Andy likes to express himself artistically through various arts and crafts projects.

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