FACULTY & STAFF
DANIEL CHURCH, Sixth Grade Reading Teacher.
dchurch@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 162.
JAKE COUSINS, Seventh Grade World Studies Teacher. Mr. Cousins is thrilled to be joining the Highland Team! Before entering the world of teaching the Colorado native has worked in politics (but don’t hold it against him), directed day camp programs aimed at serving both at-risk students and individuals with special needs, and coached high school debate and theater. He received his B.A. in Political Theory from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR (Go Pios!) and his Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado at Boulder. jcousins@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 169.
RACHEL FLATAU, Seventh Grade Science Teacher, is invested in having all students understand that problem solving math is inescapable and completely doable. Prior to teaching at WDP she taught high school Biology in New York City for five years and Science English classes in rural Japan for one year. She graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis with Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Environmental Science and has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Regis University in Denver. rflatau@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 165.
LIBBY FURNS, Seventh Grade Writing Teacher.
lfurns@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 168.
SUSAN (SUZ) GREER, Sixth Grade World Studies Teacher, uses all sorts of things from geography to history to share with students about our amazing world. As a Colorado native, Mrs. Greer loves the outdoors and graduated from Colorado State University with a History degree. Her college degree enabled her to first work as a summer camp Director at Eagle Lake Camps in Colorado and then become a teacher (her lifelong dream)! She is also grateful to teach character education as she values a student’s integrity as much as his or her intelligence. sgreer@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 159.
COURTNEY KALLAS, Special Education Teacher, was born in Denver, CO. She was raised in both Cheyenne, WY and Arvada, CO, creating a strong connection to the high plains of the Rocky Mountain west. Her passion for public education was sparked as she learned about the dismal connections between low reading ability and personal freedom in the United States, specifically when looking at illiteracy and incarceration rates of young people. While in college, she studied critical social/anthropological theory and researched the connections between a community’s access to physical space and its ability to create local level radical cultural change. ckallas@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 184.
ALISON KELLY, Sixth Grade Math Problem Solving Teacher, comes to West Denver Prep after 4 years of college at Tulane University, earning a B.A. in Communication with a minor in Business. She worked in Colorado Springs for 2 years teaching 5th and 6th grade math. Ms. Kelly loves teaching math, and more specifically problem solving, so students can really see how math applies to their real life. She also is excited to join the highly motivated team of teachers and students at Highland! akelly@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 157.
DEREK KOCKLER, Seventh Grade Math Advanced Problem SolvingTeacher. Derek is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. He graduated with honors distinction earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Photography. While at UW-L he was highly involved in student government culminating with an elected year as President of the Student Body. While President, Derek and several others started a state wide student lobby group that eventually reduced budget cuts by 8.25 million to higher education in Wisconsin. In addition, Derek received research grants to perform student research in three different countries under three different academic studies. dkockler@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 166.
RENEE LABAND, Paraprofessional, is thrilled to be a part of the WDP team! Growing up in Colorado Mrs. Laband gained a great appreciation for the outdoors. This led her to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she earned her B.S. in Business Administration and spent her weekends skiing, camping, and hiking. After working in finance for six years, Mrs. Laband realized that her passion for education far outweighed her current career. During her time volunteering, Mrs. Labanddiscovered that she truly enjoyed working with students on an individual basis and soon found the perfect opportunity at the Highland Campus. rlaband@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 185.
PAULINA LERMA, Office Manager, is from El Paso, TX. Paulina provides internal administrative support, records management, attendance, health support, and attends to the organizations, students and parents’ day-to-day needs. Prior to joining WDP, Ms. Lerma worked at Garden Place academy where she worked as a Health Aid Paraprofessional. Ms. Lerma has a passion for opportunity and she found her home at West Denver Prep where she shares a lot of common struggles students have and she hopes to be able to be a part of the community that together will help students STRIVE for college. plerma@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 150.
GINNIE LOGAN, Principal in Training, is a Colorado native and graduate of Denver Public Schools. Ms. Logan started her journey in education as a 2008 TFA Corps Member in Memphis, Tennessee where she taught Special Education to grades 9-12. After years in the classroom, she joined The New Teacher Project as a Training and Resource Manager, where she was responsible for training and supporting cohorts of new teachers first in Memphis and Denver. Ms. Logan is happy to be back in Denver where she can continue to serve children who may share a background similar to her own. She received a BA from University of Colorado-Boulder in History and Ethnic Studies and a MS from University of Memphis in Instruction and Curriculum. When she is not working towards providing high quality education for all children, you can find her at a Bikram Yoga studio, attending the theater, or playing with the dog! glogan@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 152.
BRENNAN LOWES, Sixth Grade Math Procedures Teacher.
blowes@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 164.
JESSICA MARKS, Founding Assistant Principal. Ms. Marks has served as Assistant Principal at the Highland Campus since the school was opened in August 2010. As a Teach For America Corp Member in Phoenix, Arizona, Ms. Marks taught third grade at Smith Elementary and was appointed to the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee and facilitated the school’s Teacher-Assistance Team. Ms. Marks later served as Director of Instruction for Breakthrough San Francisco, a middle school college preparation program, where she managed both the educational program and the teacher program. She graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in Political Science and Public Policy and also spent a semester at Universidad Latina in San Pedro, Costa Rica studying Spanish. jmarks@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 156.
BETSY PETERSON, Founding Principal, assumed the role as Principal of West Denver Prep’s Highland Campus in August 2010. Before opening the Highland Campus, Betsy was a founding math teacher at the Federal Campus. She later worked with Josh Smith to help launch the Harvey Park Campus. Prior to her work at West Denver Prep, Betsy taught math and served as School-Year Program Coordinator at Denver Summerbridge. As a Boettcher Scholar, Betsy graduated summa cum laude from the University of Denver with a B.A. in International Studies. She wrote her honors thesis on bolstering US-Mexico relations through immigrant education and pursued some of her undergraduate studies at Cambridge University, the London School of Economics, and the University of Malta. bpeterson@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 151.
RAJA RIDGWAY, Sixth Grade Science Teacher, is a Teach for America alumni (Las Vegas Valley, 2008) who strongly believes in cultivating a love for science amongst all students. Mr. Ridgway has a B.S in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In addition to a passion for mechanics, weather, and animals, Mr. Ridgway enjoys coaching volleyball and basketball. When not at school, Mr. Ridgway enjoys snowboarding, training for triathlons, and cheering for the Denver Nuggets.
DANE STICKNEY, Sixth Grade Writing Teacher, is pulling off a career switch. The Kearney, Nebraska, native used to write for newspapers. He’s written sports stories, breaking news reports, and lifestyle features that have won a handful of state and national awards. Now, the current Teach for America corps member is coaxing sixth-graders to write with more description and stronger verbs. He’s also trying to remind himself to use the Oxford comma and not start sentences with “And” and “But.” Mr. Stickney earned degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. And, yes, that means he’s a pretty avid Cornhusker fan. dstickney@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360.
DUSTY TENG, Colorado “I Have a Dream”® Foundation Program Director. Ms. Teng oversees the Records-Rainaldi Class of Dreamers, a cohort of students living in disadvantaged neighborhoods of northwest Denver. Ms. Teng manages a 10-year program of mentoring, academic assistance, life skills and enrichment activities for the 32 Dreamers currently attending WDP. Prior to her current position, she worked with urban youth addressing problem areas including alcohol and drug abuse, struggles in education, juvenile delinquency and parental incarceration. Before moving to Colorado in 2006, she worked with adjudicated youth as an AmeriCorps Fellow under a grant from the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice. dteng@cihadf.org.
DEBRA THRUSH, Special Education Teacher.
303-630-0360 x 158.
JESSICA TILLIS, Seventh Grade Reading Teacher, is a Teach for America alumna (St. Louis, 2009) who knows that encouraging reading as a part of a middle school student's lifestyle will be the deciding factor when it comes to getting into college and following the career path of his/her choice. Ms. Tillis earned her degree in English at the University of Texas at Austin. When Ms. Tillis is not teaching, she enjoys running, longboarding, reading, cheering for the Longhorns, and listening to music. jtillis@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 172.
SEAN UDELL, Special Education Teacher, focuses on making math more accessible for all students. Mr. Udell has made several stops in his journey to Denver, including his childhood in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, multiple work experiences in Hong Kong, and his college career at Columbia University in the City of New York, where he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in urban studies and history. Excited for a long stay in Denver, Mr. Udell is currently pursuing his master’s degree in special education at the University of Colorado at Denver while teaching full time at West Denver Prep. sudell@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 170.
ANGEL VASQUEZ, Seventh Grade Reading Teacher. Before venturing out to Denver, CO Mr. Vasquez spent his early childhood in the Dominican Republic, and then eventually moved to New York City. Mr. Vasquez attended Cornell University where he graduated with a bachelor of science in industrial and labor relations. Mr. Vasquez is now a member of TeachForAmerica as a 2011 corp member and could not be more excited to be teaching at West Denver Prep. avasquez@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 171.
BRITTANY VETTER, Data-Intervention Specialist, is returning to West Denver Prep for her third year. She graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore with a B.A. in Sociology. While in college, she helped start a summer program for English language learners in Indianapolis and studied multicultural education in Denmark. Afterwards, she joined Teach For America's charter corps in Denver, teaching 4th/5th grade in a bilingual classroom. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction at University of Colorado Denver. When she is not encouraging students to love reading as much as she does, Ms. Vetter enjoys teaching dance. bvetter@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 154.
LEE VIGIL, Sixth Grade Reading Teacher.
lvigil@westdenverprep.org, 303-630-0360 x 163.
