Menlo Park Academy is excited to introduce 15 new staff members joining us for the 2023-2024 school year! Here they are (in alphabetical order):
Kelly Baughman
Position: Teacher, Grades 2-3
Degrees and certifications: Master of Education in Literacy with Reading Endorsement; Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Years in education: This is my first year at Menlo Park, but my eighth year as a teacher!
A fun fact or two: I have two active sons under 5. They love to run and yell and always keep our house loud for myself, my husband, my dog, and my cat. Sorry sports fans—but I’ve been to more stadiums to see Taylor Swift than I have for sporting events.
Ray Birch
Position: Executive Assistant to the Principal and Dean of Academics
Degrees and certifications: Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology
Years in education: I taught Preschool for three years at The Cultural Academy in Lakewood, Ohio
A fun fact or two: I love anything related to home décor, cosmetology (hair and nail tech), IT repairs, thrift shopping, and repurposing old furniture. I’m also a cat dad of two.
Starr Coulson
Position: Math Teacher, Middle School
Degrees and certifications: Bachelor of Science in Middle Childhood Education
Years in education: Five
A fun fact or two: I enjoy riding horses and playing video games in my spare time when I am not spending time with my three dogs or my husband and son!
Ali Elmore
Position: Teacher, Grades 2-3
Degrees and certifications: Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with Talent Development, Reading, and Gifted Endorsements; Bachelor of Science in Education (PreK-3)
Years in education: Four
A fun fact or two: I spent several summers as a child on Grand Manan, an island in Canada in the Bay of Fundy. When I was 21, I spent the summer working at a pizza shop in Denali Park, Alaska.
Yolanda Flores
Position: Science Teacher, Middle School
Degrees and certifications: Bachelor of Science in Education in General Science; Master of Arts in Science Education in Science Education (candidate); Professional Regulation Commission License (Philippines); Ohio License
Years in education: 30+
A fun fact or two: My husband and I moved from the Philippines a year ago. We have six kids and six grandkids. I enjoy singing, traveling, and enjoying good food. We recently took a cross-country trip by car to California, and I am impressed by the abundance of trees and the variety of nature in the US. I am President of the Ohio Chapter of the United Federation of Filipino-American Educators, where we help teachers with immigration, licensing, professional development, and advocate for them in school districts.
Jesse Gross
Position: Humanities Teacher, Middle School
Degrees and certifications: Bachelor of Arts in History; Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Studies
Years in education: Nine
A fun fact or two: I have my advanced open-water scuba certification
Adonai Henderson
Position: Music Teacher, Grades K-8
Degrees and certifications: Master of Music in Music Composition; Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies
Years in education: Three
A fun fact or two: I spend my free time writing music and playing lots of music and games with my two daughters. I have had a few pieces performed professionally.
Lona Koppenhaver
Position: Humanities and Science Teacher, Grades 4-5
Degrees and certifications: Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction; Pre-K – 3 Certification; Grades 4-5 Generalist Endorsement; 4-9 ELA License; K-12 Endorsement
Years in education: 20+
A fun fact or two: I have two kids and four cats. I love gardening, outdoor activities, and arts & crafts.
Candace Loyd
Position: Science Teacher, Grades 4-5
Degrees and certifications: Bachelor of Science in Biology
Years in education: I am a new elementary teacher with eight years of academic experience.
A fun fact or two: I enjoy kayaking and traveling, and I love cats.
Kristina Milia
Position: Special Education Coordinator and Intervention Specialist
Degrees and certifications: Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (focus: Literacy Development); Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership; Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education
Years in education: Eight
A fun fact or two: I am a certified yoga teacher, an avid gardener, and social-emotional learning (SEL) facilitator. I am married and have two cats, Diggy and Scorpion.
Sara Porras
Position: School Counselor, Grades K-8
Degrees and certifications: Master of Education in School Counseling
Years in education: 13
A fun fact or two: I have two daughters and a dog named Gryffindor
Dave Rossiter
Position: Math Teacher, Middle School
Degrees and certifications: Master of Arts in Teaching Adolescents & Young Adults; Bachelor of Science in Applied Math-Computer Science-Software System; Integrated Math 7-12
Years in education: 17
A fun fact or two: I weighed 10lbs, 8oz at birth, and was the runt of the family. My dad and younger brother used to pick on me for being little. My first job after high school was on the bottling line at the Coca-Cola plant on Monticello Avenue in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. I pedaled my uncle’s three-speed bike 14 miles a day to and from work in June, July, and August.
I started my next job at the Norfolk Water Department when I turned 18. It was about 2 miles away, and paid $2.01 per hour versus $1.85 at Coca-Cola. Mostly, I mowed lawns and moved chemicals, including 101.5-pound bags of copper sulfate. My work crew was competitive when we stacked those over 6 feet high. It was a job we always did at a fast pace. I learned to handle a 4-inch fire hose with a huge brass nozzle that could have been two feet long. It took a team behind me to move the hose so I could spray down a sediment tank.
Shannon Tagliarina
Position: Teacher, Grades 2-3
Degrees and certifications: Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction with a Focus on Gifted Education; Bachelor’s in Education
Years in education: 9+
A fun fact or two: I have traveled to 19 countries outside the United States and have a daughter in kindergarten at MPA.
Jodell Ward
Position: Science Teacher, Middle School
Degrees and certifications: Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (Grades 1-8)
Years in education: 25
A fun fact or two: I am married with two adult children. My family and I are avid animal conservationists.
Adam Williams
Position: Humanities Teacher, Middle School
Degrees and certifications: Juris Doctor; Bachelor of Arts in History
Years in education: I am new to teaching
A fun fact or two: I also coach football at St. Edward High School
About Menlo Park Academy
Menlo Park Academy is Ohio’s only tuition-free K-8 school for gifted children. MPA is a public, non-profit community school with an economically and racially diverse student body of approximately 490 students from across northeast Ohio. The school is located on a renovated seven-acre campus formerly home to the abandoned Joseph & Feiss Clothing Co. on Cleveland’s near-west side.
The school is dedicated to providing exemplary, rewarding experiences that promote learning and whole-child development, offering a curriculum with innovative acceleration and differentiation options.
Menlo is also consistently ranked as one of the top schools in Ohio. Niche, an organization that provides school rankings at the national, state, and local level, ranked MPA as the No. 1 Best Charter Elementary School and Charter Middle School in Ohio in its 2023 rankings and top 3 of all public elementary and middle schools in the state.