Meet Our Team | Faculty & Staff

At Kuumba Academy, we believe in the importance of recruiting, retaining, developing, and supporting great teachers and leaders who can help our students meet high standards. Read on to meet them!

"What makes Kuumba special is that we recognize that, if we want to teach the whole child, in addition to the academic support that we want to provide, we want to make sure we give them the opportunity explore their passions. "

- Sally Maldonado | Head of School

Sally Maldonado

Head of School

Education: Bachelors degree in Elementary and Special Education from University of Delaware; Masters degree in School Leadership from Wilmington University

Experience: Started my professional career in education right here at Kuumba Academy in 2002. Has taught 4th-6th and served as the Academic Dean before becoming the Head of School for Kuumba.

E-mail: smaldonado@kacsde.org

Ayanna Johnson

Principal

Education: Bachelors degree in Afro-American Studies from Harvard University; Masters degree in Multicultural Education from Eastern University

Experience: Has taught K - 10th grade and served as a Math Specialist and Director of Curriculum and Instruction before becoming a Principal. Named Teacher of the Year and founded a private school in New Jersey in 1995. Has served as a Principal for 14 years in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and now Delaware.

Fun Facts: I played the violin in school from 1st grade through 7th grade.

E-mail: ajohnson@kacsde.org

Kenneth Brown

Family Engagement Director

kbrown@kacsde.org

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Kenneth Brown

Family Engagement Director<

Education: B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and a M.Ed. fom Cabrini College in Pennsylvania.

Experience: Ken is a founder of Kuumba Academy Charter School and has been with Kuumba since the beginning. 28+ years

Fun Fact: Love to host parties and detail cars.

Email: kbrown@kacsde.org

Cherri Carr

Lower School Coordinator/Enrollment Specialist

ccarr@kacsde.org

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Cherri Carr

Lower School Coordinator/Enrollment Specialist<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: ccarr@kacsde.org

Sheila Cratic

Upper School Coordinator/ Director of Before & After School

scratic@kacsde.org

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Sheila Cratic

Upper School Coordinator/ Director of Before & After School<

Education: Bachelors Degree-Criminal Justice, Wilmington University, Delaware

Experience: 15+ years as an Administrator, 10 years as a janitorial coach, 3 years Educational Para, 2 years 21st Century Site Administration, 2 years Director of Before & Aftercare Program.

Fun Fact: Love to travel, Love family time, and instperation of my faith.

Email: scratic@kacsde.org

Taron williams

Restorative Practices Coordinator

twilliams@kacsde.org

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Taron williams

Restorative Practices Coordinator<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: twilliams@kacsde.org

Terri Riggs-Lyle

ABA Therapist, CAST

triggs@kacsde.org

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Terri Riggs-Lyle

ABA Therapist, CAST<

Education: bachelors in Criminal Justice and Sociaology with a Minor in Dance from Temple University. Masters in Criminology with a concentration in Buisness Administration and a certification in Behavior Analysis from St. Joseph's University. Currently pursuing my Board Certified Behavior Analyst licensure.

Experience: This will be my 3rd year at Kuumba Academy. I started my professional career in 2005 as a Family Therapist for adjudicated youth in Philadelphia and then transitionaed into Philadelphia public school as a Clinical Supervisor and Dean of Students. I have been working in the Behavioral/Mental Health firld for approximatly 15+ years.

Fun Fact: I am a Wellness Life Coach and will be launching my 2nd wellness company by the end of 2020, which will be named after my husband and son. Everything I do has to do with the ARTS, I have a black belt in Tang Soo Do (Korean Karate). I ride motorcycles and I am a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated-Spring 2008.

Email: triggs@kacsde.org

Doris Kirkland

Lead School Counselor/ LPCMH, NCC, M.Ed

dcorbett@kacsde.org

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Doris Kirkland

Lead School Counselor/ LPCMH, NCC, M.Ed<

Education: BS in Behavioral Science. Masters in Education focus in Counseling, Wilmington University

Experience: I have had the pleasure with working with children & Families for over 13 yrs, assessing, diagnosing and providing treatment to individuals and families dealing with emotional distress at various levels. Working within school settings, hospitals, state agencies as well as private practices has been a rewarding career and afforded me with various methodologies that I hope to utilize with students and families within Kuumba Academy.

Fun Fact: I am a fan of MMA & boxing, and like to travel to different bike trails and ride.

Email: dcorbett@kacsde.org

Ariele Castro

Behavioral Health Counselor

acastro@kacsde.org

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Ariele Castro

Behavioral Health Counselor<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: acastro@kacsde.org

Kieth Beckett

Lower School Counselor

kbeckett@kacsde.org

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Kieth Beckett

Lower School Counselor<

Education: Graduated from Wilmington University with a Masters in School Counseling

Experience: Over 17 years of experience in various areas of education. Served as a Paraprofessional ina the Colonial School District. Served at risk student at William Penn H.S. and John Dickerson H.S. as a Classroom Specialist. Served Special needs students at Appoquinimink H.S., Bancroft Middle School and Kuumba Academy and a Special Education Math teacher. Currently I serve as School Counselor for grades K-4

Fun Fact: I love to spend time with my family, singing and dancing, listening to music and going out with friends and family. I love to read the Bible, and cheering on my favorite sports teams.

Email: kbeckett@kacsde.org

Genelle Freeman-Saul

Lower School Dean

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Genelle Freeman-Saul

Lower School Dean<

Education: Master's Degree from Wilmington University.

Experience: I started at Kuumba in 2008 as a first grade teacher. I served in that role for three years. I then served as the Reading Specialist for seven years. This is my second year serving as the Dean of Students for grades K-4

Fun Fact: I love the fall, Halloween, and watching scary movies.

Email: EMAIL

Deon Booker

Lower School Behavior Interventionist
Transportation Coordinator

dbooker@kacsde.org

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Deon Booker

Lower School Behavior Interventionist
Transportation Coordinator<

Education: BSBM University Phoenix

Experience: 10 years Kuumba Academy

Fun Fact: Minister, Church of Christ. Love exercising and spending time with my family/grand kids.

Email: dbooker@kacsde.org

Brandon Gray

Lower School Behavior Interventionist

bgray@kacsde.org

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Brandon Gray

Lower School Behavior Interventionist<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: bgray@kacsde.org

Norberto Rivera

Building Engineer/Custodian

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Norberto Rivera

Building Engineer/Custodian<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: EMAIL

Tomica Parham

Upper School Dean

tparham-lema@kacsde.org

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Tomica Parham

Upper School Dean<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tparham-lema@kacsde.org

Neva Person

Upper School Behavior Interventionist

nperson@kacsde.org

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Neva Person

Upper School Behavior Interventionist<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: nperson@kacsde.org

Nic Williams

Upper School Behavior Interventionist

niwilliams@kacsde.org

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Nic Williams

Upper School Behavior Interventionist<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: niwilliams@kacsde.org

Ralph Bradley

Human Resources Consultant

rbradley@kacsde.org

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Ralph Bradley

Human Resources Consultant<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: rbradley@kacsde.org

Wayne Kingston

Technology

wkingston@kacsde.org

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Wayne Kingston

Technology<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: wkingston@kacsde.org

Nadiah Lacy

IT Support

nlacy@kacsde.org or it@support.com

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Nadiah Lacy

IT Support<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: nlacy@kacsde.org or it@support.com

Sariah Carr

IT Support

sacarr@kacsde.org or itsupport@kacsde.org

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Sariah Carr

IT Support<

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: sacarr@kacsde.org or itsupport@kacsde.org

Carol Moore

School Nurse

cmoore@kacsde.org

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Carol Moore

School Nurse<

Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wilmington University. Basic School Nurse Certificate from the University of Delaware. Currently working on National School Nurse Certification

Experience: Twenty years of experience as a school nurse in grades K-8 and 5-8. Nineteen years of experience in medical-surgical nursing at Wilmington Hospital.

Fun Fact: Lifelong Learner. Enjoys vacationing and spending time with children, especially her eleven-year-old granddaughter Jordyn and her two dogs Bouncer and Grace as well as her grand dog Jackie.

Email: cmoore@kacsde.org