Waynica Staples: Director of Leadership Development听& Training Waynica Staples has joined 91吃瓜 as our new Director of Leadership Development & Training.听In order to place a greater focus on the development of new schools in the metro Atlanta area and across the state, 91吃瓜’s School Services team was realigned听to better meet the needs of the sector.听The former Director of Education & Training position was changed to Director of Leadership Development & Training, and the GaTAPP Director’s title was changed to Director of Teacher Quality & Development.听
“We are thrilled to have Waynica Staples join the 91吃瓜 team as our first Director of Leadership Development & Training,” said Elisa Falco, V.P. for School Services. “Her past charter school experience and expertise in charter school development and feasibility make her an ideal choice for this position.” A native of Pittsburgh, PA. Waynica has been in the educational arena for more than听15 years. She is a passionate reformer and believes that all students can achieve and succeed if given the right tools. Prior to moving to Atlanta,听Waynica听created and led the college and career transition department of听听in Pittsburgh, PA.听City High is an urban school where more than half of the students are considered low income and many are first in their families to attend college. Her work at City High resulted in a 95% college acceptance rate and 75% college retention rate.
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“I’m excited about joining the 91吃瓜 team because I believe that all students deserve access to a quality education,” Staples said.听“In my new role, I’ll have an opportunity to help develop high quality charter schools that are committed to academic excellence for the students that need it most.”
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Upon moving to Atlanta,听Waynica听worked with听听as Program Development Manager, leading the expansion efforts of the Tennessee based organization as they worked to replicate their dual charter school/community development model.听
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Jamie Lyne Thorpe: GaTAPP Program Specialist,听Teacher Support  Jamie Thorpe joins the 91吃瓜 School Services team to grow our GaTAPP听teacher preparation and certification programs. She will develop and implement blended training for candidates, monitor their progress, and coach them as they move through the program.
Jamie is an educator with 13 years of elementary school听teaching experience in diverse environments, including traditional public schools, independent schools, and charters schools; Amana Academy and Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School. She has provided instruction using the International Baccalaureate model, as well as Expeditionary Learning models, and is skilled in the Responsive Classroom method. She earned her M.A. in Early Childhood Education听at听Clark Atlanta University. Ronald Wright: GaTAPP Program Specialist, Program Support听  Ronald Wright听听joins our GaTAPP program with a mission to strengthen the skill-sets and competencies of our teachers and drive them to make a deeper听impact in the charter sector.
Ron is truly a Renaissance man. He听studied Biological and Forensic Anthropology in college. He听has been a student affairs professional at the University of Florida, Gainesville, worked in the University’s Honors Program and was a graduation coach at Georgia’s Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts & Technology in Statesboro.听His teaching experience has included transition support for college freshmen at the University of Florida, adjunct professorships听in Anatomy & Physiology, Forensic Science, and Anthropology.听Outside the formal education arena he has worked in administration at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, provided support in a law firm, and managed a Pizza Hut in Idaho! Ron earned his M.A. in Biological Anthropology at The University of Florida.听
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