Carrie Broquard, known as Dr. B to Lafayette students, has led Lafayette as its principal since 2014. Carrie Broquard began her career in education as a science teacher in Los Angeles, California. Within the Los Angeles Unified School District, Dr. B later served as a chemistry teacher, gifted and talented education coordinator, and an assistant principal. In 2008, she relocated to Normal, IL where she has served as an assistant principal, an emotional-disabilities coordinator, and a clinical assistant professor in educational administration. Dr. B holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in education from Bryn Mawr College, as well as both a master’s degree in educational administration and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of California, Los Angeles. On the weekends, Dr. B can be spotted spending time with her two daughters and prepping her camper for upcoming adventures.

Madison Bosurgi began her career at Lafayette as a third grade math and science teacher before transitioning to Lafayette assistant principal. Prior to Lafayette, she taught first grade for seven years in west Philadelphia. Ms. Bosurgi holds a bachelor’s of science degree in both elementary education and early childhood education, and a minor in psychology. She also has a master’s of education in school leadership. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her jack russell, Mikey, and traveling back home to New Jersey and Philly whenever she can.

Laura Pajor is a Pre-K teacher, a children’s book aficionado, and former “bad speller.” Although she moved to several states during her childhood, she thinks of North Carolina as home. An avid biker, Laura often spends her weekends biking with her sons.

Dina has been teaching at Lafayette for more than 20 years. She spent 17 as a Kindergarten teacher and the years since as a Pre-K teacher. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Skidmore College and a master’s in early childhood special education from George Mason University. She lives in Silver Spring with her son, her parents folks, some dogs, and an occasional turtle.

Irene Taguian is originally from the Philippines, but now lives in Capitol Riverfront in Southeast DC. She studied at the University of the Philippines (where she performed with one of the top Filipino choirs) and later George Mason University. When she’s not at Lafayette, Ms. Taguian enjoys traveling, eating exotic food and cheering on the Nats.

Coming Soon

Haley Guarisco was born and raised in Longview, Texas. She graduated from Louisiana State University and has been living in DC for the past 5 years. Outside of the classroom, Haley enjoys traveling, reading, trying new restaurants, cheering on LSU football, and spending time with friends and family. Her favorite part about teaching is learning with her students.

Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, I decided to make the move to D.C. after college. During COVID I made the decision to change careers to follow my true passion in teaching.
My family is everything to me, and I cherish spending time with my loved ones, especially my nephew (5) and niece(4), who are my world!
In my free time, you’ll often find me at live music shows, taking a walk with my dog, or spending time by any body of water.
I’m thrilled to be in the classroom, where I can’t wait to embrace my students as part of my school family. It’s a journey that I have worked hard for and more than ready to begin.

Patricia Selzer, born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the youngest triplet in a family of six. She began her college career at The Catholic University of America before transferring to The University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and concentration in Language Arts. She began her teaching career in Charlotte, N.C. and is thrilled to return to her favorite city, Washington, D.C., to continue teaching Kindergarten. Outside of the classroom, she loves to spend time with her large Irish family of over 40 cousins. She also loves traveling, DIY projects, and enjoying all the things the city has to offer. She can’t wait to spend time this year with her students, growing and learning together!

Erin de Jonckheere Briggs is a first grade teacher, Girls on the Run coach, and sommelier in training. She is a proud Michigander (Go Blue!); however, grew up in Brazil and Venezuela. Her first language was Portuguese. Erin is a graduate of Indiana University. When she is not teaching, Erin enjoys running and snuggling with her kitty. She may have a slight obsession with pineapples too!

Alycia Hallock is going into her 8^th year as a first-grade teacher at Lafayette. Previously, she taught 6 years of PK, also at Lafayette. She is from College Park, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins. She lives with her husband, son, and dog in Silver Spring, MD. She loves to listen to music, go to concerts, workout, and spend time with her toddler. 

Kelly Paton has been teaching first grade at Lafayette since 2018. Prior to Lafayette, Ms. Paton taught for two years in a different DCPS school. Ms. Paton graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Elementary Education and received her masters in Early Childhood from the Relay Graduate School of Education. Ms. Paton is originally from San Francisco, California, but made the move to DC in 2016. Outside of teaching, Ms. Paton loves spending time with her three sisters, one brother, and many nieces and nephews. She also loves indoor cycling, traveling the world and trying new coffee shops!

Lakeisha Johnson was born and raised in Washington, DC. She attended and graduated from the District of Columbia Public School System. Lakeisha then went on to attend West Virginia Wesleyan, and Trinity University. During her free time, Lakeisha loves to spend time with her family, make crafts and have fun with her five Yorkies and Macaw!

Liz Bauer has been teaching at Lafayette since 2013. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Psychology and minor in Education. She has her masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Social Justice from Trinity Washington University. She’s not a DC native but both of her parents grew up here and she’s lived here since she graduated college. She lives in DC with her wife and dog. She loves to play games, spend time with friends, and travel.”

Keisha Harris was born in Washington, D.C. She lived briefly in Rochester, NY during middle school and went to boarding school in Culver, IN for high school. Keisha attended Xavier University of Louisiana and started her Master’s at George Washington University. After college, Keisha spent two years with City Year in Washington, D.C. and fell in love with teaching and being in the classroom. After teaching Pre-K for seven years, she was ready for a change and came to Lafayette to teach Kindergarten. When she’s not teaching, she can be found spending time with her family and friends. She likes to read, watch movies, and research what her next nail color will be.

Annie Campbell is a native Washingtonian. After graduating from Elon University in North Carolina, she taught kindergarten for three years before returning to D.C. She has spent many years at Lafayette teaching fifth grade English language arts and social studies as well as second grade. 

Abby Daley is originally from Cleveland, OH and currently lives in the NoMa area of D.C.and attended the University of Mount Union for her undergraduate and graduate degree in Early Childhood and Special education.Outside of teaching, Abby enjoys hiking every summer in the Adirondack mountains. She is also into rock climbing, wine tasting, shopping, riding her bike, and rooting for the Cleveland Browns. She loves to bake and watch “The Great British Baking Show.”

Hattie Shaw is a DC Native who is excited to be joining the Lafayette community! Hattie has experience in preschool, and first grade, and is excited to continue her time in second! Hattie obtained her bachelors from Barnard College and her Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University. Hattie enjoys musicals, exploring outside, eating Chipotle, and traveling, particularly to New York City, and can often be caught singing camp songs or making up silly dances!

Ms. McKee has been a part of the Lafayette family since 2015. She is a graduate of Virginia State University. Ms. McKee believes in teaching our students HOW to think. Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it. Dominique enjoys getting lost in 90s music, reading and fitness. 

Donna is a native of Louisiana and graduate of Louisiana Tech University. In fact, she was crowned Little Miss Dubach at her home town’s famed Chicken Festival. Despite growing up in rural Louisiana, Donna has never been camping and is happy to never attempt it. She loves spicy foods and is known to eat jalapenos with every meal (even breakfast). On the weekends, Donna enjoys eating out, wine tasting, swimming with dolphins, and perusing the racks for good deals.  

Ali Dalton was born and raised in New York. She graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education and a master’s degree in Special Education. Ali is excited to take on her new role at Lafayette teaching 4th grade. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, hiking with her puppy, and reading a good book.

Brittni Martin is new to the DC area, and is excited to be joining the 5th grade team. She grew up in Sacramento, California and spent the past two years teaching 6th grade in her hometown. She attended San Diego State University, where she graduated with a degree in liberal studies, elementary education. Aside from teaching, Brittni loves to go on adventures and explore new places. Her life-long goal is to travel to all seven continents.

Davian Matthews is a native of Huntsville, Al where he began his career teaching sixth grade and coaching multiple sports. After relocating from his hometown, he taught second and fourth grade for the past five years in Arlington, VA. Mr. Matthews is a proud graduate of Alabama A&M University “The Hill” (Go Bulldogs!) In his free time, Davian enjoys drawing and watching movies. On the weekends you can find him somewhere in the DMV area trying to figure out a way to play a quick round of golf whenever its not to cold.

Meg Ratliff is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. A former resident of the garden state, Meg spends her summers at the shore. On the weekends, Meg enjoys running and brunching, preferably with friends and/or her beagle Lana. At exactly 5 ft tall, was hoping to not be mistaken for a leprechaun while exploring the Emerald Isle during last spring break.

Holly Nantais is a special education teacher and Girls on the Run coach. She lives in Rockville, Maryland and can often be seen biking to school. Holly regularly participates in adventure races clad in self-designed costumes. She’s a skilled home-renovator and can frame and dry-wall entire rooms. In her youth, she was in all the bands (the German marching band, jazz ensemble, and concert band) because she can play all the saxophones (alto, soprano, baritone, and tenor). Holly worked as a Disney World cast member for many years.

Jennie Taylor Calhoun is happy to return to DC and join the Lafayette community after spending the last 15 years living and working around the globe. She and her family just returned from 5 years in Kigali, Rwanda where she worked at an
international school teaching 4th and 5th grades. Years ago, Jennie operated the largest sweet potato farm in East Africa but now has trouble getting anything to grow in her personal garden. She loves traveling, reading, cooking, listening to
podcasts while multi-tasking and doing crafts with her kids (or on her own). Jennie has a knack for remembering useless pop culture facts and would be a great addition to any trivia team.

This will be Lucy Cantu’s 15th year as an educator. She is originally from Texas, where she earned an Associate of Arts from Laredo Community College, and a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M International University. Lucy earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Penn State. Her daughter, Amber Nicole, attends the University of William & Mary in Williamsburg, and her son, Jace, will be a rising junior in high school. Although she has left the state of Texas, Lucy still roots for all of her Texas teams, especially the Dallas Cowboys!

Kerry Cassidy is a fifth grade teacher. A former tax analyst, Kerry is a master of record keeping. She enjoys crocheting, singing, and goofing around with her two daughters. Kerry is originally from Elmira, New York; she now lives in the Petworth neighborhood of D.C. with her family. Kerry is a graduate of Union College, American University and George Washington University.

Dedicated to unlocking the potential of every student, Joe Mentzer is an experienced educator who believes in fostering a lifelong love for learning. With a background in teaching middle school science and mathematics, Joe brings his expertise to Lafayette Elementary School this August (2023). As an advocate for academic growth, he strives to create engaging and inclusive learning environments that inspire curiosity and critical thinking. With a strong educational foundation from Eastern University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Old Dominion University, Joe is ready to empower students to reach their fullest potential. Join him on this exciting educational journey!

Ben Lookner was raised in New Jersey. He left for DC to attend the George Washington University and decided to stick around after earning his BA in history. This is his 13^th year as a DCPS special educator. Ben lives in the Petworth neighborhood with his fiancé, Amy, and their dog, Fred. Outside of school, you can catch him hiking, biking, or in the kitchen cooking and baking. Ben is a fan of fun shirts and an avid traveler. He particularly likes long road trips during which he can listen to audiobooks and explore our national parks, monuments, and other public lands.

Coming Soon

Lance Buchanan was born and raised in Southern Appalachia in a town of only 45 people where he became captivated by his idol, Dolly Parton. He is an avid traveler and has just recently relocated back to the USA after he, his husband, and cat lived in Bahrain for three years. Lance is thrilled to call DC his new home and can’t wait to explore what all it has to offer. He is passionate about creating a more inclusive world by establishing learning opportunities for all students.

Carey Cohn has made DC & MD home after living in several US states growing up! Carey attended the University of Pittsburgh and holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education K-12. Her teaching journey began in Fairfax County Public Schools as an Autism Teacher. In 2017, she transitioned to DC Public Schools and has spent the past 6 years as an ILS and Inclusion special education teacher.  She works diligently to create an inclusive and empowering space for all students! Carey enjoys staying active with her husband, two daughters and dog, Barkley. 

Erin Scott grew up in Kensington, MD and began her teaching career in Pittsburgh, PA. Erin taught for 5 years in 5^th and 6^th grade as a full inclusion special education teacher. Erin moved back to the area in 2015 and began teaching at Lafayette. This is Ms. Scott’s 7^th year at Lafayette and first year teaching SLS. Outside of school, Erin loves to spend time with her husband, Brian and their two kids, Harper and Liam.  

Tiana Stewart is a D.C native and a proud graduate of DCPS (elementary, middle, and high school). She received her bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University and master’s from American University. She enjoys cooking, interior design, football ( Philadelphia Eagles), and spending quality time with family.

Meaghan graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education and spent the last five years teaching at a nonprofit choral organization in Chicago. When not teaching, she loves to spend time with family and friends. You can also find her singing, dancing and playing piano.

Richard Foley, one of our maravilloso Spanish teachers, grew up in southern Spain. He is number six in a family of nine brothers and sisters. He lived in Florida while he was going to school, graduating from the University of West Florida in Pensacola. He went on to get his Master’s degree at American University in Washington, DC. He enjoys reading whenever his kids let him, and watching his favorite sports teams on TV- Real Madrid and the Dallas Cowboys. He is the proud dad of Maria and Mario.

Maddie Dunleavy is one of our amazing PE teachers working with grades 1-5. She and Margie McClure are teaching kids how to draw a bow, ride a bike, and develop lifetime fitness goals. A native of Long Island, NY and graduate of SUNY Cortland, Maddie currently resides in Alexandria, VA . In her spare time, Maddie sings Broadway tunes for koala bears (they find it soothing). 

David Gregal is from the DC area and attended Penn State University. Prior to becoming a teacher, he worked at National Geographic as a cartographer. Outside of school, David draws illustrations for a children’s art magazine, Root and Star. He can also be found reading Dune to one (or all three) of his boys.

Margie McClure is a physical education teacher working with grades 1-5. She has been working at Lafayette for decades and is even an alumna of the school. Margie was born in Southern California. She and her family now live outside of Baltimore. When not teaching (or commuting) Margie plays tennis and golf, and sometimes hustles hipsters who think they can beat her in a match of cornhole. Margie has been honored by the USA Rugby Association, as she played in the first US Women’s International Match. 

Laurie McLaughlin Ward sparks creativity in students in grades 1-5 each day during art. She is from the DC area and lives only a stone’s throw from where she grew up. She is a graduate of George Mason University’s Initiatives in Educational Transformation program (with Andrea Perll). When not teaching or mounting artwork, she enjoys good food, good wine, and good company. She grew up in a house of musicians and artists in the Vietnam War protest hippy generation. She’s been living with and loving her husband for more than 40 years. She can often be found dancing, gardening, and creating pottery in the Glen Echo pottery yurts.

Rachel Leese, Lafayette’s librarian, manages the library and teaches students in grades PK-5 how to access the school’s vast collection. Rachel is a native of Pennsylvania and alumna of Pennsylvania State University and University of Pittsburgh. Her visits home include spending time with her family’s sheep. When she is not at Lafayette, she is a reader, hiker, biker, and singer. Rachel is our resident craftsman; she has built several houses, hiking structures, and worked on multiple renovations. 

Andrea Perll, our peppy Pre-K and Kindergarten art, music, and PE teacher, grew up in New Jersey and Connecticut. She is a graduate of U Conn (go Huskies!) and George Mason University. Andrea has lived in Israel and Boston, and now resides in Silver Spring, MD. When not entertaining the little ones in our school, she enjoys hiking, checking out interesting exhibits at museums, creating photo scrapbooks, and shopping. Andrea is also a huge fan of traveling and taking photographs of her travels. Some of her favorite places she’s visited include Costa Rica, Switzerland, Petra, and Greece. 

Elie Goldman studied mindfulness and neuroscience at Emory University. Upon graduation, he joined Teach for America (TFA) in Chicago in 2016. Elie then taught in India and Israel. Elie has an entrepreneurial spirit. He co-founded InnerView Education, attended UPenn’s Education Entrepreneurship program, and was an Entrepreneurial Fellow at UConn. Elie is a founding board member of CONNECTdmv. In his free time, Elie is a traveler, triathlete, and bird-nerd. He is grateful to be teaching peace in the community he grew up in.

Jocelyn Braswell was born and raised in Washington, D.C. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University. Jocelyn has taught Physical Education to students in grades K through 10 and coached a variety of sports. She loves being a mom, enjoys the outdoors, trying new food and spending time with family.

Erin Duchinsky is a math specialist working with grades 1-5 and mathletes of all ages. She is originally from Pennsylvania and attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut before moving to the DC area. She lives in Petworth with her family, one member of which is a great dane named Maude. She enjoys puzzles of all kinds: logic, jigsaw, and crossword. Erin also enjoys listening to and talking about music; she hosted a radio show in college and can often be found strumming a guitar.

Tara Sarathy serves as an ELL Teacher.  She has served as a Literacy Facilitator with the AIM Institute for Learning & Research and is trained in several structured literacy programs. As the daughter of an Indian immigrant and Brooklyn native, she is particularly drawn to working with multi-lingual speakers and facilitating family engagement.  Prior to working in elementary education, Tara worked as a law school administrator and as a lawyer in government. A Connecticut native, Tara now lives in Washington, DC with her husband, two children, a large doodle, two cats, and two parakeets! When not in motion with one of her pets or people, Tara is working on gradually replacing her lawn with native plants, heading north for the perfect bowl of Rhode Island-style clam chowder, serving as the second hand in building Lego architecture sets or curling up with a good book. She received her A.B. from Brown University, her J.D. from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. in special education: learning disabilities from American University.

Edie Stanton is a math specialist that works with students in grades 1-5. Her favorite part of the week is math team on Friday mornings where students discuss challenging math problems. She is from the Chevy Chase, MD area and currently resides there with her family. Edie attended Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. When not at school, Edie enjoys hanging out at the beach with her wife and daughters. She also loves playing games and puzzles.

Megan Tribble earned her Master’s degree in elementary education from University of Pennsylvania. She is currently working on a master’s in reading from UVA and has earned certificates from the reading and writing project at Columbia University. She just moved back to the DC area from Brooklyn, New York. She previously taught in Fairfax County Public Schools for six years and New York City Schools for one year. Ms. Tribble enjoys yoga and hiking. 

Deanna is a native of Prince Georges County, MD and currently resides in Anne Arundel County, MD.  She is a proud alumna of Alcorn State University, where she received an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a Masters’s degree in reading. Deanna is married with one son and an extremely spoiled dog named Faith. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her family, attending spin classes and reading. 

Jillian Diesner is originally from Florida and is a graduate of the University of Florida. After leaving Florida, Jillian lived in Italy and still loves everything Italian. In her spare time she enjoys goofing around with her family by perusing thrift stores and making sock puppets. Despite the event being officially cancelled, Jillian ran in the first D.C. marathon in 2002.

Sophia Carré is Lafayette’s clinical social worker and resident hallway dancer. She enjoys reading, traveling, and coloring books (they’re so soothing). She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Howard University. Sophia is from New York City, but came to Maryland so she could be closer to Assateague Island; there is nothing better than wild horses on the beach. Her favorite song is, “I’m a survivor;” she wears her survivor ribbons proudly. Making costumes for and attending Comic-Con are the highlight of her year.

Beth Schneider has been the speech-language pathologist at Lafayette since 2012.  After growing up in New York, she went to Tufts University in Boston where she earned her B.S. in computer science.  After realizing she missed working with kids, she pursued her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Emerson College. Beth has worked in a variety of settings including private practice, early intervention and outpatient clinics, but her true passion is working with kids in their school environment because it allows her to see the needs and successes of her students on a daily basis. When not at Lafayette, Beth can be found exploring DC with her two girls, Hannah and Naomi, her husband and her dog.

Erin Ayers is a clinical social worker at Lafayette. Erin is originally from Long Island, New York. She is a graduate of Fairfield University and New York University (MSW). She has been a social worker in the DMV for more than a decade. Erin has experience working in non-public day schools, charter schools, and with DCPS. Erin enjoys running with her two children, reading and going to the beach. 

Randi Stone is originally from Chicago where she also began her teaching career. Randi taught Pre K, first, and second grades while working on her master’s degree in early childhood education. She served as a community organizer in the Chicago Public Schools and went on to earn a degree in school leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She spent two years as the director of instruction at a small school in Boston where she nurtured her love of early literacy and project-based learning. In her spare time she runs, reads, and enjoys new restaurants. 

Shannon Sampedro is proud to join the clinical social worker team at Lafayette in 2022. Shannon is originally from Iowa but loves the diversity of the DMV area where she has lived for the past 15 years. She loves working with children and families, and has experience working with non-profit organizations, child welfare, and private practice. She loves traveling, learning about different cultures (se habla espanol!), and hiking with her husband, two kiddos and dog. She is a graduate of Knox College (BA) and University of Maryland-Baltimore (MSW).