​Claire Heckerman-Whitehead deeply believes in the power of education. She knows that a strong educational foundation can change the trajectory of a child's life is is committed to providing a free, excellent education for the children of Jefferson Parish. 

Claire founded Laureate in 2015 with the vision of providing a college preparatory K-8 school for children on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish. She is proud of the progress Laureate has made since 2015 and can't wait to see Laureate continue to become a transformational school in 2024 and beyond! 

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Claire graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor's in International Studies and Anthropology with a minor in Africana Studies and later earned her Master's in Educational Leadership from Louisiana State University Shreveport.  

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Claire loves to travel, live music, and reading at coffee shops! 

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checkerman@laureatecharter.org

Semaj Allen-Raymond eagerly joins the Laureate Academy family as the Director of Scholar Support where she will be responsible for a wide spectrum of duties designed to remove barriers and ensure student access to a quality education.

As native of the Westbank of Jefferson Parish, the success of the future generation of JP residents is a professional and personal priority. Prior to joining the Laureate Academy Team, for the past 23 years, she has served the students and families of Jefferson Parish as an employee of Jefferson Parish Schools. While in JPS she  served in multiple capacities, Elementary Classroom Teacher, Instructional Associate, High School Assistant Principal, Middle School Principal and Director of Charter Schools and School Choice Programs. Before becoming an Educator, Semaj worked as a Territory Sales Manager for Philip Morris International.

Semaj is a proud graduate of Louisiana State University, were she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance with Concentration in Commercial Banking. She also received two Master of Education Degrees in Special Education and Administration and Supervision for the University of New Orleans. I hold professional certifications in Educational Leadership/Principalship(All Grades), Reading Specialist (All Grades), Elementary Education (1-5), and Mild/Moderate (1-12).

Semaj strongly believes that in order to nurture students to become successful and productive citizens, we must create a safe, inclusive, and collaborative school culture.  This includes supporting teachers and staff and building positive relationships with  students, families, and stakeholders to create a fully engaged school community.

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sallenraymond@laureatecharter.org

Eron Jenkins joins the Laureate Academy team as the Director of Operations. Most recently, Eron served as the principal of Peace Preparatory Academy in Atlanta. This marks a return to Louisiana for Eron as he served as a founding team member and Director of Operations at Collegiate Baton Rouge from 2017-2021.

Eron graduated from Georgia State University where he studied journalism. While in college, he learned about the movement toward educational equity. He was inspired to participate in several AmeriCorps programs including Teach for America in the Mississippi Delta. Eron earned a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 2017.

Eron loves music, sports, and travel. His favorite thing is spending time with his family: D’Andrea, Hendrix & Evie Lynn, whom he adores.

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ejenkins@laureatecharter.org

Shonta Jackson has been in education for a decade and has taught 1st, 3rd, and 4th grade . She has also served as a mentor teacher and literacy coach. Her specialty is literacy and data analysis.

Currently, she is pursuing her doctorate in teaching and curriculum.

She is excited to join the Laureate team and be a change agent in the educational system. She looks forward to meeting each scholar and family!

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sjackson@laureatecharter.org

Tess Proctor is thrilled to step into the role of Dean of Instruction for grades 3-8 humanities this year! She has spent 7 years in education covering all subjects, ages, and grades and is so excited to continue honing her humanities skills in her second year of leadership. She learned a lot in year one of leadership and can't wait to continue supporting teachers through live coaching, data-driven instruction, and instilling a love of reading in all our scholars! 

Ms. Proctor has achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with a minor in visual arts from Loyola University New Orleans and is in the process of earning her teacher certification in middle school ELA. Her personal academic journey and experiences drive her passion for education and creating classroom environments for students to become confident, skilled, and versatile lifelong learners. She finds immense joy and fulfillment in watching students grow and reach their full potential. 

In her free time she highly enjoys playing soccer, exploring restaurants and finding new delicious foods to eat, traveling at any and every chance she gets, and attending concerts and festivals. 

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tproctor@laureatecharter.org

Jaime-Lee Kavanagh is excited to join the Laureate Academy team as the 3-8 Math & STEM Dean of Instruction.  Jaime-Lee is originally from Providence, Rhode Island where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Teaching and Special Education from Rhode Island College. This will be Jaime-Lee’s 10th year in Education.  She started her journey as an educator at Achievement First Providence Charter School as a Kindergarten teacher. Throughout her 7 years at Achievement First she was able to grow and develop through the many different roles she held. She taught grades Kindergarten through 4th grade, Coached and Developed teachers through the RElay Teacher Certification Program, Facilitated and Lead Professional Development for teachers, served as a Grade Team Leader, was a Math Content Leader and Curriculum Fellow, a Special Education Case Manager as well as leading the Child Study Team. Most recently over the last 2 years after relocating to New Orleans she worked as a Math Interventionist at KIPP Central City Middle School.  

In her free time she enjoys spending quality time with her 7 month old baby- Tre and her family, traveling back home to Rhode Island to see her niece and siblings, and exploring all of the unique experiences New Orleans Culture has to offer.

LaJuanda Logan is thrilled to be a part of the Laureate Academy Special Education Leadership Team as the new Dean of Special Education. LaJuanda has worked in education for over a decade with most of that time predominantly spent working in special education. She has a strong passion for ensuring that the needs of all students are met so they may reach their highest potential no matter what. She looks forward to helping students who receive special education services to prove what’s possible.

LaJuanda has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of New Orlean, Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Troy University and a Master of Arts in Teaching Mild/Moderate Special Education and Elementary Education from the University of New Orleans. She looks forward to helping all educators to have a positive impact on student achievement at Laureate Academy.

Outside her time spent in professional environments, LaJuanda enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new restaurants, attending events,  shopping, and traveling.

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llogan@laureatecharter.org

Rob Young brings to his role as Dean of Operations a wealth of experience spanning 8 years in the education sector. He has cultivated a deep passion for fostering the growth and development of young people. His career has been dedicated to creating environments where students can thrive academically and personally. He takes immense pride in contributing to his community and strives to ensure it is the best it can be. He believes in the transformative power of education to uplift and empower individuals, and he actively pursues opportunities to enrich the educational experience for all scholars he oversees.

In his role as Dean of Operations, Rob is committed to maintaining a safe, efficient, and supportive atmosphere for all scholars and staff where innovation thrives and where every scholar feels inspired to achieve their fullest potential.

Outside of his professional life, Rob enjoys sports and loves to travel.

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ryoung@laureatecharter.org

Tiffany Roche Moll is native of Louisiana, born and raised in Gretna. She has 13 years of experience in education excelling in various roles. Mrs. Moll has taught over 7 grade levels, alternative programs, and previously owned an early childcare center. Mrs. Moll currently has a Master’s degree in Psychology and is on track to graduate with a second Master’s degree in School Counseling this upcoming December. She serves as an active part of the community, as president of a non-profit organization. Mrs. Moll is an advocate for youth and is very passionate about teaching scholars to embrace education. In her leisure time she enjoys spending time with family, reading, and making birthday pins.

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tmoll@laureatecharter.org

Maynard Chatters III is the 24-25 8th Grade Humanities Teacher.  He is a born and raised New Orleanian who looks forward to giving back to his community day in and day out. Chatters will be entering his 2nd year of teaching here at Laureate Academy. Chatters feels that the perfect way to give back to his community is by enriching scholars through education so that they are able to create successful opportunities for themselves in the future. Chatters is passionate about the importance of holistic growth for each individual student because he knows that it can determine what their bright futures entail as they progress through life.

During Chatters’s free time he enjoys meditating, outdoor cardio, sports,  and learning new intellectual ideas/perspectives.

Demetri Pentaris is a New York native who attended Florida Atlantic University and earned a degree in Medicinal Chemistry. Mr. Pentaris is excited to start his third year at Laureate Academy. He will be teaching 3rd Grade Math and STEM and is excited to tap into scholars' potential to lead them to greatness.

Erin Parham is the 4th grade Math and STEM teacher. This is her 8th year at Laureate Academy. She was born in Washington DC and grew up in Woodbridge, Va. She has lived in New Orleans since 2016. Ms. Parham graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in General Science with a concentration in Chemistry. She is a mother to two amazing Laureate scholars. Ms. Parham is passionate about providing each student with what they need to make them successful and building their academic confidence to think outside of the box. She believes that all children are capable of high achievement when they are given adequate  resources and access to different opportunities to help them excel. 

In Ms. Parham’s free time she loves to read, visit bookstores and stationary shops, play video games, discover new artists to listen to on Spotify and watch Youtube.

Janyce Hall is a native of Louisiana, born and raised in Harvey and Gretna. She is the Kindergarten Lead teacher and grade-level chair. She has worked at Laureate as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher for three years and is excited to go back to Kindergarten! She attended and graduated from Saint Katharine Drexel Preparatory High School, better known as Xavier Prep. She graduated from the Southern University and  A&M College and received her master's at Southern University at New Orleans. She will be working in the upcoming years to receive her teacher certification. 

During her free time, she loves to spend time with friends and family and travel to other states.

Brandalyn Hart is the 3rd grade Humanities teacher and grade level chair. She was previously a first grade teacher and super excited to be taking on this new role this school year. Born and raised in Marrero, she is passionate about teaching and seeing the children from her neighborhood  grow to their full potential. She has been with Laureate Academy for 4 years  and looks forward to preparing each scholar for life success by fostering a positive learning space. She also has 2 children who she loves dearly and take up a majority of her time with their extra-curricular activities.

Jenneka Davis is a native of Louisiana, born and raised in Algiers. She has been in education for 9 years excelling in various roles. She is super excited to step back into the classroom to ensure all scholars are provided a quality education. Her goal this year is to make learning fun and exciting for each of her students and she is dedicated to creating a positive learning environment.

Vivian Adams is the Enrichment Music Teacher for Kindergarten - 8th grades at Laureate. She is a native of Harvey, Louisiana and enjoys teaching students from the same community in which she grew up. Ms. Adams is also a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans, LA with a B.A. in Music. She enjoys practicing piano and performing vocally. She is motivated to continue exposing scholars to musical arts and giving them ways to express themselves in a safe space. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, crafting, and reading.

Cathy Kannankeril is joining us this year as the 6th grade humanities teacher. She is in her 7th year of teaching and 15th year in education.  She earned her bachelors from the University of New Orleans and her Masters from Loyola University. Mrs. Kannankeril is super excited to be joining the Laureate Team and looks forward to engaging collaboration for amazing outcomes. She enjoys traveling and being with her family and friends.

Demetria Henry has dedicated 11 years to education, starting as a technology integration intern and later transitioning to Montessori as a paraprofessional. After three years, she returned to her roots as a technology teacher. However, her true passion was always working with students with disabilities in special education, which has led her to her current role as a special education teacher, entering her second year. Demetria is also pursuing her training as a mentor teacher and is committed to continuous growth, believing that her own learning directly impacts the learning of her students. A lifelong learner, Demetria holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Southern University at New Orleans (2010) and is working towards certifications in Middle School ELA and Special Education/Mild Moderate. She has also earned a Google Professional IT Support Specialist Certification (2022). Additionally, Demetria is a licensed Minister. She also has a small business called TuToo Kreative Beauxtique. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her young nieces, singing, writing, music, travel, baking, crafting, and inspiring others.

With 18 years of experience in education, Julie Bieller has made a lasting impact on the lives of her students. She spent 16 years teaching 2nd grade, followed by 2 years as a Special Education Teacher, where she honed her expertise. Today, Julie serves as the Lead Teacher in the Lower Self-Contained classroom and Grade Level Chair within Special Education. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Texas at Dallas and holds dual certifications in General Education and Special Education Mild to Moderate. This year, Julie is pursuing training to become a mentor teacher, driven by her passion for guiding students to showcase their knowledge. When she's not in the classroom, Julie cherishes time with her three children and husband, creating lasting family memories that bring joy to her life

Beth Cloy was born and raised in McAllen, Texas. She played volleyball while receiving her bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Science at Northwestern State University. She then went on to receive her Masters in Counselor Education at University of New Orleans. She is going into her 8th year at Laureate Charter School and 12th year in education. She feels passionate about providing free and quality mental health services for all of the students and school community.  She also serves as a mental health clinician at Bridge House. In her free time, she loves to skateboard, spend time with her family, and enjoys dancing in Mardi Gras parades with the Lucha Krewe.

Caroline King is a born and raised New Yorker who has recently relocated to New Orleans. She is the Second Grade Lead teacher and Grade-Level Chair. Ms. King attended Hartwick College in Upstate, New York and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. Ms. King is excited to start another year at Laureate Academy and continue to push scholars to reach their full potential. She strives to create a safe and equitable environment to enrich scholar success. 

In her free time she enjoys baking and being outside enjoying nature.