Participant Bios

Afrika Afeni Mills

After 15 years as a classroom teacher, Literacy Coach, Instructional Coach, New Teacher Developer and Administrator, Afrika is now the Manager of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning with BetterLesson - supporting PersonalizedPD participants across the country and in Egypt, BetterLesson's coaching team with culturally responsive teaching and learning, and the larger team with diversity, equity and inclusion. This summer, Afrika will be facilitating two book discussion groups across seven teams at BetterLesson (coaching, growth, partnerships, sales, marketing, product and executive), including 20 staff members. The groups will be exploring Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk about Race.


Joellen Persad

Joellen Persad started her teaching career by teaching ESL in Barcelona for two years. After returning stateside, she became a paraprofessional at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School which reignited her passion for classroom teaching. Joellen continued her education, and is now a first year moderate disabilities Physics teacher. Having noticed inequities in the school system, that were not nearly as apparent in Barcelona, Joellen has made it her mission to educate herself on equitable practices and incorporate social justice in the classroom.


Shannon Morey

Shannon Morey has been teaching since 2014. She is currently a science teacher at Abbott Lawrence Academy in Lawrence, MA. Before working at ALA she taught at East Boston High School in the Boston Public Schools. Shannon's project focuses on the relationship between rigor and equity at ALA. She will be working with a colleague to survey stakeholders and develop professional development for the staff at her school.


Teresa Rodriguez

Teresa Rodriguez started teaching high school history over 20 years ago and has worked in charter, district and private schools. She is currently working with her current school Boston Collegiate Charter School to select a consultant to guide the school in the creation of a strategic plan for its equity work including the school's Family Advisory Committee on Diversity.


Michelle Caine

Michelle teaches Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Sexuality Health at Excel High School in South Boston. Her equity work revolves around developing more culturally relevant curriculum in order to connect to students’ humanity in the classroom.


Savannah Lodge-Scharff

This is Savannah's first year teaching in the Boston Public Schools. She currently teaches physics and engineering at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in Roxbury. Her project included creating an affinity group for white teachers to examine their bias, and openly discuss race and whiteness.


J. Malcolm Cawthorne

J. Malcolm Cawthorne has been teaching since 1992; Spanish and Social Studies. He has worked to promote equity and openness in both the classroom and the workplace. After 20 years of teaching at his alma mater, Brookline High School, and as a result of participating in BEE, he plans to create an affinity space for faculty and staff of color beginning in the fall of 2018.

More bios coming soon!