Our Staff

Jessica Clark is so excited to be returning for her 2nd year here at LPA! She was born and raised in St. Louis but spent 12 years living and teaching in Kansas City, MO. Jessica graduated from Missouri Western State University with a degree in elementary education with an emphasis in mathematics and early childhood. This will be Jessica’s 8th year teaching kindergarten and 11 year teaching early childhood. Her classroom runs off of love, excitement and exploration, and she cannot wait to meet the students and families that she will get to share this year with! A few of Jessica’s favorite things are the color pink, country music, traveling, and her 8 year old son Cooper!

Jill McInnis is excited to be heading back to teach Kindergarten in her 10th year at Lafayette Preparatory Academy.  Jill has worked as a Kindergarten teacher, 4th Grade teacher, and Instructional Coach at LPA. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2009 with her degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and from UMSL in 2018 with her Masters in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Reading. Jill has experience working with students from many different backgrounds in both St. Louis County and St. Louis City, and she was a founding Kindergarten teacher at LPA. Jill loves working at Lafayette Prep! When she is not at LPA, Jill and her husband, John, like to catch a musical at the Muny or the Fox, travel, read, walk their dog, and explore this wonderful city. 

Amy Hertert joined the first grade team at Lafayette Preparatory Academy in 2014. Amy moved to St. Louis from Oregon where she taught for 4 years. Amy graduated from the University of Oregon in 2008 with a bachelors degree in education and a bachelors degree in ethnic studies. In 2009 she received her masters degree in educational studies. Before attending graduate school, she worked for several years providing early intervention services for young children and has a strong background in differentiated instruction. She is dedicated to supporting each student individually and creating a learning environment that is purposeful, meaningful, and empowering. When Amy is not teaching, she loves reading, gardening, and riding her bike around the city.

Kayomi Williams is excited to be in her second year at LPA. She is a native of St. Louis and graduated from the University of Missouri- St. Louis last year. She has one son who is a great basketball player and Playstation gamer. Kayomi has been in education for the last seven years working as a Teacher's Assistant and long term substitute. She has worked at many schools in the St. Louis area. Kayomi loves spending time with family and friends. Her favorite thing to do is to sing karaoke. She loves watching her students get excited about learning and reaching their goals.

Lisa began working at LPA in the 2014-2015 school year. Before working at LPA, Lisa gained experience in both early childhood and special education settings. Lisa resides in St. Louis with her husband, stepson and daughter.  When she is not working, she loves to read, watch movies, and be with her family.  Lisa believes that teaching is a lifelong learning process. She is consistently inspired by the LPA community of teachers, parents, and students to always learn and grow. She works to instill that same love of learning in her students.

Sarah was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is Haitian-American and speaks Haitian Creole fluently. Sarah attended Stony Brook University in New York where she received a BA in English. In 2011, Sarah moved to St. Louis and started her career as an Early childhood educator with the support of Teach For America-St. Louis. Sarah worked at Sigel Elementary as a preschool teacher for 3 years. During her time at Sigel, she gained her MEd in Early Childhood Education at University of Missouri-St. Louis. She was a Kindergarten teacher for 4 years at LPA and is now going into her fourth year as a second grade teacher. She enjoys reading, singing, loves to try new food, and spending quality time with friends, family, and her dog Pharah. Ms. Demezier believes in building independence in children and instilling a love for learning for a lifetime with her belief in 5 principles: kids are scholars, kids are responsible for the choices they make, kids are independent problem solvers, kids are leaders, and kids are advocates for themselves.

Erin Mikel is excited to start her seventh year of teaching and fifth year with the LPA team. She teaches 3rd grade with an emphasis in Reading along with sponsoring Student Council and coaching cheerleading. Erin grew up in Eureka and after college she moved to the city. She attended the University of Missouri where she received a bachelor’s degree in Communication and minors in Human Development in Family Sciences and Leadership & Public Service. After college, she joined Teach For America Saint Louis where she taught 2nd and 3rd grade at Aspire Academy. In addition, Erin has earned a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. Erin loves to spend time with her puppy, Auggie, and crafting. She can’t wait for your students to join her loving, exciting and innovative treehouse!

Michelle Owens is so excited to be returning to LPA for her third year! She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Truman State University and her Master’s in Teaching from Saint Louis University. This will be her eighth year in the classroom, and each year keeps getting better! She is passionate about making each lesson engaging and fun while encouraging deeper understanding, especially in math. She’s from St. Charles originally, and now lives in South City with her husband, Spenser, and two daughters, Nia and Serena. When she’s not teaching or chasing after her girls, you can find Mrs. Owens watching documentaries, attempting a DIY house project, reading, or trying out new restaurants.

Dan Clark is so excited to start his third year at LPA! When he's not teaching, playing video games, or making music, he spends all of his time with his wife Stephanie, dog Desmond, and daughter Evangeline! Dan is a proud resident of Lafayette Square and is so happy to be able to be a part of the community in a big way by teaching at LPA! Dan is a self-proclaimed a kid at heart with a focus on helping each child find their own strengths and passions. Dan can’t wait to meet new students this year and craft some amazing learning friendships!

Brittani Wade is the current Elementary Dean of Students for Lafayette Preparatory Academy. She is passionate about building genuine relationships with staff, students, and families. Her work is fueled by her understanding and appreciation for neuroscience and collectivism. Her work with Responsive Classroom and restorative practice seek create a positive and safe school environment for all students.

Meg has always loved math, especially because when she was in school she could check her work and know that she was right before turning in her assignments. When she's not problem solving or analyzing data, she enjoys traveling, cooking (and eating!) new foods, reading, hand lettering, spending time outdoors, and going on walks with her dog, Vixen. In the summer, Meg volunteers with the American Youth Foundation at their National Leadership Conference held at Camp Miniwanca, a place where she spent her summers growing up and learned to strive to be her own self, at her very best, all the time.

Lester is very excited to return for another year at LPA as the 5th and 6th grade Social Studies teacher! He graduated from Westminster College in Fulton MO, with his Bachelor of Arts in Curriculum Instruction, and Adolescent Development. He is currently finishing his Masters of Education at Missouri Baptist University.

Olivia Pocost is so excited to be back at LPA for her fifth year to teach the best class ever, 5th, 6th and even some 7th grade science! Prior to LPA, she taught middle school science for two years in the Saint Louis Public School District and spent a year teaching preschool and substitute teaching at Rohan Woods School. Olivia graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in communication and then went on to get her Master’s degree in Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Olivia loves being creative, reading, cooking, and spending time out and about St. Louis with her fiance and puppy, Leo!

This will be Emily's fourth year as LPA’s 5th and 6th grade ELA teacher. Before working at LPA, she earned her Master of Arts in Education from Truman State University. She is a St. Louis native who loves reading; doodling; going for walks; eating (but not cooking); playing with her two puppies, Milo and Archie; and laughing with her students. She believes education is one of our greatest opportunities to work for equity, and looks forward to working with her students to build a better world.

Christy feels so lucky to get to live out her passion for math and science with students and teachers at LPA every day. Christy was a founding fourth grade teacher at LPA before working as an instructional coach for several years. Prior to joining the LPA community, she taught third grade and worked as a Program Director for a mentoring and tutoring program in Saint Louis Public Schools. She attended William Jewell College and Lindenwood University, earning her M.A.T. in Elementary Education. Her unwavering belief in the genius of every student drives her teaching every single day. Christy is from rural Missouri, but now enjoys living in Benton Park. She frequents ice cream shops, hiking trails, and the many restaurants along Cherokee Street with her husband, Kameron, and two kids, Ezra and Margaret--who are also LPA Lions!  You can find her working in her garden with her two chickens and chasing around her pug puppy, Benny.

Emily Robertson will be brushing off her math skills to teach 8th grade Algebra, as well as continuing her work in Instructional Coaching.  She has taught with LPA since the school’s first year, originally as a first grade teacher and then in fourth grade. Before coming to LPA, Emily worked with students in a range of capacities and locations, from urban middle schools in Durham, North Carolina, to rural primary schools in Muhuru Bay, Kenya. Emily attended Duke University in North Carolina and is originally from South Carolina. She is happy to call St. Louis home with her husband Mr. Bosch, their young sons Robbie and Jay, and their old dog Charlie.

Casey McBride is joining LPA with 8 years of teaching and school leadership experience. She began her career as a fifth grade teacher before joining the founding team of Kairos Academies in 2019. In her experience, she has codified school-wide systems, created proactive support systems for the student body, and collaborated with students, staff, and families in the enhancement of the school experience. In her free time, Casey enjoys traveling, cooking, playing tennis, and spending time with her fiancé and 2 dogs, Luna and Jinx. She is excited to join the LPA family and bring a lot of new ideas to our school as the Middle School Dean!

Jess Arnold, aka Coach Arnold has spent the last 14 years as a PE Teacher and Coach of various youth sports. Her experience in those positions has equipped her to take on the role of PE Teacher and Athletic Director here at LPA. Jess moved to St. Louis from Alabama 5 years ago to be closer to family. She enjoys playing any kind of sport, especially outdoors and spends a lot of her free time doing that. Jess is excited to get to know the LPA students and help them learn the benefits of moving their bodies.

Laura Bayer is so excited to be joining the LPA community. She can’t wait to share her love of art-making and art-learning with the artists of LPA. Ms. Bayer has a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Art from Seattle University and a Master of Fine Arts in Comics from California College of the Arts. Before teaching, Ms. Bayer was a graphic designer at local firms and companies in St. Louis. She is looking forward to exploring many diverse mediums with the students at LPA, and creating an Art space where we can question, collaborate, and create!

Anne Williamson is excited for her first year at LPA. Anne will be serving as English Language Learner Support. She is delighted to be a part of the LPA community, joining her nephews, Liam in 3rd grade and the triplets Henry, Malcolm and Owen in Kindergarten. Anne was born and raised in St. Louis and is a proud lifelong resident of the Shaw neighborhood. She graduated with a B.A. in Spanish and a Masters in Teaching (Communication emphasis) from Webster University. Anne has spent the past 19 years teaching Spanish at MICDS. Prior to that she was a travel agent and taught English for a year in France. Anne loves to play the bass and sing with her band The Sadie Hawkins Day String Band. One of her dreams is to be on Jeopardy someday. She has two amazing twin daughters, Rosie and Mayme, who are 17 months old.

Emily is so happy to join the LPA team! She's taught art to preschool through 8th grade. She graduated from Fontbonne University in 2017 with her undergraduate degree in Art Education and is currently enrolled at Lindenwood University working on her graduate degree in Art History. She was raised in St. Louis but enjoys traveling often. Her other interests include painting, reading, kickboxing, and spending time with her dog named Basil.

Danny graduated in 2013 with a degree in Kinesiology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He taught Physical Education for five years at a K-8 school in Decatur, Illinois before coming to St Louis in 2019. Danny is currently teaching in his 4th year at LPA, this year teaching K-4 students. He is also the proud parent to a 3rd grade student at LPA, Delia. When he is not teaching, he loves spending time with his wife and daughter, going on outdoor adventures, playing games, watching movies & shows, and hanging out with friends. Danny has a passion for PE and wants to instill his love for physical activity, games, and sports to all of his students.

Sarah Hunt is excited to begin her seventh year at LPA. As the technology teacher, Mrs. Hunt enjoys working with students to build basic computer skills, dynamic portfolios, and an understanding of the role of technology in our lives. A St. Louis native, Mrs. Hunt graduated from Webster University with B.A. degrees in Studio Art and Communications, and earned her Masters in Education from University of Missouri – St. Louis. Mrs. Hunt enjoys cooking, reading, working on projects around the house, and spending time with her husband, Colin, and her three dogs, Texas, Journey, and Sirius.

Jodi Boyd is excited to begin her Fifth year with the LPA team. Jodi graduated from Missouri Baptist University in 2011 with her degree in Early Childhood, Elementary and K-12 Cross-Categorical Special Education. She worked with the Special School District of St. Louis County for four years in an early childhood special education classroom and was then chosen to help start an intensive behavior intervention team in May 2012. While working on the behavior intervention team, she had the opportunity to work in districts all over St. Louis County helping students with high frequency and high intensity behaviors become successful within their classroom. Jodi believes that all students can succeed and enjoys helping them reach their fullest potential. She is happy to be a part of establishing Lafayette Prep and their Special Education program. In her free time, Jodi likes hanging out with her friends and family, exploring the city and spending time outdoors.

Gianni Gardiner is excited to be a part of the special education team at LPA. Gianni is both a parent and a teacher at LPA - her two children, Milo (4th) and Scout (3rd) also love being a part of our LPA community. Gianni has a master's in social work and worked in social work education and evaluation, specializing in and teaching research methods, prior to coming to LPA. She has taught learners of all ages, from Kindergarten through graduate school, and finds something special about teaching at all levels. She has a firm belief that all people deserve the opportunity to learn, and is excited to support the growth and learning of all students in an intentionally diverse environment. When she is not at school Gianni enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, making music with her sisters, and finding a few spare minutes to stick her nose in a good book.

Robert Grooms is starting his 10th year as a special education teacher, and second year working with LPA. Originally born and raised in California, Robert worked for the California State Legislature and for political campaigns across the state before making the jump to education. He earned a Masters Degree in Teaching, and has credentials covering mild, moderate, and severe special education settings, and social studies. In 2018, Robert relocated to Missouri, and has already become a devoted Cardinals and Blues fan. When he’s not at LPA, Robert enjoys exploring the city with his wife Tiffany and dog Carpenter. He also has yet to meet a toasted ravioli that he doesn’t like.

Kaelin Lawler is very excited to start her second year on the LPA team! Kaelin has degrees in Elementary Education and K-12 Cross-Categorical Special Education Mild/Moderate. She graduated from Saint Louis University in December 2017. Before joining LPA, Kaelin taught special education from kindergarten through sixth grade. She is passionate about being an advocate for students and supporting them in achieving their academic goals. When Kaelin is not teaching, she loves to spend time with her friends and family, go hiking, reading, and playing with her kitten, Fiona. She’s looking forward to another school year at LPA!

Ciera has been part of the LPA community since the 2015-2016 school year and cannot imagine spending her time working anywhere else! She is excited to continue building out our Family Resources and supporting our community this school year. Ciera is continuously in awe of the educators she is surrounded by and cannot wait to see where LPA’s 10th year will lead us as Team LPA. Before LPA Ciera spent time as a Director in several aftercare programs, a youth leader, working in early childhood, and as co-teacher in a lower elementary Montessori classroom. She continues to ground herself in her belief that all children deserve a quality education and someone to believe in them. When Ciera is not at LPA she loves exploring the city, spending time with friends and watching their kiddos grow, and hanging out with her 2, four-legged children. 

Ta’Nisha Pirtle is so excited to start her fifth school year at LPA as an Office Assistant. She looks forward to building strong relationships with each family, and to using her skills to support the school. Currently, Ta'Nisha is pursuing a degree in Business Administration at Harris Stowe State University. When she's not working, she likes to spend time watching crime documentaries and exploring the city with her fiance, Eric.

Jana is excited to be returning for her second full year to the front desk team supporting the wonderful LPA community. She was born and raised in Indonesia, lived in Denver for High School, and studied Elementary Education in Chicago where she taught 1st-3rd grade. 3 years ago she moved from Minnesota to St. Louis with her husband and 3 kids. She loves to read, travel, and be outside running, hiking, or exploring new places.

Kristine is excited to join the LPA team! She comes to us from the Carondelet Leadership Academy where she was the Business Manager for 7 years. Mrs. Wentzien is a graduate of Truman State University with a B.A. in Business Administration. Born and raised in St. Louis, she loves to explore and enjoy the city and its parks, see live music, enjoy great food, and spend time with her family and their dog Russell. She is looking forward to a great school year at LPA!

Amanda Armer is excited to begin her second year of Aftercare and first year as a full-time member of the LPA community. When she's not assisting staff and students, she can be found taking care of books in the school library. Amanda loves sharing and discovering new stories with students as well as recommending her personal old favorites. She lives a short drive away with her fuzzy feline monsters, Felix and Muddy, and shelves of treasured books which she started saving as a child. Amanda has been a resident of Saint Louis for the past eight years, after growing up in Los Angeles, California. She got her bachelor’s degree in English and minored in Studio Arts at Loyola Marymount University. Amanda also enjoyed teaching opportunities available through both programs of study. Learning with kids of all ages brings her joy and inspires her curiosity.

Amanda (Manda) Riley is excited to start her journey here at LPA. Manda has a Bachelors Degree in Human Services and has worked in school districts across Missouri for the past 19 years in many different roles ranging from sub, para and kitchen staff. When not out enjoying the outdoors, Manda enjoys spending time with her family. She has 3 amazing kids who all live on their own. Ethan is 20, Destiny is 19, and Britni just turned 18.  She and her husband, Matt have been married for 22 years and  just moved to the Loop. She is looking forward to becoming a part of this amazing community.

Dahlia Cassidy has been working at LPA for 6 years as an aftercare assistant and then as a TA.  She is currently working towards her bachelors in early childhood education.

Deja Miller is excited to return for her second year as a Teacher’s Assistant here at LPA! Deja always wanted to work with the youth for the betterment of the world and found LPA to share similar values. Deja is big on emotional and social learning after studying psychology. She enjoys math and science as school subjects, but reading with children is a favorite pastime.

Ebony Sanders is excited to start her 4th school year at LPA as a Teacher Assistant. She has a B.S in Education and is currently working on her Masters degree.  She loves reading, listening to music and traveling. She has 2 children, Kaylin who also attends LPA and a son named Miles. She's looking forward to seeing all the kiddos in the building, laughing and learning together again! “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.”- Nelson Mandela

Roberta Williams retired from her 20+ year career teaching preschool and kindergarten in a suburb of Los Angeles and moved to St Louis in 2015. She is very happy to have joined LPA, where she can continue working with children and sharing her love of reading. She enjoys welcoming students to the LPA library and is on call to help out in any way LPA needs her. She earned her BA in Elementary Education at Ball State University, Certificate in Early Childhood Development from UCLA and Masters in Multicultural Education from the University of California, Dominguez Hills. When not at LPA, she might be scraping away at 100+ years of paint in her historic home, riding her bike around Tower Grove Park, or digging in her garden.

Natalie has been a part of the LPA community since 2017. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). She received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Southeast Missouri State University, her Masters in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and a Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Adler School. Before coming to LPA, she worked for the Miriam Learning Center providing therapeutic services for Head Start Programs, and provided counseling for children and adolescents at DePaul’s Inpatient Behavioral Unit. Natalie grew up in southern Missouri but has called St. Louis home for the past 12 years. She enjoys cooking, quilting, gardening and exploring new foods and places with her husband Jon, their two boys Rafferty and Jasper, and their dog, Leo.

Dr. Sarah Ranney has been with LPA since 2014 and is a proud LPA parent to a 6th grader. She believes that every child has an inalienable right to attain an excellent education no matter their economic status, residential location, or background. Sarah joined LPA after four years working as an instructional coach with Teach For America where she focused on developing Early Childhood and Elementary teachers across the metropolitan area. She supported more than 300 teachers in more than 40 schools during her tenure there. Prior to Teach For America, Sarah spent several years in the classroom in the St. Louis Public Schools and an Independent, Private School. Sarah has an Ed.D in School Administration as well as an Education Specialist and Masters in School Administration from the University of Missouri- St. Louis, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Webster University, a Bachelor of Arts in Media Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a certified Teacher, Principal, and Superintendent. Sarah is also a Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor. When not at school, you might find her playing strategic games like War Chest or Settlers of Catan or hanging out in Tower Grove park with her family.

Dave is excited to be going into his 2nd year as LPA's Head of School. This will be his 9th year working at LPA and 11th year working in education. Before becoming the Head of School he spent time teaching 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th graders and was the founding Middle School Dean of Students. Previously, Dave worked as a 4th and 5th grade classroom teacher in the St. Louis Public School District and founded the DIG it! after-school volleyball program. As a lifelong St. Louis citizen Dave is excited about continuing to help LPA work toward fulfilling its mission and vision. Dave has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Business Administration (MBA) from St. Louis University, a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from the University of Missouri-St.Louis (UMSL), and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Marquette University. You can catch him trying new restaurants around the city, cooking for his wife Ms. Robertson-Bosch, walking his dog Charlie around the park, or spending time with his two sons Robbie (2) and Jay (3 months).