Our Faculty and Staff

Rebecca Heneise was born in the United States and raised in Nicaragua and Chile. She received her teaching credential and Masters in Education from California State University, Los Angeles. Rebecca taught for three years in an LAUSD school, then moved to Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts where she used her background in theater to integrate performing art into project-based learning. Inspired by the teaching philosophy of UCLA Lab School and the Dual Language Immersion program, Rebecca joined the UCLA Lab School teaching team in the fall of 2013 as a dual-language demonstration teacher. Rebecca received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from UCLA in June 2023. Her focus was on bilingual education and more specifically, bilingual teacher preparation. Rebecca joined the CLIC family as principal in July of 2023. Rebecca lives in Santa Monica with her husband, Christopher and daughter Bianca, their dog Cici, and cat Gretel. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys being in the garden, dipping her toes in the ocean, and reading mystery novels in English and Spanish.

Rosa Manzo was born and raised in Burbank, CA. She attended California State University, Northridge, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and teaching credential. Upon graduating, she went on to pursue a career as a teacher and taught at a dual-language immersion school in the San Fernando Valley for 8 years. She’s spent the last nine years at CLIC as a 2nd-5th grade teacher, and as a reading interventionist. She is now the assistant principal. In her free time, you’ll most likely find her outdoors either hiking, biking or camping.

Bianca Hernandez has been a dedicated social justice educator and teacher leader in various schools across the country for over a decade. Bianca grew up in Long Beach and understood from a young age that there was a lack of equity in education. Her journey as an educator began long before she chose a career. Bianca attended the University of Chicago, where she earned her BA in Anthropology and her Master of Arts in Teaching. After finishing graduate school in 2014, Bianca taught in Chicago Public Schools before moving to New York. In New York, Bianca continued her work as a classroom teacher in independent schools. Bianca always knew she would end up back in LA in order to give back to the community she considered her home; she returned in 2018. After returning to LA, Bianca taught Middle School History and Science. In addition to her classroom work, Bianca was the Humanities Lead and the Anti-racism and Diversity Lead at her former school. In these leadership positions, Bianca led her school’s efforts to center DEIJ work in every classroom. Bianca joined New LA as the Director of DEIJ in 2023. Bianca believes that teaching is political and that it is our job as educators to dismantle systems of oppression that show up in schools every day. This work will help our students become leaders that will fight for justice in their communities.

Bianca is excited to continue supporting New Los Angeles in their mission to create spaces that center identity, equity, and community for young people.

Xochitl Lira grew up in South Los Angeles. She earned her bachelors in Community Studies and Legal Studies from UC Santa Cruz. After graduating she began her career at a local charter school organization. During that time, she developed a passion for school operations, which led her to obtain a Masters degree in Public Administration from CSU Los Angeles. In 2011, she went on to become the Chief Financial Officer at a supplemental educational services provider. To enhance her leadership skills she went on to obtain her doctorate degree in educational leadership at USC. She is excited to be part of the New Los Angeles Charter School family and to support the achievement of all students.

Kate O’Brien was born in Los Angeles but grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College in Ohio. After college Kate moved back to Los Angeles intending to become an environmental educator but instead fell in love with progressive education in schools and sees environmental education as an important social justice issue that can be addressed through a curriculum that empowers critical thinkers and community activists in all subject areas. Kate earned a Masters in Teaching from National University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from UCLA. Before joining New LA in 2009 as a 6th grade science teacher Kate was a founding teacher at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy where she taught 4th grade and bilingual Kindergarten. She then taught K-6 science at Brawerman Elementary School. During her time teaching in elementary and middle school Kate took on many leadership roles which eventually led to becoming the Assistant Principal at New LA Middle School. In 2016 Kate returned to her elementary roots to lead New LA Elementary School as the Founding Principal. As Chief of Schools since 2019, Kate enjoys supporting all three New LA campuses and relishes the opportunity to grow and develop all schools and foster a school program in line with New LA’s mission of social justice and project-based learning. Her favorite part of working at New LA Charter Schools is working with the incredibly dedicated staff who always put students first.

Brooke Rios is a dynamic school leader who is committed to progressive education and social justice. She currently serves as the Executive Director of New Los Angeles Charter Schools. Prior to this role, Brooke was the Principal of New LA Middle School, where she led the school in being recognized as one of the best public middle schools serving low income students in Los Angeles. Brooke worked at Wildwood School before joining New LA, honing her craft as a progressive educator. She taught middle and upper school Humanities and coached track and cross country. After several years in the classroom, Brooke led the Wildwood Outreach Center, where she coached schools on the implementation of small, learner-centered educational programs. Brooke earned her doctorate in education leadership at the University of California, Los Angeles, where her research focus was on anti-racist and culturally responsive school leadership, and she holds a CA Clear Administrative Services credential.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sylvia Barragan has worked in the education sector for over 20 years in a variety of roles. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Management Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she first discovered her passion for working with youth while serving as an instructional aide in an after-school program. After returning to Los Angeles, Sylvia worked as a tutor, instructional aide, substitute teacher, and later as a 3rd–5th grade teacher at a private school. She also brings experience from the nonprofit sector, where she oversaw programming and planning for a social enterprise serving high school students. Sylvia joined New LA Charter Schools in 2017 as an After School Director and has since held multiple roles within the school’s operations team. She values collaboration and is passionate about creating safe, supportive environments where all students can thrive.

Tanya Castro is our Family Engagement Manager who joined New LA in 2023 with 20 years of experience in K–12 education, including leadership roles as an Assistant Director at a Boyle Heights based tutoring center, and a Student & Family Services Coordinator and Operations Coordinator at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. She’s passionate about creating equitable and inclusive opportunities that empower students and families from diverse backgrounds. Tanya believes that when schools and families work together, we don’t just change and support individual student outcomes and experiences – we uplift families, communities, and future generations.

Tanya has been recognized with a Community Champion award from Saban Community Clinic (2023), featured in the Carnegie Reporter for her work in Family Engagement, and mentored high school females through the non-profit, GLOBAL Girls GLOW. For five years, she served as a Group Travel Leader with EF student travel programs to the East Coast, Central America, and Europe; bridging a gap for students to not only experience travel, many for the first time outside of Los Angeles, but also connecting families to accessible and enriching travel opportunities for their children. As New LA’s Family Engagement Manager, Tanya leads Enrollment and Recruitment efforts along with supporting Family Engagement programming and practices across our three school sites. She has implemented a cross site Class Ambassador volunteer group for parents/caregivers, established new community partnerships, and has organized community wide events including New LA’s Community Pop-Up Markets. In her free time, she enjoys making playlists, hunting for vintage treasures, and singing her heart out at karaoke.

Samuel Campos is a tech savvy tinkerer who has a passion for breathing life into faulty tech. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and went to the University of California-Merced, where he obtained his B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering. Since graduating, he had worked at a youth center named Central City Action Committee as a Youth Mentor and unofficial I.T. specialist. He then became a Code Sensei for Code Ninjas, teaching the younger generation the joy of programming and robotics and hosting various 3d modeling/printing and roblox game development workshops. These experiences taught him the importance of making sure every child has access to technology in order to make learning as efficient and fun as possible.

Samuel is excited to support New Los Angeles Charter Schools by making sure their technology is running smoothly to provide an uninterrupted learning experience for the younger generation.

Natalia Munguia has been part of the CLIC team since 2021. She loves being part of a school community that values curiosity, kindness, and creativity. She is excited to continue growing alongside our students and being part of what makes CLIC such a special place to learn and grow.

Pamela Orellana is a seasoned business operations leader with more than 15 years of experience in education management, compliance, and organizational strategy. She currently serves as director of operations at CLIC, where she oversees all non-instructional functions, including finance, facilities, student records, and staff management. Known for streamlining operations and driving schools toward excellence, Pamela has successfully led high-impact initiatives such as school start-ups, campus relocations, and compliance audits. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she is dedicated to fostering strong partnerships with administrators, staff, and families to create a thriving school community.

Karina Herrera is going into her fifth year working at a school and her second year at CLIC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Northridge, in Communication Studies wotj a minor in Japanese language. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she enjoys going to the movies and going on walks with her dog.

Josiah Mason joined CLIC in September of 2022. He currently serves as a yard assistant, supervising recess and lunch play activities.

Rita Metropoplis is in her second year at CLIC. She’s a dedicated paraprofessional with a great desire to build strong relationships with students. She is especially skilled at working with students who are part of the Special Education program, providing both academic and social-emotional support to the students. She’s patient, welcoming, and a team player.

Iris Sanchez is a second grade teacher’s assistant. She loves working with young children and believes that every day in the classroom brings a unique and exciting adventure. In her free time, Iris enjoys going to the beach with her two dogs and spending quality time with her family.

Karla Barbarena began working with children at the age of 16, when she volunteered and worked at the UCLA Lab School, where she was once a student. At CLIC for six years, she will once again be working with kindergarten. After first studying to become a nurse, Karla shifted her major, and ultimately earned a degree in Psychology from Mount Saint Mary’s University. Soon after graduating, Karla attended a CLIC orientation and was hired on the spot.

Vilma Hernandez is in her second year at CLIC. She is a dedicated teacher’s assistant with a passion for teaching and learning. She enjoys instilling her love of Spanish into the students, and utilizes her knowledge to help them grow in various academic areas. Through small group activities and while supervising students in the yard, Vilma aims to maintain a safe and nurturing environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and exploring their full potential inside and outside of the classroom. She enjoys long walks and listening to music.

Jessel Lp[ez has always had a passion for working with children, starting with her first job as a daycare assistant, and later returning to the childcare field as a Two’s class lead teacher in her hometown in Northern California. She has earned her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University in Northern California, and completed her teaching credential program at the same university. Jessel moved to Los Angeles last summer, when she began her journey with CLIC. She has had a wonderful time with her students and cohort since then, and is so excited to continue her second year of teaching here at CLIC. During her free time she enjoys taking her dog out to parks, reading, and painting.

Karla Jimenez was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and came to the U.S. at age 5. She enjoys returning and visiting her grandparents in her hometown annually. Karla grew up in La Puente, CA. and still resides in the area. In her free time, Karla enjoys engaging in celebrations with her family, friends and church community. She has been a preschool teacher for about 10 years and teaches children’s ministry as well. Karla has enjoyed working with children of different backgrounds and abilities, and due to her love of being in the classroom, she has obtained her Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA. She feels truly at home in a classroom teaching in Spanish.

Jessica Alvarez brings 27 years of experience in early childhood education to her role as a transitional kindergarten teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Mathematics from California State University, Long Beach, and is currently earning her teaching credential through Cal State TEACH. Outside of the classroom, Jessica enjoys hiking, exercising, traveling, and spending time with her friends, family, husband and two children.

Yinyi Otarola was born and raised in Peru and moved to California at the age of 21. Before migrating to the United States, she studied psychology and worked as a babysitter, which is where she discovered her true passion for working with children. This experience led her to pursue early childhood education courses and ultimately a career in teaching. Yinyi earned her associate degree in Early Childhood Development, a bachelor’s in Liberal Studies from California State University, Northridge, and a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction. She has more than 15 years of experience working with children and has taught for the past three years in LAUSD. This is her first year teaching at CLIC, where she is joining as a transitional kindergarten teacher. Yinyi is passionate about creating a warm and inclusive classroom where children feel safe to be themselves, take risks, and grow. She is drawn to CLIC’s commitment to community and social justice, and looks forward to building a learning environment where all students feel seen, supported, and valued. In her free time, Ms. Yinyi loves to travel and explore new cultures. She enjoys spending time both indoors and outdoors with her husband and her three dogs, Cosmo, Fiona and Tallulah, whom she lovingly calls her fur babies.

Wendy Hernandez in her second year teaching kindergarten students at CLIC. She is a dedicated teacher with a passion for inspiring young minds. With several years of experience in education, she firmly believes in creating a nurturing and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive. Through hands-on activities and engaging lessons, Wendy aims to instill a love for learning in her students and foster their personal and academic growth. Her commitment to building strong character and encouraging a growth mindset ensures that each child feels valued and supported in her classroom. Beyond the classroom, she enjoys traveling and often incorporates her interests into her lessons, creating a fun and engaging atmosphere that encourages students to explore their creative sides.

Valeria Ruelas was born and raised in Los Angeles. Valeria attended California State University, Los Angeles, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies. She continued at CSULA, completing the teaching credential program in The School of Education. Valeria’s love for teaching was instilled in her since as a young girl by her 3rd grade elementary teacher, who inspired her to become an educator. Valeria enjoys building lasting connections with her students, while also nurturing an environment that is fun and welcoming. In her off time, Valeria enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends. One of her favorite places to go to is Disneyland.

Suni Navarrete will be starting her 13th year of teaching and her 11th year at CLIC. She holds a master’s degree in Education and is passionate about creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment for her students. At CLIC, she has served both as a level lead and induction coach. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and catching up with friends.

Born and rasied in Los Angeles, Rafael Cocolan is a new 1st grade teacher at CLIC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and is currently finishing his credential program at LAPU. Before stepping into the classroom full time, Rafael worked for several years as a behavior interventionist in Special Needs settings. He has also served in a variety of school roles, including on-site substitute and long-term substitute. These experiences that have shaped his compassionate and student-centered approach to teaching. Outside the classroom, Rafael enjoys quality time with his family, traveling, sports and live music. He looks forward to bringing energy, creativity, and dedication to his students for the school year.

Josefina Martinez has worked as a first grade teacher for the past 10 years, and enjoys seeing the growth students make in their math, reading, and writing skills as they learn to become more independent. Josefina received a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge, in Creative Writing, which is why she enjoys teaching writing. She then pursued a master’s degree in Teaching from USC. She is currently working towards an Ed.D. degree in Leadership PreK-12 from Pepperdine University. In her free time, Josefina enjoys listening to music and traveling to Mexico and El Salvador.

Daisy Lopez was born and raised in South Los Angeles and is a proud first-generation college graduate. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and teaching credentials from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Daisy has been a dedicated member of the CLIC community for five years. In her free time, she enjoys attending baseball games, traveling to Mexico, exploring new places, and spending quality time with her family.

Guadalupe was born in Mexico and migrated to the United States as a young girl. She soon grew into the community and always wished to become a teacher. She studied Liberal Arts at California State University and earned her Bachelore of Arts and teaching credential in 2021. She has always been very passionate about the growth of students’ minds. Her focus is making sure students are seen as individuals as they are learning the skills to become great citizens of the world. Her hobbies are exploring national parks, crafting with her daughter, and spending time with family and friends.

Christian Carranza is very excited to be joining the CLIC team as a 2nd grade teacher. Christian is very passionate about working together with students in designing and cultivating learning environments where together they can grow, have fun, feel inspired, and boldly go where they haven’t gone before. Outside of teaching Christian has several other passions including the arts and sports. In his spare time, Christian loves to play tennis, watch and analyze soccer games, and create different types of art, and read and write about art. Christian is looking forward to working together towards an unforgettable school year with the CLIC community.

Joshua Benitez is entering his fifth year as a 3rd grade teacher. He first joined the CLIC community in 2016 as an after-school tutor, later as a teaching assistant, and now proudly leads his own classroom. Although he does not have children, he affectionately considers his dog, Nala Hershey Benitez, a Cocker Spaniel/Australian Shepherd mix, to be his daughter and true love. Outside of the classroom, Joshua can often be found at the beach, watching movies, or out for a run. A lifelong learner himself, Joshua embraces new challenges to model a growth mindset for his students. After being dared by a student, he successfully learned how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. He is currently learning how to juggle, and playing the guitar is his next goal. Joshua is passionate about fostering a love of learning in his students. He believes every student has the potential to succeed and is committed to fostering their confidence, resilience, and sense of achievement.

Aidee Jimenez is a dedicated dual-language immersion teacher with more than eight years of experience in bilingual education. She currently teaches 3rd grade and is passionate about helping students grow as confident readers, writers, and bilingual learners. She believes in creating a welcoming classroom where every child’s voice and identity are valued. Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, and friends. She loves exploring nature, and practicing yoga.

Jacob Castro is proud to become a part of CLIC. He was born and raised in Southern California and received both a bachelor’s in Education from California State University, Long Beach, as well as a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Jacob has a true passion for helping and guiding the next generation of leaders. Helping each child progress in all areas of their development – academic, social, and language – is a challenge he is honored to accept daily. Jacob strives to create a community of learners that nurtures this growth in a positive, fun environment. In his free time Jacob enjoys staying active, going to the beach, going to the movies; and his favorite sport is football! He looks forward to working together with the CLIC community as partners in the students’ growth and development.

In her 13th year as an elementary school teacher in Chile, England, Mexico and the US, Victoria Cuadra is in her fifth year teaching 4th grade at CLIC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education at UCSH in Santiago de Chile, and her master’s in Bilingual Education at Loyola Marymount University. She is Chilean and not only happy to bring language skills to CLIC, but she is also passionate about representing some of the authentic cultures that are present in our school. In the past year she led festival-related activities and field trip initiatives at her grade level. She enjoys dancing, singing and outdoor activities with her friends as well as spending time with her cat, Nina.

Paulina Gutierrez was born and raised in the heart of Los Angeles. She graduated from the California State University, Los Angeles, with a bachelor’s degree in Child Development. She has been a teacher’s assistant at New LA Elementary for the last two years, and is excited to be pursuing the next step to becoming a teacher by joining CLIC as part of the Avance Residency program. Paulina looks forward to continuing her dream of supporting the educational growth of children. She also loves to stay home and watch movies with a side of yummy snacks.

Dayan Romero is starting his 6th year teaching at CLIC, his 15th year of teaching, and hise 17th year in education overall. He was born and raised in Hollywood, CA. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Arts in Education from San Francisco State University. In his spare time, he enjoys reading science fiction novels and biographies, riding his bicycle, artistic photography, exploring restaurants around L.A., watching live music of all genres, and dancing salsa, cumbia, hip-hop, and funk. Dayan is very passionate about sustainability, social justice, and mindfulness in education.

Paulina Cervantes is thrilled to embark on her second year at CLIC as a 5th grade teacher. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, specifically in Watts. It has always been a goal of hers to teach, and she is beyond excited to be doing just that, especially at a dual-language immersion program that is representative of her cultural background. Ms. Cervantes completed her undergraduate career at University of California, Berkeley, and received her preilimary teaching credential from Alliant International University. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked as an aide supporting Special Ed. Paulinaa has always loved working with students. If she is not working, she’s probably out on a run or on her way to the nearest national park. She is looking forward to having an excellent year with all the kiddos, staff, and family members at CLIC.

Deborah has worked as a school speech pathologist in Los Angeles for 13 years, helping students with communication impairments find their voice. She feels honored to serve this diverse community, learning and expanding her perspective with each student she meets. In her free time, Deborah enjoys designing digital games and playing Scrabble competitively. Deborah’s greatest accomplishment is her 1000-day unbroken Spanish Duolingo streak. She hopes to be bilingual one day.

After graduating from Hunter College in New York City with a degree in Psychology, Dayna moved across the country to Los Angeles, where she began teaching and pursuing her master’s degree in Special Education at Loyola Marymount University. Dayna is passionate about advocating for students with special needs and getting them the support they need to be successful. One of Dayna’s favorite moments as a teacher is when teaching students how to read and it “just clicks.” Dayna is also passionate about global education, and has done volunteer service trips in Malawi, Africa and Indonesia where she supported and learned from teachers to further her own teaching practice and share her skills. Outside of teaching, Dayna enjoys painting, creating music, going to the beach, and spending time with loved ones.

Christopher Kolleff is beginning his 5th year on the behavioral team at CLIC. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has been working in the behavioral field for 9 years. He was born and raised here in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Guatemala. In his spare time he enjoys going to Dodgers and Lakers games, and BBQing with family and friends.

Nanci Castro was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has had the privilege of working as an instructional aide and a behavior interventionist for the past 8 years. With a strong commitment to supporting student growth and success, Nanci brings patience, creativity and empathy to every classroom. Outside of work she enjoys exploring new brunch spots, hiking local trails, and keeping up with the latest sports news, especially boxing.

Lisbeth Jolalpa has been working with children for almost six years, and absolutely loved every single one of them. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with my family and trying out new restaurants. Her favorite holiday is Christmas, and she loves seeing all of the Christmas lights around the city. She also loves going to Disneyland. She is really excited to join the CLIC team and can’t wait to meet everyone.

Desmon Keeton is the Art Instructor at CLIC, with a background in art, social work, and education that ranges 14 years. Desmon also enjoys fashion, traveling, and music. He was born in San Diego, California, and was raised in Gary, Indiana. His focus in visual art began to form professionally after he was accepted into a very respected Art Academy in the 6th grade, allowing him to develop his own unique understanding and appreciation for creativity.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Lauren Plymire moved to Los Angeles with her wife last September and has been enjoying all of the sunshine. She has a master’s in Teaching from Oregon State, and considers herself a “lifelong learner,” and is very excited to be a part of the CLIC community. Laruen enjoys reading, especially sci-fi. She recently took up gardening, and when not obsessing over tomato plants, she builds temporary housing for the caterpillars in her garden. She enjoys going to the beach to look for rocks, beach glass and seashells. She loves coaching, watching, and participating in a variety of sports. Lauren competed in cross country and track & field in high school and collegiately, and stays as active as possible. She has an identical twin sister. Halloween is her favorite time of year, and she loves doing puzzles and making art. She and her wife have a dog child, a wire fox terrier named Finnigan.