Faculty
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Sara Dingledy, Principal
Sara Dingledy is an experienced educator who has worked in a wide range of New York City schools. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Head Master of The Brooklyn Latin School (TBLS), one of the new specialized high schools in the NYC Department of Education. As the leader of teaching and learning at Brooklyn Latin, Sara shaped an innovative curriculum that emphasizes inquiry, Socratic Seminar, and consistent skill-based assessment. Sara came to Brooklyn Latin as a Resident Principal from New Leaders for New Schools, a nationally recognized Principal training program. Previously, she was a high school social studies teacher at Martin Luther King Jr., HS New York City where, in 2001, she was one of three founding teachers of the MLK High School of Art and Technology. A graduate of Union College and the School for International Training, Sara has studied and worked in South Africa, the West Bank, Honduras, the U.K. and Venezuela.
Aamir Rodriguez, Teacher Leader
Aamir Rodriguez is a committed educator who has worked at several New York City high schools, primarily as a teacher of English, History, and Technology. Most recently, he worked at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in the Bronx, a small school committed to serving the needs of at-risk youth. There, he served as a teacher, an organizer of different grade-level and curricular teams, and the Director of Special Education. Through his work, he strived to support other teachers in their development, so that they could thoughtfully meet the needs of all students. Aamir has worked as a grantee and researcher for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has developed workshops and panels for Brown University’s No Teacher Left Behind Conference, The Kennedy Center’s VSA Arts Symposium, and The Coalition of Essential School’s Fall Forum.
Jozef Mackie, PE Teacher/Dean of Students
Jozef Mackie is an enthusiastic, passionate Physical Education and Technology educator from London, United Kingdom. Jozef has global experience of teaching in schools in London, Los Angeles and now New York City. Most recently, he served as a lead PE teacher for a network of 15 schools in Inglewood, Los Angeles. Supporting teacher and curriculum development whilst being part of a successful extra curricular rugby program for over 300 students at risk. Part of the program was used as an ESPN documentary "Scrum: The Movie," highlighting the positive effects of rugby in high risk environments.
Colbert Lucey, Social Studies Teacher
Colbert Lucey, a recent graduate of Bard College’s Master of Arts in Teaching Program, favors teaching through the Socratic method. He has teaching experience in classrooms at International Community High School, Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School and East Side Community High School. He is extremely excited to be working at Westchester Square Academy, where he hopes to apply high academic standards and a love for history to his teaching practice. Being the oldest of five children, he also understands the importance of having a community of support for all members of the school, and he looks to teach students to understand the connections between the history they learn in the classroom and what they do in the world.
Maxine Borowitz, Teacher Leader
Maxine Borowitz, a committed educator, has taught English for eighteen years in New York City, first at Borough Academy and then at Independence High School. Maxine has planned and led school wide professional development workshops on strategies to enhance teacher knowledge and student performance. She has coached and mentored many new teachers to insure their success. Maxine is a graduate of Boston University, City College’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing and Bank Street’s Bilingual ESL Teacher Leader Academy.
Lacey Sugarman, Teacher
Lacey Vargas will be teaching English, History, and Spanish for Native Speakers at Westchester Square. She comes to WSA from Williamsburg Charter High School, where she taught English and History in a variety of settings. Lacey has a B.A. from New York University in French and Spanish and a M.S. from Hunter College in Education, with a concentration in Special Education. Lacey has studied in France and Spain and has worked in Uganda as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She speaks French, Spanish, and some Luganda and is very excited to be a founding teacher at WSA!
Jacqueline Medori, Math Teacher
Jacqueline Medori will be teaching integrated algebra at Westchester Square Academy and could not possibly be more excited to do so. She has experience teaching math in the Scarsdale and Byram Hills school districts. Prior to getting a M.S. in Adolescent Education and Students with Disabilities, Jacqueline studied physics, sociology and community service learning at Stony Brook University. During her undergraduate studies she had the opportunity to study abroad in England, partake in disaster relief in the New Orleans area and help lead environmental initiatives. Jacqueline is looking forward to sharing her interests with her students and helping to build a strong sense of community at WSA.
Matt McSorley, Robotics Teacher and Partnership Development
Matt McSorley has worked with schools in the United States and Guyana delivering instruction, professional development and project management services. A graduate of Wittenberg and Indiana Universities, Matt also studied in England and Guatemala. His work with university and high school students has focused on socio-emotional and character development, as well as information and communications technology. He looks forward to working with the WSA community and its partners to deliver exceptional educational opportunities to our student members.
Denise Haynes, Social Worker
Denise Haynes is passionate and dedicated to seeing young people reach their full academic, social and emotional potential. As a professional social worker for many years, she has worked in middle and high schools both in the public and charter sectors. Denise received her B.A in Psychology and her M.S.W in Social Work from the University at Albany. Denise looks forward to creating a sense of community in WSA by building relationships with students and families. Besides having a strong faith and a passion for travel, she also has an adoration for glazed donuts.
Sean McCreight, ELA Teacher
Sean McCreight is committed to building a strong academic community at Westchester Square Academy through passionate scholarship and sustaining meaningful relationships throughout the school. After graduating from Seattle University with a double degree in Education and English, he taught literacy at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He has had the opportunity to travel widely throughout Latin America and Eastern Europe. Sean earned his M.A. in Teaching from Bard College in NYC, believes in community activism, promoting student rights and organizing, and cooking vegan food.
Claire Rann, ESL/ELA/Persian Teacher
Claire Rann firmly believes in the transformative power of education and is excited to continue living out this belief as a staff member at Westchester Square Academy. Before joining our team, Claire ran a non-profit organization serving Iraqi refugees in Chicago. She graduated cum laude from Amherst College with a B.A. in English and History, where she spent her junior year abroad at the University of Oxford in England. Claire earned her M.A. in Middle Eastern History from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is currently working toward an M.S. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at City College.
Anyone interested in joining the WSA Faculty, send an email and attached resume to jobs@westchestersquare.org
