SUPERINTENDENT
Brent Daniels, Ed.D. was appointed Superintendent of Leadership Public Schools in August of 2022. Dr. Daniels is not new to the LPS community, having served as Chief Talent Officer where he formed collaborative relationships with staff and the communities LPS serves. His distinguished 30 years of experience in education includes: currently serving as Interim Superintendent for LPS, Director of Human Resources for Berkeley Unified School District, Principal for Piedmont High School, with Piedmont Unified School District; and Assistant Principal at Burlingame High School for San Mateo Union High School District. Dr. Daniels’ extensive education includes a Doctorate of Education, a Masters in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from University of California Berkeley. Dr. Daniels received his Administrative Services credential from University of California Berkeley and his California Single-Subject teaching credential from California State University East Bay.
CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER
Chanthip Phongkhamsavath was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and shortly after resettled in the Bay Area with her mom and sister. Raised in Berkeley, she attended Berkeley schools from pre-k all the way through college. While at U.C. Berkeley Chanthip studied Sociology and Education and was extensively involved in student organizing aimed to support disadvantaged and students of color on campus. After completing her masters in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, Chanthip moved to Washington D.C. to work for several Federal Departments focusing on budget, national security, and international relations. Eight years later Chanthip moved back to the Bay Area to refocus on education and local issues working at the Oakland Unified School District and County of Marin for the past six years. With over fourteen years in government service, Chanthip is excited to support education in a different format. Outside of the office, Chanthip can be found spending time with family and friends usually enjoying good food or talking about the next meal. Chanthip also enjoys baking, reading, and attempting to cultivate a green thumb.
Chief People and Student Services Officer
Lina Andersen was promoted to Director of People and Culture in 2022. Prior to this role, she was the Coordinator of HR and Teacher Pathways for the Network. Lina has more than 14 years of educational experience in the Bay Area, with all of her teaching and administrative experience at charter schools. Prior to LPS, she served as the Local Control Accountability Plan Evaluator for Berkeley Unified School District’s Research, Evaluation, and Assessment department. Through data-driven program evaluation, Lina led research behind the recruitment and retention of highly-skilled and equity-focused teachers and their positive impact on student outcomes.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society from the University of California, Santa Barbara as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in Urban Education from the University of Southern California.
Senior Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Achievement
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
Ellen holds a degree in Electronics Engineering, a B.S. from Golden Gate University, and a Master’s Degree in Information Systems from the University of Phoenix.
Ellen has been with Leadership Public Schools as the Director of Technology since May 2009. She brings with her a depth of experience working as a Technology Director for Global Software Companies and BioTech Companies. Wanting to apply her experience to a Non-Profit organization she chose Leadership Public Schools to help build and support their robust enterprise networking infrastructure and to support the students and staff in implementing the latest of technologies.
Director of Student Services, Facilities & Title IX Officer
Christopher Harrell comes to us with 15+ years of experience in secondary and higher education settings as a designer and leader of student support services. He brings deep knowledge of equitable discipline systems, positive behavior intervention and support, restorative practices, social-emotional learning, and school-based counseling. As Director of Student Services, Mr. Harrell will support all aspects of discipline, behavior management, and attendance review and support. He will lead next steps in integrating systems and practices across the domains of discipline, tiered support, and mental health in the service of student belonging, well-being, and success.
Administrator of Special Assignment
Lorraine (Maafi) Cook grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, making night lights by catching fireflies in mason jars that contained a few leaves, and holes poked in the lid. Early on, she knew she wanted to study science because her biology teacher in 9th grade allowed her to explore her curiosity boundlessly. She was forced to continue her study of biology in college instead of in her kitchen when her mother discovered, in the fridge, that she had been keeping (for more than a week) a pithed frog in suspended animation, torso opened and kept moist with a paper towel soaked in Ringer’s solution. After graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in Biology, she came to California, where her family had moved, with the intention of applying to UC Davis for veterinary medicine after a year of California residency.
During that year, her mother ‘delivered’ her to an East Oakland junior high school where her mother’s soror was a principal in desperate need of a 9th grade science teacher. That was in 1984. MaMaafi has been an educator ever since, and never regrets not becoming a veterinarian. After 40 amazing years as a Bay Area educator, MaMaafi is excited to join the Leadership community. Maafi has experience as a teacher, curriculum developer, PBL leader, assistant principal, and 5 years as a principal. She also founded a K-12 charter school as a principal. When she is not at school, she likes to spend time with her family. Maafi loves designing STEM curricula, traveling to Africa, doing traditional West African dance, and reading almost anything related to science, technology and drought resistant gardening.
Senior HR Analyst & Superintendent/CEO Coordinator
Staff Accountant
Prior to LPS, Kalyani worked for the Monroe County School Corporation in Bloomington,
IN for 11 years, initially as a special education teacher aide, and later moved into accounts
payable. Kalyani attended school in India and has an undergraduate and master’s
degree in accounting. Before moving to the United States in 1998, she worked in the
accounting department of a manufacturing company in India. She relocated with her
husband from Bloomington to the Bay Area in 2022.
Kalyani is excited about her
position at LPS as an Accounts Payable Technician. She enjoys exploring the area and is happy to now live closer to her daughter, son-in-law, and their Goldendoodle, and spoil her new granddaughter, born in December 2022. In her free time, Kalyani enjoys cooking, gardening, yoga, walking, and spending time with her family.
Coordinator of Business Operations & Finance
Kayla Perez officially began her role at LPS as the Coordinator of Business Operations in February of 2023. After obtaining her B.S. in Applied Mathematics from UC Riverside in 2020, Kayla has taken her interpersonal skills and love of math into the finance sector. In a short period, Kayla has gained her accounting experience by providing financial services for companies ranging from software, biotech, and various consulting firms. She’s also helped manage the fiscal operations for an organization where they provide undergraduates and alumni internship opportunities with healthcare industries throughout the United States.
Kayla chose to work at Leadership Public Schools because she believes in preparing our students to become leaders in their community. She is eager to be exposed to the characteristics of school accounting and the education system as she hopes with this additional knowledge will be of help to provide exemplary support to our LPS community.
Manager of Data & Assessment
Coming Soon!
Network Office Assistant
Taliyah Kelly is a network office assistant supporting the LPS home office part time while actively being a full-time college student. Education has been the foundation of Taliyah’s primary years which sculpted her to have the characteristics that she has today such as excellent time management, efficiency and her ability to thoroughly complete assignments to the liking of all. Her mastery in interpersonal communication has propelled her greatly in establishing relationships and collaborative work. She has shown to be adaptable & dependable. Which not only reflects her work ethnic but her choosing to pursue a degree in Sociology.
Taliyah chose to work for LPS because she has a vision for others, especially her counterparts. As she believes she can make a positive impact here, which her vast variety of skills attest.
Join the LPS team and help empower the next generation of leaders to succeed in college, career, and life.
Leadership Public Schools
99 Linden Street
Oakland, CA 94607
510 830 3780
info@leadps.org
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