Alexei Greig, ACT Coordinator Alexei Greig is a passionate educator who aims to make positive changes in the lives of as many people as he can touch. He started his tertiary education path by majoring in English at Williams College. Alexei's desire to educate then led him to begin his working career as a teacher at the Landmark School in Beverly, Massachusetts. While working at Landmark he completed his Masters in Education at Simmons College in Boston. Throughout his time in education Alexei has worn many hats from Math and Language Arts teacher, to developing Computer Science courses and directing Technical Theater. His constantly expanding group of interests includes traveling, Step, and speaking to his nephew Jordan whenever he can. He looks forward to interacting with parents and students as he teaches and learns from the wealth of young scholars who will be present at the school this year. He is extremely excited about being a part of the progressive-thinking team at Democracy Prep and hopes to help build this into one of the best schools in the world.

Ellie Grose, 6th Grade ACT Teacher Ms. Grose grew up in Boston, Massachusetts before attending Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. There she studied Psychology, Anthropology and the Arts.  She returned to Boston to work with Language remediation at a specialized school for Learning Disabled students.  She recently attained her Masters in Special Education from Simmons College in Boston, and continues to pursue her educational goals.  She has recently relocated to the NYC area and is thrilled to be working in such a culturally rich city.  She is excited to work as a new member of the DPCS DREAM team and with her new students and looks forward to a great year!

Claudia Martin, 7th Grade ACT Teacher Ms. Martín was raised in Northern California and received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of California, Davis. She moved to New York to pursue teaching through the Teach For America program. During this time she earned her Master’s degree from Pace University, and taught elementary special education in the South Bronx. She is thrilled to join the ACT team, and is excited to assist her students towards academic achievement.

Sarah Benko, 8th Grade ACT Teacher, 8th Grade Team Leader Ms. Benko graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in English and Psychology. While studying there, she worked in a mentoring program for high risk youth in the Mt. Vernon community. After moving to New York, Sarah worked at YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities. She supported adults with developmental disabilities as an Employment Training Specialist by running classes focused on employment skills and provided job site support for her clients. Sarah is particularly exited to be working with children once again as she pursues her Master's degree in Education through Teach for America.