This article explains how to facilitate a virtual Community Circle, a restorative practice that encourages participants to connect through sharing and listening, and offers suggestions for prompts and agreements/intentions. The article also emphasizes the importance of modeling vulnerability as the keeper, and provides tips for opening, go-arounds, and closing the Circle.
Behavior Specialist
She/Her
Enid Ramos, a behavior specialist, spent 20 years as a bilingual school counselor with the Department of Education before joining the PLC in 2017. Believing that one person can make a difference in the life of a child, Enid has devoted her career to advocating for children from all walks of life, and their families. She loves vegetating under a palm tree and travel.
Behavior Specialist
She/Her
Bethzayda A. Matos joined PLC as a Behavior Specialist in 2019. She previously worked as a School Mental Health Consultant (joint program between DOE and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene). Bethzayda holds a Masters Degree in Education and is a NYS Certified School Counselor, has a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Mental Health Counseling, and a Masters of Public Administration. Bethzayda has extensive experience supporting at risk children and families always through a trauma-focused lens. Sitting on the beach under a palm tree is Bethzayda’s happy place.
Lead Behavior Specialist
She/Her
Megan O’Toole started with the PLC in 2019. Prior to this she served as a Behavior Specialist with NYSED and as a School Leader at MS 331 – The Bronx School of Young Leaders. She is a Lead Behavior Specialist, supporting schools in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Implementation in the Bronx and Manhattan. Megan is passionate about radical inclusion, equity, and building strong communities. When not working or with family, she’s usually involved in artistic pursuits, adventure travel, or yoga and mindfulness. Namaste!
Director of Operations
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Ivette Stern, the associate director of the Positive Learning Collaborative, joined the team shortly after its inception. She is a social worker with extensive experience in coaching high-need schools to develop relationships, trust, community, and sustainable systems of support. Because no single approach is the right one for every school, she has been trained in a wide range of mental health modalities and systemic approaches. Ivette is passionate about equity in education and wellness practices. Outside work she spends time with family, learning about spirituality, nutrition, and cultures around the world.
Lead Behavior Specialist
She/Her
Dr. Gail Brightwell joined PLC as a Behavior Specialist in 2019. Gail previously worked as a behavior specialist with RSE-TASC, and as a school psychologist in Brooklyn for 16 years. After years of working with individual students, families, and school staff in a few different schools; Gail now seeks to make a greater impact by helping schools develop systems that will provide a safe, supportive, and equitable environment for all students. Before working for the DOE, Gail was an early childhood educator as well as a mental health counselor. She is currently an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College.
Caroline Selby joined the Positive Learning Collaborative in 2019 and serves as a behavior specialist. She provides training and coaching for teachers and administrators in therapeutic crisis intervention, as well as best practices for building community among staff and students in a school through community circles. Caroline has a diverse teaching background in world languages and special education, and she has a passion for providing equity and accessibility to all students. In her free time, she enjoys playing music with her husband, practicing yoga, and listening to the Grateful Dead.
Behavior Specialist
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Kayla Rubin joined the Positive Learning Collaborative in 2022. She comes to PLC with over 15 years of experience in New York City Public Schools. During this time with the DOE, she served as a middle and high school level Science Teacher, Teacher Leader, and Athletics Coach at both MS 331- The Bronx School of Young Leaders and BSSWA- The Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists. Kayla is passionate about improving equity and access in education and works to help educators and school communities find their genius and spread joy. In her spare time, Kayla enjoys playing field hockey with her club team and spending time traveling and playing sports with her husband and son.
Director
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Dana Ashley is the founding director of the Positive Learning Collaborative. Dana started the PLC with the support of the UFT’s Carmen Alvarez and the NYCDOE in 2013. Dana started her social work career as a therapist and advocate for the mentally ill and underserved populations in a New York City hospital before joining the city’s Department of Education. In her role as a behavior specialist, Dana saw the effect that punitive discipline and an over-reliance on suspensions was having on the most vulnerable children and made it her mission to be part of changing the inequities in the system. Dana was born and raised in New York City and is the daughter of a public-school teacher.
Professional Dev. Coordinator
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Mitch Klages-Bombich is the PLC’s Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCIS) training and professional development coordinator. Mitch has been with PLC since it began in 2013. Prior to joining the PLC, Mitch spent 11 years teaching at a Bronx public elementary school. He is also National Facilitator for Welcoming Schools and his focus is on creating inclusive, safe, equitable and welcoming schools for all our students, educators and families. Mitch is also a proud parent of two extraordinary, joyful kiddos.
Consultant
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Naomi Jandorf joined PLC as a consultant in 2019 shortly after retiring from 35 years as a Special Education teacher, PBIS coach, and behavior specialist in District 75 (NYCDOE). Naomi has extensive experience as a behavior specialist, working with at-risk and severely disabled students as well as providing coaching support to their teachers and support staff in District 75. She is adept at helping staff integrate concepts and theory into their daily practice with students and families. Naomi is a certified yoga instructor, who has had a daily practice for more than 20 years.
Administration Asst.
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Ashley Deaza joined the Positive Learning Collaborative in 2019. As an administrative assistant, she handles office tasks, generates reports and schedules meetings. She is family-oriented and caring, which helps her anticipate the needs of others and provide seamless support to her team. In her free time, she likes to ride ATVs and travel the world.
Adam Davis spent his career in the media and technology industries prior to joining PLC in 2015. He currently oversees analysis for all data at our schools and has built and streamlined all systems. Previous to PLC, he helped improve business operations within organizations and provided transformative strategic solutions for clients. Adam has a passion for building customized business systems and using data to tell a story. In his free time, he enjoys reading, going to the gym, and spending time with his dog and cat.
Data Analyst
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Jesus D. Jimenez started working with PLC in 2019. He’s a Data Analyst, with experience in computer software, data manipulation and advanced excel skills. Jesus enjoys what he does because he has a deep passion towards data and how he’s able to tell you a story by just looking at details and data points. Along with his knowledge of systems and applications, he loves to spend his downtime at the gym.
Behavior Specialist
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Josh Fox has been a NYC DOE behavior specialist for over a decade and is a founding member of The Positive Learning Collaborative. Josh is the product of New York City Public Schools, the City’s public university system, and is the child of a lifelong NYC public school educator. He has dedicated his career and personal life to advocacy for the underserved among us, and remains committed to serving the needs of children as a NYC foster parent.
Behavior Specialist
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Marissa Braddock joined the PLC in 2017. Prior to coming on board, she taught and coached middle school math for a decade, fostering community in the space where pre-algebra meets pre-adolescence. A lifelong advocate for public education, Marissa is a proud product of the Philadelphia public schools and a third-generation public school employee. She enjoys traveling, animals and David Bowie.