You get out what you put in – and we pride ourselves in staffing the very best. Every Metro faculty member comes to us with a multi-discplinary education background and a passion for working with differentiated learners.

Our educators and support staff are the cream-of-the-crop; the very best in all of Chicagoland.

Marisa is excited to continue to be part of the Metropolitan Schoolhouse community as our Director of Social Work. She is passionate about supporting kids through transitions, fostering their social-emotional growth, and equipping them with essential life skills.

Marisa is a Licensed Social Worker and received her Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago. Prior to becoming a Licensed Social Worker, Marisa received a Master’s of Arts degree in the Social Sciences with a concentration in Psychology from the University of Chicago. Marisa has a background working in school and clinical settings and has experience working with kids of all ages and ability levels. In her free time, Marisa enjoys long walks with her dog, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors. Marisa is looking forward to a great school year and helping students succeed in and outside of the classroom.

Sarah is thrilled to continue to be a part of the Metro community and the opportunity to continue to work with the students. She has been at Metro for several years and has experience teaching Brown, Red and Orange lines. In addition to teaching social studies and science, Sarah serves as our program director.

In this role, she organizes and coordinates all of the special events including but not limited to field trips, after school family events, overnight educational student trips, and the big school trip at the end of the school year. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Speech/Communication, and has an Illinois Teaching Certificate with endorsements in science, social science, English, and speech. In Sarah’s spare time, she likes to attend local country shows and concerts with friends. Sarah has just moved her son to college and has a rising senior this year!

Gabriella teaches Blue Line and Red Line at Metro. Gabriella has filled many hats at Metro over the years including teaching all grade levels, subjects, and has had an administrative role as well. Gabriella is also a SLANT Certified Teacher. Gabriella is excited to continue implementing SLANT throughout the school this year. She will also be a SLANT coach, and will be training other teachers who are going through the certification process.

Gabriella also serves as our curriculum director, and works closely with all of the staff to help with implementation and instruction. Gabriella has been working in the education field since 2008 with kids of all ages, ability levels, and class sizes. In her spare time, Gabriella loves to play the piano, and offers piano lessons at Metro! You will also probably hear her talking about her daughter, Eleanor, and her goldendoodle, Tanner. Gabriella is looking forward to a great school year and focusing on the growth and success of each student.

Claire teaches Brown and Red Line at Metro. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Education with an endorsement in English from Eastern Illinois University. Claire has previously worked as an afterschool program director, a kindergarten assistant, a special education paraeducator, and has taught third, fourth and fifth grade. Additionally, Claire has coached a variety of sports including middle school basketball, soccer, cheerleading, and dance.

Claire enjoys exercising and being outside in her free time, especially taking walks on the lakefront or to local coffee shops. She’s a big sports fan and loves cheering on our Chicago home teams, especially the Cubs and the Bulls. She loves making Metro magic with her students and colleagues!

Allison is so excited to build relationships with both students and families at Metropolitan Schoolhouse as our school counselor. Allison graduated with a Master’s in Counseling from National Louis University. She also has a Bachelor’s in Jewish and American Studies from the University of Minnesota. Additionally, Allison spent her junior year at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Allison comes from a background of many years advocating for children with special needs in her community, collaborating with parents, teachers, school administrators, and other stakeholders. She enjoys going on camping trips with her husband and two teenagers, yoga, swimming, and taking care of her 15 year old Chihuahua, Colitas.

Marcy is excited about the new school year at Metro! She is very thrilled to share all the new books that Metro has added to the library over the summer, and to start another Book Challenge. She loves helping the kids find the materials that they need, especially for the Book Challenge! Her favorite thing is read-aloud time with all of the classes. Marcy worked for 26 years at the Elmwood Park Public Library in their Technical Services Department, 24 of them as department head. She supervised the ordering and processing of all the material on the shelves. She also filled in at both the Adult and Youth Services References Desks whenever needed.

In her spare time she loves listening to music, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family, especially her granddaughter, Eleanor and her grandson Paul! Marcy is looking forward to another fun and successful year at Metro.

Thomas is excited to embark on his first year at Metropolitan Schoolhouse. Thomas brings with him over 18 years of experience teaching high school mathematics, from pre-algebra to precalculus and everything in between. His extensive background includes seven years as the mathematics department chair and five years co-leading the Instructional Leadership Team to set school-wide instructional priorities within CPS. Thomas holds a BA in mathematics and has pursued post-graduate studies in mathematics education at DePaul and UIC.

Outside of the classroom, Thomas has coached tennis and enjoys time with his six-year-old son. In his rare solo moments, he enjoys fishing, exercising, and reading.