Meet Your Teach For America - Dallas-Fort Worth Institute Team
Team Name |
When You'll Work With This Team |
What This Team Does |
Institute Team |
Throughout Institute |
The Institute team works to support you during your weeks of summer training and teaching. They’ll coach you in the classroom, provide professional development, and support you as you complete your transition to Dallas-Fort Worth. |
Helsa Thompson
Helsa Thompson currently serves as Senior Managing Director of Institute for Teach for America Dallas-Fort Worth.
Helsa has served in various roles in the world of education, most recently Senior Director of Talent for KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools. Before accepting an executive leadership position with KMCS, she served as a Regional Instructional Coach, and began her career as a teacher, teaching in tradition public and charter schools.
The one thing that drives Helsa's professional focus is improving the urban education system through high-quality teachers and instruction. She knows how one's quality of education can impact the trajectory of their lives, so she strives to ensure that all students, despite their socioeconomic or racial background, have an education that leads to infinite possibilities.
Helsa graduated from Harvard's Graduate School of Education with a Master’s in Education in 2009 and from the University of Southern California with her BA in Print Journalism in 2008.
Helsa has served in various roles in the world of education, most recently Senior Director of Talent for KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools. Before accepting an executive leadership position with KMCS, she served as a Regional Instructional Coach, and began her career as a teacher, teaching in tradition public and charter schools.
The one thing that drives Helsa's professional focus is improving the urban education system through high-quality teachers and instruction. She knows how one's quality of education can impact the trajectory of their lives, so she strives to ensure that all students, despite their socioeconomic or racial background, have an education that leads to infinite possibilities.
Helsa graduated from Harvard's Graduate School of Education with a Master’s in Education in 2009 and from the University of Southern California with her BA in Print Journalism in 2008.
Ebony Jones
Ebony Jones is a Dallas-Fort Worth native with 11 years of experience in education. She has earned her Bachelors of Liberal Arts in English/Communications and a Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. Her strengths include: collaborative leadership, strategic planning, empowering educators to develop their leadership and instructional skills, academic program development in technology, science, and math, coordination and leadership in community and pedagogical programs, and identification / implementation of organizational programs.
Allison Flannery
Allison Flannery is the Director, Institute Operations for the Teach For America Dallas-Fort Worth region. Graduating from the University of Kentucky (#CATS) with degrees in Psychology and English, she then joined Teach For America as a 2011 corps member. For 3 years, she taught 9th grade English in Houston, TX. Allison made the hop to Dallas, TX to join the Teach For America Dallas-Fort Worth region serving in operations roles. As the Director, Institute Operations, she leads the designing, planning, and execution of operations for the 7 week summer training program known as Institute. Over the summer, she works closely with the university partner to ensure basic needs (i.e. housing, dining, transportation, supplies, communications) are met for 200 incoming new teachers. She also spends the year managing the budget for Institute and manages vendor relationships, staff relations, and university contracts to ensure a fiscally sound and sustainable program can occur from summer to summer. She enjoys being active outdoors, going on adventures around the city, and loves to talk about how to maximize your time so you can life your fullest life!