Coaches

Stephanie joined Van Ness during the 2019-2020 school year. She started teaching 13 years ago in Atlanta through Teach for America. Since then, Stephanie has taught K-5 as a founding teacher at Excel Academy, at dual language schools, and a turnaround school in the District. Throughout Stephanie’s teaching career, Stephanie has served as a member of the Chancellor’s Teacher Cabinet, Flamboyan Home Visit Trainer, Teaching for Change Telling Stories Participant, and Girls on the Run Coach. Stephanie believes in developing strong relationships with families while fostering independence and critical thinking within her students. Stephanie holds a BA in Psychology and Government and Law from Lafayette College and MA in Early Childhood Education from American University. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys biking, gardening, and cooking.

Alexandria Monroe began teaching 14 years ago as a Capital Teaching Resident at E.L. Haynes. Since then she has taught grades Pre-K through 4th in Washington D.C. and Maryland. In addition to her role as a teacher she has served as a Math Committee Chair, Scholastic Bookfair Coordinator, and an MTSS point person during her time in the district. Alexandria believes in leveraging data to make intentional instructional choices and enjoys deep data dives with her colleagues (yes, she really does find that fun). Alexandria has a B.A. in Child Development from Spelman College and an M.Ed in Education from Towson University where she primarily focused on strategies for developing self-regulation and executive function skills for elementary students with ADHD (and ADHD-like behaviors). She is currently pursuing her Instructional Leadership Certification from Harvard GSE. When Alexandria is not in the classroom she can be found at various parks and pools with her daughter or at a local coffee shop powering through her ever growing “Must Read” list.