Staff
Leah Tong (Director) has a unique background that drives her desire to help children flourish and achieve success across multiple dimensions. She holds an MA in early childhood education/special education, an MS in human resources from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BA in economics and English literature from Peking University. She is a NY State-certified teacher and special education teacher, as well as a professional in Human Resources® from HR Certification Institute®. She is the founder of two Long Island City preschools, and she has worked in various private and public schools, as well as in HR in law firms in New York and Samsung Electronics in Korea. She is currently enrolled in Columbia University’s Private School Leadership program (EdM).
Karyn Slutsky (Director of Curriculum, Supervisory LM-ELA) was an editorial/production consultant for more than 15 years before she co-founded Queens Paideia School in 2009. She served as QPS’s Assistant Director until 2021, along the way creating its virtual summer camp (2020) and a volunteer reading program that brought online daily reading, handwriting, and spelling instruction to dozens of K-1st grade students in Queens (2021). A graduate of Brandeis University, Karyn is the originator of GVS’s Belief Systems curriculum, which examines beliefs across religion, food, birth/death, the media, and other cultural platforms. She is also an instructor for Queens Botanical Gardens and devotes any spare time to her interests in global political history, the science of learning, classical music and ballet, urban hiking, and reading, discussing, and editing books.
Peter Branscombe (Curriculum Develop., Dir. of Operations, LM-Humanities) has a master’s in curriculum and teaching from Columbia University’s Teachers College and a master’s in education from Lesley University. He has more than 20 years of teaching experience in independent schools, where he fostered discussion and integrated skill development with artistic expression and problem solving. Peter believes that in order for students to become adults who will participate meaningfully in a democratic society, they need to be self-reflective, critical thinkers who can examine and question the world around them. Prior to teaching, Peter was a graphic designer and artist; he currently sings in a choral group and does set and prop design for community theater.
Rebecca Ford (Dir. of Admissions and Administration) has more than 20 years’ experience in education and leadership that have honed her passion for supporting schools. For the past 15 years, she has focused on early childhood education in schools in California and Connecticut. She has also served on the advisory board for Cristo Rey New York, a high school in Harlem that serves low-income families. She is the founder of Confident Parenting, an educational coaching practice that supports parents and schools. Rebecca holds her BA in English Literature from College of the Holy Cross. She has received certificates from UCLA (early childhood admin.) and the Certified Life Coach Institute. Rebecca brings her collaborative style and sense of enthusiasm to GVS.
Vic Fiallo (Learning Manager-Mathematics) has a master’s from Columbia University’s Teachers College. He has served in managerial and administrative roles in New Jersey and New York schools for more than 25 years, including as Dept. Chair for Math and Science Education and Math Learning Manager. He is a highly regarded educator with many years’ experience in teaching and innovating. As an alternative education advocate, Vic seeks to create learning cultures that promote consciousness regarding health, nutrition, and fitness, as well as social, environmental, and economic awareness. His background and philosophy fit in with GVS's emphasis on self-motivation, independence, and contribution.
Brandon Glasgow (Learning Manager-Science) spent 9 years developing Gantry View’s science curriculum while at Queens Paideia School. Prior to that, he taught biology, chemistry, and physics, and all levels of mathematics through pre-calculus, as an instructional tutor at Lydian Academy in Menlo Park, California. He has coached students in test-taking skills and time management, taught ISEE/SSAT and intensive SAT prep courses, and wrote ISEE/SSAT course prep material. Mr. Glasgow, a graduate of University of Boulder-Colorado in engineering and applied science, is also a musician and audio engineer.
Sam Fox-Hartin (Learning Manager-English Language Arts/Humanities) holds a BA in Philosophy from George Washington University, where he was awarded the Astare E. Claeyssens prize for outstanding written work. He has worked as a tutor and taught reading and writing in group settings for after-school enrichment programs. During Spring 2020, while an administrator in Temple Emanu-El's Lifelong Learning department, he orchestrated the shift from in-person to live online classes. He is trained in precision-teaching methodology and direct (explicit) reading instruction, and he is interested in the “mechanics" of language and the skill-building opportunities embedded in writing projects in English Language Arts.
Maureen Grey (Learning Manager-Social Studies/Humanities) earned a master’s in Secondary Education in Social Studies from Adelphi and has extensive experience teaching all elementary school grades, including differentiation for gifted and talented. Maureen is also the founder of the Southeast Queens Historical and Preservation Society, whose purpose is to research, discover, document, and disseminate the history of the First Nations, African-Americans, and Europeans, and all immigrants who at times lived in the Springfield area of Queens.
Shadi Karimi (Art/Learning Manager - Mathematics) completed her secondary education in Isfahan, Iran, with a focus in math (equivalent of associates degree coursework). She received her BA in psychology from Queens College. She is well-versed in Singapore Math methodology and GVS’s math fluency building program, which she helped implement at Queens Paideia. Shadi is also an accomplished visual artist who started studying art formally at a very young age. She was an art instructor in an Iranian pre-k and kindergarten school, and at QPS for K-8 from 2018-2021.
Elaine Lin (Learning Manager - Mandarin) taught Chinese immersion class while acting as a lead teacher at Bunny Hill for three years. She received her bachelor's at Ohio State University with a teacher certification in TESOL. She received her master's in Bilingual Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Being a strong advocate for bilingual education, she strives to create a welcoming and culturally responsive classroom for all students.
Abigail Willson (Learning Aid, Drama Instructor) is a graduate of The New School’s College of Performing Arts and served as one of GVS Summer Camp’s lead counselors, including teaching drama. In addition to training in the best practices for skill building in reading, she is also in the process of completing her Intimacy Coordinator certification with IDC.
Amy Li (Admin Manager) graduated from Hunter College with a BA in Psychology and has been teaching in early childhood classrooms for more than ten years, including at BunnyHill Preschool in Long Island City. Most recently, she was acting administrator at BunnyHill, with a focus on family communication and school operations. Amy is the consummate New Yorker who enjoys long walks with her dog, Parker, exploring new places, and traveling to foreign countries.
Jaime Andrés Cubillos-Ballesteros (Spanish) has taught Spanish for more than 12 years, while also working as an interpreter for New York businesses and institutions. In addition to his work at GVS, he is a private instructor and language consultant to prominent business figures and politicians. He received his degree in literature studies from Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia. Cubillos-Ballesteros’s awareness of the growing importance of Spanish in the United States led him to form his own company, Gatold.com Language Solutions.
Briana Olivares (Music) is a professional opera singer and pianist who has studied and performed in the US and in England, Germany, and Italy. She holds a bachelors (Univ. of North Texas, Denton) and masters (Univ. of Texas, Rio Grande Valley) in music, and an assistant certificate from the Maria Montessori Institute. "Ms. Bri” has instructed music classes and piano lessons, and is honored to guide children toward musicianship and enjoyment in music-making.
Mary Lauren (Drama) holds a BFA in theater and is a multi-hyphenate artist who acts, sings, dances, directs/choreographs, writes, and produces. She has directed children stage productions for 20 years and worked all over New York, including off-Broadway, and regionally in California and New Mexico. Through acting, song, dance, storytelling, and writing, her students experience joy while learning and practicing important social skills. She is the artistic director of the company Heart String Theatrical.
Hasna Sanji (Latin) graduated Fordham University's with BAs in Classical Civilization and Psychology. Building on her interest in reading the classics, she earned a Certificate in Ancient Greek from the Latin/Greek Institute. Besides Latin and Greek, Hasna speaks Bengali and some Arabic.