ESI Profiles | Explore Schools

Meet Our Team

Our network is composed of a diverse group of individuals that share a dedication to ensuring 100 percent of our students gain the skills and knowledge they need to graduate from high school, succeed in college and achieve their dreams.

Our team demonstrate an appreciation for setting and achieving ambitious goals through perseverance and “grit,” humor, kindness, and a deep belief in the collective strength of the team.

Morty Ballen

Chief Executive Officer/Founder

Morty Ballen is an educator and social entrepreneur committed to closing the achievement gap. In 2002, he founded Explore Charter School in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, which currently serves 500 students in grades K-8 and has a waiting list of over 2,500 families. Seeing first-hand the demand for better schools and the powerful impact that strong schools have on student achievement, Morty launched Explore Schools, a New York-based nonprofit that creates and supports a network of public schools in underserved communities. Currently Explore Schools supports three schools, Explore Charter School, Empower Charter School, and Excel Charter School which serve more than 1,000 students in Brooklyn. Beyond enrollment numbers, the academic success of schools in the Explore Schools network is astounding: nearly 100% of Explore’s 8th graders attend a college preparatory high school and in their first year of standardized testing, Empower Charter School outperformed their peers in the district, city, and state.

Morty has been featured on CNN and was named a 2011 Entrepreneurial Leader for Public Education in the Aspen Institute-New Schools Venture Fund Fellowship. Prior to founding Explore Charter School, Morty taught in underserved communities in Louisiana, New York, and South Africa. He received his BA from Franklin and Marshall and his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Columbia University. Morty lives with his husband in Brooklyn.

Lizz Pawlson

Chief Operating Officer

Lizz Pawlson has worked with Explore Schools since 2008. In her current role, she oversees talent and operations teams across the network. Prior to joining Explore Schools, she served as the Director of New Site Development and Interim Director of Recruitment for the KIPP Foundation. She holds a BA from The George Washington University and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Catherine Barufaldi

Managing Director of Talent

Catherine Barufaldi has been with Explore Schools for over four years, first at Explore Charter School and now in her current role with Explore Schools, where she is responsible for the recruitment, selection, and retention of our greatest asset: people. Prior to joining Explore, Ms. Barufaldi was the Assistant Division Director at the Children's Aid Society where she oversaw dozens of children's programs across multiple sites. She began her career in education as a middle school reading teacher in Houston, and holds a Masters of Public Administration from New York University.

Keith Vigraham

Director of Talent

Keith Vigraham leads staff development efforts for Explore Schools and its network schools. Prior to Explore, he worked at the Success Charter Network in Harlem in Recruitment, focusing on teacher and school leadership selection. Mr. Vigraham also worked as a Program Director at Teach for America where he professionally developed 1st and 2nd year Special Education teachers. He is an alumna of Arizona State University (2003) and the New York Teach for America Corps (2006).

Michal Anne Fox

Recruitment Manager

Michal-Anne Fox is responsible for implementing Explore Schools’ recruitment and outreach strategy. Prior to Explore, she recruited staff for Teacher U, a revolutionary teacher preparation program, and Success Charter Network, a network of high-performing charter schools in Harlem and the Bronx. Michal-Anne also has four years of teaching experience at PS 40 and Excellence Boys Charter School of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. She is an alumna of Teach for America, and holds a Master of Science for Teachers from Pace University and a B.A. in Anthropology and B.S. in Communication from Boston University.

Alex Candee

Recruitment Associate

Alex assists with recruitment and hiring efforts for each school in our network. Prior to working at Explore Schools, he taught for 4th and 5th grade for two years as a 2008 Greater New Orleans - Teach For America corps member. He is a graduate of Keene State College in New Hampshire.

Ian Newton

Managing Director of Operations and Finance

As Managing Director of Operations and Finance, Ian oversees the business operations of the network and ensures that the schools have the infrastructure and support they need to be successful. Prior to joining Explore Schools, Ian served as CFO of a community-based not-for-profit in Boston, and Director of Procurement with the Boston Public Health Commission. Ian holds a BA and MA from Clark University, and an MBA in nonprofit management from Boston University.

Richard Smyth

Director of Technology

Richard Smyth coordinates and manages all aspects of Information Technology for the Explore Schools network. He has been working in the IT field for over 10 years and has a Masters in Information Systems from University College of London. Mr. Smyth's background is primarily based within Children Services in the U.K. During this time he was responsible for the planning and implementation of an IT infrastructure and data management framework, to enhance service delivery and decision making processes.

Rebecca Daverin

Director of Compliance and Reporting

Rebecca Daverin is responsible for the management of school-based operational systems as they relate to compliance. Prior to joining Explore Schools, Rebecca Daverin was a Literacy Counselor for 3 years and worked in support roles at various charter schools in Brooklyn for 6 years. She holds a BA from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program at Hunter College.

Avanthi Witana

Financial Analyst

Avanthi Witana recently joined Explore Schools as the network's Financial Analyst. In this position she works with the school based Finance Managers to develop budgets and manage reporting, as well as supporting grant development and accounting for the Explore network. She also conducts management analysis to help the Explore Schools team better utilize data to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement. Prior to joining Explore Schools Avanthi worked as a post-award grant and contract administrator at the Research Foundation of CUNY. She received a BS from Brown University and an MS in Economics from Tufts University.

Kinnari Patel-Smyth

Managing Director of Programs

Kinnari Patel has been with Explore Charter School since 2004, serving as an Academic Director and for the last three years as the school’s Principal. In her current role, she is responsible for the academic quality of Explore Schools’ network schools and the development of the network’s principal residents. She graduated from Salisbury State University in Maryland and earned her principalship through New Leaders for New Schools. She was a classroom teacher for six years and led an after-school mentoring program.

Tanya Johnson

Director of Mathematics

Tanya began her career in education in Compton, CA as a teacher of Math and Science ten years ago. In 2004, she moved to the east coast and successfully worked for five years to close the achievement gap in mathematics at a high performing charter school in Newark, NJ. In 2009, Tanya transitioned into a full time teacher leadership role as Staff Developer for Mathematics (grades 5 -12) at a charter school in the Washington Heights community. She recently joined the Explore Schools team as the Director of Math where she is is responsible for ensuring that math instruction is effectively being planned and implemented at all schools in our network.

Emily Rodriguez

Director of Literacy

Emily Rodriguez joined the Explore Schools team in July 2011 as the Director of Literacy. Before working for Explore Schools, she was the founding principal of Harlem Success Academy 3, a public charter school in East Harlem. Prior to being principal, Emily worked at Explore Charter School as the Dean of Students and the Upper School Academic Director. She also taught middle school in Queens and Philadelphia. Emily earned her MS in Educational Leadership from Pace University through New Leaders for New Schools and a MA in Elementary Education from Queens College through the Teaching Fellows. She also completed the Educational Leadership Program for Aspiring Principals at the University of Pennsylvania.

Curtis Palmore

Turnaround Principal in Residence

Curtis Palmore is the Turnaround Principal in Residence at Explore Schools, and will be the Principal of Explore Exceed Charter School starting in July 2012. Explore Exceed will provide a high quality replacement option for a failing public school in New York City. Before working with Explore, Curtis was the Head of School at Harlem Day Charter School. As a transitional school leader, he led this school through a successful restructuring renewal to Harlem Prep with SUNY and another charter organization. He has also served as an instructional leader at another NYC Charter School. Curtis was an Assistant Principal with Beginning with Children Charter School and is an alumnus of Teach for America with the NYC 1995 Corp. Curtis earned a M.A. in Educational Leadership from Fordham University and a B.A. in Political Science from Morgan State University.

Allison Jones

External Affairs Manager

Allison Jones is responsible for developing and implementing Explore Schools' communication and fundraising strategies. After graduating from Haverford College in 2007 with a degree in Sociology and Education, Allison was awarded a year-long public service fellowship by her alma mater to coordinate a leadership training program for underserved teens in North Philadelphia. Following that year, she took her passion for education back to her home city of New York where she managed the fundraising and marketing efforts for an inner city Catholic School in lower Manhattan. In one year she oversaw a five percent growth in funding and enrollment as well as the development of stronger academic programs. Allison is excited to bring her commitment to education and experience in communications and fundraising to the Explore Schools team.

Lauren Pizer

Special Projects Associate

Lauren is Explore School’s special projects associate. In this role she provides administrative support to the Explore Schools Team. She graduated from the University of Michigan where she studied public policy.

			Morty Ballen Chief Executive Officer/Founder Morty Ballen is an educator and social entrepreneur committed to closing the achievement gap. In 2002, he founded Explore Charter School in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, which currently serves 500 students in grades K-8 and has a waiting list of over 2,500 families. Seeing first-hand the demand for better schools and the powerful impact that strong schools have on student achievement, Morty launched Explore Schools, a New York-based nonprofit that creates and supports a network of public schools in underserved communities. Currently Explore Schools supports three schools, Explore Charter School, Empower Charter School, and Excel Charter School which serve more than 1,000 students in Brooklyn. Beyond enrollment numbers, the academic success of schools in the Explore Schools network is astounding: nearly 100% of Explore’s 8th graders attend a college preparatory high school and in their first year of standardized testing, Empower Charter School outperformed their peers in the district, city, and state. Morty has been featured on CNN and was named a 2011 Entrepreneurial Leader for Public Education in the Aspen Institute-New Schools Venture Fund Fellowship. Prior to founding Explore Charter School, Morty taught in underserved communities in Louisiana, New York, and South Africa. He received his BA from Franklin and Marshall and his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Columbia University. Morty lives with his husband in Brooklyn.
			Lizz Pawlson Chief Operating Officer Lizz Pawlson has worked with Explore Schools since 2008. In her current role, she oversees talent and operations teams across the network. Prior to joining Explore Schools, she served as the Director of New Site Development and Interim Director of Recruitment for the KIPP Foundation. She holds a BA from The George Washington University and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
			Catherine Barufaldi Managing Director of Talent Catherine Barufaldi has been with Explore Schools for over four years, first at Explore Charter School and now in her current role with Explore Schools, where she is responsible for the recruitment, selection, and retention of our greatest asset: people. Prior to joining Explore, Ms. Barufaldi was the Assistant Division Director at the Children's Aid Society where she oversaw dozens of children's programs across multiple sites. She began her career in education as a middle school reading teacher in Houston, and holds a Masters of Public Administration from New York University.
			Keith Vigraham Director of Talent Keith Vigraham leads staff development efforts for Explore Schools and its network schools. Prior to Explore, he worked at the Success Charter Network in Harlem in Recruitment, focusing on teacher and school leadership selection. Mr. Vigraham also worked as a Program Director at Teach for America where he professionally developed 1st and 2nd year Special Education teachers. He is an alumna of Arizona State University (2003) and the New York Teach for America Corps (2006).
			Michal Anne Fox Recruitment Manager Michal-Anne Fox is responsible for implementing Explore Schools’ recruitment and outreach strategy. Prior to Explore, she recruited staff for Teacher U, a revolutionary teacher preparation program, and Success Charter Network, a network of high-performing charter schools in Harlem and the Bronx. Michal-Anne also has four years of teaching experience at PS 40 and Excellence Boys Charter School of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. She is an alumna of Teach for America, and holds a Master of Science for Teachers from Pace University and a B.A. in Anthropology and B.S. in Communication from Boston University.
			Alex Candee Recruitment Associate Alex assists with recruitment and hiring efforts for each school in our network. Prior to working at Explore Schools, he taught for 4th and 5th grade for two years as a 2008 Greater New Orleans - Teach For America corps member. He is a graduate of Keene State College in New Hampshire.
			Ian Newton Managing Director of Operations and Finance As Managing Director of Operations and Finance, Ian oversees the business operations of the network and ensures that the schools have the infrastructure and support they need to be successful. Prior to joining Explore Schools, Ian served as CFO of a community-based not-for-profit in Boston, and Director of Procurement with the Boston Public Health Commission. Ian holds a BA and MA from Clark University, and an MBA in nonprofit management from Boston University.
			Richard Smyth Director of Technology Richard Smyth coordinates and manages all aspects of Information Technology for the Explore Schools network. He has been working in the IT field for over 10 years and has a Masters in Information Systems from University College of London. Mr. Smyth's background is primarily based within Children Services in the U.K. During this time he was responsible for the planning and implementation of an IT infrastructure and data management framework, to enhance service delivery and decision making processes.
			Rebecca Daverin Director of Compliance and Reporting Rebecca Daverin is responsible for the management of school-based operational systems as they relate to compliance. Prior to joining Explore Schools, Rebecca Daverin was a Literacy Counselor for 3 years and worked in support roles at various charter schools in Brooklyn for 6 years. She holds a BA from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program at Hunter College.
			Avanthi Witana Financial Analyst Avanthi Witana recently joined Explore Schools as the network's Financial Analyst. In this position she works with the school based Finance Managers to develop budgets and manage reporting, as well as supporting grant development and accounting for the Explore network. She also conducts management analysis to help the Explore Schools team better utilize data to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement. Prior to joining Explore Schools Avanthi worked as a post-award grant and contract administrator at the Research Foundation of CUNY. She received a BS from Brown University and an MS in Economics from Tufts University.
			Kinnari Patel-Smyth Managing Director of Programs Kinnari Patel has been with Explore Charter School since 2004, serving as an Academic Director and for the last three years as the school’s Principal. In her current role, she is responsible for the academic quality of Explore Schools’ network schools and the development of the network’s principal residents. She graduated from Salisbury State University in Maryland and earned her principalship through New Leaders for New Schools. She was a classroom teacher for six years and led an after-school mentoring program.
			Tanya Johnson Director of Mathematics Tanya began her career in education in Compton, CA as a teacher of Math and Science ten years ago. In 2004, she moved to the east coast and successfully worked for five years to close the achievement gap in mathematics at a high performing charter school in Newark, NJ. In 2009, Tanya transitioned into a full time teacher leadership role as Staff Developer for Mathematics (grades 5 -12) at a charter school in the Washington Heights community. She recently joined the Explore Schools team as the Director of Math where she is is responsible for ensuring that math instruction is effectively being planned and implemented at all schools in our network.
			Emily Rodriguez Director of Literacy Emily Rodriguez joined the Explore Schools team in July 2011 as the Director of Literacy. Before working for Explore Schools, she was the founding principal of Harlem Success Academy 3, a public charter school in East Harlem. Prior to being principal, Emily worked at Explore Charter School as the Dean of Students and the Upper School Academic Director. She also taught middle school in Queens and Philadelphia. Emily earned her MS in Educational Leadership from Pace University through New Leaders for New Schools and a MA in Elementary Education from Queens College through the Teaching Fellows. She also completed the Educational Leadership Program for Aspiring Principals at the University of Pennsylvania.
			Curtis Palmore Turnaround Principal in Residence Curtis Palmore is the Turnaround Principal in Residence at Explore Schools, and will be the Principal of Explore Exceed Charter School starting in July 2012. Explore Exceed will provide a high quality replacement option for a failing public school in New York City. Before working with Explore, Curtis was the Head of School at Harlem Day Charter School. As a transitional school leader, he led this school through a successful restructuring renewal to Harlem Prep with SUNY and another charter organization. He has also served as an instructional leader at another NYC Charter School. Curtis was an Assistant Principal with Beginning with Children Charter School and is an alumnus of Teach for America with the NYC 1995 Corp. Curtis earned a M.A. in Educational Leadership from Fordham University and a B.A. in Political Science from Morgan State University.
			Allison Jones External Affairs Manager Allison Jones is responsible for developing and implementing Explore Schools' communication and fundraising strategies. After graduating from Haverford College in 2007 with a degree in Sociology and Education, Allison was awarded a year-long public service fellowship by her alma mater to coordinate a leadership training program for underserved teens in North Philadelphia. Following that year, she took her passion for education back to her home city of New York where she managed the fundraising and marketing efforts for an inner city Catholic School in lower Manhattan. In one year she oversaw a five percent growth in funding and enrollment as well as the development of stronger academic programs. Allison is excited to bring her commitment to education and experience in communications and fundraising to the Explore Schools team.
			Lauren Pizer Special Projects Associate Lauren is Explore School’s special projects associate. In this role she provides administrative support to the Explore Schools Team. She graduated from the University of Michigan where she studied public policy.