Brownsville Ascend

About Brownsville Ascend

123 E. 98^th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11212
718.240.9162

Brownsville Ascend Charter School opened in 2009 as the second school in the Ascend network. In 2011-2012 the school is serving 410 students in kindergarten through third grade at a newly constructed facility at 123 East 98th Street. During the 2012-2013 school year, Brownsville Ascend will move into a newly renovated six-story building in Community School District #23. The school will grow by a grade each year to serve more than 1,000 students in grades K-12 at maturity.

Leadership Team

Kelly O. Bowers, Co-Director

“Ascend is proving that high-achieving schools don’t have to be ‘use–‘em–up–and–spit– ‘em–out’ types of environments for teachers. Elsewhere, the road to success is littered with burned-out teachers. Here effective teachers are valued and supported for the long haul.”

Kelly O. Bowers co-directs Brownsville Ascend Charter School with Angela Beal. As a first-grade teacher and part of the school’s founding faculty, she oversaw her students’ exceptional gains during the school’s inaugural year. Before assuming her current leadership role, she served as dean of instruction at Brownsville Ascend. Bowers came to Ascend from Kings Collegiate Charter School in Brooklyn where she taught writing at the fifth-grade level. Early in her teaching career, Bowers was a literacy specialist for a New York City nonprofit and she later served as a special education collaborative team teacher for Public School 126. Bowers earned her undergraduate degree in sociology from Louisiana State University and a master’s in education, specializing in special education, from Hunter College. She has also completed professional development at the Columbia Teachers College Summer Institute.

Angela E. Beal, Co-Director

“Getting to college is serious business, but we work hard to make it a joyful pursuit for our scholars. Even throughout an extended school day, they’re engaged, enjoying school, and realizing the rewards of their efforts. I love strong numbers, but all the smiles are icing on the cake!”

Angela E. Beal co-directs Brownsville Ascend Charter School with Kelly Bowers. Beal was dean of students at Brownville Ascend and she formerly served as a member of the faculty at sister school Brooklyn Ascend. Previously, Beal taught physical education, health, and literacy at a charter school in the Bronx. She was also a physical education teacher at a high school in New York City, where she coached boys’ and girls’ varsity athletics. Beal holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Hofstra University and a master’s in education from Alfred University.

Kamilah S. O'Brien, Director of Operations

"Having grown up in Crown Heights and attended public schools, I am well aware of the challenges facing urban education, and many stem from a weak infrastructure. I am proud to be a part of an Ascend school, where our operations are mission-driven and our environment is top-notch!"

Director of operations Kamilah S. O’Brien is responsible for all non-academic operations at Brownsville Ascend Charter School. She was formerly a fiscal program associate at Seedco, a national nonprofit organization that works with community-based partners to deliver services to low-income people. In this capacity, she tracked expenditures and subcontractor performance and helped oversee fiscal review, statistical analysis, regulatory compliance, and reporting. Previously, as operations manager for Legal Outreach, O’Brien managed the fiscal operations of a $500,000 grant by the Department of Youth and Community Development. O’Brien is a graduate of the Boston University College of Communications. She earned a Master of Public Administration from New York University, Wagner School of Pubic Service.

Erin Swan-Potras, Dean of Instruction

“Relying on proven practices means Ascend’s teachers don’t have to figure out how to get every child to college. They’re well equipped with a detailed roadmap and all the provisions they need for the journey, so they can just take off!”

As dean of instruction at Brownsville Ascend Charter School, Erin Swan-Potras oversees academic operations at the school, including coaching and developing the teaching staff and ensuring the accurate implementation of the Ascend design. Swan-Potras came to Ascend from Mastery Charter Schools in Philadelphia, where she taught English and served as a lead teacher and instructional coach. During her tenure, students scoring at the advanced/proficiency level on the state English exam increased by 37 percentage points over the course of one school year. In a school of 50 teachers, Swan-Potras was among the three with the highest classroom gains last year, earning the EPIC Spotlight Teacher Award from New Leaders for New Schools. Previously, she taught middle-school literacy and was a curriculum coordinator in the School District of Philadelphia. Swan Potras began her career as a Philadelphia teaching fellow, part of a corps of educators placed in underserved public schools. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkely; a certificate in secondary English instruction at the University of Pennsylvania; and a master of arts in educational leadership at Columbia University Teacher’s College.

Narissa Reid, Student Management Coordinator

"Part of a long line of educators, I’m proud to help provide our scholars with the skills and confidence they need to succeed. Nothing builds a child’s self-esteem like authentic achievement!”

As student management coordinator, Narissa Reid works with the co-directors to support Brownsville Ascend scholars in meeting the school’s high expectations for behavior. Reid was formerly an academic intervention instructor in literacy skills at East New York Preparatory Charter School in Brooklyn. She also previously served as a tutor at ACORN Community High School, preparing students for the New York State Regents Exam; and as an after-school program coordinator at Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Reid earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts at Borough of Manhattan Community College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology at City College of New York. She is currently completing coursework for a master’s degree in early childhood education.