Lauren Barry, M.Ed., English Learner Education & Family Student Engagement Coordinator

Lauren Barry has worked as a family partner and educator for over 10 years. She is dedicated to building relationships with students, families and the community at large. Lauren is passionate about the role of culture and equity in education. Her uncompromising belief that cultural competency is the basis for learning, communicating high expectations, and reshaping curriculum to reflect diversity contributes to positive social and academic outcomes for all students. Lauren’s leadership and commitment to English Learner Education and Family-Student Engagement nurtures positive and proactive collaboration between families and educators throughout the school district. By working in tandem with educational leadership she strives to support family engagement efforts at the district and school levels. As a member of the Northampton community, Lauren stays abreast of developments in resources to identify most impactful ways to connect families to both the school and community. Her expertise and enthusiasm for people contribute to the district’s two way communication efforts to multilingual families and equitable instructional practices for students that are representative of the diversity in Northampton Public Schools.

Rachel Ellis, Ed.S. , ELE Department Chair K-12

Rachel Ellis is an English Learner teacher at R.K. Finn Ryan Road School and the English Language Education Department Chair for the Northampton Public Schools. She loves language learning and has studied Spanish, German and Yiddish, as well as applied linguistics, and has over ten years of experience working with language learners in public schools. She is a Curriculum Teacher Leader and collaborates with other EL teachers to write research based English Learner curriculum for the district. She works hard to build trust with families of language learners and feels fortunate to be able to meet families from all over the world.

Kelly Fawell – Bridge Street School and Jackson Street School 

Kelly Fawell joined the Northampton district in 2021 and previously worked as an ELL teacher in Chicopee, Ma. She looks forward to working in the Northampton community and within the English learning community. Ms. Fawell lives in Williamsburg with her husband, three children, and two dogs. In addition to teaching EL, she teaches ballet and continues to take dance classes for health and fitness.

Alyssa Dorrie – Bridge Street School 

Alyssa Dorrie is an English Learner teacher at Bridge Street School. She comes from a family of immigrants and second language learners. A former French and Spanish teacher, she is passionate about language learning and teaching. She has contributed to the district’s English Learner Education curriculum writing endeavor and advocates for access for Northampton’s English learners and their families. Her interests include traveling, reading, and cooking in the Instant Pot. 

Adriane Racine – Jackson Street School 

Adriane Racine is an EL teacher at Jackson Street School and works with English Learners grades K-5. Adriane has been working in the ESL field for over 10 years. She began her ESL career in Turkey where she lived and worked for eight years. She values multiculturalism and multilingualism as she is raising her own children in a bilingual household. She is passionate about children’s literature and enjoys nature.

Maria Keller – Leeds Elementary

Maria is an El teacher at Leeds Elementary School and works with English Learners in grades K-5. She comes to the district with over 20 years of experience in ELE and Special Education. Maria lives in Peru, MA with her husband, mother, and two cats. She grew up in Switzerland and speaks French. In her free time, Maria likes to learn about nutrition and health. She loves living in the woods and is an avid Minecraft player.

Hallie Novak – JFK Middle School     

Hallie is excited to be teaching English Language Learners at JFK Middle School. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in French, she obtained her Master of Arts in Teaching ELL from Mount Holyoke College. She loves learning new words and exploring languages. She also enjoys sharing food and exchanging recipes from all over the globe with her students!

Olivia Lotstein – JFK Middle School

Olivia is an EL teacher at JFK Middle School and works with English Learners in grades 6-8.

Sue Sullivan – Northampton High School 

Sue is an EL teacher at Northampton High School. She works with English Learners and Former English Learners in grades 9-12.

Marisa Mathesien- Northampton High School

Marisa is an EL teacher at Northampton High School. She works with English Learners and Former English Learners in grades 9-12.