About Our Staff

Mr. Argerakis is the K-8 general music teacher at the Coppin School. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, attending Philadelphia public schools from K-12. He studied music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in music performance, and Master’s of Arts in Music Education. After college he relocated to Los Angeles, CA where he apprenticed with film composer, William Ross and scored numerous independent films and theater projects. This is Mr. A’s fourteenth year at the Jackson school, and he is looking forward to a very successful year with all of his general music classes, as well as with our band, “HOME”. Other than music, he enjoys running, reading, gardening, cooking and baseball. He lives in Northeast Philly with his two hairless cats, Izzy and Shelly.

Ms Atkins is a second grade teacher at Coppin. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College and holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. A career changer, she spent 15 years as a community organizer, where she became fluent in Spanish while working on issues of immigrant rights, affordable housing, and racial justice. Atkins lives in south Philadelphia and is the parent of two young children.

Ms. Brozdonis is a first grade teacher at Coppin. She has been teaching in the district for 27 years. This is her 20th year at Coppin. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She has Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and also Literacy. Ms. Brozdonis is certified in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Rob, daughter Emma, and dog, Bella. Ms. Brozdonis enjoys reading, walking, exercise, good food, and watching her daughter play field hockey.

Ms. Cucinotta has been an educator since 2010 and teaches 1st Grade at Jackson Coppin. She has PA Certification in Elementary Education (K-6). Her Masters is in Literacy and she holds a PA Reading Specialist Certification as well. She loves teaching all subjects but Literacy is her favorite! Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Cucinotta enjoys good food, traveling, and most importantly family time with her husband and two sons, Ryan and Colin!

Ms. DiFlorio has been an educator for the School District of Philadelphia for 28 years. She is has been an ESOL teacher at Coppin School since 2012. She grew up in this wonderful neighborhood and is happy to serve our students and help them achieve their full potential!

Ms. Drayton is a Philadelphia resident who has taught in the Philadelphia School District for 23 years. She has taught in a number of urban schools all around Philadelphia and is happy to currently work at Fanny Jackson Coppin under the leadership of our amazing principal Kelly Espinosa. She attended Temple University, Saint Joseph’s University, and Cheyney University. She obtained three certifications in Education: Elementary Education, Early Childhood Development and Educational Administration. Her life goal is to continue to develop, learn and grow. She wishes to continue to share, and impact/influence the families and students of which she partners with daily.

Mrs. DiSalvo has been a teacher since 2003. She has spent her entire career in the School District of Philadelphia in the middle school setting, teaching all grades between 6-8. She is currently the 8th grade math and science teacher at Coppin, and also teaches the Algebra elective to a small group of 8th grade students.

Ms. Espinosa has served as the principal of Fanny Jackson Coppin School since 2017. Under her leadership, Coppin School has achieved a 14% increase in the Overall School Progress Report (SPR) score and a 14% increase in independent reading levels. Additionally, Coppin School has achieved a 3.3% increase in proficient/advanced English Language Arts (ELA) Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores, a 9.8% increase in proficient/advanced Math PSSA scores and an 18% increase in proficient/advanced Science PSSA scores. She is also a recipient of the Neubauer Fellowship for Educational Leadership, cohort 6. Ms. Espinosa has been an educator since 2010. Prior to becoming a principal, she served as a teacher and instructional coach. Kelly was also a curriculum writer supporting the opening of Executive Education Academy Charter School. In her spare time, she loves being a mom to her young son.

Ms. Franko Uliano has been an art teacher in the School District of Philadelphia since 2009, and has been the art teacher of Coppin School since 2012.  Originally from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Ms. Franko moved to Philadelphia after attending Kutztown University for Art Education with a concentration in fine metals, and later earned a Master’s degree and certification in Special Education at La Salle University.  Ms. Franko also enjoys traveling, indoor rock-climbing, pizza-making, and spending time with her husband and young son.

Mrs. Galdo is a kindergarten teacher at Coppin School. She has been teaching for over ten years with the district. Mrs. Galdo completed her Master’s of reading specialist this summer and graduated from Temple University. Mrs. Galdo has three kids Livia, Vida and Louis. She loves reading, teaching and Starbucks.

Ms. Ghanayem has been teaching special education at Coppin for over 25 years. She attended high school in the School District of Philadelphia and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree and a Master of Education Degree from Temple University.  She is certified to teach early childhood education, regular education and special education students. Ms. Ghanayem also serves as the Special Education Liaison for the Coppin School.

Ms. Julio teaches 5th grade math, science, and social studies. She has been an educator for over 20 years. She has a PA Certification in Elementary Education and ESL. She has a BS in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and a MS as a Reading Specialist and ESL. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and shopping!

Nurse Anne Kilmon has been a Registered Nurse (RN) since 2000 after graduating from nursing school at the
University of Delaware. She completed her Master of Science in Nursing and Health Care Administration
at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 2009. Previous work experience has been with
the University of Pennsylvania Health System in the specialties of surgery as an operating room (OR)
nurse for 12 years and adult psychiatry as a staff nurse at the Pennsylvania Hospital Crisis Response
Center for 10 years. She is the proud mom of two kids, Owen and Matthew (ages 3 and 8 as of January
2023), and Matthew is a student at nearby Chester Arthur Elementary School. That makes her both a
School District of Philadelphia employee and parent!
Nurse Anne lives nearby in south Philly, and she loves that she can walk to and from work at Jackson
Coppin every day. She also loves music and played the drums from 5 th grade through college. She
played snare drum in the University of Delaware Marching Band Drumline and was also a member and
snare drummer for the Jersey Surf Drum & Bugle Corps.

Mr. Konya is a fifth grade literacy teacher at Coppin. He has been teaching in the district for 20 years. This is his 9th year at Coppin. He received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Kutztown University and Master of Education from Cabrini College. Outside of school, he enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and exploring the city.

Mr. Kuhn is the 6th grade literacy and social studies teacher. He received his Bachelor of Science in Education from West Chester University and Master of Education in the area of Special Education with an Autism endorsement from Holy Family University. Mr. Kuhn is certified in the areas Elementary Education, Middle School Science, and Special Education. Along with his classroom duties he is also one of the coaches for the school’s robotics program, a member of the Equity Committee and Principal’s Leadership Team. The eleven years prior to joining the Coppin Jackson Family he was a middle school teacher at a charter school for at-risk students. He has been at Coppin Jackson since the 2014-2015 school year.

Mr. Levinson is the Dean of Students & Climate Specialist / School Technology Coordinator / Teacher Leader / Chess & Basketball Coach here at Coppin.  A  product of the School District of Philadelphia, Mr. L. has a B.S. degree in International Business and Economics from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan and a M.S. degree in the Science of Teaching from Drexel University. He is certified as an Administrator K-12, Elementary Education Teacher K-6 &  in Business Computer – Information Technology. Prior to teaching in the School District of Philadelphia, Mr. Levinson taught English as a Second Language to adult learners at St. Joseph University ELS, and he lived in Japan where he taught English, went to university and worked in business. He has traveled extensively and his hobbies are reading, sports, computing, and enjoying the theater.

Ms. MacMaster is a kindergarten teacher at Coppin. She is a graduate of Boston College and holds a master’s degree in Education from Drexel University. Ms. MacMaster has been an educator since 2015. Some of her favorite things include coffee, pizza, and spending time with her husband and young son around the city.

Miss Mahoney is a third grade teacher at Coppin. She has been an educator for 17 years; 8 years of which has been with the School District of Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Catholic University of America with her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. She also spent six years teaching in Washington D.C. before returning to Philadelphia and received her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. She enjoys Harry Potter, Philadelphia sports, Taylor Swift, pumpkin spice, Marvel Universe, walking her dog Chase, and the color purple.

Mr. Malara is a second grade teacher and began his teaching career at Christopher Columbus Charter School over 10 years ago. During that time, he taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. Ever since, he has been with the School District of Philadelphia, teaching kindergarten and middle school ESOL at Coppin. Living and teaching in the same neighborhood has been a wonderful experience!

Mr. Matteo teaches 6th grade math and science. He has been in the district since 2009. He graduated from Penn State University with his Bachelor’s degree, and he also has a Master’s degree in Education from Cabrini University. When he’s not teaching, he coaches baseball or giving swim lessons. He loves watching all Philadelphia sports teams, geeking out over anything Star Wars or Marvel, training for triathlons, building Lego sets, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and son.

Mr. Morris teaches 7th grade math and science at Fanny Jackson Coppin School. This will be his tenth year as an educator in the city of Philadelphia, and his fifth with the School District of Philadelphia. Mr. Morris graduated from Central High School, then took his talents to Temple University. He later earned a Masters of Education from Temple University and is certified in Middle Years Mathematics, Science, and ELA. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, and cheers for any sports team from his beloved city. Mr. Morris is married with two young children and enjoys spending his downtime being active outdoors with his family and friends.

Mr. O’Karma teaches 8th grade Math and Science.  He has been with the School District since 1999. He’s currently certified K-6, Literature 7-12 and Social Studies 7-12. Mr. O’Karma has a Master’s of Education from St. Joseph’s University and a Master’s in History from Villanova University. He also coaches for the SLA soccer team outside of school.

Ms. Pena has been an educator in the School District of Philadelphia since 2001. She was a 1st grade teacher at Fanny Jackson Coppin for 13 years. She changed roles in the 2020-2021 school year and is now the Site Based Teacher Leader. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Temple University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership/Curriculum Supervisor from Saint Joseph’s University. She currently holds PA Certifications in Early Childhood & Elementary Education, and English as a Second Language PreK-12 . She is also the PFT representative. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Olivier, daughters, Angelina and Giuliana, and her dog, Mitzi.

Ms. Pierce is a 1st grade teacher. She received her undergrad degree from King’s College and a Master of Education Degree from Drexel University. She has been with the Philadelphia School District since 2010. She enjoys reading, playing sports, and going to the beach. Some of her favorite things include Starbucks, Harry Potter, Sharpies and her dog, Tut the Mutt.

Mrs. Rafferty has been an educator since 2001 with the School district of Philadelphia. She currently teaches our English Language Learners or Multilingual Language Learners in 4th and 5th grades. She holds a Master’s Degree of Education, a Master’s Degree of TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of Other Languages) and is working towards National Board Certification for Teachers. Outside of school she enjoys spending time with family especially her teenage son and daughter, and friends visiting new places. She is looking forward to next year’s Flea Market fund raiser!

Mrs. Ryan is a fourth grade teacher. Mrs. Ryan has been an educator since 2012 and has been at Coppin since 2014. She loves teaching all subjects but has a special place in her heart for Math, Science, and Pennsylvania history. She will be a part of the National Parks Teacher- Ranger- Teacher program with the Independence Hall National Park summer of 2022. When not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the gym, trips to the beach, brunch with her friends, coffee trips, running distance races, and relaxing with a good book on her back patio.

Ms. Santo has been a teacher for seven years and with the School District of Philadelphia at Coppin for six of those seven years.  Ms. Santo has a Master’s degree in education from Temple University and is certified in multiple areas including secondary education.  In addition to being a kindergarten teacher at Jackson, Ms. Santo has been running the after-school robotics club with Mr. Kuhn for the last five years.  Outside of school, Ms. Santo enjoys riding her bike, watching Jeopardy, playing Yahtzee, and spending time with her cat Pablo and dog Daisy.

Ms. Storti has been an educator at the Fanny Jackson Coppin school for 8 years working within the special education department as a Learning Support Teacher. Ms. Storti is a Wilson certified teacher, with an additional certificate in Elementary Reading. She also holds an ESL certification. Ms. Storti has a Bachelors Degree in Special Education, Regular Education and American Studies along with a Masters Degree in Education with an Autism endorsement.

Mrs. Tierney is a fourth grade teacher at Coppin. She has been an educator since 2005. She has taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades with most of her experience being in 4th grade. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Tierney enjoys spending time with her husband, Michael, daughters Olivia and Elizabeth, and her dog, Sammy Bear. She enjoys reading, baking, watching baseball, and Harry Potter.

Mrs. Visack is excited to be a member of the Fanny Jackson Coppin School community as a learning support teacher. Mrs. Visack has taught in the School District of Philadelphia for 6 years as a special education teacher, educating students with various abilities and needs. She is a South Philadelphia resident and a proud graduate of Temple University, where she received a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Education in Special Education.

Ms. Ziai is the School Counselor for all students, grades K-8. She has been a counselor in the School District of Philadelphia since 2015, and previous to that she taught in Thailand for two years. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Temple University after completing her bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Psychology from University of Richmond. She is a Pennsylvania certified school counselor for grades K-12. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling, going to the Jersey Shore in the summer, trying new restaurants, and going to parks with her daughter.

Ms. Levy is the 7th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher at Fanny Jackson Coppin. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in History and Education and her Masters in Educational Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University. Ms. Levy is certified in English Language Arts and Social Studies. She spent the first 10 years of her career in New York City, teaching and writing curriculum. Afterwards, she relocated and joined the School District of Philadelphia and taught in West Philly from 2022-2024. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Levy loves running, reading and spending time with her friends and family in South Philadelphia.