San Francisco Flex Academy's academic team comprises of some of California's leading experts in school management, who are dedicated to making our school an ideal learning experience for all students.

Sean St. Denny, academic coach, was born and raised in San Francisco, where he enrolled in 1997 as a freshman in the inaugural class of Leadership High School. He was drawn to the school by its fresh approach to education, its beautiful downtown location, and its pioneering spirit. Sean was an active member of the Leadership community as a co-founder of multiple clubs, student teacher, tutor, and captain of the soccer team. After graduating from Leadership, Sean went on to attend Johns Hopkins University, where he studied Biomedical Engineering.

Meghan L. Jacquot, English teacher, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduating with honors with a degree in secondary education, she became a high school teacher. A lover of books, Meghan looks forward to starting a book club at SF Flex. She firmly believes in giving back to the community and thinks that a primary way to do this is to teach, and she is particularly interested in SF Flex's melding of technology and classroom instruction. Meghan looks forward to working with this method to further the educational goals of her students.

Charles Hieger, science teacher, completed his undergraduate degree at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. His graduate studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and California State University, Fresno earned him a teaching credential in secondary science education and multiple subjects. His interests and experiences are diverse—he has worked in nuclear medicine, mixed audio for music studios in Hollywood, published original music for commercial use, and taught science in grades K–12. Charles believes in a holistic approach to science education that is exciting, hands-on, and filled with authentic discovery.

Charleston Hasson Brown, counselor, was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Alcorn State University located in Lorman, Mississippi where he earned his undergraduate degree in general studies while participating in collegiate sports. After graduation, Charleston decided to further his education and received his master's degree in secondary education with an emphasis in guidance counseling in 2010 from Alcorn State University. While earning his master's degree, he was employed with America Reads Mississippi—a national service program—and was voted team leader in his second year with the organization. Charleston worked as a second grade teacher's assistant at Jefferson County Lower Elementary for two years. He also worked with The Boys and Girls Club and was one of two advisors and mentors of Omega Pre, an after-school program at Jefferson County High School.

Benjamin Kaupp, history teacher, received his bachelor's degree in architectural history from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his master's degree in secondary education from the University of Southern California. A third-generation California teacher, Ben is excited to bring his passion for history and education to SF Flex. Additionally, coming from a completely online master's program, Ben is uniquely suited to help students take advantage of an online education that also offers the academic spirit and support found at SF Flex.

Jonathan Jacobson, mathematics teacher, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and minors in computer science and philosophy. Making the change from engineering to teaching, Jonathan brings a deep understanding of mathematics and the skills needed for real world application. This combination is meant to give students the knowledge necessary to graduate and hopefully to inspire them to go far beyond.

Megan Hugel, academic coach, grew up in San Francisco and attended The Urban School before moving to Washington where she graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in comparative sociology. For the last two years, Megan has been in Seattle, working with City Year, a non-profit that puts teams of young adults in underserved schools to serve as full-time tutors and mentors. She also ran a community service and social justice-based after school program, painted murals, renovated community centers, cleaned neighborhoods, performed trail restoration, and served at homeless shelters and food banks. During the summers, Megan works with middle and high school students at a leadership camp in Michigan. She creates a positive learning environment that will nurture every student’s abilities, challenge them, celebrate their successes, and spark creativity and love of discovery.

Lindsay Merbaum, academic coach, grew up on the east coast and received her bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College. While pursuing her master’s degree at Brooklyn College, she began teaching as an adjunct lecturer and went on to spend four years as an ESL instructor at a university in Quito, Ecuador. A published fiction writer and avid traveler, Lindsay believes in the transformative power of education and views herself as a lifelong learner. She is eager to share her creativity and passion for knowledge to further the goals of SF Flex’s dynamic student body.

Rob Martinez, resource specialist, double majored in American studies and art history at the University of California Santa Cruz, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He later moved to Brooklyn and attended The New School for Social Research in Manhattan, New York. While at The New School, he earned a joint master’s degree in political science and historical studies. After living in New York for more than three years, Rob moved to Europe and traveled extensively. As a lifelong learner and traveler, Rob enjoyed living and studying in Berlin, Germany, for a year before returning to California. Rob is committed to social justice leadership in our public schools, and he recently earned a master’s degree in special education from San Francisco State University in order to address inequality in our schools. Rob is determined to provide insight into students’ learning differences, and he hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams and succeed. He believes in the creativity and diversity of SF Flex Academy students and looks forward to seeing their positive contributions to the world around them.

Christina Hewko, academic coach, received her master’s degree in secondary education along with her teaching credential from Arizona State University (ASU). While in Arizona, Christina taught freshman honors world geography and was the assistant coach of the ASU women’s water polo team. Christina has two years of experience developing globally minded curriculum and teaching middle and high school students as an intern teacher, more than eight years of coaching high school water polo, and four years of tutoring and mentoring students. In addition, she loves to travel and has worked on various community development projects throughout South America. Furthermore, she is committed to sharing her love for learning and geography, which she developed while studying international relations at Stanford University.