Administration

Meet Our Administration

Tennille Bennett

Middle School Principal
tbennett@labcharter.com

Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today. – Malcolm X 


Ms. Tennille A. Bennett is a Philadelphia native, graduate of John Bartram Motivation and attended Lincoln University and then transferred to Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.  There she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and returned home to earn a Master’s Degree from Eastern University in Multicultural Education.  


Throughout her career she serviced charter, public and private school populations in the urban areas of Philadelphia.  She values academic excellence and structured learning environments.  During Ms. Bennett’s twenty-two years in Education, she has served as classroom teacher, technology lead teacher, small learning coordinator and technology instructional coach.  


Ms. Bennett is dedicated to positive learning environments that encourage every student to  become a highly productive asset in our community and beyond. She believes schools should seek rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of all students through real-life connections and factual research.  


Ms. Bennett is excited to begin a new career journey at Laboratory Charter School as the Principal of the middle school and invites all parents to be a part of Lab Charter’s exciting learning environment.

Kelly Bourne

Elementary School Principal
kbourne@labcharter.com

“An educational leader who seeks to create programs and partnerships to advance children and families.”

Kelly Bourne takes a vision and makes it reality. She intuitively sees the threads of opportunity that wind through an organization and brings them together into a coherent whole. She is an educational leader who utilizes data to make decisions and ground conversations. Her dedication to the organizations she affiliates herself with and work ethic are revered by all who encounter her. Respected as a credible voice in decision making, finding partners and creating sustainable and effective systems, Kelly earns a seat at the table wherever she serves.

Kelly owes her academic success to the programs and partnerships established by the Bucks County Opportunity Council Self Sufficiency Program and The Pennsylvania Welfare to Work Initiative. As a single mother with two children, Kelly made a decision to go back to school as a non-traditional student to provide better opportunities for her and her two children. Maintaining a full time status all four years, she maintained honor roll achieving many awards and recognitions along the way. She is the proud mother of two adult children.

Previously, her role as an Educational Leader has allowed her to display her strength in establishing systems, data analysis, successful school accreditations and audits, curriculum and assessments, professional development and communicating with stakeholders has helped to push the mission and vision of the organization. She has served previous schools in various ways from teaching, curriculum planning, state reporting, professional development coordinator, data and assessment coordinator, school operations lead and her most loved and valued position as a Principal.

Now, serving as the Elementary Principal for The Laboratory Charter School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is excited to work with other instructional leadership in ensuring all scholars have access to an equitable and rigorous academic program. By working with families and the community, she hopes to ensure all barriers are removed and a quality partnership between home and school flourishes. She is truly humbled for the opportunity to serve the school community and looks forward to building lasting relationships ensuring scholar growth.

Kelly has the heart to serve and the passion to fight for what is right for staff, children and families. She is continually seeking opportunities to create pathways of learning and advancement to underserved communities.

Dr. Derrick Lewis-El

Elementary School Assistant Principal
dlewis-el@labcharter.com
 

Derrick Lewis-El was born and raised in North Philadelphia. Born unto hard working industrious parents, Mr. Lewis-El, at an early age, understood the value of hard work and stresses the importance of hard work to all his scholars. He is consistently reminding his scholars, “you only get what you work for.” Mr. Lewis-El earned a bachelor’s degree, masters degree, and he is completing his final year of coursework for his doctorate degree, he not only sets high expectations for himself, but for his students as well.

Prior to arriving at Laboratory Charter School, Mr. Lewis-El taught Health & Physical Education in both the public school and charter setting for over ten years. Thereafter, he earned his k-12 principal certification from the University of Pennsylvania and he began his career as an educational administrator. Along his journey, Mr. Lewis-El has seen the effectiveness and importance of building partnerships with parents and families, using data to drive instruction, supporting teachers, creating an environment where learning is engaging, among many other things. 

Mr.Lewis-El is very excited to be the Assistant Principal here at Laboratory Charter School. He is excited to begin working with the instructional staff and families with the intention that scholars will be placed in the best situation to achieve success. Again, having been born in the same environment as a lot of the scholars we serve, he feels confident in not only his ability to reach our scholars and their needs, but assisting scholars with acceleration.

Joan Belynda Brown

Director Of Human Resources
jbbrown@labcharter.com

J (Joan) Belynda Brown, Certified Director of Human Resources, a talented and seasoned executive; with over 25+ years of experience as an administrative professional with the last 17 years in the healthcare industry, and consulting.  She has notable experience in care coordination, facilitating resources to the underinsured and underserved population in North Philadelphia with a focus on partnering with community stakeholders addressing the needs of at-risk youth. Ms. Brown combines excellent leadership, organizational, and people skills steering all facets of business with a particular focus on serving the community.

Ms. Brown holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix and is certified in Human Resource Management.  She has worked in prestigious consulting and accounting organizations as well as in academia and serves on the Board of a 501(c)3 for survivors of sex trafficking. Ms. Brown is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and is currently committed to attaining a Professional Human Resources (PHR) designation/certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI).

Hillary El

Director of Special Education
hillary.el@labcharter.com

As a Director of Special Education, I have worked for many years to ensure equity and equality for students with disabilities. This includes Special Education Compliance monitoring at the Federal, State and School District levels. Assessment and Evaluation of students as well as progress monitoring are consistently used to develop the Comprehensive Student Assistance Process in schools for the benefit of all students. As a member of the Leadership Team I provide professional development for administrators, staff and community partners, complete Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Plans supervise teachers, related service providers (Psychologists, Speech/Lang. Therapists, Occupational Therapists, etc.), and support staff.

I develop long and short-range plans/programs and annual budget forecasts for the purpose of ensuring that the district resources are effectively utilized and expenditures are within budgetary limitations. I facilitate meetings, processes, etc. including due process hearings and acting as the district liaison to other agencies within the district. Technical support is provided to administrators and teachers for the purpose of delivering services which conform to established guidelines and monitor district wide and school site-based special education programs and/or projects (e.g. curriculum development, delivery alternatives, discipline, etc.) for the purpose of carrying out and achieving objectives within area of Special Education responsibility. Additionally I assist the building principals with evaluation and discipline matters involving special education students as needed for the purpose of providing support and compliance with district policies regarding special education students.