Poughkeepsie Project: Meet the Teachers

The following ESL teachers participated in our Common Core and ELLs project in Poughkeepsie, New York. Below you will find a short biography and links to their individual interviews.

Teacher Profiles

Tracey Bleau

Tracey Bleau

Tracey Bleau has been an ESL teacher in the Poughkeepsie City School District for the past 6 years.  She has taught English to students at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels.  Currently, she works primarily with students in grades 3-5 at Warring Elementary School in both push-in and pull-out classes.  Tracey was a co-author of the Poughkeepsie High School ESL curriculum writing team which served to create Common Core aligned curriculum for all ESL students in grades 9-12.  She has served as a mentor for new ESL teachers and continuously provides support and professional development to the staff at Warring.  She is currently enrolled at SUNY New Paltz in the School Administration Program.

See Tracey's video interview >>

Kerri Bohringer

Kerri Bohringer

Kerri Bohringer has been an ESL teacher in the public school system for one and a half years. Kerri currently teaches at Poughkeepsie High School in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her students are primarily Spanish-speakers. Arabic, Chinese, Patois and Vietnamese speakers also diversify the group. She teaches Beginner Level students as well as Advanced Level students. Her students range from newcomers to long-term ESL students. Kerri also currently teaches at SUNY New Paltz Haggerty English Language Program in the summers. Before working in Poughkeepsie, she taught English in Costa Rica and Taiwan.

See Kerri's video interview >>

Andrea Branciforte

Kerri Bohringer

Andrea Branciforte has been an ESL teacher for the past 17 years. Andrea currently teaches at Poughkeepsie Middle School in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her students are primarily native Spanish-speakers. She has taught all levels of ELLs, from newcomers to advanced level long-term LEPs. Prior to teaching at the middle school, she spent 15 years teaching ESL at the elementary level. She also enjoys mentoring new ESL teachers.

See Andrea's video interview >>

Marissa Foti

Marissa Foti

Marissa Foti received her MA in Second Language Education from SUNY New Paltz and is currently a first year ESL teacher in the Poughkeepsie City School District. Her students from Warring Elementary and Clinton Elementary are first and second graders from primarily Spanish-speaking backgrounds. She supports the Poughkeepsie CSD with after school tutoring, translation services and parent outreach and is working passionately to create CCSS-aligned lessons that best serve our ELL population.

See Marissa's video interview >>

Anne Formato

Anne Formato

Anne Formato has been a within the Poughkeepsie City School District for the past five years and an ESL teacher for three of those five years.  Before that Anne was a Spanish teacher at both the Elementary and Middle School Levels.  Anne brings her love of language and culture with her into the ESL Classroom.   Having grown up in a bilingual home, Anne realizes the importance of maintaining a rich life rich in cultural identity and heritage.   She spends as much time as possible traveling and recently completed a cultural tour in Ireland for public school teachers, aimed at bringing the arts and literature into an American classroom.  In addition, Anne presented the Common Core and ELLs project at the Annual International TESOL Convention held in Portland Oregon.

See Anne's video interview >>

Katie Soto

Katie Soto

Katie Soto has been an ESL teacher for the past 16 years. Katie currently teaches at Poughkeepsie Middle School in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her students are primarily native Spanish-speakers. She teaches all levels of ELLs, from newcomers to advanced level long-term LEPs. Prior to her work in Poughkeepsie, Katie taught EFL in Costa Rica, was a bilingual Parent Advocate for Head Start, and taught ELLs in Migrant Education summer school programs.

See Katie's video interview >>