We're back in session at Environmental Charter Schools. We warmly welcome new leadership across our school sites. All familiar faces, but new roles!
KC Villoria – ECHS Principal
Although KC Villoria is the new Principal at Environmental Charter High School, she is a familiar face at ECS. She has always had a passion for learning, serving others, and working to contribute to a larger purpose. KC’s educational philosophy was shaped as early as second grade, when she encountered a teacher who focused on her strengths and tailored the instruction to students’ interests and ability levels. Later, when KC joined the Urban Parent Teacher Education Collaborative during her graduate studies at Pepperdine University, she not only gained valuable insight but developed a sense of urgency to serve and advocate for marginalized populations, particularly in education. KC recognized the pivotal people who had helped transform her future and wanted to make sure she could become that person for her students. Her call to lead continues in order to facilitate transformation for students, parents, and teachers toward a more equitable education system.
In 2010, KC was working in LAUSD and received a pink slip like thousands of other teachers in the country. She was planning on leaving the teaching profession but applied to teach Spanish at ECHS on the advice of a colleague. As soon as she stepped onto campus, she knew it was where she belonged. KC loves family, art, culture, and the Spanish language. She loves to travel and live in Spanish-speaking countries. So far she has lived in Venezuela and Colombia, and she hopes to trek to Central and South America. In her free time, Villoria loves to visit art museums; some of her favorite exhibits have been the Fernando Botero exhibit at the Museo de Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia, and In Wonderland:The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and The United States at LACMA.
Jane Wyche – ECHS Assistant Principal
Jane Wyche is the Assistant Principal of ECHS. Prior to this role, she taught English and has also served as an Instructional Coach and ECHS Women’s Soccer Coach. Before joining ECHS, she was an Intervention Coordinator and English as a Second Language teacher at Gompers Middle School. Jane has also spent time teaching overseas in Italy, Switzerland, and Uganda.
Jane is at ECS because the students inspire her and challenge her to become a better educator.
Jane is a board member for Sports Outreach Institute, a faith-based nonprofit focused on development in Uganda and Kenya. She serves on their Development Committee and assists with specific projects around social media and fundraising efforts. She is also involved with Educate!, a non-profit transforming education across the Sub-Saharan region.
Jane is a graduate of Westmont College and holds a B.A. in English & Communication Studies. She earned a M.A. from Loyola Marymount University in Secondary Education. Jane is also Nationally Board Certified in Secondary English. Jane is a native of Huntington Beach, California. She loves traveling and has spent time living in other countries, learning from other cultures. She can often be found paddle boarding at the beach, rock climbing in the mountains, or backpacking across a desert. Her favorite novel is Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”.
Geneva Dowdy – ECMS-Inglewood Assistant Principal
Geneva Dowdy is the Assistant Principal of ECMS-Inglewood. Prior to this, she was the Counselor and taught the EmpowHer 7th and 8th grade program. Geneva’s passion for education and counseling led her to pursue a Masters of School Counseling degree, through which she had the opportunity to focus her studies in counseling for culturally-diverse, underserved, female students. She lives by the motto “you are better equipped to serve another, when you take the time to know their story”, and believes that every student has the right to an equal and relevant education in a healthy and fostering environment. Geneva is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Education from Loyola Marymount University. During her free time Geneva enjoys attending plays, listening to a variety of music, attending art walks and traveling.
Danielle Kelsick – Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Danielle Kelsick is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Environmental Charter Schools. She was previously the Assistant Principal of Environmental Charter Middle School – Inglewood. Danielle believes that public education should empower students to think for themselves and be agents of change in the world. All students are capable of reaching these heights, but many are never given the opportunity to do so. Danielle’s work at Environmental Charter Schools focuses on closing this opportunity gap.
Before becoming an administrator, Danielle taught English at ECHS and at South Bronx Community School for Social Justice in New York. Originally from Atlanta, Danielle attended Amherst College in Massachusetts and went on to earn her Master’s at Harvard Divinity School. In between, she worked in education in Washington, DC and also taught English in Japan for a year. When she can fit it into her schedule, Danielle enjoys West African dance and hiking, which she didn’t fully appreciate until she moved to California with its numerous and varied hiking trails. Danielle and her husband enjoy regular “hiking Sundays.”
