Meet Our Founders

Six people envisioned an urban Buffalo school that was inclusive, diverse, and enabled all of its students to reach high levels of achievement, integrating art, music, foreign language, dance and physical education. Thanks to the vision of Mimi Barnes-Coppola, Marguerite Battaglia, Liz Evans, Carine Mardorossian, Greta Massetti and Anne Wechsler, Elmwood Village Charter School is a reality.

Mimi Barnes-Coppola

Mimi Barnes-Coppola coordinated the Buffalo City Special Education Training and Resource Center (SETRC) for over 25 years, providing professional development and specialized training opportunities for educators involved in the education of students with disabilities. Mrs. Barnes-Coppola is currently a private educational consultant and adjunct professor at Canisius College.

Marguerite Battaglia

Marguerite Battaglia is a retired Buffalo Public School Administrator and former adjunct professor at D’Youville College where she taught the Foundations of Teaching Reading. Ms. Battaglia’s passion is to bring the love of reading to the students in Buffalo. She has taught grades K-9 in rural, urban and suburban schools.

Liz Evans

Liz Evans is the parent of an Elmwood Village Charter Schools’ graduate and a former chairperson of the Board of Trustees. She currently serves as the Director of Operations of EVCS.

Carine Mardorossian

Carine Mardorossian is a Professor in the English Department at SUNY Buffalo. Her research concentration is in Postcolonial studies, Caribbean literature, Victorian studies, and feminist criticism. Dr. Mardorossian is a former President of the Northeast Modern Language Association.

Greta Massetti

Greta Massetti was an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at SUNY Buffalo and affiliated with the Center for Children and Families. Her area of interest is the learning and behavioral development of children at risk and school-based programs and services for urban settings. Dr. Massetti has been involved in research on evidence-based practices in schools and implementation of quality programs in school settings. Dr. Massetti currently works at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia.

Anne Wechsler

Anne Wechsler has an MA in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Ms. Wechsler is certified in elementary education from kindergarten through grade six and has worked in charter school development and as a teacher for charter schools in Brooklyn, Boston, and Buffalo. Ms. Wechsler is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Elmwood Village Charter Schools.

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