Kindergarten Teacher

Miss Houser graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and is currently in her third year at DLA. She is passionate about making a difference in her students’ lives and believes that teaching is more than a profession—it’s a calling. As a teacher, she has found that her students quickly become like her own kids, which inspires her dedication to their success and growth. Miss Houser fosters a supportive and welcoming classroom environment while encouraging leadership and confidence in every student. She is excited to continue working within the DLA community. Go Eagles!

K-2 SEL Instructor

Hannah Salaiz graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She loves that the DLA community is supportive, welcoming, and dedicated to fostering leadership. 

Kindergarten Teacher

Caitlin Triolo-Knight is a third year Kindergarten teacher. She moved here after teaching in Cincinnati for two years. Before Cincinnati, she lived in Colorado and grew up in California. She just finished her Teach for America program and graduated from University of Colorado Springs in 2022 with her Masters in Sociology. In her free time, Caitlin likes to spend time with her husband and  one year old son. She has one very orange cat and one dog. She also likes to hike, build Lego sets and swim. 

Student and Attendance Support
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Ms. Dillard was born in Dayton Ohio. She graduated from Roth High School and attended Central State University where she major in Communication/ Radio and TV. Since 2010 she has been humbly honored to work at Dayton Leadership Academies. As Office Manager, Ms. Dillard has learned best practices to operate with excellence in a school office setting, as well as assisting students to make good choices and to become a positive leader. For the past 20 years, Ms. Dillard has served as Neighborhood Assistance Office with the Dayton Police Department.  Her favorite part of DLA are the students and being able to serve her community! She loves the great outdoors and spending time with family. 

3-5 Dean of Students

Culture Keeper

6-8 Dean of Students
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Mr Matthews graduated from Stivers High School for the Arts. He is certified in Violence Prevention, Youth Specialist, and Rites of Passage.

He has worked with youth for over 15 years and is the founder of Chosen Generation Mentoring Program.

He loves the school culture, friendly environment, and the love for family engagement.

Data Manager
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Mrs. Loretta is a  proud graduate of Jackson State University. She has over 30 years experience in traditional education, 8 years in medical education and extensive administrative skills. She likes the love and compassion the teachers exude toward the students and she enjoys the student, parent and staff interaction.

Health Clinic Coordinator
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Nurse Jodi has been at the Dayton Leadership Academies since February 2011.   She obtained her degree locally and attended Miami Jacobs in Troy, Ohio. She has experience in Trauma, Home Health Care, General Practice, Emergency and Pediatrics. She is also a Certified CPR, AED and First Aid Instructor. She is also a Certified A.L.I.C.E instructor and leds DLA school safety drills.  Nurse Jodi loves the students and loves health, fitness and the great outdoors. Joining DLA as the Health Clinic Coordinator was the perfect match for her!

Family Engagement Coordinator
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Mrs. Brown was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio and graduated from Stivers school for the Arts- Choir and Band. She serviced children and families for 18 years with emphasis in preschool education. She is a wife and a mom of 5 and a bonus mom of 4. She and her Husband are founders of Verb Ministries where they hope to continue to expand. She am also a parent of DLA which has been an added bonus to her position as Family Engagement Coordinator, to be able to share a space with her children while at school. She truly enjoys assisting and being a service to children and families and people in general and helping to make positive changes and connections.

So the role as Family Engagement Coordinator is the perfect fit.

3-5 Academy Assistant Principal
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Brooke Ellington was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from Thurgood Marshall STEM High School in 2014 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education (Grades 4–9) with a certificate from the Urban Teacher Academy at the University of Dayton in 2018. After college, Miss Ellington began her teaching career at Dayton Leadership Academies, where she served as the 5th Grade ELA teacher for six years. During her time at DLA, she returned to school and earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati in 2022.

Following her graduate studies, Miss Ellington took on leadership roles at DLA, first as the 3–5 Teacher Representative on the Lighthouse Team, and then as the English Department Chairperson—a position she proudly still holds. She is thrilled to serve as the 3–5 Dean of Academics, continuing her mission to support teachers and empower students. In addition to her role at DLA, Miss Ellington is also an adjunct professor in the School of Education at Wright State University. Passionate about student achievement and lifelong learning, she is committed to making a meaningful impact in the lives of both her 3-5 and college students.

Outside of her professional life, Miss Ellington is a proud mother to two energetic toddlers who keep her hands full and her heart even fuller. She enjoys traveling, spending quality time with loved ones, and making memories that last a lifetime.

Middle School Academy Assistant Principal
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Sharell Ford is the Senior Dean of Academics with more than 25 years of dedicated experience in education. A proud product of Dayton Public Schools, she is a graduate of Colonel White High School and has spent her career committed to serving the community that shaped her.

Ms. Ford earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Central State University and her Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University. Her professional journey reflects a deep understanding of teaching, learning, and instructional leadership, grounded in both strong pedagogy and a genuine care for students.

Passionate about supporting students and families, Ms. Ford is deeply committed to creating a warm, nurturing, and academically rich environment where all students can thrive. Having lived in Dayton her entire life, she takes great pride in giving back to the community she calls home and looks forward to continuing to support the families and students of the area she grew up in through strong academic leadership and meaningful partnerships.

Principal
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Mrs. Kreischer was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and two Master Degrees in Reading and School Administration from Bowling Green State University. After graduating from BGSU, she moved to Las Vegas, NV where she taught preschool and 1st grade for 5 years. She served as the grade level chair and teacher mentor.

In 2017 she joined DLA as a kindergarten teacher, and shortly after stepped into the teacher coach role. As the Teacher Coach for Data and Instruction, she worked with the administration team to lead professional development, coach teachers, and analyze school data. She also served as the track coach for the past two years and is passionate about helping our students find the best in themselves. She is excited to continue to help grow DLA to be an amazing education opportunity for students in our community.  

6th Grade ELA Teacher
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Debra Walls was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from Dunbar High School. She attended Wright State University where she received her Bachelors of English degree to teach Middle and High School English. She received a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Antioch University. After completing her education, she left Ohio to move south, She has lived and taught middle school English in Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis Tennessee.

She returned to Dayton six years ago where she began working at DLA as a 6th grade English teacher. In the time she has been at DLA, she has been a Teacher Leader in multiple ways. She was the English Department Chair for two years and spent one summer as the Summer Launch Coordinator. Ms. Walls has also been the DLA cheerleading coach for the past 5 years. After teaching 6th grade English for five years and being a Reading Interventionist for one year, Ms. Walls is excited to step into her new role as the Middle School Coordinator.

Ms. Walls has one child, a five year old daughter who keeps her very busy and young at heart. Ms. Walls has always been passionate about working with middle school inner city students. She finds great joy in helping grow students academically as well as socially. Ms. Walls strives to prepare students for not just high school, but the real world and help them realize that they are capable of anything they put their minds to.