Meet Our Teachers

Daniel Allen teaches self-contained ELA classes at Emma Donnan Middle School in Indianapolis, where he has a special focus on the Common Core standards and has implemented a reading-centered curriculum into his resource periods. He coaches girls and boys middle school basketball; his girls' team went undefeated in 2013. Daniel's passion for helping students with special needs came from his teachers, who helped him overcome his own learning disability. He started his teaching career at Indiana Math and Science Academy _ West, where he worked with special needs students across subjects. Daniel majored in political science and minored in psychology/philosophy at DePauw University. He earned a Masters in the Art of Teaching with a focus on special education from Marian University.

Jill Armington is a Teach Plus Indianapolis Teaching Policy Fellow who teaches 3rd grade at Paramount School of Excellence. Jill began her teaching career as a Title I Reading and Mathematics teacher for students in grades 3-8 at Andrew Academy. There, she developed a new school-wide data tracking system and ran an after-school enrichment club. An active member of the community, Jill coordinated the Eat Well Club, an initiative of local non-profit Growing Places Indy, for elementary and middle school students to learn about gardening and healthy living. Most recently, she was the August 2015 Teacher of the Month at Paramount. Jill graduated from the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University with a BA in Sociology and a BA in International Politics.  She earned her MA in Teaching from Marian University.

Samantha Bandy is a Teach Plus Indianapolis Change Agent. Samantha supports schools in the West Learning Community of Indianapolis Public Schools as a special education specialist.  She has served in various leadership positions, such as special education compliance monitor, response to intervention coordinator, and a member of the school improvement team while teaching at KIPP Indianapolis College Preparatory and Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter School.  She was voted Teacher of the Year for 2015-2016 while teaching special education at Carpe Diem Innovative School Shadeland.  Samantha graduated from the University of Evansville with a BS in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Studies Education and received her certificate in Mild Interventions from Indiana Wesleyan University and her MEd in Education Administration and Supervision from Ball State University.

Dominique Barnes is a Teach Plus Indiana Teaching Policy Fellow who teaches 4th grade at Mabel K. Holland Elementary School. She is Holland’s PTA president, bridging the gap between parents, students, and staff using engaging activities to promote school unity. Dominique is a member of Holland’s PBIS team, which serves as a component of providing behavioral and intervention systems for the school. She previously worked at the YMCA Child Care Services Branch of Fort Wayne, where she held various roles such as childcare site director and summer camp director. Dominique graduated with a BA in Elementary Education from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.