The English department at TechBoston Academy teaches the following subjects according to grade:
- Grade 9: English 9, Writing Enrichment
- Grade 10: English 10, Writing Enrichment
- Grade 11: English 11
- Grade 12: English 12, 20th Century American History, Film and Literature.
Ms. Linda Begen
email: lbegen@techboston.org
website: http://tbalbegen.edublogs.org/
Ms. Begen started teaching as an Intern at TechBoston Academy in the 2006/07 school year. She returned the next year and taught both 9th and 11th graders. This year she asked to teach all 9th graders!! She is now teaching English 9 to the majority of our incoming freshmen.
Prior to teaching, Ms. Begen worked for many years as an attorney. She returned to school and earned her M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2007. Many years ago she received a B.A. in English from Wheaton College and a J.D. from the U of CT School of Law.
When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 adult children. She loves reading, gardening, traveling, trying out new restaurants, and cooking.
Mr. Ken Brack
email: kbrack@techboston.org
website: http://tbakbrack.edublogs.org/
Mr. Brack joined TechBoston Academy in 2003 and currently teaches English in Grade 11, Writing Enrichment for students in grades 9-12 and a Publications class. He is a former journalist who worked in Maine and Greater Boston before joining business publisher Reed Business Information as an editor and writer.
Mr. Brack received his B.A. in English from the University of Maine and his M.Ed. from Northeastern University. He is a lifelong writer of journals, poetry and short stories who also enjoys playing the guitar, sailing, landscape construction and his family.
Ms. Nicole Cirigliano
email: ncirigliano@techboston.org
website: http://www.mscirigliano.com/
Ms. Cirigliano is the former Ms. Bukowski. She is the same teacher but she recently married, so her name changed!
Ms. C began working with students at TechBoston Academy in 2005 as an intern with the Teach Next Year program and joined the staff full time in 2006. She currently teaches College English 10, Honors English 10, Poetry, and Writing Enrichment. Additionally, Ms. Cirigliano along with Ms. Derstine advises the flourishing TBA Poetry Club.
Prior to entering the teaching profession Ms. Cirigliano lived in Washington, D.C. and worked for a business-consulting firm to help government clients operate their jobs more efficiently.
Outside of working with the students at TBA Ms. Cirigliano loves spending time at the park with her two black labs that she rescued from local shelters, playing sports (especially basketball with her husband), and running. Ms. C not only loves to run but she is actually a running addict. She has run in 13 marathons so far and plans to run in many more! She runs in the prestigious Boston Marathon every year and loves to have spectators, so come out and watch on Patriots Day in 2009.
Ms. Brenda Le Blanc
email: bleblanc@techboston.org
website: http://tbableblanc.edublogs.org/
Ms. Le Blanc returns to the TechBoston Academy since the 2006/07 school year, and teaches English 9 and 10 as well as reading enrichment. Ms. Le Blanc has been working in education since 1999, most recently as the Assistant Director of the Upward Bound Program at UMass Boston. She has a B.A. in Sociology from UMass Amherst and an M.Ed. at UMass Boston.
Ms. Le Blanc enjoyed her first official summer as a teacher travelling Europe; Ireland, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, and Italy. Ms. Le Blanc also enjoys summer time in Maine with her family, the Boston Red Sox, reading, movies, and cooking.
Ms. Wendy McPherson
email: wmcpherson@techboston.org
website: http://techbostonacademy.org/staff/english/mcpherson/
Ms. McPherson started her tenure with TechBoston Academy in 2003 teaching IT Essentials and currently teaches English 11 and 12. She also co-teaches a course in American History, Film and Literature.
Prior to teaching at TBA, Ms. McPherson worked for a number of years teaching technology to all age groups in local community centers. She holds a B.S in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, a M.A. in Film from the University of Wisconsin, and a M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts.
She loves reading, home-improvement projects, and collecting antiques of all sorts (especially if they are electronic or metal and rusty!). She also has a great love of baking, which her students and colleagues seem to appreciate, earning her the nickname, “The Betty Crocker of TBA!”
Ms. Nicole Pisano
email: npisano@techboston.org
website: http://techbostonacademy.org/staff/english/pisano/blog/
Ms. Pisano began working with students at TechBoston Academy in 2002 as a summer school teacher and MCAS instructor prior to joining the staff full time in 2004. She teaches English 10 and 11 and co-teaches the senior course Facing History and Ourselves. In addition, she serves as the English Department Liaison.
Ms. Pisano received a B.A. in English from the University of Dayton and worked in corporate real estate before moving to Boston to complete a M. Ed. at Northeastern University.
When she is not teaching or taking a class, Ms. Pisano is traveling, reading, shopping (who admits that?), or spending time with her great big family in Cleveland, Ohio.
