Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls

Highly Qualified Staff

Leadership Team 

Principal Shannon Tucker

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Shannon Tucker is a product of Columbus City Schools. In her twenty-five years with Columbus City Schools, she has served as an elementary and middle school teacher, mathematics instructional coach, leadership intern, assistant principal, and principal. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Education with a mathematics focus from Ohio University and a Master's of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton.

During her personal time, Principal Tucker enjoys spending time with her three daughters, reading, and listening to music. Having served in 2016 as the assistant principal for Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls (CCPSG), she is honored to return as the principal to CCPSG. Principal Tucker has a passion for helping young people grow socially, emotionally, and academically. She is dedicated to giving back and loves serving the students, teachers, and parents of Columbus City Schools.

  ____________

Elizabeth Braun-Remy

Science

Mrs. Braun-Remy teaches 7th and 8th grade science. She has a Master’s Degree in middle childhood (Grades 4-9) from Ohio State. She has taught in CCS for 18 years.  This is her 9th year at CCPSG. Her mother is a retired teacher and she grew up not wanting to be a teacher because she saw how hard her mother worked! However, she soon realized that she loves working with kids and thus her journey began. She believes that learning starts with relationships and instilling confidence in students.

Allison Brooks

Instrumental Music

Ms. Brooks has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Marshall University and a master’s of music degree in music performance from The Ohio State University. She has 18 years of experience teaching music. Ms. Brooks taught instrumental and vocal music at J.W. Fair Middle School in San Jose, California, elementary music at Horizon Science Academy, and this is her 9th year working in Columbus City Schools. She has taught at East High School, and this is her 9th year at CCPSG. Ms. Brooks believes that music can be used as a vehicle to enable students to achieve success. Music education enhances a student's overall learning and can take them to new heights. Being able to provide those opportunities is a great joy for her as an educator.

Meghan Burke

Math

Miss Burke has been a teacher for 27 years, but this is her first year here at CCPSG. Miss Burke teaches 6th grade math and social studies. She has many years of experience teaching 6th grade math and it is her favorite subject! She holds two degrees. First, her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Ohio Dominican College. Her second, a Master’s degree from Ashland University. Miss Burke enjoys camping and visiting the Columbus Zoo as much as possible! She grew up in Columbus and is an avid Buckeye fan!

Jasmine Bush

Instructional Assistant 

Mrs. Bush has been with Columbus City Schools since  Aug 2015, started out in the kindergarten room as an Instructional Assistant . In 2016, she was  promoted to a peak teacher; now she supports administration at CCPSG. She graduated in 2007 with her Associates degree from Bradford College.

Cheli Cappetta

Vocal Music Director

Mrs. Cappetta holds two degrees - a Bachelors in Music Education and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a Louisa Moats Literacy Concentration. She has also completed 39 of her 45 hours toward a Master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy, is an active performer and Singer-Songwriter. Mrs. Cappetta began her teaching career many years ago in CCS at the elementary level, worked in Worthington Schools for 5 years and has returned to CCS. In addition, Mrs. Cappetta is a private voice teacher, is an active music director, director and performer for plays and musicals in various venues around the city. Mrs. Cappetta firmly believes music and drama are disciplines that teach skills essential for success in life. Helping students discover their voice is her greatest challenge and accomplishment as an educator.

Amy Essig

School Counselor

The 2022-23 school year will mark Ms. Essig’s 8th year as a school counselor.  She says, “It’s absolutely the best job ever!”  She loves working with students, families and teachers to propel student learning and help students trek the bright future that awaits them.  Ms. Essig has been a high school and middle school counselor, has experience in K-12 from a behavioral health perspective and has worked in online and in-person school settings.  She holds a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from The Ohio State University and a Masters degree in Education focusing in School Counseling from the University of Dayton.   Currently, she is earning a Masters at the University of Dayton in Clinical Mental Health.  Ms. Essig grew up in the Central Ohio area, she has two children who she adores and has a sweetheart of a dog who likes to “Zoom bomb”.   In her free time, she loves the outdoors, riding her bike, going for a jog, gardening and traveling every chance she gets.   For the 2021-22 school year, Ms. Essig will be working at CCPSG three days a week and will be at CNIS two days a week.  She is excited about the upcoming school year and can’t wait to get started!  

Ann Glenn

Intervention Specialist

Mrs. Glenn is an Intervention Specialist who teaches ELA in a resource room.  She comes to teaching after a successful career in apparel, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Masters of Management and Technology, and a PhD.  She also earned an Intervention Specialist license from Capital University. While she has been in the education field for 5 years in various positions, this is her first year at CCPSG.  She enjoys working with middle school students and wants students to find their talents.

Erin Gutridge

Mathematics

Mrs. Gutridge is currently in her 16th year of teaching and her 10th year here at CCPSG. Mrs. Gutridge teaches 6th grade math.  She holds two degrees. First, her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bowling Green State University. Her second, a Master’s degree from Ohio Dominican University. Her goal is to assist the girls at CCPSG to becoming confident young ladies while striving to reach a higher goal and their full potential.

Taylor Hayes

Social Studies

Ms. Hayes teaches 7th and 8th grade Social Studies. This is her first year teaching at CCPSG. She received her Bachelor's degree in Education from Miami University. Ms. Hayes has always wanted to be a teacher and loves to support students in finding their voice. She is passionate about empowering young women, social justice, and building communities. Her goal as a social studies teacher is to create a space where all students feel welcome to explore the world around them and are encouraged to grow in their beliefs, passions, and abilities.

Adam Hohl

ELA

2020 is Mr. Hohl's first year CCPSG, and his 14th year teaching. Mr. Hohl is teaching 7th grade ELA. He graduated with a BA in English from Xavier University and holds a Masters degree in Literacy and Second Language Studies from the University of Cincinnati. He looks forward to getting to know his students and finding reading material that is interesting and challenging to them. When he is not teaching, Mr. Hohl enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, reading, camping, and building things.

Darla Jackson

ELA & Humanities

Darla Jackson is entering her 7th year at Columbus City Schools teaching English Language Arts and Social Studies. She graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor's in History and Pan-African Studies in 2010 and received her Master's in Education in Instruction and Curriculum from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2019. She has a passion for teaching students from a diverse background and believes in empowering them to be expressive, creative, and resilient. As the new 7th grade English Language Arts and Humanities teacher at CCPSG, Ms. Jackson plans to use her passion for the arts and combine it with culturally relevant texts to help students merge the knowledge of the classroom to their local and global communities. In her spare time, Ms. Jackson enjoys singing, listening to live music, and spending time with family and friends. It is Ms. Jackson's goal to help the young ladies of CCPSG maintain the standard of excellence that the school was founded on and embrace their future to rise to the T.O.P.! 

Yolanda Johnson

Humanities / Social Studies

Mrs. Johnson has been with the program since its founding in 2010, teaching both Literature & Composition and Social Studies. She is responsible for drafting the pledge that is recited daily by the ladies of CCPSG. Mrs. Johnson is a proud product of Columbus City Schools, graduating from Mifflin High School in 1995. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education from The Ohio State University in 1999 as well as a Masters of Teaching degree with a concentration in Middle Childhood (grades 4-9) Literature and Social Studies from Otterbein College in 2003. Mrs. Johnson has spent 19 years in the district teaching and inspiring students with her philosophy in mind, "I believe that each student is unique and comes with their own individual needs. It is my job as an educator to help students meet their full potential by providing a safe environment and the tools to get them there."

Dustin Reuter

Mathematics

 Mr. Reuter is a fun, outgoing, energetic teacher who loves to help students learn about math and life. He is the 7th grade math teacher at CCPSG. This is his 7th year teaching, and his third in the district of CCS. He just got married in the summer of 2015 to his beautiful wife, Katie. He graduated from Otterbein University with a bachelor’s degree in middle childhood education. He has a cat named Huey and a dog named Zelda (She has one eye). In his spare time he likes to play sports (baseball is his favorite), watch sports (football is his favorite), workout, or hangout with friends! He looks forward to teaching your student this year and hopefully to build a strong relationship that will last through high school with them! He is ready, Are you?

Philip Schumacher

Science

This school year is my 14th year with CCS.  I earned my degree from Ohio University after leaving a career managing auto repair shops.  I enjoy working with middle-school-age kids and I love seeing the spark when they “get” a difficult concept.  I also enjoy seeing the students work on hands-on projects that challenge their expectations of what they think possible for themselves.  I’m excited about bringing this to my students at CCPSG!

Rachael Seibert

Language Arts 

Mrs. Seibert first fell in love with language arts when she was a young child in elementary school. She remembers devouring Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell in the 4th grade, and from that book on she was hooked on reading! She decided to pursue her love of literature when she attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she graduated with a degree in Middle Childhood Education. Her specializations for her Bachelor’s degree are language arts and social studies with a Generalist degree in math and science. She decided to pursue her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction after only 2 years of teaching in Columbus City Schools. She graduated with her degree from the American College of Education within 15 months of starting the program. She has been teaching in Columbus City Schools for 14 years and 12 of those years have been at CCPSG. As a teacher, she wants all of her students to see books as endless adventures and she believes that all of her students can truly love reading; they just need the right book!

Katie Skinner

School Nurse

I am the school nurse at CCPSG three days per week. I am a Cleveland native, but have lived in Columbus for almost eight years. I received my Bachelors of Science in Nursing and Masters of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University. This is my third year as a nurse, and my first year as a school nurse within CCS. I’ve previously worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, OSU Wexner Medical Center, and New London Local Schools. I am very passionate about school health services and the important role these services play in our community. In my free time, I love to run, hike, try new recipes, and spend time with my puppy Charlie.

Susie Stoff

Physical Education

Ms. Stoff teaches Physical Education and this is her first year at CCPSG. This is Ms. Stoff’s 24th year teaching in Columbus City Schools. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from the University of Idaho. Ms. Stoff received her teaching certification from the University of Dayton. Ms. Stoff enjoys teaching middle schoolers Physical Education, Health and coaching various sports. Ms. Stoff has taught at the elementary and high school level throughout her teaching career.

Ms. Stoff’s favorite things are spending time with her two dogs, her niece and nephew, traveling, cooking and trying out new recipes.

Shawntae Townsel

Cafeteria Manager

I am a mother of 4 children one girl and three boys which are all enrolled in Columbus City Schools. I graduated from Marion-Franklin High School C/O 2002. I am currently studying been a paralegal at Eastern Gateway Community College. I am so excited about been here at CCPSG. I am so ready to meet the girls, learn the girls and be someone that they can confide in. I have an open door, if you have questions, suggestions or concerns I am all ears. So please fill free to email me, stop me in the hallway, or even come down to the cafeteria. I cannot wait to meet everyone.

Todd Vanmeter

Business, Multimedia, & Technology

Mr. Vanmeter retired from the I.T. industry as a private consultant after 25 years working for global corporations, national corporations, and local businesses.  He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management of Information Sciences (MIS) from The Ohio State University.  He is currently finishing a Master's Degree in Career Technical Education from The Ohio State University.  He holds Quality Assurance certifications as a Certified Tester and Certified Advanced Level Test Manager from the International Software Testing Qualifications Board. 

“My favorite teachers were those who had real world experience.  They would give examples of how what we were learning mattered in order to be successful in life".  Mr. Vanmeter’s passion is to bring his vast work experience and knowledge to his classroom with relevant and engaging content that matters to prepare our students for what's ahead in the ever changing landscape of Business Technology; the very backbone of the world we live in.

Amanda Viau

Library Media Specialist

Mrs. Viau is the library media specialist, with a passion for information literacy and creating lifelong readers. Prior to becoming a librarian, she taught high school English for eight years. She has a BA in English education from The University of Akron and a Masters of Library and Information Science from Kent State University. Mrs. Viau believes that being a reader creates strong leaders, and she looks forward to helping connect students with books that act as both mirrors and windows to the world.

Nina Young

Art

Nina Young teaches visual art for all grades at CCPSG. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University.  She has worked for Columbus City Schools in the past as a substitute and has taught art in various private and summer arts settings. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, knitting, reading and birdwatching. She also shows and sells her personal artwork from time to time! Mrs. Young is passionate about the arts and teaching. She is excited to work alongside students as they learn visual arts, investigate their creative selves, and grow into responsible and empowered young women!

Jennifer Zalewski

Intervention Specialist

Mrs. Zalewski is an Intervention Specialist who teaches Math in a resource room setting.  She earned her Master’s in the Art of Teaching from Otterbein University with a Middle School Math/Science license, as well as earning her Intervention Specialist license through Miami University.  This is her 4th year teaching in Columbus City Schools and her 2nd year at CCPSG. Mrs. Zalewski believes all students can learn and be successful as long as they have the right support in place to help them reach their full potential.