Additional settings for Safari Browser.
Academic Leaders
Academic Leaders
Meet our 25-26 Academic Leaders
Kara Franklin - Principal
Kara Franklin was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a native of the city, she is a product of both the Philadelphia public school and private school systems. She began working in education at 14 years of age through the city's Youth Works program and has taught various ages in independent, charter, and public schools. Mrs. Franklin holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University and a Master's Degree in School Leadership from the Univesity of Pennsylvania. Alongside these degrees, Mrs. Franklin holds an Instructional II Certification for grades K-6, and she also holds an Instructional I Administrative K-12 certification. At the core of her work, Mrs. Franklin believes in strong relationships and tangible experiences to enhance instruction and improve student outcomes.
Duane Watts – Assistant Principal of Instruction
Duane Watts is a dedicated educator focused on serving urban communities with a philosophy rooted in empathy and equity. After a 20-year career in finance and accounting, he transitioned to education through the Teach for America initiative in Philadelphia. As a middle school math teacher and later an Instructional Coach, his leadership contributed to his team achieving the highest mathematics growth in the school district, and he was named Teacher of the Year in 2020. Mr. Watts holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Holy Family University. He actively advocates for youth through sports and mentorship, leading a leadership academy through Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and coaching local teams.
Michelle Ottey - Director of Special Education
Michelle Ottey has been the Director of Special Education at Russell Byers Charter School for the past two school years. Previously she was a Special Education Liaison within the Universal Family of Schools for 3 years. Prior to that she was a math instructional coach and a middle school math teacher at Universal Institute Charter School. Michelle is very passionate about education and believes every student can and should succeed. She strives to partner with other leadership team members and members of each IEP team to ensure that every student is receiving the best quality special education programming and services at Russell Byers.