May 20, 2026
We are excited to share that Kristina Doyle will join Mounds Park Academy as our next director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Kristina brings a strong background in instructional coaching, student support, educational leadership, and culturally responsive practice. Most recently, she has served as a special education instructional coach in St. Louis Park Public Schools, where her work has included professional development, curriculum support, systems analysis, and partnership with faculty and school leaders to better support diverse learners. She holds a master’s degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from New York University, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Her dissertation focus is on how the racial composition of a geographic region moderates rates of Racial Battle Fatigue and burnout among K-12 leaders of color. In addition to her work in schools, Kristina is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and experienced facilitator whose professional and academic work has consistently centered on equity, belonging, communication, and access.
Throughout the search process, Kristina generated overwhelmingly positive feedback. She stood out not only for the depth of her experience but also for the thoughtfulness of her leadership philosophy and the warmth and authenticity she brought to every conversation. In sharing her vision for MPA, Kristina emphasized the importance of first listening deeply to the experiences of students, families, faculty, and staff before setting priorities or building initiatives. She spoke about the importance of trust, relationship-building, shared language, and using both community voice and institutional data to guide meaningful work. Her approach is grounded in culturally sustaining practice, restorative approaches to conflict and harm, and the belief that schools are strongest when every student feels genuinely seen, valued, and supported.
Kristina will join the administrative team this summer and will partner closely with students, employees, and families across all divisions of the school. Building on the strong foundation of DEIB work already established at MPA, Kristina will help guide and deepen this work in the years ahead. We are thrilled to welcome her to the MPA community and look forward to the perspective, care, and collaborative leadership she will bring to this important role. Please get to know Kristina below!
From what school/organization are you coming?
I worked previously for St. Louis Park Public Schools.
Tell us about your education and past experience.
I am a bilingual Afrolatina educator with an educational specialist degree and a soon-to-be doctorate in educational leadership focused on racial equity. I currently serve as a special education instructional coach working across early childhood through age 22, where I bring a racial equity lens to instructional practice, data disaggregation, and adult learning design. My equity work spans facilitation of Courageous Conversations, DEIB design team membership grounded in culturally relevant pedagogy, multicultural family engagement, and doctoral research on racial battle fatigue and burnout in leaders of color. I have worked with students, families, faculty, staff, and school boards—translating equity values into institutional action across every level of a school community. This work has never been separate from who I am. As an Afrolatina woman who has navigated predominantly white institutions my whole life, I bring both the scholarship and the lived experience this role requires.
What did you find appealing about MPA?
MPA appealed to me because the work is already named and the infrastructure is already built—and that is rare. Most schools are still debating whether equity matters. MPA has moved past that conversation. The strategic plan names radical accountability as a priority; affinity groups exist for students, staff, and families; a parent DEI committee; and the board of trustees has an equity and belonging committee. That foundation tells me this community is serious about moving from aspiration to action. What drew me in further was the honesty of the plan—naming not just where MPA is strong but where the gaps are. A school willing to do that is a school I want to work in. I bring a doctoral foundation in racial equity, bilingual capability, instructional coaching experience, and deep community engagement work. I know MPA is the right place to lead this work explicitly.
We are excited to share that Jocelyn Cunha will join Mounds Park Academy as a PreK teacher beginning in June! Jocelyn brings extensive experience in child-centered, developmentally appropriate education, including six years of teaching and mentoring at The Colorado Springs School, an independent PreK-12 school in Colorado. We are thrilled to introduce Ms. Cunha!
Welcome to MPA, Ms. Charlotte (Charley) Hechtl! Charley will join the team as a communications intern while communications manager Mike Pappas takes paternity leave from June through September, and we are thrilled to introduce her to the community. 
from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school
from Katie Roche, kindergarten teacher
From James Ewer, Lower School director
from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school
from Julia Ross, Lower School learning specialist 
from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school
from James Ewer, Lower School director