Our Team & Partners
We fill our halls with professionals who care.
You get out what you put in – and we pride ourselves on staffing the very best. Every Metro faculty member comes to us with a multi-disciplinary education background and a passion for working with differentiated learners.
Our educators and support staff are the cream-of-the-crop; the very best in all of Chicagoland.
Ruben Echevarria, PhD
Ruben is the Accreditation Specialist and teaches Orange and Green Line English. With a deep passion for teaching and learning, Ruben holds a BA in mathematics, a PhD in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University, and has over 13 years of teaching experience. He is committed to creating learning experiences that foster critical thinking and collaboration by leveraging his research-based knowledge and hands-on experience.
Claire Jager
Claire is the Director of Curriculum and teaches Brown and Red Line at Metro. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Education with an endorsement in English from Eastern Illinois University. Claire has previously worked as an afterschool program director, a kindergarten assistant, a special education paraeducator, and has taught third, fourth and fifth grade. Additionally, Claire has coached a variety of sports including middle school basketball, soccer, cheerleading, and dance.
Claire enjoys exercising and being outside in her free time, especially taking walks on the lakefront or to local coffee shops. She’s a big sports fan and loves cheering on our Chicago home teams, especially the Cubs and the Bulls. She loves making Metro magic with her students and colleagues!
Jessica Trumbull
Jessica is an SEL Specialist. Her professional background includes working with children and their families in the home, school, and clinical setting. She completed her graduate training in Pediatric Neuropsychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Prior to joining the Metro team, she was a Learning Specialist and Coordinator of Student Support at GEMS World Academy Chicago. She has extensive experience working with neurodiverse children who have a variety of diagnoses, including Attention Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Processing Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and developmental delays.
Brooke Hamblen
Brooke is a social worker dedicated to supporting students within the school setting by addressing and promoting social, emotional, and behavioral growth. Prior to joining Metro, Brooke completed a dual Master’s program where she received a Master of Social Work with a clinical specialization and Master of Jurisprudence in Child Law and Policy from Loyola University Chicago. Brooke has a background in working with students in out-of-school time programs and enjoys exploring new activities with children.
In her spare time, Brooke enjoys spending time outdoors, going to concerts with friends, and checking out local markets and record stores!
Sarah Brady
Sarah has been at Metro for several years and has experience teaching Brown, Red and Orange lines. In addition to teaching social studies and science, Sarah serves as our Director of Program. In this role, she organizes and coordinates all of the special events including but not limited to field trips, after school family events, overnight educational student trips, and the big school trip at the end of the school year. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Speech/Communication, and has an Illinois Teaching Certificate with endorsements in science, social science, English, and speech.
In Sarah’s spare time, she likes to attend local country shows and concerts with friends. Sarah has just moved her son to college and has a rising senior this year!
Claire O’Keeffe
Bio coming soon!
Kate Hendrickson
Kate teaches art and Star Wars Shakespeare. She brings over 20 years of experience in creative arts, theatre, and literacy. Her background includes artist residencies with Urban Gateways, teaching at Decatur Classical School, and founding Summerdale Workshop. As a resident director at Trap Door Theatre, Kate has premiered several new plays, combining her literary and theatrical skills. She has a passion for inspiring students to explore literature through dynamic and interactive ways. Kate looks forward to planning more engaging literacy experiences and field trips for Metro students in the coming year.
Briana O’Connor
Bio coming soon!
Cindy Kelly
Bio coming soon!
Ruth Raz-Russo
Bio coming soon!
Become a Metro family.
If you’re interested in applying to join our Metro family, we strongly encourage you to do so. We’ll invite you in for a tour and get a jump start on making sure we’re a great fit!
A letter from our founder, Jennifer Kelly.
As a child, I spent my free time walking the halls of Hines VA Hospital, smiling to brighten the day of those I encountered. It was at this young age I realized the impact that one person can have on the life of another.
My grandfather, Chester A. Olszewski, is the inspiration for Metropolitan Schoolhouse. He is the person who introduced me to volunteering and opened my eyes to the beauty and complexity of the world around us. Through volunteering with my grandpa, I learned the value of hard work, patience and most importantly- to have an open mind. He instilled within me the idea that education is based on our experiences and interactions with one another.
At Metropolitan Schoolhouse, students will have an opportunity to learn valuable life skills that cannot be attained in a traditional classroom. Along with reaching a high level of academic success, students will be empowered to be active members of their community in order to make this world a better place. The skills learned through experience far outweigh what can be attained in a classroom. The ability to truly listen, work together as a team and accomplish a goal can only be reached through genuine, real-world experiences.
My goal for Metropolitan Schoolhouse is to provide students with an education that focuses on the whole child. The development of both academic and social skills is imperative to being a successful, independent adult. Through instilling a sense of social justice and responsibility we can achieve great things.
Through Metropolitan Schoolhouse, my grandfather’s legacy lives on. The idea that education is all around us is something that we often overlook. Teaching students the skills to identify and take advantage of these lifelong learning opportunities is what we at Metropolitan Schoolhouse strive for.
Jennifer Kelly, Founder