Our Teacher Team

Jamie Long

Math

Ms. Long has been teaching math for 8 years and has been part of CMA since it began. After majoring in math and education at Stonehill College, she spent a year teaching at a village school in Namibia (a country in Southern Africa), where she experienced what education is like in another country and learned to do laundry by hand! Since returning to the States, she has enjoyed teaching math at a variety of grade levels and advising both the GSA and Theatre clubs in the schools she’s been in. She thinks that The ChangeMaker Academy is the perfect fit for her teaching style. Outside of school, Ms. Long enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with friends, whether it’s enjoying the great outdoors or staying in and having game night. ​

Emilie Perna

English

Mrs. Perna has been teaching English in Waltham since 2004, and has loved being a part of the Changemaker Academy. She loves working  on interdisciplinary projects and the community that is built as a result of this work. She attended Clark University  for undergrad and her Masters in Urban Education and Teacher Research. Mrs. Perna chairs the One School, One Story Summer program, and her dream was realized last year when her hero, Speak author, Laurie Halse Anderson visited WHS. Mrs. Perna has lead many study groups in the English department; most recently, she worked to transform the sophomore comp class to a project-based class. She has also led the Boston Writing Project Summer Institute for teachers. When she is not teaching or chasing her three daughters around, she enjoys trying to keep up with her bookclub reading and finding new podcasts. 

Kevin Skowronski

Physics

Mr. Skowronski is now in his second year of teaching physics at Waltham High School. He graduated Cum Laude from Dickinson College, where he served as a teaching assistant and student consultant, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics. He then went on to earn his Masters in Physics from Brandeis University, where he taught undergraduate physics for two years and researched active matter systems. Inspired by his own high school teachers and college professors, as well as his experiences as a teaching assistant and undergraduate lecturer, he joined The ChangeMaker Academy last year as a first year teacher. Mr. Skowronski is always ready for fun and conceptually mind-blowing discussions about anything physics related, especially if he has the chance to connect superheroes to the topic. When he’s not in the classroom (or discussing physics), you can find him playing with his dogs, watching cool tv shows and movies, practicing guitar, or playing video games.

​ 

Krystal Cervantes

Modern World History

Ms. Cervantes is starting her third year as the ChangeMaker Academy  history teacher. For undergrad, she attended the University of Southern California, earning her bachelor degree in history with honors. As an undergrad, she was able to attend research programs at the University of Chicago and Princeton University. She earned her Masters in Education from Boston College, where she was also a Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar. Ms. Cervantes is invested in social justice and urban outreach and has heavily researched civil rights movements led by students of color and youth empowerment. She was a student teacher with BPS for a year and is excited to begin her journey with ChangeMaker Academy, where she hopes to create a unique learning environment for her students. Outside of school, Ms. Cervantes enjoys reading, watching movies, binge-watching new TV shows and exploring new areas.

Viviana Borges

ESL Teacher

Ms. Borges, a native of Brazil, has lived and taught in the U.S. for 20 years.  She earned her undergraduate degree from the Universidade Paranaense in Paraná, Brazil, and later a Master’s degree in English as a Second Language and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Leadership from Cambridge College.  She is fluent in three languages and is licensed to teach Portuguese, Spanish, and English as a Second Language. Ms. Borges developed a passion for hands-on, PBL at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, where she taught for many years.  She came to Waltham 8 years ago, and has incorporated her background and enthusiasm for project-based learning in her ESL classes here. Outside of school, Ms. Borges loves spending time with her children, ages 2 and 3. She also enjoys snowboarding, traveling, zip-lining, and fishing.