Meet Our Teachers
Our Teachers
by Academy
Personal Development
Mr. David Ashkenaz
Forensic Science
Mr. Ashkenaz has been the Science Teacher at Innovations High School for the past 15 years and previously taught in Chicago Public Schools for five years.
Mr. Keith Chrisman
English
Keith Chrisman teaches English at Innovations High School. After earning a B.A. in English from Elmhurst College and cultivating an interest in the works of J. Krishnamurti, John Taylor Gatto and Paulo Freire, he attended Lewis University to further his education and pursue a career as a teacher.
Ms. Fannie Dillingham
Physical Education
Ms. Dillingham is a certified fitness professional and nutrition coach. She has over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry working with youth, teens, adults and athletes of all levels. She is a speaker, author, and creator of weight management programs, tools, and educational resources for fitness enthusiasts. Fannie has worked at Innovations High School since 2017 as the Physical Education teacher. She loves working with the youth as they are vibrant, eager to learn and fearless in their pursuit of personal happiness and success especially when their minds are properly nurtured.
Ms. Elizabeth Eisenlohr
Math
Ms. Eisenlohr has a Bachelors of Science from Michigan State University. She has worked in the fields of public health policy education and health outreach and education. She enjoys teaching English & Reading
Intelligent Creative Expression
Ms. Sable Breathett
Media Arts
Ms. Breathett is a first year Media Arts teacher serving Innovations High School. She holds a Masters in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Film and video. After many years of being in the field of entertainment and film arts. Ms. Breathett decided to teach. After many thoughts Ms. Breathett decided to combine both her degrees and sought out a position that would allow her to showcase her love for the film arts and that position would be the Media Arts teacher for Innovations High School.
Mr. Bilal Fatemi
Math II
Born in Pakistan and raised in Chicago, Mr. Fatemi attended The University of Illinois Chicago, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences. Mr. Fatemi previously taught Biology at Innovations High School, switching to Geometry in 2017. Mr. Fatemi has been with Innovations since 2015.
Ms. Jennifer Hall
Art
Jennifer Hall is a Chicago native who has taught in public schools for 17 years. She graduated from The School of the Art Institute with a bachelor's degree in arts education. Her artistic background is in ceramics, sculpture and light metals. Her passion for integrating the arts into other subject areas has led to her position as an arts liaison. She finds joy in inspiring students to find their creative outlet in a variety of artistic mediums
Social Responsibility
Mrs. Benereta Lamaj
Math
Benereta Lamaj is the Mathematics Teacher at Innovations High School. She has been teaching Mathematics at the school for five years. She serves as the numeracy coach of the school.
Ms. Ashley Merlin
Civics/African American History
Ms. Ashley Merlin earned her B.A. in History and Anthropology from Ball State University and M.A.Ed. from Northeastern Illinois University. Ms. Merlin currently teaches Civics and African American studies at Innovations. Ms. Merlin interned at Walt Disney World prior to starting her student teaching at Innovations in fall 2021. Ms. Merlin focuses on a student-centered approach to learning that makes everyone in the classroom accountable for their own learning.
Saniya Noor
English III
Bio coming soon.
Scholastic Excellence
Ms. Dominique Beltrano
Senior Portfolio (English IV)
Ms. Beltrano studied at Illinois State University and received her B.A. in Secondary English Education with a focus in Creative Writing, British Literature, and American Indian Literature & Studies.
Mr. Matthew Glendenning
Math IV
Originally hailing from Los Angeles and holding a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Southern California, Mr. Glendenning (aka "Mr G") has been with Innovations High School for two years.
Ms. Jasmine Jones
Workforce Prep
Ms. Jones joined Innovations High School in 2019 and have been enjoying the journey ever since. She graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a specialization in Marketing. Ms. Jones later continued her education at the University of Phoenix Chicago Loop campus with her MBA and Entrepreneurship. She enjoys cooking, traveling, and engaging in recreational activities such as volleyball and softball. One of many reasons Ms. Jones enjoys working at Innovations is because of the family environment. Everyone is so welcoming and creates a great synergy. She enjoys teaching and watching the young scholars grow into their own greatness.
Ms. Emily Wagner
US History
Emily Wagner teaches a combined U.S. History and Civics course at Innovations High School. Originally from Boston, MA, Emily attended Loyola University Chicago, where she received her B.A. in History with a minor in Spanish. Influenced by her time as a Peer Advisor at LUC, Emily obtained her M.Ed and Teaching English Language Learners endorsement from Boston College. She took her talents to Waltham Public Schools, where she taught Sheltered English Immersion History before returning to Chicago in 2019. In addition to teaching U.S. History, Emily also provides ELL support to the bilingual learners at Innovations. She hopes her students leave her classroom with a newfound perspective on American history!