Ms. Harris is the Dean of Students at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School campus, bringing eight years of teaching experience to her role. Ms. Harris graduated from Medgar Evers College with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She then continued her education at Capella University receiving a Master of Science in educational psychology in 2023. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at Capella University specializing in educational leadership.

In 2016, Ms. Harris began her career as a substitute paraprofessional with the Department of Education where she later became a lead teacher. Of her eight years of teaching, four of those years catered specifically to early education. Ms. Harris also has Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy experience working one-on-one with children with autism.

Ms. Harris resides in Brooklyn NY and in her free time, she likes to spend time with her family. With a passion for education, Ms. Harris is dedicated to advocating for our students as her goal is to ensure that they feel safe and have the best learning experience at BASIS Independent Brooklyn.

Mr. Heilbronn is the Dean of Students for our Middle School Program. He is a Founding Faculty member of BASIS Independent Brooklyn, and he taught students across all grade levels in physical education as well as a digital music elective before moving to administration. After finishing Abitur in English and geography at the Gymnasium Horn in Bremen/Germany in 1984, Mr. Heilbronn went on to study cultural science at the University of Bremen.

In 1989, Mr. Heilbronn moved to New York to pursue a career in the music industry and continued his studies in sound engineering, editing, and programming. In 2012, he acquired a United States Soccer Federation coaching license. He loves to play and coach soccer. Food is another passion of his. “I also like to travel, meet new people, and experience different cultures and foods,” he says.

Mr. Horn is the Technology Coordinator for BASIS Independent Brooklyn. He joined the campus nine years ago after working with Arizona BASIS Curriculum Schools. Mr. Horn is the site Information Technology Specialist helping staff, faculty, and students at the school.

As School Counselor at BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Ms. House hopes to create a safe and nurturing space for students and families to grow and realize their potential. Also to assist the school community with creating positive change and outcomes through empowering students to perform optimally day in and day out. Ms. House joined BASIS Independent Brooklyn, since she wanted to be part of a school community dedicated to helping young people become thoughtful, productive, self- sufficient and resilient future leaders. Ms. House loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, summers at the beach and seeing live music.

Ms. Johnson is the Registrar at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School campus.

Mr. Josephson is the Associate Head of Operations at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. His goal is to improve the success rate and quality of life for all students and faculty through strengthened resources and collaboration. For the past five years before joining our school, Mr. Josephson managed operations for a Brooklyn-based restaurant supplier and an education contractor. In the latter role, Mr. Josephson worked alongside numerous private and public schools on the East Coast. Since 2017, he has also taught Asian Studies at CUNY – City College of New York.

Mr. Josephson received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin with a double major in legal studies and political science and a minor in criminal justice. For seven years after graduating, Dan taught and directed operations in private K-8 schools in South Korea and Taiwan. He received his Master of Arts in Asia – Pacific Studies from National Chengchi University.

Mr. Josephson chose BASIS Independent Brooklyn because he believes in cultural responsiveness and combining learning methods from multiple countries to achieve a truly ideal education.

Mr. Josephson enjoys nature, art, music, museums, sports, TV, film, reading, and writing. He loves being an uncle and trying to be a foodie.

Ms. Kristine has been in the education field for over seven years. She joined our BASIS Independent Lower School team as Academic Program Manager. Throughout her experience in the education field, she has worked as a counselor, teacher and administrator. This position is a great step in her career as she continues to help students achieve their goals and foster an environment where they can thrive.

Ms. Kristine graduated from CUNY Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology. In addition, she graduated summa cum laude from Long Island University with a master’s degree in education.

Ms. Kristine chose BASIS Independent because as an educator, she is committed to a curriculum that strives on content knowledge, critical thinking, and self-advocacy skills that students need to achieve academic and lifelong success.

Outside of school, Ms. Kristine resides in Queens, NY, where she was born and raised. She is a mother to a little girl who will join BASIS Independent Schools once she reaches school age. In her free time, Ms. Kristine loves to travel with her daughter, fiancé, and four sisters.

Ms. LaCrosse is the Director of Admissions for BASIS Independent Brooklyn. She attended Wesleyan University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology, theater, and education studies. Before graduation, she was awarded the Outreach & Community Service Award.

Ms. LaCrosse is thrilled to be working with the BASIS Independent Brooklyn team. She was drawn to BASIS Independent because of the high-caliber education the students receive in a joyful and creative learning environment. As Director of Admissions, she is passionate about welcoming new and prospective families to the world of BASIS Independent Brooklyn, and she looks forward to showing them everything that makes the community special. She is committed to partnering with families to ensure students receive a world-class education and have a safe space to grow.

While not at school, Ms. LaCrosse spends her time exploring the world, singing, cooking, and taking care of her French bulldog.

Ms. Lytton is the Associate Director of Admissions at BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School. She brings more than a decade of experience with both New York City and international independent schools. Ms. Lytton graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and continued on to obtain a master’s degree in education from City University of New York at Hunter College. She also earned a certificate in “School Management and Leadership” from a joint program with Harvard Graduate School of Education and Business School.

Ms. Lytton was drawn to BASIS Independent Brooklyn for a myriad of reasons—the diverse student population fostering neighborhood and community connections, the alluring creativity to explore and change school models thoughtfully and purposefully, a dynamic team approach, and most importantly the people! She is pedagogically passionate about the strong culture of learning, inclusivity, joy, and excellence.

One of Ms. Lytton’s passions is to promote enrollment expansion by cultivating relationships through tailored experiences from start to finish—with a warm and welcoming transfer to the school community. As a first-generation college graduate, she values a deep connection to helping families navigate the school entry process for a successful student life cycle.

Outside of the classroom, Ms. Lytton enjoys fitness on a wide scale from strength training to swimming to hiking, whether at the gym or outdoors. She is also an avid traveler, having explored twenty-two different countries and counting, with time spent living and working on Jeju-do, South Korea for just over two years. Ms. Lytton also enjoys watching films in a variety of formats, listening to and seeing live music, having playdates with her nephew, and stargazing after a good sunset. She has participated as a fundraiser and organizer for Imerman Angels, Pickles Group, as well as Red Door Community.

Ms. Miller-Sims is a passionate educator who has worked with students of all ages in her more than 15 years in the field. During her time in education, she has worked as an adjunct professor, classroom teacher, and school leader as Director of Early Learning and Primary Programs as well as Associate Head of School. She is currently the Head of School at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School campus in Downtown Brooklyn.

“Inspiring joy in learning and cultivating curiosity in our young learners is so important as students build the foundational academic and social skills that will carry them through their educational journey. I am awed by all our students can achieve with the guidance of our exceptional faculty and I am honored to have the opportunity to nurture and grow this blossoming learning community,” Ms. Miller-Sims shared.

Ms. Miller-Sims graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She was a modern language major studying both Italian and French. While an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Padua, Italy. Ms. Miller-Sims later attended the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University where she received a Master of Arts degree in foreign language education. Ms. Miller-Sims received a Master of Science degree in general and special education grades 1–6 from Touro College.

What drew Ms. Miller-Sims to education is its power to transform lives and ignite new passions in students as they learn about the world and themselves. She is particularly excited to work with BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School to support the important work faculty and staff do each day to engage students in joyful, academically rigorous learning that is balanced with developmentally appropriate social-emotional learning. Ms. Miller-Sims believes that educating the whole child is a critical aspect of early childhood and primary education. She looks to prepare students to face the world with self-awareness, empathy, and creativity so they can be problem solvers who contribute to building a better future for all.

Outside of school, Ms. Miller-Sims enjoys exploring new cultures both inside New York City and by traveling to other cities and countries. She can often be found at the climbing gym and loves taking her dog for long walks in Prospect Park or around Carroll Gardens.

Mr. Mullins is the Auxiliary Manager at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School campus at 405 Gold Street. He was previously head of the summer program for the school.

Mr. O’Neill is the Facilities Manager at BASIS Independent Brooklyn Upper School campus. He joined our school more than five years ago first as a parent. He oversees all aspects of our campus facilities with his team. Outside of school, Mr. O’Neill runs a number of local Brooklyn restaurants.

Ms. Persaud is a Director of Operations at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School Campus. Her goal is to focus on the backstage magic of the day-to-day operations so that teachers can focus solely on the education and social-emotional health of our students.

Ms. Persaud received her Bachelor of Arts in English at Stony Brook University, where she was awarded both the Shin Ming Hu Student Leadership Scholarship as well as Student Leader of the Year. What drew Ms. Persaud to our school was the robust and quality education for students. “BASIS Independent Brooklyn offers students a lot of opportunities to explore a variety of subjects. I love how they incorporate world travel and languages, such as Mandarin into their curriculum. It gives the students an opportunity to learn about cultures that are not their own.”

Ms. Persaud enjoys spending free time with her husband and two children (ages 7 and 11). She enjoys knitting, baking, and reading.

Mr. Pimentel is an Auxiliary Coordinator at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. He oversees Bear Care, afterschool programming, and trips/events. Mr. Pimental first joined our campus last year as a monitor assisting our faculty and staff.

Ms. Repetto joins us from BASIS Independent Manhattan as our new Auxiliary Manager. Jessica is currently working as the lead Summer Camp Counselor with our sister campus. For six years she worked as the Dean of Visual Arts with Achievement First Middle School in Brooklyn. It was here that she worked closely with our Music and Band SET Mr. Bohanan. Prior to that, Jessica was a Visual Arts Instructor with Uncommon Schools Charter High School in Brooklyn and Success Academy. For eight years she also worked on the side as a freelance illustrator and art director for Vogue Magazine.

Ms. Robbins is the Dean of the High School Program at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University, where she won the Spirit of Princeton Award for her involvement in student organizations, community service, and the arts. Ms. Robbins went on to earn her master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education through the Independent School Teaching Residency program.

Ms. Robbins began her career at Milton Academy, a boarding school outside of Boston, where she started first as a teaching fellow and then as a full-time Upper School English faculty member. Afterwards, Olivia transitioned to the Hewitt School, a girls’ school in Manhattan, where she simultaneously held roles as Grade Level Dean, Learning and Innovation Program Associate, and Upper School English Faculty member. Ms. Robbins also worked for two years at an educational technology start-up, where she designed humanities content and contributed to product development for a digital adaptive learning application used by thousands of children.

As the Dean of High School Students at BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Ms. Robbins helps foster community in the upper school and supports students through their academic journeys. She loves working with high school students and is inspired by the myriad ways in which they want to shape the world.

Ms. Robbins is excited to support BASIS Independent’s mission to educate students to the highest international levels, and she is energized by her colleagues’ commitment to supporting each individual student holistically.

In her free time, Ms. Robbins enjoys spending time with her husband and dog. She also loves reading, cooking, doing crossword puzzles, dancing, and doing yoga.