Instructional Leadership Team
Senior Assistant Principal of Instruction
Mr. Willett was born in a small town in the outback of Australia where he spent his school years. Upon graduating from high school, he attended the University of Newcastle, balancing his love of mathematics with his love of sports and travel. Since becoming a teacher, he taught in both England and Australia before joining the MESA team in 2016. In his spare time, you will find him searching the country for amazing outdoor activities.
Assistant Principal of Instruction
Ms. Polanco was born in Brooklyn, NY, but was raised in Lawrence, MA. She attended Umass Dartmouth and earned a BA in Sociology and a minor in African American studies and has Master of Education from Umass Boston. In her free time she enjoys sharing spoilers to her friends and family. Let just say they do not appreciate it. She is a dog mom to 2 pups Milo & Chaos. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, trying new foods and exploring the city. Her goal is to travel through all of Central and South America by 2025.
Director of Teacher and Student Development
Mr. Sullivan grew up on the beaches of Central New Jersey (no he did not go to high school with any cast members of the Jersey Shore). He has recently moved back to the NYC area after five years of teaching at a charter school in Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was a founding teacher at the Williamsburg Charter High School. In his free time, he enjoys going on day trips and adventures with his wife and two sons. He enjoys hiking, snowshoeing and having a healthy obsession with meteorology. Urban planning, architecture, street design, and neighborhood observations fill the rest of what little time he has left each day. As a huge believer in what communities can accomplish, cooperation and compassion, he is very excited to be a part of a team that displays so much of both!
Mr. Tibbals is New York City born and raised - a proud product of the NYC public education system. He attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate degree, where he double majored in Political Science and English. After undergrad, Mr. Tibbals came back to his hometown in NYC to teach English through Teach For America. During his two first years of teaching, he earned his master's degree in the Arts of Teaching at Relay Graduate School of Education. He continues to teach English to 10th graders and leads the English Department here at Mesa. In his free time, Mr. Tibbals loves watching, playing, talking, and breathing basketball.