Districtwide
Elizabeth Capizzi
English as a New Language, Elementary Schools teacher
Ms. Capizzi comes to Rye from P.S. 89Q: The Jose Peralta School of Dreamers in Elmhurst, N.Y., where she taught ENL to grades 3-5 for four years and, more recently, was a general education teacher for students grades 4 and 5 for six years.
She received a B.S. Ed in Childhood Education and Special Education from St. John’s University and an M.S. in Teaching English as a Second Language from Molloy College.
Daniela Sciscente
Elementary School Counselor, Grades 3-5
Prior to coming to Rye, Ms. Sciscente was the school counselor for South Bronx Classical Charter School II, and before that a leave-replacement counselor at Bayville Primary and Intermediate Schools in Locust Valley, N.Y. She conducted her school counseling internships at George Washington Intermediate School in West Hempstead, N.Y., Herricks Middle School in Albertson, N.Y., and John Bowne High School in Flushing, N.Y.
Ms. Sciscente has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master’s in School Counseling from St. John’s University.
Rye High School
Rebecca Centeno
Spanish teacher
Ms. Centeno is already a familiar face at Rye High, having taught Spanish as a leave-replacement teacher during the 2022-2023 school year. This year, she is a full-year leave-replacement teacher. Before coming to Rye, Ms. Centeno was Dean and Student Success Leader at M.S. 129: Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership in the Bronx, and before that, Director and Bilingual Teacher at Rio Valley Montessori in Nyack, N.Y.
She began her teaching career as a seven-year high school teacher and leader at the New York City Department of Education and John Adams High School in Queens. Ms. Centeno has a B.A. in Education and Spanish from Pace University and a Master’s in Advanced Educational Practice from the Institute of Education at University College London.
Fabian Escobedo
English as a New Language teacher
Mr. Escobedo comes to Rye High from Bronx Alliance Middle School, where he taught 6th-grade Science and Social Studies. Previously, he taught Science at Eastview Middle School and White Plains High School in White Plains, and Equality Middle Charter School in the Bronx.
Since 2016, he has coached the White Plains Girls 5th and 6th grade travel Lacrosse team. Mr. Escobedo has a B.A. in History from SUNY Cortland and an M.S. in Childhood Education from the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury. He has an advanced certification in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) from Fordham University.
Ashley Napoli
English teacher
Ms. Napoli is already a familiar face at RHS having taught English as a leave- replacement. teacher during the 2022-23 school year. This year, she will continue for the entirety of the school year. Prior to coming to Rye, she taught 6th and 8th grade English for 16 years at J.H.S. 118: William W. Niles in the Bronx. In her time at the school, she served as Peer Collaborative Teacher Leader, a member of the Professional Learning Committee, Curriculum Developer, and School Leadership Team Member.
From 2007-2017, she was Director of the Success Center After-School Tutoring and Enrichment Program at Iona University. Ms. Napoli has a B.A. in Adolescent Education from Iona University and an M.S. in Gifted Education from the College of New Rochelle.
Carla Ricchiuti
Art teacher
Ms. Ricchiuti returns to Rye High, where she was a leave-replacement teacher last year. Previously, she taught at St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, both in the Bronx, and at John Cardinal O’Connor School in Irvington.
She began her teaching career as Assistant Director and Art Teacher at One River School of Art + Design in Hartsdale. A working artist, she has her own studio, Carla Richiutti Art, in Mount Vernon. She has a B.F.A. in Printing, Sculpture, and Graphic Design, and a Master’s in Visual Arts Education, both from Manhattanville College.
Brian Scher
Mathematics teacher
Already a familiar face at Rye High, Mr. Scher served as a math leave-replacement teacher the past two years and as a Boys’ Varsity Wrestling coach in 2021 and 2022. Prior to coming to Rye, he taught Math at The Harvey School in Katonah, N.Y., and at Hunter College High School in Manhattan. Before becoming an educator, he worked on Wall Street as a trader from INTL FCStone and BTG Pactual.
He has a B.A. in Economics and Classical Studies from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. He is currently completing his M.S. in Applied Mathematics Finance Track at Hunter.
Rye Middle School
Maria Canavan
Spanish teacher
Ms. Canavan joins the RMS faculty as a full-year leave-replacement Spanish teacher. She comes to Rye from Woodlands Middle School/High School in the Greenburgh Central School District. Previously, she taught 9th- and 10th- grade Spanish at South High School in Clarkstown, N.Y., and at Ramapo High School in East Ramapo, N.Y. For seven years, she taught AP Spanish in grades 10-12 at M296: High School of Hospitality Management.
She began her career in education as a grade 7-9 Spanish and Italian teacher at Yorktown High School. Ms. Canavan has a B.A. in International Relations from University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico, and an M.A. in Second Language Acquisition Education from Manhattanville College.
Carolyn Muller
Special Education teacher
Ms. Muller joins the RMS faculty as a full-year leave-replacement teacher, after serving as a leave-replacement 6th-grade Science teacher in the Darien Public Schools. Previously, she taught middle school Science and Special Education for two years in the Greenburgh-North Castle Union Free School District and Science 8 and Honors Biology in the Rye Neck Union Free School District.
She began her career as a teaching assistant in the West Genesee Central and Rye Neck School Districts, working one-on-one or in small groups with special education students. She has a B.A. in Biology from SUNY Cortland and an M.P.S. in Middle/Childhood/Adolescent Education Biology 5-12 and Special Education 7-12 from Manhattanville College. While working in Rye Neck she coached Girls’ Lacrosse and assisted the Athletic Department Coordinator.
Midland School
Lauren Linder
Elementary School Speech/Language Pathologist
Before coming to Midland, Ms. Linder worked as a speech improvement teacher at two Manhattan schools: P.S. 77: Lower Laboratory School for Gifted Children and P.S. 198: The Isador E. Ida Strauss School. While at P.S. 77, she served as director of the school’s Response-to Intervention Team, working with teachers to design interventions and scaffolds for individual students.
She received a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences from University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Queens College in Flushing, NY.
Osborn School
Lauren Lucht
Kindergarten teacher
Ms. Lucht comes to Osborn School as a full-year, leave-replacement Kindergarten teacher from the Congregation Sons of Israel Nursery School in Briarcliff Manor, where she has worked as head teacher in a 2s classroom and as Assistant to the Director. Since 2020, she has been a private literacy tutor for ages 5-10, focused on reading proficiency and grade-level writing.
Ms. Lucht began her career in education working as a Kindergarten teacher, staff developer, and literacy coach for grades K-2 for ten years at P.S. 158: The Bayard Taylor School in Manhattan. In 2006, she published “The Wonder of Word Study: Lessons and Activities to Create Independent Readers, Writers, and Spellers” (Heinmann). Ms. Lucht has a B.A. in English General Literature from SUNY Binghamton and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from NYU.
Cara Marasco
Special Education teacher
Ms. Marasco is already known by many students and families having served as a Special Education leave-replacement teacher at Milton, Midland, and Rye Middle schools. In her time in Rye, she supported teachers in integrated co-taught classrooms with whole class, small group, and individual instruction. She also completed educational evaluations and planned and delivered specially designed instruction to support Individualized Education Plans.
Prior to coming to Rye, Ms. Marasco spent five years as the Special Education Lead, Inclusion and Education Support Services for grades K-8 at 05M517: Teachers College Community School in Manhattan. She began her career in education as a general education third-grade teacher at 11X169: Baychester Academy in the Bronx. Ms. Marasco has a B.A. in Mass Communications from Iona University and an M.S. in Education from St. John’s University.
Erin Pfeiffer
Special Education teacher
During the 2022-23 school year, Ms. Pfeiffer served as a Special Education leave- replacement teacher at Osborn School. Before coming to Rye, she was a Special Education teacher in an Integrated Co-Taught classroom for three years at P.S. 105: Senator Abraham Bernstein School in the Bronx. She also worked as a teaching assistant providing academic intervention services in Math and English at F.E. Bellows Elementary School in Mamaroneck.
She began her career in education as a teaching assistant at John Cardinal O’Connor School in Irvington, assisting students with special needs in a 4th-grade classroom. Ms. Pfeiffer has a B.S. in Marketing from Fairfield University, and both an M.S. in Special Education and an M.S. in Childhood Education from Manhattan College.
