Administrative Team

Brian Dassler, Principal
Brian Dassler is the principal of KIPP Renaissance High School. Mr. Dassler previously taught English at Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was named teacher of the year in the nation’s sixth largest school district in 2007. The founding teacher of the nationally recognized Urban Teacher Academy Program, a unique K-12 to postsecondary education partnership that prepares underserved students for success as educators and educational leaders, Mr. Dassler also led Stranahan’s comprehensive high school redesign which resulted in Stranahan being named one of the top three high schools in America by the College Board. A member of the Board of Directors of Breakthrough New Orleans and active in the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute and the Bywater Neighborhood Association, Mr. Dassler is very excited about inspiring, preparing and empowering leaders for college and beyond.

Nathaniel Lang, Dean of Students
Bio coming soon.

Rajvee Bhalakia, Instructional Coach
Ms. Bhalakia joins the KIPP Renaissance team as the Instructional Coach. Upon graduating from The George Washington University, Ms. Bhalakia moved to New Orleans in 2003 and began teaching at Little Woods Elementary as a Teach For America corps member. After three years in the classroom, Rajvee joined the Teach For America staff where she served as a Program Director. In this role she managed and developed teachers to ensure that they increased their effectiveness, achieved ambitious academic goals with their students, and maximized their impact in the classroom. After several years with Teach For America, Rajvee joined the team at O. Perry Walker College and Career Preparatory High School, where she served as the Exceptional Student Services Coordinator, English teacher, and Mentor Teacher. Ms. Bhalakia is excited to work with KIPP Renaissance teachers to ensure that all students develop the skills they need to succeed in college and beyond.

Tamia Randolph-Alvarez, Counselor

Mrs. Randolph-Alvarez is a native New Orleanian, a lover of community engagement, cultural learning, and fellowship. Tamia has provided counseling and social services to adolescents and adults from diverse ethnic backgrounds since 2004. Tamia's experience has been primarily in non-profits, higher education, and most notably with student assistance programs designed to meet the needs of the educationally underserved in the city of New Orleans. Tamia comes to us from the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Diversion Program in which she provided counseling and case management services to clients. Tamia currently provides clinical supervision to masters-level graduate students in the University of New Orleans’ Counselor Education Program as a component of her doctoral work there. Tamia is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, the Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors, and the Louisiana Counseling Association. Tamia is dedicated to providing mentorship and counseling services that support student’s academic success and overall emotional growth. 

Patrick Rudd, Director of Student Affairs and Community Outreach
Patrick Rudd joins the KIPP Renaissance High School team as the Director of Student Affairs and Community Outreach.  Originally from the great state of Wisconsin, Mr. Rudd graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a double major in History and Communicative Arts.  Upon graduation, Mr. Rudd joined Teach For America and was an art teacher at Clark Street Elementary in Henderson, North Carolina.  After two years, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri to work as a Data Manager for Sperreng Middle School.  From there, Mr. Rudd moved back to Wisconsin and received a Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in addition to his principal certification.  He then came down to New Orleans in June 2009 to assist with the opening of Success Preparatory Academy, a new charter school at Wicker Elementary, as a 2nd grade teacher.