Staff

ABOUT US

The Branch Academy is dedicated to providing quality early childhood education to children ages 3-5 in the South Tampa area. Our curriculum consists of creative activities that foster academic and emotional growth in a nurturing “school family” environment. Our goal is to instill the love of learning in each child through a balance of instruction and exploration as we equip our students for a confident transition into Kindergarten and all future educational experiences.

Our goal is to instill the love of learning in each child through a balance of instruction and exploration as we equip our students for a confident transition into Kindergarten and all future educational experiences.

The Branch Academy is blessed to have an incredible staff of highly qualified and passionate teachers. Although we each have specific job responsibilities, we all take tremendous pride and joy in caring for each child in our Branch Family.

Sue Popp
Owner/Director, Lead PreK Teacher and After the Bell Administrator

This year will be Mrs. Popp’s twenty second consecutive year teaching. She spent eleven great years on the Mitchell Elementary School campus, and this is the eleventh year of The Branch Academy. At Mitchell, Mrs. Popp taught Art through the Art Enrichment Program for four years prior to joining the PreK team, and she enjoyed seven years developing the preschool program and incorporating her love of art into the early childhood curriculum.

Jayne Vargas
PreK3 Teacher
Deborah Mudry
PreK3 Support Staff
Valerie Cordell
PreK Teacher
Merridith Callahan
PreK Teacher
Therese Dison
Full Time Day School Support Staff and After the Bell Teacher
Julie Henley
PreK Support Staff and After the Bell Teacher/School Wide Substitute
Nancy Bayless
Pre K Support Staff and After the Bell Teacher/School Wide Substitute