Ms. Jelinek has a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in Spanish and concentrations in Human Services and Public Policy from Albion College in Albion, Michigan. After undergrad, she studied Migration and Ethnic Studies at the Universiteit van Amsterdam as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. As a member of the NYC Teaching Fellows, she earned her M.S. in Urban Education with a Bilingual Extension from Mercy College. She completed her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership through the Summer Principals Academy at Teachers College, Columbia University. Ms. Jelinek then earned her license in School District Leadership at Baruch College through the Advanced Leadership Institute. She began her career as a Bilingual Special Education Teacher at a NYCDOE middle school in the Bronx. She then became the Director of Student Services and Interim Executive Director of a small charter school in the Bronx. Kristina worked in a variety of roles for the DOE’s Central office, including Director of the Common Core Lab and Director of School Programs and Policy. Eager to return to a school setting, she became an assistant principal at a new K-8 school in Queens prior to taking on the best job ever, principal of DLMS! Ms. Jelinek believes that education = opportunity and that schools have a great responsibility to foster student voice, engage families as partners and provide a culture of continuous learning for staff. Outside of school, you'll find Ms. Jelinek busy reading, traveling, knitting, or running after her daughter.