BCEA Directors
Dave Brelsford - Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School - President
David has been teaching for 18 years, and has taught from Elementary through high school. He is currently teaching at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School (Mervo), in Baltimore City, and is the BCEA Director representing Mervo. He is a graduate of Wilde Lake HS in Columbia Md, where he played football. He then went to Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, where he developed a love for sailboat racing and Archaeology. After graduation, he decided to pursue his Masters in Teaching from The Johns Hopkins University, graduating in 2005. Dave has many interesting hobbies, and when he not busy chasing his kids around, he builds remote control submarines, and is learning how to restore an old Jeep. He is running the MERVO Robotics team, and is a mentor for the Northrop Grumman sponsored STEM Innovation challenge team.
Nick Yates - Treasurer / Patterson High School
Nick Yates is Treasurer of BCEA and also the BCEA Director representing Patterson High School. Nick has taught at Patterson and in Baltimore City Public Schools for 16 years, including courses in math, computer science, and Project Lead the Way Engineering. He was part of the original team that led Patterson to become the first school in Baltimore City certified by Project Lead the Way. Nick also advises several after school clubs, including Coding Club and Makerspaces Club. Patterson High School is one of the most diverse high schools in Baltimore, with students coming from over thirty different countries.
John Bachman - Secretary / Western High School
John Bachman is Secretary of BCEA and also the BCEA Director representing Western High School. John has been teaching for 17 years, in Baltimore City for the last 9 years. At Western, he is the Robotics coach and Northrop Grumman STEM Innovation captain. When not at school, he is spending time with his wife and daughter, making music or washing dishes.
Darlene Mullen - Cherry Hill Elementary / Middle School
Darlene Mullen has been teaching for 19 years: fourteen years with Baltimore City Public Schools, and five years with Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Darlene has taught mathematics from grades 6 through 12, and technology and pre-engineering to grades pre-k through 8. Darlene has been teaching PLTW-Gateway for eight years. She has taught Coding, Biomimicry, 3D Printing for the past five years, and STEM-Gear (21st Century) for the past four years. Darlene coaches both Vex Robotics and Science Olympiad, during their competition season. She also teaches young girls to code using Smartgurlz siggy dolls. Before teaching, she worked for 20 years in the electronics industry in engineering, training and development, and Organizational Development. Working with children and watching the growth of their minds is her passion. Darlene is the BCEA Director representing the Historic Cherry Hill Elementary / Middle School.
Brian Watson - Baltimore Polytechnic
bio coming soon
James Ballentine - Edmondson Westside High School
James is a veteran teacher in his 17th yr in city schools. He is a proud graduate of EDMONDSON WESTSIDE. After graduation he went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering technology from University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and he later went on to earn his Masters from A.I.U. He is currently the PLTW instructor at Edmondson. He enjoys being a mentor to his students and is the asst varsity football coach and asst Lacrosse coach at Edmondson. James is also a proud member of the BCEA, as the director representing Edmondson Westside High.
Former members
Ipsita Ghosh - Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Ipsita Ghosh has been teaching in Baltimore City Public Schools for the last 13 years. Currently, at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly), she teaches primarily Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering courses along with Engineering Practicum, a capstone course offered in Poly's traditional engineering program. Ipsita enjoys seeing the excitement in students' faces when they achieve their short or long term academic goals. In defeat, they accept the defeat without defeating inside. Their spirit has become the driving force for her. She runs multiple after school clubs such as the Maryland Science Olympiad club, PLTW Engineering club, and BitView Mentoring club. Before coming into teaching, relying on her formal training as an Electronics and Telecommunication engineer, Ipsita worked in the industrial automation sector for 4 years. In her spare time, she loves to spend time in her garden, try cooking different food, and travel places to enjoy the beauty of nature. Ipsita is the BCEA Director representing Poly.
