Robin graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Applied Psychology and had
completed all coursework for an
advanced degree in Industrial/Organizational psychology when her first son was born.
Now with four sons, she
has been homeschooling for 17 years
and has graduated two from
high school. She “strongly encouraged” her oldest son to participate in
homeschool competitive speech and
debate ten years ago, not knowing it would significantly impact his life and
shape his career path. After becoming increasingly involved over that
time period, in 2021 she and her husband, Josh, felt led to
start a new club in the Atlanta area–Dynamis Speech and Debate, which competes in the Stoa league. Both she and her
husband are passionate about competitive debate
and speech, knowing the incredible influence it has on our students and through them, our world.
Our family
actively worships and serves at RISING Church
in Buford, GA.
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Beth Bacon has taught life science and biology for over twenty years. She currently teaches at Metro Academic Studies. Beth was Teacher of the Year for Daniell Middle School, Marietta, Georgia in 1999. She was listed in Who’s Who Among Teachers 2002. Beth graduated with a degree in Education with concentrations in math and science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1990. Beth has a Master’s Degree in Education with concentrations in math and science from Georgia State University, 1998. She attended the Institute for Chemical Education at the University of Wisconsin the summer of 1991. Beth has been a presenter at National Science Teacher Association Conferences, Georgia Science Teacher Association Conferences, and many local schools. Beth has Level T-5 Georgia Teacher Certification. She has completed over 500 hours of biblical training and received a Certificate of Completion from the BTCP (Bible Training for Church Leaders). Beth and her husband Kevin and their three children Kate, Olivia, and Jackson attend Genesis Bible Church of Dunwoody. Beth teaches Sunday School there and is on the Children’s Ministry Team.
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Noelle Bandy has been teaching and tutoring high school and college level math for over 25 years since she moved to the Atlanta area to attend Agnes Scott College and later Georgia Tech where she earned her Masters degree. She taught one year in public school and then several years of freshman and sophomore level classes at Georgia Tech and Agnes Scott. Since 1997 she has also been homeschooling her own five children and has successfully launched all of them into college and beyond. She has been teaching math to other people’s homeschool kids for the last several years. What she loves best about teaching mathematics is the opportunity to share the never-changing, easily accessible yet infinitely complex aspects of God’s creation. Did she mention she loves math?
Noelle and her family attend St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church where they are involved in pretty much everything. She loves to cook and knit and read and drink coffee. She is married to a structural engineer named Brent.
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Tiffany Blassingame is the Founder
and Head of School at The Ferguson School in Decatur, GA. Throughout her
work as an educator for over 20 years, she has developed curriculum and
programming, provided instructional coaching and professional development for
school principals and their teachers, served as a school administrator and
education activist, and taught primary grades.
Tiffany is a graduate of Columbia College with a
Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s degree from
Clemson University in Education Administration. She holds endorsements in both
reading and gifted education. Tiffany has presented at local, national, and
world conferences on various topics for equitable identification and support
for talented learners. She is an Arizona State University Prep
Microschool Fellow.
When she is not at The Ferguson School, Tiffany is
spending time with her son, Josh, who is a high school scholar and
athlete. Tiffany is a member of Free Chapel Gwinnett in Suwanee, GA.
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Dr. Maya Corneille has a Master’s degree in child clinical
psychology and a Ph.D. in social psychology from Virginia Commonwealth
University and a certificate in education from Duke University. During her
graduate education, she trained at the renowned Virginia Commonwealth
University Autism Center for Education. She has more than 20 years of
experience teaching college, elementary school, and middle school learners. As
a tenured faculty member at North Carolina A&T State University and the
Associate Director of Experiential Education at the Andrew Young Center for
Global Leadership at Morehouse College, she gained considerable leadership
experience and skills in mentoring young people to support the learning of
children with disabilities.
Dr. Corneille specializes in parent and community education
and is a sought after subject matter expert in autism education and
neurodiversity. She has presented for the Duke Center for Autism and Brain
Research, VCU Autism Center for Excellence, Duke Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, the Association of Black Psychologists, the American Psychological
Association, Black Microschools ATL, and the Flourish Family Homeschool Conference
among many others.
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Katy Felker earned a degree in Creative Technologies with a minor in Communications and Multimedia from Berry College. She is an experienced UX designer, project manager, and teacher. Driven by empathy and a natural curiosity about others, Katy’s secret weapon is her ability to slow down, lean in, and focus on the person in front of her to understand and empathize with their needs, finding the right solution. In teaching, this means helping students feel seen, heard, and understood. It means equipping and empowering students with skills to turn the daunting into the doable. With teaching experiences ranging from summer camps and overseas children’s conferences to challenge courses, and even co-teaching a freshman seminar course during undergrad, Katy’s ability to listen and connect with others has been a cornerstone of her success. Katy attends Gospel Hope Church in Avondale Estates.
Would you like to meet up and talk about this class? Contact Katy at felkerhw@gmail.com. We can meet for a walk or for coffee/tea at a location that works for us both!
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David earned the Master
of Music degree in conducting from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Texas.
His extensive study of solo and chamber repertoire placed him under the
coaching of Janos Starker, Lynn Harrell, Claus Adam, Leonard Rose and Samuel Mays. David
received a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance degree from Indiana University, where he studied
with Fritz Magg. Since coming to
Atlanta, David frequently performs in the Southeast as soloist, and chamber
musician where he also serves as pedagogue, composer and arranger. He regularly
plays with the Atlanta Opera and has recorded as soloist and chamber musician
on several CD recordings and has also recorded with Trey Anastasio, Steve
Green, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and others.
Currently, David is the
Director of Orchestras at His Masters Voice School of Music and Art in
Stockbridge, GA. He has completed his eighth year in that position and, for the past two years, has been the Director of Orchestras at Joyful
Noise Band, a homeschool music school in Marietta, GA. David also conducts
private lessons. David has two daughters
who are now grown. His eldest, Sara, is a harpist and has received the Bachelor of Music degree in performance from
Columbus State University. She is currently enrolled at University of Michigan's Music School to receive the Master's degree in harp performance. His youngest, Ana, works with neglected animals and has recently joined the police force in Gwinnett County. He attends a new church plant, Tucker Presbyterian Church, and is head musician there composing and arranging for string quintet, flutes and piano weekly.
More information may be
found on CMA website here: https://chambermusicatlanta.com/atlanta-musicians/david-hancock/
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Teresa Hatten is a graduate of Fisk University with a BA degree in Applied Mathematics. For more than 26 years she worked in the corporate sector in various assignments and Management positions including Engineering, Planning and Analysis, Human Performance Technology, Course Development and Instruction. She became interested in learning sign language in the 1980's after seeing it expressed during church worship services. Her journey into the Deaf world began through a small sign language class offered by the church. In 2004, after completing and accomplishing ASL skills training courses in the Sign Language Interpreter Program at Georgia Perimeter College (now, Georgia State University), she transferred to Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Services. She received a degree in Mortuary Science, became a licensed Mortician and took the helm as General Manager of her parent's funeral services establishment in the state of Tennessee after the passing of her mother. Teresa is an ordained Minister; Served as an Assistant Pastor in Louisville, KY, Associate Minister in Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA. For the past 4 years, she served at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD) as Assistant Librarian three days a week. Until recently, she provided a service through WOHL Communications Services as a Reader, Scribe or Proctor for candidates with disabilities who are required to take national, state and local examinations and certifications. Teresa has completed continuing education courses in American Sign Language (Basic and Advanced) at the University of Georgia. She and her husband Jiendesha "JD" Hatten have been married 42 years. They have two children and three grandchildren. Teresa and "JD" worship and fellowship at Buckhead Church Online (due to COVID-19 precautions).
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Tim brings extensive business, corporate and entrepreneurial experience to
our staff. He has a strong background in
leading training, sales, marketing and operations organizations, as well as
founding his own training and consulting firm.
Tim graduated with High Honors from the University of Tennessee with a
BS in Business Administration. Tim’s
love for teaching began when he taught navigation systems while serving in the
US Air Force. Later he managed
AT&T’s Sales Leadership Training Center where he oversaw the development
and delivery of training courses to their Business Sales Division across the
Country. After leaving AT&T Tim
founded his own company which provided Corporate Training Programs and business
consulting. He later taught in a small
Christian school and at a Gwinnett County public school. Tim’s unique
background as a veteran, corporate executive, business consultant, and entrepreneur
enable him to leverage his vast array of experiences to provide depth, context,
relevance and real-life application to the learning environment.
Tim and his wife Laura worship at Decatur City Church. They have two children, Andrew and Elaine,
both of whom were homeschooled before going on to graduate from the University
of Georgia and UCLA. Go Dawgs!
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Maren Katz is a native German and
moved with her family from Germany to the US in 2007, after living 1.5 years in
the Netherlands. With the birth of her first son in 1999, she left the
corporate world (pharmacy and pharmacy IT) and became a stay-at-home mom for
her 3 children. Always interested in foreign languages and being fluent in
English, French and Dutch, she successfully started a kids’ English club for
her children and their friends in 2002. Since in Germany it is illegal to
homeschool, Maren and her family took her husband’s job opportunity to move to
the US with a stopover in The Netherlands to be able to homeschool. She’s
excited to share her joy of learning different topics and opening the door to
understanding another culture through sharing her German roots, also by teaching German and Latin through the DeKalb library system. Looking at
science from a Christian perspective is a different way to worship the
Creator! Maren enjoys reading and sewing
to relax. Being able to create with a sewing machine is so much fun, that she
can't keep it to herself but loves to inspire others in different age groups to
get started, too, with her either individual or group classes. She has also
supported her daughter’s love for animals by helping her raise a Canine
Companion for Independence guide dog puppy, who is now a skilled helper to a
former police officer. She loves to worship at Northlands Church.
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Karen Kenney is a certified Math and Science teacher for middle and high school students in the state of Georgia. She graduated from the College of Charleston, where she earned a degree in Physical Education and Exercise Science. Karen taught middle and high school in Dekalb County for 9.5 years before having her own children. She has taught both Math and Science (Biology, Physical Science, Physics, and Environmental Science) as well as Reading to gifted and inclusion students. She also coached Varsity Soccer. Karen sponsored Yearbook, Newspaper, and Newscast during her tenure in Dekalb County. Karen supervised student-teachers and taught technology classes to teachers. Karen has been homeschooling her 3 children since 2014. She taught and designed science curricula for the children's co-op all 9 years she homeschooled her children. Karen's two older children attended MAS while her third is beginning this year. In her free time, Karen enjoys spending time with her children, playing tennis, exercising, and reading.
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Leah D Killings most known as
Dr. Happy has more than 25 years of experience in leadership, administration
and teaching. She has been teaching and training on many platforms on a
variety of subjects in elementary, secondary and postsecondary
education, professional and in ministry. Dr. Happy is a licensed and
ordained minister and counselor with Bachelor Degrees in Marketing and
Education, Master Degrees in Leadership & Missions and Divinity and a
Doctor Degree in Divinity. Outside of the organized classroom she loves to share her passion
and gifts for the arts through painting, drawing, photography, and
performing. She ministers weekly on an online radio show, performs in an
acting company and performs mobile art on canvas for many profit and non-profit
organizations and businesses.
Dr. Happy has two beautiful daughters and more than 50 indoor
plants that she calls her babies. Her God given gift is to encourage,
educate and empower on every platform HE provides.
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Derek Owens graduated from Duke University in 1988 with a degree in mechanical engineering and physics. He taught physics, honors physics, AP Physics, and AP computer science at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA from 1988-2000. He worked at the TIP program at Duke for two years, teaching physics and heading the Satellite Science Program. He received a National Science Foundation scholarship and studied history and philosophy of science at L'Abri Fellowship in England. He worked as a software developer for six years before returning to teaching. Since 2006, he has been a full time teacher for homeschoolers in the Atlanta area. He and his wife Amor and their two children Claire and David attend Dunwoody Community Church.
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Kathy Romanoff has an MEd from Georgia State University and a BS in Education from the University of Tennessee. She enjoyed teaching students in the Metro Atlanta Area for eighteen years and has maintained her teaching certificate. During her tenure as a public school teacher she taught various math and science classes, but chemistry was her love. Numerous levels of chemistry, including Advanced Placement, permitted her to develop a thorough - learner based program. Kathy stepped out of the classroom in 1995 and into the home to care for her children . Shortly after this transition, she began to teach chemistry within the home school community. Bruce and Kathy enjoy fellowshipping at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
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Lisa Shaw is an accomplished certified language professional with over 20 years of experience in teaching middle and high school students. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English, Lisa has served as a Foreign Language Department Chair in Cobb County schools, Adjunct Teacher for Cobb County School District's Virtual Academy (CVA) and as a Spanish/English interpreter for parents. Mrs. Shaw has a wealth of experience instructing both adults and children. She is certified in teaching Spanish K-12, dual language immersion, ESOL, Health and PE, educational leadership, and gifted education.
At the collegiate level, Lisa served as Director of Instruction for the University of North Georgia’s Cultural Understanding and Language Program in Ukraine, teaching English to students. In addition, she’s served as a mentor teacher for the Kennesaw State University’s TELL program.
Lisa Shaw has earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Spanish and Health and Society through the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York as well as a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Curriculum at the same university.
Out of her passion for language and love of learning, she founded My Other Tongue Language School in 2020, where she primarily shares the love and experience of learning language via online virtual settings. She has been married to her hubby Gerry Shaw for over 24 years and is the proud mommy of Mr. Liam Shaw.
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Eastside DirectorMichelle Shaw received her B.A. in Economics from Harvard College in 1985 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. She practiced law in Massachusetts for six years before she chose to focus on homeschooling her five children. Three of her children have graduated from college and the last two are currently attending college. Michelle has taught teenagers in various capacities for over 20 years. She has taught at Eastside for nine years and has been the director since 2016. She is married to Dr. Alan Shaw, a tenured Professor in Computer Science at Kennesaw State University and the pastor of Christ First Community Church in Snellville.
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Margaret Shuman earned a secondary English education/German double major and a renewable, 7-12 GA teaching certificate at Berry College. She went on to get a master's degree from Bowling Green State University, OH, in speech and theatre, where she also took graduate level courses in literature and theories of teaching writing. Since graduation, she has taught in two public schools, two private schools, and the home education world. The College Board has officially approved Margaret to teach both AP Literature and AP Language, and has hired her to score SAT essays. She has also led seminars in drama, AP English, speech, and writing at professional development conferences. Margaret and her family worship at Passion City Church. You can find out more about Margaret at www.MargaretShuman.com.
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For the past 18 years
Mrs. Sondra Sutton-Obas has served as a full-time faculty member at Alabama
State University in Montgomery Alabama. While teaching at ASU she has earned
certifications in online instruction and technology. She has been a homeschool
mom for the past 6 years, with teaching experiences in science for 10 years in
the K-12 public school systems in Alabama and Massachusetts. During the summer
she continues to teach science and technology classes to high school students
in the MIT/Wellesley Upward Bound program. Her earned degrees include a
bachelor’s in biology and a MESTEP (Math, English, Science, Technology
Education Program) master’s degree, both from the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst. She is also a member of the American Psychological Association's
Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools and is certifified in Mental Health
First Aid.
When not teaching or
spending time with family she can be found with her nose in a book or
binge-watching British television. If asked what is your motto? She will
boldly reply, “When I die, I want all of hell to rejoice that I am out of the
fight."-C.S. Lewis
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Jessica Taylor has been teaching in various settings for 20 years. She received her B.A. in History from Hiram College, continued History and Education coursework at Case Western Reserve University, and has completed the Director's Training for the State of Georgia. She currently offers private lessions, tutoring & school break camps through her business, Thrive Preparatory Academy.
She loves all things that pertain to History, but thoroughly enjoys teaching all subjects! She and her husband have the awesome privilege of homeschooling their 3 children. She and her family are devoted followers of Christ at Godly Love Christian Fellowship.
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Email: allwriteacademy@gmail.com
During her 15-year tenure at CNN, Valerie Vaughan encountered many enriching work
experiences. She was a videotape editor, wrote news copy, was an
Associate Producer, and supervised and trained many new hires. She
spearheaded a campaign to heighten sensitivity and eliminate biased language in
CNN story reports. This action resulted in the production of a 30-minute
internal training video. Valerie served as the project manager and executive
producer of the program. Ultimately, the tape was used for the training
and orientation of all new hires.
Always a teacher at heart,
Mrs. Vaughan says: “Whenever I learn something new, I feel compelled to teach
it to someone else.” In 2016, Valerie developed the All-Write Academy by combining her writing skills and her passion for teaching. She is excited
to expand her program to Eastside students this year.
All-Write uses creativity
and critical thinking processes, to create better communicators.
Valerie Vaughan is a
native of Chicago, Illinois. She and her husband have an adult daughter
living in Snellville GA.
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