Staff demo • The Community Classroom

Name	Title
Dr. Megan Allen, NBCT	Chief Learning Curator/Owner + Operator
Kramer the Turtle	Classroom Pet
Josh Abrams	Tutor, Math Specialist
Stacy Ashley	Reading Specialist
Carly Baldwin, NBCT	Biology and Chemistry Tutor, Academic Coach
Emily Brandt	Project Manager/Assistant
Chelsea Berry	K-8th Grade Math Specialist, Math Recovery
Jay Bright	Tutor, Math Specialist
Eli Chastek	Math tutor
Danielle Goua	Early Childhood Tutor
Julie Hammond	Tutor and Academic Coach
Emily Hamparian	Elementary Tutor
Martha Harrington	K-6 Master Tutor
Terri HerrNeckar	Math Specialist/Master Tutor
Chris Holmes	Academic Coach
Keara Holmes	Reading Specialist
Maeve Huit	Summer 2024 Intern
Alfred Kimani	Elementary Tutor
Maaida Kirmani	SAT/ACT and Science Tutor
Jo-Ann Konieczny	Reading Specialist, Special Education
Amy Landau	Writing, Elementary Tutor
Shari Leskowitz	Elementary and ESL Tutor
Colleen Lowe
Abby Maeillo	K-6 Elementary Tutor, Math Specialist
Dr. Daniele Massey	6th-9th Grade Math Specialist
Madonna McAnulty	Elementary Tutor, ESL
Jeremiah McAnulty	High School Math Tutor
Catherine MacBain	math tutor
Natalie McCutchen	Middle School Math Tutor
Susan Milsom	Math Specialist/Master Tutor
Koki M.	Elementary Tutor, Special Education
Ann Neary, NBCT	College Essay Coaching
Maggie Needham	Middle School-High School Math + SAT/ACT Tutor
Kathryn Petrucelli	Writing Tutor, College Essay Coaching and Editing
Mary Phillips	Reading Specialist, Elementary Math and Reading/Writing Tutor
Nicole Rhodes	Lead Tutor, HS/AP Science, Academic Coach
John Serios	Secondary math/science tutor
Patty Solomon	Elementary Tutor
Karen Schweitzer	Math Specialist/Master Tutor
Jack Sweeney-Taylor	Math tutor
Jan Szymaszek	Math Specialist, Master Tutor
Halie Theoharides	Tutor, Academic Coach
Jennifer Warren	Math tutor
Christina Webster	Lead Tutor, PreK-3rd Grade Tutor, Reading Specialist
Dylan Xiao	Summer 2024 Intern

Chief Learning Curator/Owner + Operator

Dr. Megan Allen, NBCT

Dr. Megan Allen is the founder and chief learning curator at the Community Classroom. She works hard to serve students by matching them to their perfect teacher, thereby increasing knowledge, skill, confidence, and joy. To learn more about how and why she founded The Community Classroom, click here. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who has worked in several roles in education, including 10 years as an elementary school teacher in Florida. Megan most recently worked as the Director of Partnerships for the National Network of State Teachers of the Year, the professional home for all state teachers of the year (she was the Florida 2010 State Teacher of the Year). She also served as director of the Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership at Mount Holyoke College, where she envisioned, pitched, and developed two graduate-level programs to support teachers across the world in their informal and formal leadership capacities.

Classroom Pet

Kramer the Turtle

Meet Kramer, the friendly and curious red-eared slider who has become an integral part of our classroom community. Kramer isn’t just any ordinary turtle – he’s a dedicated member of our Turtle Reading Program (TRP), where he eagerly listens to students read aloud.

Kramer may not speak our language, but his attentive eyes and calm demeanor make him an ideal listener for our young readers. With his shell as his home, Kramer roams around his cozy tank, always ready to lend an ear to a good story.

While Kramer may seem quiet and reserved, he’s actually quite the social butterfly among his fellow classmates. His gentle nature and inquisitive personality make him a favorite among students, who often find solace in sharing their favorite books with him.

When he’s not lounging in his tank or participating in reading sessions, you can often find Kramer basking under his heat lamp or taking a leisurely swim in his aquatic playground.

With his endearing charm and love for stories, Kramer truly embodies the spirit of learning and companionship in our classroom. He may be slow and steady, but his impact on our students’ literacy skills and emotional well-being is nothing short of remarkable.

Tutor, Math Specialist

Josh Abrams

Josh is a graduate of UMass Amherst where he studied Economics and Spanish. He received his Master’s in Education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia where he began his teaching career before traveling abroad and moving back to Massachusetts. Over the past 10 years, Josh has taught middle school math, high school math, ESL, and special education along with coaching volleyball and Scrabble teams. In 2018 he received the Teacher of the Year award from Olney Charter High School in PA and now he currently teaches at Holyoke High School. Josh also enjoys reading, board games, and playing a variety of sports!

Reading Specialist

Stacy Ashley

Stacy is a reading specialist who has been working with struggling readers for 24 years. She currently works as a reading specialist and special education teacher at the Norris School in Southampton. She is a certified practitioner in Orton Gillingham. She also has training in Wilson, Leveled Literacy Intervention, Reading Recovery, and Seeing Stars. In addition to being a fabulous and talented educator, Stacy can build relationships with her students like no other!

Biology and Chemistry Tutor, Academic Coach

Carly Baldwin, NBCT

Carly is a National Board Certified Teacher who spends her days teaching Chemistry at Boyd County High School in Ashland, Kentucky. She also worked as an Effectiveness Coach for the Kentucky Department of Education, supporting districts in K-12 science instruction. She has published articles describing her teacher leadership journey in Kentucky Teacher. Carly is a proud 2015 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Award winner.

Project Manager/Assistant

Emily Brandt

K-8th Grade Math Specialist, Math Recovery

Chelsea Berry

Chelsea is an elementary math specialist who is devoted to making sure every student is afforded an excellent education. She is a motivated, personable education professional with a Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership from Mount Holyoke College. Chelsea has a passion for utilizing technology to increase communication, engagement, and efficiency amongst students and teachers. She is a diplomatic and patient team player who is solutions-focused, student-centered, and committed to collaboration.

Tutor, Math Specialist

Jay Bright

Like many others, Jay’s experience with math began as a child. Although it took her a long time to make sense of concepts, she enjoyed the journey of getting there. She was not a memorizer, therefore she had to make sense of the math in order to make it through. Her home life involved a lot of board games and play-based activities. Looking back, she is certain this is why she ended up seeing success in mathematics. She majored in mathematics and later completed a Masters’s in Mathematics Teaching. Throughout her journey, she’s discovered the value and importance of play. Most recently she’s been digging into learning more about how the brain learns through play. She’d like to focus on promoting productive struggle and sharing thinking through rigorous math tasks. Jay is a play-based math specialist.

Math tutor

Eli Chastek

Eli Chastek lives in Northampton and taught for many years at Northampton High School and he holds a Master’s in teaching from Smith College. He is motivated to help students tame confusing material and find a path that makes sense to them. He has tutored students of all ages and worked many summers at Morse Hill Outdoor Center. When he is not helping students, he currently works on small-scale civil engineering projects such as septic and stormwater design. Eli loves to find adventures outdoors and can often be found biking around the valley and paragliding over Easthampton.

Early Childhood Tutor

Danielle Goua

Danielle is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and has taught PreKindergarten and Kindergarten in Washington, DC. She is currently a first-grade English Language Arts Teacher at Malcolm X Elementary for Washington DC Public Schools and a favorite among our tutoring clients.

Tutor and Academic Coach

Julie Hammond

Mx. Hammond is a spirited science teacher whose passion is to prime students for physical science. Newtonian motion, energy conservation, electricity, and modern physics, are just some of the topics that Mx. Hammond can clearly elucidate. While Mx. Hammond’s background is primarily in high school physics, they also have experience teaching chemistry, engineering, electronics, environmental science, and middle school earth science. Mx. Hammond has their B.A. in Physics from Boston University and their M.A. in Teacher Leadership from Mount Holyoke; coupled with years of teaching experience, they have the expertise necessary to reach any student!

Elementary Tutor

Emily Hamparian

Emily Hamparian is currently a licensed educator in grades
1-6 with a focus on English Language Arts and reading. She is an energetic
educator who is ready to get your students learning to read, and loving to
read! As a proud 4th-grade teacher, she was an Excellence in Teaching Award
nominee for the Holyoke Public Schools.

K-6 Master Tutor

Martha Harrington

Martha is a graduate of Lesley University with a Masters in Education/Special Education. Her career began with teaching middle school in Brookline, Massachusetts, in a separate program for students who learn differently and have social/emotional challenges. Martha also taught at Lesley University for 19 years. She is certified in the Social Thinking method and specializes in Collaborative and Proactive Problem Solving. After moving to the western part of the state, she taught at the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton. Currently, she is supervising teachers who are completing their practicum. She also volunteers at the Treehouse Foundation in Easthampton, bringing her creative ideas to an after-school program for foster children. Martha sees herself as a learning partner; she uses the student’s strengths to provide an engaging experience that naturally generates participation and offers an opportunity to take a risk. When she is not working, Martha is outside walking in the woods, cooking, or playing board games with her grandchildren.

Math Specialist/Master Tutor

Terri HerrNeckar

Terri HerrNeckar retired after 38 years of being a full-time mathematics teacher in independent schools at the end of the ’21-’22 academic school year. She coached sports, mentored younger teachers and taught everything from Algebra I to BC Calculus and AP Statistics. In the last few years of teaching at Milton Academy in Milton, MA she focused on Precalculus and AB Calculus. Terri is fascinated by educational trends. She has always believed in cooperative learning and honoring the learning process. In her first year of retirement, Terri has been happily taking long walks, traveling, reading and watching movies at the Amherst Cinema.

Academic Coach

Chris Holmes

The approach Chris takes with teaching and learning it to cultivate curiosity, facilitate introspection, and foster hope. He is a writing teacher, but his experience extends beyond traditional academic instruction. He infuses expertise in journalism and poetry, special education and gifted education, and motivation and human wellbeing. The foundation of his practice hinges on relationships and the growth of his students includes not just academic content and skill, but also executive function, goal-setting, and self-knowledge. He holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology (University of Missouri) and 20 years of experience teaching in both public and private schools. Recently, he helped found a high school for adolescents who learn differently, many of whom are twice-exceptional. Chris spends his summers teaching at Missouri Scholars Academy, a three-week residential experience for gifted high school juniors.

Reading Specialist

Keara Holmes

Keara is a certified teacher and Direct Instruction tutor. She received her B.S. in Collaborative Special Education and Human Development & Family Studies and her M.Ed in Special Education, specializing in Transitional Services, at Auburn University. Keara has taught in the elementary school setting and completed hundreds of teaching hours in the secondary and post-secondary settings. She loves teaching and tutoring and is convinced that she is living out her calling and purpose in life.

Summer 2024 Intern

Maeve Huit

Maeve Huit is a 2024 summer intern at The Community Classroom. She is a class of 2026 studying Government and Psychology at Smith College who is excited to curate activities and provide support for The Community Classroom this summer. She loves to learn and work with kids. Maeve states: Education is so important, it is both a gift and a privilege!

Elementary Tutor

Alfred Kimani

Alfred is a self-described Kenyan-American goofball who can’t wait to learn from your child as much as to introduce a new lens to their world. Friendship and connections are the cornerstones of exploration! What makes them laugh? What makes them think? What makes them curious? He can’t wait to explore together!

SAT/ACT and Science Tutor

Maaida Kirmani

A tutor who loves learning with her students, Maaida holds a BS in public health from Texas A&M University and is an incoming medical student. Since 2019, she has been working for Columbia University High School Program. Maaida has tutored extensively across all academic subjects, including the ACT/SAT.

Maaida started tutoring as a volunteer in high school and continued to do so in college. She loves that tutoring allows her to tailor her teaching style to the needs of the students. She feels joy in mentoring students to build habits of success in everything they do. “I’ve always enjoyed seeing students reach an understanding of the topics they struggled in initially,” Maaida says. “I like being able to help students learn new and challenging concepts.” When tutoring, Maaida uses a student-centered tutoring style. “I know not everyone comes in with the same foundation; I collect a multitude of resources so I have all the tools I need to help students build their academic toolbox for success,” she says. Maaida has worked in both individual and small group settings in multiple virtual formats.

As a student, Maaida participated in research activities throughout college and was inducted into Delta Omega and Phi Kappa Phi, as well as graduating as a Gold Medalist for the Public Health Scholars Program. Maaida enjoys reading a wide variety of books and doing yoga and rock climbing. She is fluent in four languages and has published multiple papers in scientific journals.

Reading Specialist, Special Education

Jo-Ann Konieczny

Jo-Ann Konieczny is a special education middle school teacher at Summit Academy, the therapeutic day school at Amherst Regional Public Schools. She has extensive training in Orton Gillingham, remedial math curriculum and teaching, and academic coaching, as well restorative practices, ABA, and trauma-informed teaching methods. Jo-Ann teaches by building relationships, listening, and creating games and fun challenges around a student’s interests. Before teaching in Amherst, she ran the therapeutic middle school program in Turners Falls and taught in the autism program in Holyoke. In her first career, Jo-Ann worked in the magazine publishing industry and moved to Northampton in 1994 to be the managing editor of FamilyPC Magazine, a monthly magazine about families and computing owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Writing, Elementary Tutor

Amy Landau

Amy earned her Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood and Elementary
Education from New York University. She taught Pre-K and elementary school
classrooms for 12 years in New York City with additional years in non-traditional
educational settings. In her last position, she taught elementary school science.
Amy also taught English Composition to freshmen college students at Georgia
College where she obtained a Master in Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
Throughout her teaching, Amy has always found ways to engage her students in
the critical skills of English Language Arts by drawing upon their
interests and tapping into their natural love for learning. Amy has a deep curiosity
about every young person she meets and a recognition that getting to know her
students well is instrumental in cultivating a positive collaborative experience.
Her goal as a tutor is to make the learning experience as joyful as possible. She
is mindful of affirming and acknowledging her students’ unique contributions to
the world. Amy lives in Easthampton, MA, and loves to explore the beauty of
Western Massachusetts through hiking excursions throughout the Valley
whenever she can.

Elementary and ESL Tutor

Shari Leskowitz

Shari has been an educator in some form or fashion for her entire adult life. Career highlights have been directing a social justice and environmentally themed library for young changemakers in the Bay Area, nurturing babies and supporting families as a nanny, and teaching and tutoring kids of all kinds. She has a passion for children’s literature, and gets psyched watching kids- especially the resistant ones!- develop a love for reading. Shari brings this background to her tutoring, helping struggling readers and writers flourish. She has particular experience with English language learners and students with learning differences. Shari holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Tufts University, and a Masters in Social Justice Issues in Education from San Francisco State. Shari is currently a licensed teacher for English language learners, and lives in Ashfield with her dog and her partner, where they enjoy the great outdoors.

Colleen Lowe

Colleen has been captivating students for over 30 years with her warm, easy nature and sense of humor. She has taught every grade from pre-K to high school, in both private Montessori and public schools. Currently, she is the 7th-grade academic support teacher at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School. A Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, a Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Human Studies, and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing highlight what Colleen values most: Creativity, Connection, and Communication. She believes that learning doesn’t happen without having established trust and respect, and prioritizes cultivating authentic relationships with her students. Colleen’s sense of fun and love of learning is infectious. She brings out the best in her students and champions their unique gifts and perspectives. When she is not teaching, Colleen enjoys writing stories, reading, hiking, and spending quality time with her teenage daughter.

K-6 Elementary Tutor, Math Specialist

Abby Maeillo

Abby started working in public education 15 years ago. She’s worn many different hats, from classroom aide, substitute teacher, 1:1 paraprofessional, theater director, tutor, camp director, and finally classroom teacher. Abby has a B.A. in Education and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College and will be graduating this summer from their Masters of Arts in Teaching Mathematics program. During the summers for the last decade, Abby has been the director of Summer Performing Arts Exploration, a theater camp for kids going into 5th-8th grade. During the school year, Abby works as a 3rd-grade classroom teacher in Brattleboro Vermont. She likes to integrate theater and her appreciation for the outdoors into her classroom. Abby loves working with kids of all ages, because of the opportunity to learn something new every day!

6th-9th Grade Math Specialist

Dr. Daniele Massey

Daniele has over 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher, virtual teacher, mentor, instructional coach, teacher leader, and educational consultant at the district, state, and national levels. Dr. Massey is the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) 2013 Teacher of the Year and works to empower teachers, leaders, and community members to advocate for an equitable learning environment for all students. Currently, Dr. Massey teaches at the DoDEA Virtual High school. Her career also involves teaching at Fayetteville Technical Community College, University of Mary Washington, and as a professor in practice at Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Massey is a military spouse and mother of two adventurous and aspiring young leaders. Anaya (17) and Amira (10) keep her moving and shaking every day!

Elementary Tutor, ESL

Madonna McAnulty

Madonna has served children as a teacher in Hillsborough County, Florida, and as an ESOL teacher through VIPKID. She is a certified K-12 ESE/ESOL with over 20 years of experience in elementary education and as a school librarian. She is proud to be selected as the 2021 Robinson Elementary Teacher of the Year.

High School Math Tutor

Jeremiah McAnulty

Jeremiah is an applied mathematics major at Florida Polytechnic College with an interdisciplinary sequence in data science. He has two years of experience tutoring high school-level mathematics and is excited to continue doing so. Jeremiah comes to The Community Classroom having completed coursework in Calculus 1-3, Concepts and Methods for engineering and computer science, Physics 1&2, Differential Equations, and Discrete Mathematics. Fun fact! Jeremiah’s mother also tutors for The Community Classroom and taught for years in Florida with Community Classroom founder, Megan Allen.

math tutor

Catherine MacBain

Catherine MacBain graduated from UMass with a Master’s in Education. She is a retired
teacher who has taught students from ages 5 to adult in Texas, Massachusetts, and as far away
as the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Her specialty is working with language learners and with
all elementary subjects. She became bilingual in English and Spanish after a college semester
exchange program in Peru where she studied film-making. Her interests include kayaking,
traveling, going for walks, and spending time with friends and family. She believes that the most
beautiful place in the US is along the coastline of Oregon.

Middle School Math Tutor

Natalie McCutchen

Natalie is an assistant principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Franklin, Ky. She taught 7th grade Math and Pre-Algebra at Franklin-Simpson Middle School in Simpson County for 15 years and is in her 16th year in education. She graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Education. In 2010, she obtained her Masters in Instructional Leadership in order to be a Principal. She obtained National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics in 2013. In 2015, she received the Ashland Teacher Achievement Award. Natalie has held various roles in education which includes being a member of teacher education organizations such as the National Education Association, Kentucky Education Association, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Natalie was a Hope Street Group Kentucky Teacher Fellow and an NEA Great Public Schools Network online facilitator. Besides being involved in these organizations, Natalie has held other positions such as being a scorer for Pearson and serving as a math reviewer for EdReports.

Math Specialist/Master Tutor

Susan Milsom

Susan Milsom retired recently after over thirty years of teaching. As a teacher of students with special needs and students learning English, she has worked in all curricular areas and at all elementary grade levels. Susan has taught in schools in France, Vermont, and Massachusetts. In her retirement, she is enjoying language study, playing piano, exercise, and reading.

Elementary Tutor, Special Education

Koki M.

Koki is a teacher for Hadley Public Schools and a children’s literature fanatic. A graduate from Mount Holyoke College, she has the following certifications and endorsements in the state of Massachusetts, as well as experience tutoring students Kindergarten through eighth grade:

Massachusetts Early Childhood (Pre-K-2) Initial License
Massachusetts Elementary (1-6) Initial License
Massachusetts Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8) License
Massachusetts Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement

College Essay Coaching

Ann Neary, NBCT

Ann Neary is a National Board Certified Teacher, 16-year educator and teacher leader, currently teaching AP Literature, World Literature, Children’s Literature, Contemporary Literature, and Journalism while shaking up the book room and curriculum at Staples High School in Westport, CT and advocating for National Board teacher support across the state. When not in the classroom, she can be found riding, sailing, and managing her tree farm with her husband and six children.

Middle School-High School Math + SAT/ACT Tutor

Maggie Needham

Maggie is a Smith College senior who has a passion for helping young students build confidence with math, especially students who haven’t been encouraged to see themselves as “a math person.” She is proud to be a tutor at The Community Classroom, working with students on guided homework support, math foundational skills, and SAT preparation (she scored a perfect 800 on the math portion). She has been tutoring for nearly eight years and loves the process of helping students find joy and pride in their math abilities!

She studies Music and Computer Science at Smith and is passionate about creative technology. Outside of school, Maggie loves to read contemporary novels, participate in community organizing, and go to concerts.

Writing Tutor, College Essay Coaching and Editing

Kathryn Petrucelli

Kathryn Petruccelli is a performer and writer with an M.A. in teaching English language learners. She’s taught expository writing in community college and university settings and worked with middle and high schoolers through California Poets-in-the-Schools and Mass Poetry. She’ll be teaching with Seattle’s Hugo House Youth Programs in Fall 2021. Her professional life has included translating “Hotel California” for Hungarian high schoolers and anthologizing verses by rival gang members. Her poetry and prose have appeared in many literary journals such as The Southern Review, New Ohio Review, Rattle, Poet Lore, Tinderbox, and Catamaran Literary Reader. Nominated for Best of the Net 2020, Kathryn is a past winner of San Francisco’s Litquake essay contest and a finalist for the 2019 Omnidawn Broadside Poetry Prize. More at poetroar.com.

Reading Specialist, Elementary Math and Reading/Writing Tutor

Mary Phillips

Mary is a graduate from the University of South Florida where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education and then her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. She comes to us with over 17 years of educational experience as a teacher, literacy specialist, administrator, district instructional coach, and consultant. Mary is bilingual and has a deep passion for English Language Learners. She currently serves as a K-5 ELA Consultant for the NC Department of Public Instruction where she is thankful for the opportunity to serve teachers across the state in the area of curriculum and instruction. Her desire to impact students’ lives is at the heart of everything she does and looks forward to empowering students and families to be the best versions of themselves!

Lead Tutor, HS/AP Science, Academic Coach

Nicole Rhodes

Nicole has been a high school science teacher for four years, and has more than a decade of experience in science education, both in classroom settings and the great outdoors. Before teaching, Nicole worked in laboratory research and field biology. She brings her excitement for science to each session. She believes that all students have the capacity to do well in class when they are empowered to reach their goals. Nicole brings a sense of calm and ease to her teaching, often using breathing and de-stressing techniques gained from her years of experience as a flamenco dancer and yoga teacher. She holds a Masters’ in Teaching from Smith College, and a Bachelors of Science from Bard College. Nicole is also the mother of an adventurous three-year old and spends her free time biking and hiking around her home in Western Massachusetts.

Secondary math/science tutor

John Serios

John Sirois lives in Easthampton, Massachusetts, with his fiancé, Chelsea, and their dog, Flora. He currently works full-time as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA. When he is not working with students, he spends his free time hiking through the woods or working in the yard on various projects. When the weather outside keeps him indoors John can be found reading books, playing online video games, or relaxing with some TV time. He is always trying to learn something new and share this with everyone around him.

Elementary Tutor

Patty Solomon

Patty has 24 years of classroom experience. She found her love of teaching through volunteering in her daughters’ classrooms when they were in preschool. She was an assistant teacher at Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School, then a teaching fellow at Smith College where she earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. Patty recently retired from Pioneer Valley Regional School District where she taught in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. She has a wealth of experience in teaching diverse learners and is skilled at meeting students where they are, to provide both support and challenge. She creates engaging lessons using multiple learning modes and hands-on activities. Outside of the classroom, Patty loves to visit historic sites and art museums, and enjoys nature hikes. She is excited to bring her passion for education to the student-focused experience of tutoring.

Math Specialist/Master Tutor

Karen Schweitzer

Karen Schweitzer, a teacher for 33 years, spent most of her career as a kindergarten, first and second-grade classroom teacher. After a brief foray into sixth and fifth grade, she has recently retired from serving as a third-grade teacher at the Anne T. Dunphy School, where she has taught for the past 28 years.

In Schweitzer’s classroom, all students can become mathematical thinkers. Her activities invite students to explore underlying concepts, create solutions and work collaboratively. Karen believes that even the youngest minds can engage with big mathematical ideas as demonstrated in her innovative work with primary students.

For the past 22 years, in addition to her classroom work, Schweitzer has been part of an ongoing series of National Science Foundation-funded projects with researchers from Mount Holyoke College, the Education Development Center, and TERC. She provides professional development in mathematics and math education for pre-service and in-service teachers around the country.

Math tutor

Jack Sweeney-Taylor

Jack’s twelve years of teaching include elementary and middle school ESL and math in New York City and western Massachusetts. Jack’s love of language inspired him to pursue his Masters of Education in ESL, and his enjoyment of numbers and numeric modeling of the world led to his licensure in mathematics. Jack has tutored Northampton High School students in Integrated Math I and college essay writing, and as a graduate student of regional planning at UMass, he was a teaching assistant of the Junior Year Writing seminar. Jack loves to see real-world applications of quantitative analysis, good writing, and reflective thinking through planning and community development, and he pursues pickup soccer and life drawing from his home in Florence, MA.

Math Specialist, Master Tutor

Jan Szymaszek

Jan Szymaszek recently retired after working as a third-grade teacher at the Smith College Campus School in Northampton, Massachusetts, which is the laboratory school for the Smith College Department of Education and Child Study. In addition to working with college interns and elementary students for over thirty years at the Campus School, Szymaszek has also been involved with mathematics education in the wider community for many years. She is an experienced facilitator of several math seminars at Mount Holyoke College and in her local district and has contributed to various NSF projects involving teacher-written cases and looking closely at student thinking.

When she’s not teaching, Szymaszek enjoys spending summers camping along the coasts of New England and North Carolina, visiting one son and his family in Seattle, Washington, and the other son who lives in southern Virginia, and also relaxing in her backyard with a great book in hand.

Tutor, Academic Coach

Halie Theoharides

Halie is an Instruction Librarian at Deerfield Academy, where she provides research support and information literacy to high school students. Passionate about engaging students with the joy of reading and writing, Halie has also led library programs for children of all ages. She has a Masters of Information & Library Science from Rutgers University, an MFA in Creative Writing from UMASS Amherst, and a BA in Studio Art from Smith College. She lives in South Deerfield with her foxhound, Lucy, and her two cats, Sojourner and Beatrix. In her free time, Halie loves to draw, explore nature, and catch up on reading.

Math tutor

Jennifer Warren

Jennifer Warren is a math teacher at Northampton High School. She has always loved teaching others and chose teaching as her “dream job” all the way back in 8th Grade. No matter what district she’s in, Jennifer always prioritized building trusting relationships first before getting into academic work. It makes her feel better when students know she cares about them more as humans than just a letter grade. She graduated from Smith College with a double bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Education & Child Study. While studying there, she tutored in Holyoke all four years and then continued that passion to now be a board member of that tutoring organization. She now plans on starting Graduate School in the Summer of 2024 to continue her love of learning and teaching with a specialization in Special Education.

Lead Tutor, PreK-3rd Grade Tutor, Reading Specialist

Christina Webster

Christina graduated, with honors, from Elms College with both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education. She started her career as a floating academic paraeducator, helping a variety of students with special needs in grades 1-6. As a classroom teacher, she was nominated for the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2019-2020 school year. She knows the importance of positive reinforcement and genuinely recognizing when students try their best! She loves creating fun learning experiences for students to maximize their engagement and encourages students’ active participation and academic growth. When she’s not relaxing outside, she and her husband enjoy taking day trips to explore local areas of interest.

Summer 2024 Intern

Dylan Xiao

Dylan is a Mount Holyoke College student majoring in neuroscience and education. Inspired by their own teachers, Dylan is passionate about helping diverse learners find what works for them. Dylan prioritizes teaching their students in an intuitive and engaging way and has had experience as a peer tutor in high school for AP Biology and AP English. In their downtime, Dylan is invested in analyzing their favorite musicals and cartoons.

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Chief Learning Curator/Owner + Operator

Dr. Megan Allen, NBCT

Classroom Pet

Kramer the Turtle

Tutor, Math Specialist

Josh Abrams

Reading Specialist

Stacy Ashley

Biology and Chemistry Tutor, Academic Coach

Carly Baldwin, NBCT

Project Manager/Assistant

Emily Brandt

K-8th Grade Math Specialist, Math Recovery

Chelsea Berry

Tutor, Math Specialist

Jay Bright

Math tutor

Eli Chastek

Early Childhood Tutor

Danielle Goua

Tutor and Academic Coach

Julie Hammond

Elementary Tutor

Emily Hamparian

K-6 Master Tutor

Martha Harrington

Math Specialist/Master Tutor

Terri HerrNeckar

Academic Coach

Chris Holmes

Reading Specialist

Keara Holmes

Summer 2024 Intern

Maeve Huit

Elementary Tutor

Alfred Kimani

SAT/ACT and Science Tutor

Maaida Kirmani

Reading Specialist, Special Education

Jo-Ann Konieczny

Writing, Elementary Tutor

Amy Landau

Elementary and ESL Tutor

Shari Leskowitz

Colleen Lowe

K-6 Elementary Tutor, Math Specialist

Abby Maeillo

6th-9th Grade Math Specialist

Dr. Daniele Massey

Elementary Tutor, ESL

Madonna McAnulty

High School Math Tutor

Jeremiah McAnulty

math tutor

Catherine MacBain

Middle School Math Tutor

Natalie McCutchen

Math Specialist/Master Tutor

Susan Milsom

Elementary Tutor, Special Education

Koki M.

College Essay Coaching

Ann Neary, NBCT

Middle School-High School Math + SAT/ACT Tutor

Maggie Needham

Writing Tutor, College Essay Coaching and Editing

Kathryn Petrucelli

Reading Specialist, Elementary Math and Reading/Writing Tutor

Mary Phillips

Lead Tutor, HS/AP Science, Academic Coach

Nicole Rhodes

Secondary math/science tutor

John Serios

Elementary Tutor

Patty Solomon

Math Specialist/Master Tutor