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The composition of the school's faculty mirrors its mission - teaching children to cope with dyslexia by improving their language skills while exposing them to success in a broad range of academic areas. Ours is a faculty of breadth, experience, and commitment. It consists of academic language therapists; math, science, language arts and social studies teachers; artists; a woodworker and a computer specialist. Laura Steinbachis the Head of School. Laura was graduated with highest honors from Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she earned a dual B.A. in English and Language Arts. She earned an M.S.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, Educational Leadership Division, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in education from Texas State University, San Marcos. Prior to entering the field of education, Mrs. Steinbach was a corporate communications professional. She taught high school English in St. Joseph, Michigan, and was founding head of school of The Girls’ School of Austin. Chere Chancey Al-Bassamis the Art and Piano teacher at Rawson-Saunders School, and co-oordinator of the Village Curriculum. She has earned Texas K-12 Certification and a B.F.A degree in Visual Arts Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. Artistic emphases include Ceramics (thrown vessels), and Sumi-e (Japanese/Chinese Ink Brush Painting). Chere is currently enjoying her sixth year at Rawson-Saunders. Alison Barnwell is our first/second grade teacher. She received her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Art from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Alison is fully certified by the State of Texas for classroom teaching grades 1-8, as well as Art grades 1-8. Previously, she taught first grade in Crockett, Texas, and is enjoying her seventh year at Rawson-Saunders. Emily Beatty has been teaching in inner-city Brooklyn, NY for the past five years. She was a self-contained classroom teacher, drama instructor and most recently an administrator of Special Education at Sunset Park Prepatory School in Brooklyn. Emily started the drama program at her middle school and has directed numerous musicals and plays with children. In addition to directing, Emily is an actress. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts, Roosevelt University and has Masters in Education from Long Island University, NY. LauraLea Beneke is a teacher. She teaches math and sign language. Beth Berman is our music teacher. She earned a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Nazareth College and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Fredonia State University. She holds a Level III Orff certification, and is co-author of See Kids Listen: Ten Lessons to Activate Minds. Beth comes to Rawson-Saunders with over 20 years teaching experience. Susan Bevier is our librarian and Technology Coordinator. She facilitates teaching keyboarding and computer literacy skills, and leads the after-school Robotics program. She has a degree in computer science from Northern Illinois University. Susan has experience in the high tech field, and has developed educational software. Prior to coming to Rawson-Saunders, Susan worked at the City of Austin public library, and taught keyboarding and computer skills to both children and adults. Tammy Black is a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. She taught special education for Austin Independent School District for eight years before coming to Rawson-Saunders. This is her sixth year at Rawson-Saunders. Maggie Bowman is the elementary grades' science coordinator. She earned a Biological Sciences degree at Birmingham University, England and a Post Graduate Certificate in Science Education at the University of Oxford, England. She has thirteen years of science teaching experience. In addition to teaching science, Maggie was employed in pharmaceutical research and marketing . This is her second year at Rawson-Saunders. Diane Broadway is our Assistant to the Head of School. Jane Buergner is a Dyslexia Specialist and has completed national training to become a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Communication from the University of Texas. This is her fourth year at Rawson-Saunders. Libbie Leach Dallasis a Dyslexia Specialist. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas. This is her third year teaching at Rawson-Saunders, although she has been actively involved at the school as a parent for many years. Before coming to Rawson-Saunders, she tutored students privately.
Janine DeLong Luz is a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Texas, and is now working on her Masters of Reading at Stephen F. Austin University. This is her fourth year at Rawson-Saunders. Michael Demerath teaches Middle School math and social studies. In the summer of 2007, Mike moved to Austin from St. Louis, Missouri. For the previous three years, he taught students with learning disabilities. In May 2007, Mike received his Masters of Special Education from the University of Missouri. He enjoys traveling and has lived in Australia for a year and a half. Kat DeWees earned a B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in English from The University of Texas, Austin, and is a certified teacher in English, Language Arts and Reading. Kat has completed the Basic Language Skills Introductory course used in the Academic Language Therapy Program. She is currently the fifth grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher. Prior to teaching, Kat was a studio artist and metal sculpture instructor specializing in steel sculpture and art welding. Nancy Donley holds a B.A. from Quincy College and an M.S. in Special Education from SUNY, N.Y. She has been a special education teacher in the Round Rock schools since 1994. Nancy is a Certified Academic Language Therapist trained in several linguistic programs, including Basic Language Skills, Lindamood Bell and Project Read. She is also our Activities and Facilities Coordinator. Nancy is involved in Destination Imagination and Odyssey of the Mind programs in Texas, and leads D.I. teams at Rawson-Saunders. Pat Elias is a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She taught elementary students in Austin public schools for fifteen years prior to joining the faculty at Rawson-Saunders. She holds a certificate in gifted and talented education and is trained in Capital City Writes. She received her B.A. and Texas teacher’s certificate from the University of Texas at Austin. Kathleen Powell Fish MEd, CALT, holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Education from Southern Methodist University where she had previously earned her Academic Learning Therapy Graduate Certification and her Certification in Alphabetic Phonics. Mrs. Fish is trained in specialized linguistic programs including *Alphabetic Phonics, *Rewards, *Phonics Boost and Blitz, Lindamood-Bell *Verbalizing and Visualizing, and *Project Read and has received advanced instructor training in critical reading, reading comprehension, and comprehensive study and test taking strategies. Sarah Fulcher teaches second grade. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development at the University of Texas at Austin and holds a Texas certification for Early Childhood through Fourth Grade. Before coming to Rawson-Saunders, she taught second grade at Kiev Christian Academy in Kiev, Ukraine. Gloria Garrison is a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She came to the U.S. from Mexico seven years ago. In Mexico, she earned two Bachelor's degrees, one in Psychology from the Universidad de Monterrey and another in Education from Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. Gloria has seven years of experience in Mexico working with children with special needs in education and managing the psychological and educational activities for a clinic. This is her sixth year working at Rawson Saunders. Margie Gordon is a Dyslexia Specialist. Margie comes to Rawson-Saunders School after retiring from public education after 31 years of service. She graduated from the University of Utah, has completed 30+ hours of post-graduate work, and is certified as a Master Reading Teacher, ESL, Regular Education, and Special Education. In 2001, she held the distinct honor of being selected as the Teacher of the Year from her campus, Smith Elementary School; her district, Del Valle ISD; Region VIII, and as one of three finalists for Texas State Teacher of the Year. When Margie isn’t working on completing her certification as an Academic Language Therapist, she enjoys being with her husband of 35 years and her pets, visiting with friends, and participating in many outdoors activities. Drenda Haddock, M.Ed., CALT-QIour Director of Admissions and Outreach. She has over 40 years in public school and private experience serving as a teacher, Academic Language Therapist and Qualified Instructor, and administrator. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and from the University of Texas at Austin with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Drenda has had a special interest in reading and dyslexia for over 25 years and is a mother of a dyslexic son. Lisa Laville graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with distinction in 1983 and received a Masters Degree in Speech/Language Communication from The University of Texas-Austin in 1985. She worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for 14 years in a variety of settings and cities including Austin, Des Moines, Iowa, and Morris, Illinois. For the past seven years Lisa has taught 4th and 7th grade in Sacramento, California. Lynn Hoover, M.Ed., CALT-QI,is our Director of Dyslexia Services. She has over 30 years experience as a special educator. Lynn completed her M.Ed. in Learning Disabilities at the University of Texas. She completed Neuhaus Education Center’s Therapist Certification Program and is a Qualified Instructor. Lynn has worked as a reading consultant in special education for Austin ISD and has been involved in teacher training in the Austin Area for over 15 years. Dane Johnson is our shop teacher and co-Coordinator of the Village curriculum. Dane has been a stay-at-home father, and has been very active volunteering his time in service to children and the dyslexic community. His activities include work with elementary, middle, and high schools, serving as a room parent and PTA officer. He manned the Orton Dyslexia Society phone helpline and served on its board for four years. He has been active in Boy Scouting for eight years and is currently Committee Chair of Troop 2001. Elizabeth Overholser graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Education Curriculum and Instruction. She holds Texas Teacher Certification in Elementary grades. She has taught in the Snook, Del Valle, and Bastrop school districts. Elizabeth teaches Middle School science and math at Rawson-Saunders. Phyllis Patrick heads the Academic Language Therapy Program. She trained in Alphabetic Phonics at the Neuhaus Education Center, completing advanced training in 1996. A Certified Language Therapist, she received her M.F.A. in photography from Ohio University and her B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin. This is her fourteenth year at Rawson-Saunders. Morgan Patterson is a teacher and the elementary school math coordinator. Rene Shackelford is our bookkeeper. Perry Stokes is a third grade teacher and is also Certified Academic Language Therapist and Qualified Instructor-in-Training. Perry holds a Texas Teacher Certification in Generic Special Education. He has taught in the Round Rock, Austin, and Del Valle school districts. Perry has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas, and will be completing a Master's degree at Texas State University Spring 2009. Chris Zarbock is our Physical Educaiton teacher. Chris comes to Rawson-Saunders with experience working for the Austin Independent School District and the YMCA. |
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