Amanda Aisen
8th Grade English Teacher/RTI Representative
Amanda Aisen joined the Perspectives Calumet Middle School team in 2009. While hailing from Indiana, she is having a great time raising her adorable puppy, teaching, and attending graduate school at National Louis University.
Bridget Brennan
7th Grade English Teacher
Bridget Brennan became a part of the Perspectives Calumet Middle School team in July 2007. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and went on to do a year of service through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She spent her time working closely with children and families in rural Montana, learning how to live simply, and became passionate about social justice. After volunteering and working in non-profits for a few years, Bridget went back to school to get her teaching certification. She earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from National-Louis University and worked in the Chicago Public Schools on the west side before coming to Perspectives. Bridget is so excited to be back at Perspectives and be witness to the amazing growth of our students. The halls are filled with future leaders, and she is honored to know so many of them. She also feels lucky to be part of such an amazing group of teachers and staff and looks forward to continually growing as a professional. Outside of school, Bridget enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing tennis, traveling to the mountains, and most of all, curling up with a good book.
Rachel Crane8th Grade Science Teacher
Originally from Mason City, Iowa, Rachel graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Upon graduation she joined Teach for America and taught 6th and 8th grade science for two years in Brooklyn, New York, at The Bergen Upper School. Rachel received a master’s of science in Teaching from Pace University in Secondary Science Education. Rachel is excited about her move to Chicago to be a part of the Perspectives Charter Schools family.
Tamara DavisPrincipal
Tamara Davis earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tuskegee University, a Master’s in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University, and a Master of Education in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University. For four years, she taught Language Arts for fifth through eighth grade students at John J. Pershing Magnet School in Chicago, where she developed curriculum, conducted action research and school quality review, and led professional development. In the course of her master’s research, Tamara developed a model school leadership-training program and conducted qualitative research on the leadership training programs of comprehensive school reform initiatives. Tamara brought her experience in education, research, and public policy to Perspectives Charter School when she joined the team in July 2005. She is excited about working for Perspectives because of its passion and excellent record of sending students to college and enriching the character of students, its exceptional faculty and staff, and becoming part of a family that’s committed to urban children and their families.
Jaclyn Durr8th Grade Science
Jaclyn M. Durr earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. After spending one year in Sonneberg, Germany, teaching grades 5-12 on a Fulbright Scholarship, Jaclyn is thrilled to return to her hometown, Chicago. Jaclyn is excited to be a part of the Perspectives Charter School Team and looks forward to making this a successful school year for Perspectives' Scholars.
Jessica Eggert7th Grade Math Teacher
Jessica Eggert earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and anthropology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduating, she wokred in a psychology lab studying parent involvement in education, before deciding that she wanted to work directly with students in her favorite subject - math. Before coming to Perspectives, she taught middle school math in Gary, IN, but is excited to be back in Chicago, her hometown. Jessica is currently working on her master's degree in education ad Dominican University, and is extremely excited to be joining Perspectives because of its value on high expectations and hard work.
Amber Florey
8th Grade English Teacher
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Amber earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Secondary Education from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. While attending Indiana University, Amber maintained an A average in all of her education classes. To further enrich her college experience, she spent a semester studying in London, England and travelled extensively throughout Europe. Upon returning to IU she successfully completed her student teaching in the Indianapolis area. Amber taught at Evanston Township HS while working full time on her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in literacy at Loyola University Chicago. She completed her graduate work in the Spring of 2006. She spent a few years teaching in Chicago Public Schools but was delighted to find Perspectives! She believes in its mission to send every student to college. She loves her PCMS family and students! This is her second year at PCMS. Amber Florey always has a smile and open ear for her scholars. She recently helped create the 8th grade "Road to Graduation" that is painted on the walls of House 3 so that students can visually track their progress towards graduation.
Carol Harris
Administrative Assistant
Carol Harris is the friendly face welcoming all of the visitors to Perspectives. Stop by the front office sometime and return her smiling, "Hello!"
8th Grade Math Teacher
Chase Heitman received her bachelor's degree from Bucknell University in Comparative Humanities and Spanish. Upon graduation, she joined Teacher For America Los Angeles corps and taught elementary school for three years in L.A. Unified School District. Simultaneously, she took courses and sgraduated from Loyola Marymount University with a master's degree in education. Chase is excited about returning to Chicago, and especially looking forward to joining the Perspectives community.
Gale HuddlestonTeam Teacher
Ms. Huddleston is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans, La. with a B.A. in Criminal Justice/ Sociology. Her passion for working with youth began early in her career as a case manager for a teen parent program on the west side of Chicago. She always had a passion for fitness and became a personal trainer, which lead to her position as a physical education instructor at Noble Charter Street High School. As a 5th and 6th grade teacher at Tabernacle Christian Academy, Ms. Huddleston realized the need for teachers to work with those children who are often ignored. She was led to Perspectives Charter Middle School, where she will excitedly begin her journey as a team teacher for the 2008-2009 school year. Ms. Huddleston is being a life-long learner in her quest to receive an M.A. degree in Special Education. Gale is also the coach of Perspectives Calumet Middle School's double dutch team!
Sharece Johnson
8th Grade English Teacher
Sharece Johnson is a great addition to the Perspectives Charter Calumet Middle School. Her 8th graders are learning to fully appreciate reading and writing in and out of her classroom!
7th Grade Math Teacher
Julia Kidder earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Harvard College. She taught Kindergarten in Philadelphia and is excited to be able to teach her favorite subject – math – here at Perspectives Charter School. Julia is also excited to be a part of the Perspectives community because Perspectives values hard work, has a great working environment, and sets high expectations that require organization and a strong work ethic to reach.
Michael KristovicSocial Worker
Michael Kristovic, LSW, is the school social worker for the Middle School at Perspectives-Calumet Campus. Michael has gained social work experience at Illinois Mentor as a therapist for children and adolescents in out-of-home care as well as having trained as a school social worker and community schools leader at Chicago’s Donoghue Charter School. Prior to earning his master’s from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, Mike served as a Teach for America Corps Member in the Mississippi Delta, teaching 5th and 6th grades in the Greenville Public School District. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Chicago. Currently, he is pursuing a Post-Master’s Certificate in Advanced Practice in Schools in the Family and School Partnerships Program at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work. All of these experiences and especially his years as a tutor and mentor at the Sue Duncan Children’s Center in Chicago continue to inspire, motivate, and inform Michael’s work in education and social work. He feels fortunate to be able to grow professionally and intellectually with Perspectives Charter Schools and to serve the students, families, faculty, and staff of the Calumet campus in the Auburn-Gresham community.
Laura Litton
8th Grade Math Teacher
Laura Litton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and Computer Science from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL. After graduation, Laura moved back to her hometown of Chicago and started teaching middle school math. When she is not at Perspectives, Laura enjoys playing and coaching volleyball and basketball.
7th Grade Science Teacher
Stephanie Madziar earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with minors in science and language arts from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI. After graduation, Stephanie lived in Gallup, NM, for two years teaching 8th grade reading. Eager to move within driving distance of her family in Bay City, MI, Stephanie moved back to the Midwest. Stephanie’s hobbies are reading, hiking, going to concerts, playing ice hockey, and learning to play the guitar. Stephanie is excited to be teaching 7th grade science at Perspectives Calumet Middle School and cannot wait to see all the wonderful things her students are going to accomplish this year on their rode to college.
Ronald McBrideADL/Disciplinarian
Born and raised in Chicago, living his teen years in the Auburn Gresham Community. Ronald attended Dunbar Vocational High School before attending three semesters at Loop Citywide College (now known as Harold Washington College). Ronald worked several years at TicketMaster moving along to Customer Service Supervisor. In 1999, Mr. McBride followed a great number of his family’s footsteps and entered into the education field at Sullivan House Alternative High School. During his eight years at Sullivan House, Mr. McBride worked in many different areas in the High School and throughout the agency, including the Independent Living Program, CCBYS, and the Youth Development Program where he was responsible for recruiting, court advocacy, facilitating parent meetings, and keeping the program budget. Ronald joined the Perspectives team in 2006 and greatly anticipates being a part of a great team for many years to come.
Frank Moore
ADL/Disciplinarian
Frank Moore works with the Discipline Team to ensure that our scholars grow in living A Disciplined Life. You can see him in the ADL office or throughout the school, keeping everyone calm and safe.
Team Teacher/Case Manager
Jeannetha O'Kennard acquired her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from Northern Illinois University, and her Master of Arts Degree in Special Education from Governor's State University. Ms. O'Kennard has been fostering academic achievement for the past four years. Her aspirations are to further cultivate the growth of potential, while simultaneously making Perspectives' students aware of their own inherent capacity. She is very elated to be a member of the Perspectives team and looks forward to a successful, productive school year.
Christina PatitucciMath Instructional Leader
Originally from Brookfield, Wisconsin, Chrissy Patitucci has been living and teaching in Chicago for the past six years. Chrissy attended Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. After college, Chrissy joined the Inner-City Teaching Corps, a Chicago-based volunteer teaching organization. She spent the next four years teaching middle school in Little Village and Englewood. In August 2006, Chrissy joined the Perspectives Charter School family as a middle school math teacher at the Joslin Campus. During her time there, Chrissy earned a Master of Science degree in Advanced Teaching from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Currently, Chrissy is the Math and Science Instructional Leader at Perspectives Calumet Middle School as well as an eighth grade Science teacher. She is excited to work with students, parents, and colleagues as she strives to lead A Disciplined Life.
Megan Plante6th Grade Science Teacher
Megan Plante earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University, a M.A. in Elementary Education from Northwestern University, and a M.S. in Math Education and Leadership from Illinois Institute of Technology. She taught six years in three schools in the city of Chicago, with five of those years in the middle school math and science classrooms. She has also coached soccer, basketball, and track. Megan brought her teaching and coaching experience to Perspectives in 2006 as a founding teacher in the 7th grade math class. She is excited to work with the brilliant mathematicians and track athletes of Perspectives to help them achieve their best!
Sauda PorterAssistant Principal
Sauda Porter graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Special Education. She also has a Master Degree in Educational Leadership from St. Xavier and will finish her second Master Degree in Educational Administration with a Type 75 Certificate this fall. She has been a teacher for 11 years in the South Suburbs of Chicago. Her dream has been to make a difference in the lives of children especially those who others have given up on. Perspectives School is the place she has dreamed about and she is so excited to be apart of making history with Perspective Charter Schools.
Eron Powell8th Grade History Teacher
Eron Powell is currently an eighth-grade history teacher at Perspectives-Calumet. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Eron is completing his Masters in Education at Chicago State University this year and looks to continue advancing educationally. Previously, Eron taught for 2 years in Calumet City at Hoover Elementary where he established an Intervention Program that greatly improved the climate of the school. Eron also has a passion for sports where he has coached both basketball and volleyball and he looks forward to working with the students here at Perspectives. Eron is excited about the opportunity here at Perspectives to change lives and looks forward to an amazing 2007-2008 school year
Philena PughLiteracy Specialist
Philena Pugh attended the University of Oregon in Eugene where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and then continued on for graduate work in the Department of Educational Leadership and Technology. Upon graduation, she moved to the Bay Area where she taught high school English and yearbook for four years. After she met her husband, she moved to Chicago and taught high school for Chicago Public Schools. Ms. Pugh is thrilled to be working at Perspectives-Calumet Middle School. She loves all of the principles of A Disciplined Life and can't wait to share this excitement with her students. She also looks forward to spreading her passion for reading and writing to everyone in the school community. In her spare time, Ms. Pugh leads a quiet life, enjoying exploring new authors, writing about her ideas and experiences, listening to her husband play the guitar, and spoiling her three cats.
Jacqueline E. RayParaprofessional
Jackie is a paraprofessional working in the Special Education department starting this school year. Last year she worked as a mathematics tutor and substitute teacher. Jackie has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Arts degree in Religion/Urban ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She has worked for many years in private industry as an Asst. Foods Safety Manager in the Microbiology department. Teaching is her passion and for many years she has been actively involved in the educational field, whether sacred or secular. Her goal is to get her teacher certification in the near future so that she can become a teacher.
Tristan Roche8th Grade Math Teacher
Tristan graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a B.A. in Elementary Education in 2005. He taught 5th grade at Jensen Elementary before joining the Perspectives family in October of last year. Tristan greatly enjoys teaching 7th grade math at Perspectives, as well as coaching flag football and track and field.
Karen Schmidt6th Grade English Teacher
Originally from Kenosha, WI, Karen graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor's degree in English and Communication Arts. She joined Teach For America in 2005, during which she taught 9th and 12th grade language arts and earned her certification with a master's degree in teaching from Dominican University. Karen is extremely excited for her first year at Perspectives and looks forward to working with middle school students.
Dean of Students
Elana Waugh earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Communications, and a master’s in Writing from DePaul University. For several years she worked in higher education administration, teaching English classes and helping college students pursue post-baccalaureate degrees. It was then that she was introduced to the world of fitness, and found that she had uncovered her true passion of motivating others to exercise. From this, Elana changed careers and began teaching exercise classes at many Chicago universities, colleges, and health clubs. This inspired Elana to become more knowledgeable of current health and fitness trends that led her to earn a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the California University of Pennsylvania. Elana brings a level of enthusiasm and vigor unlike most traditional physical education teachers and classes. She chose Perspectives to encourage and educate youth of the importance of healthful living, which she believed was of paramount concern given soaring obesity and health-related illness rates. At Perspectives, Elana served as a Healthy Lifestyles teacher engaging children with fun lessons on nutrition, health, wellness, and fitness. She continues in her mission of seeing students attend college, prepared in both mind and body in her new role as Dean of Students.
Tiffany WillisOffice Manager
Ms. Tiffany Willis, Office Manager, is currently enrolled in a dual degree BA/MBA program at University of Phoenix online. She brings a wealth of office efficiency tactics and more than a decade of executive administration experience. She has held managerial administrative roles in various capacities with the US Federal government, credit and banking industry Fortune 500 companies, and even taught for three years at Humphrey Job Corps Center located in St. Paul, MN. Ms. Willis aspires to be a principal herself one day and looks forward to a bright future with Perspectives Charter Schools.