Faculty and Staff

Cindy K. Reuther's work with educational, non-profit and corporate groups includes planning, board development, and designing systems that support organizational innovation and sustainability. She is published in “Rethinking Organizational & Managerial Communication from Feminist Perspectives,” a collection of articles examining communication theory, research, and practice. Her interest in a girl-focused charter school has been a dream in the making for more than a decade.

Brenda Natala - Principal

Brenda Natala was hired as principal of Laura Jeffrey Academy in June 2010. She comes to LJA with over 20 years of experience in public education in early childhood through post-secondary settings. Her graduate work at the University of Minnesota includes a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders, a Professional Development Certificate, and administrative licensure as a PK-12 Principal and Director of Special Education. She has worked with teachers for a decade in graduate level coursework focused on deepening cultural competence and strengthening connections between schools and communities. Since 2008 she has been Adjunct Faculty at the Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching at Hamline University. She grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm, graduated from Loma Linda University in California, studied abroad in France, and taught English in South Korea as a young adult. In her adult life she has lived in St. Paul and worked for ISD 197 as a speech/language pathologist. She loves walking to work and greeting neighbors on the way to LJA. Children have been her greatest teachers including her own children who demonstrate finesse in navigating a multiracial world. Her guiding vision for leadership is illustrated by her favorite quote from Herbert Kohl, “If you look for strengths and filter the world through the prism of hope, you will see and encourage the unexpected flowering of child life in the most unlikely places.”

Sally Spreeman - Operations Manager

Sally Spreeman, Operations Manager comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with years of experience working in non-profit, business and education. For four years Spreeman taught elementary school in El Paso, Texas as well as coordinated her districts evening adult basic education and ESL classes. Her passion for girl programming comes from seven years of working as a Program Manager with Girl Scouts where she coordinated day camps, weekend events, leadership trainings, developed program resources for girls and adults as well as volunteer recruitment, marketing and strategically sought collaborative partnerships. Most recently she was in the fundraising and grant writing field and created a development plan for Laura Jeffrey Academy while serving on the board in 2007.

Melissa Stangl - Dean of Students

Melissa Stangl comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Education degree in Youth Development Leadership from the University of Minnesota. Melissa has worked for 9 years with youth from various backgrounds throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul schools and communities. Before joining the Laura Jeffrey Academy community Melissa worked 5 years as a Youth and Family Counselor for the Bridge for Youth in Minneapolis helping youth to reunify with their families and worked for 3 years as an Early Risers Family Advocate for the Family Supportive Housing Center, LLC helping youth strengthen their social and academic skills. Melissa considers herself both an advocate for youth and their families but also their surrounding communities. Melissa is committed to living every day practicing the African Proverb: It takes a village to raise a child. Melissa is dedicated to helping young ladies develop a strong sense of self-esteem and self-confidence and is eager to help all the girls at LJA find and realize their potential.

Laura Werner - Americorps Promise Fellows

Laura Werner is the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 Americorps Promise Fellow at Laura Jeffery Academy. As a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a BA in English she is honored to begin working with Laura Jeffrey Academy. Throughout college Laura played a major role at the University YMCA where she discovered her passion for working with youth and service learning. She brings her leadership experience gained from the youth mentoring and tutoring program to LJA’s intersession programs and after-school tutoring program. Laura believes she has a firm understanding of the frame-work and principles that LJA was built on because of a service-learning class she took while at the U of M. She learned about different approaches to education including democratic education and experienced those techniques first-hand while at Southside Family Charter School. Laura studied abroad in Jaipur, India and worked with a NGO (Non-government organization) that focused on educating girls and raising awareness about education of girls in the state of Rajasthan. Her NGO experience has reaffirmed her passion for educating girls. Laura is very excited to be working with Laura Jeffery Academy students and faculty and is anxious for the school year to start.

Teachers

Emily Barnes - 6th Grade Social Studies

Emily Barnes comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with seven years of experience working with young people in Minnesota, Iowa, and Oregon. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Secondary Education from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and has worked with secondary and college students as a social studies and humanities teacher, writing tutor, and academic mentor. Most recently, she taught Great Books and U.S. and World History at a small independent school in Saint Paul serving international and local middle school students. Emily is excited to collaborate with her co-teachers in the creation of an inspiring and inclusive learning environment that will build competence and confidence for all our students.

Kelly Armstrong - 5th & 7th Grade Social Studies

Kelly Armstrong comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with a degree in teaching from the University of Minnesota. She received her BA in psychology, with a minor in women’s studies, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kelly has worked with students in a variety of settings. Throughout college, Kelly worked with homeless youth at an after school program. In the summers, she was the program director and trip director at a YMCA summer camp. She has also served as a middle and high school volleyball coach, and has worked with youth and families as a children’s case manager at a domestic violence shelter in Colorado. All of these experiences shaped her commitment to work with students, and specifically young women, to help them continually become more competent and confident. Kelly is passionate about making content engaging and relevant to her student's lives and is grateful to be a part of this incredible community of scholars.

Jacob Bonde - 5th Grade Language Arts

Jacob is returning home to his native Twin Cities after a year getting his Master of Education and teaching certificate from Harvard Grad School of Education. Jacob has had a passion for teaching since he taught Sports Literature at a summer enrichment program in Minneapolis in the summer of 2005. It was too late to change the trajectory of his undergraduate career, however, and in 2006 he received a B.A. from St. Olaf in both English and Philosophy. After spending another summer teaching, he worked two years as a paraprofessional in Minneapolis charter schools before heading out East. Jacob is excited to be working at LJA, a school that holds the same strong values about education as he does. He is excited to teach his fifth graders how to use their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills to empower themselves and their communities.

Amber Wegehaupt - 6th & 7th Grade Language Arts

After living in Spain to improve her competency in the Spanish language, Amber graduated from the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish. She then spent two years in Los Angeles teaching in an urban middle school for the rigorous nonprofit Teach For America while earning her Master's degree in education from Loyola Marymount University. Amber has also worked as a coach, writing consultant, copy editor, and research assistant in the area of critical media literacy. She has a strong passion for social justice and for teaching of writing and is committed to effecting positive change in herself, her students, and the world through her work at LJA.

Arden Ashley- 5th Grade Science

Arden Ashley comes to LJA with experience teaching in a variety of settings. She is a native of Chicago and moved to Minnesota to attend Macalester College. While at Macalester, Arden volunteered and interned in several St. Paul Public schools and worked for the Science Museum of Minnesota. She also spent a summer in Washington, DC conducting research with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Her research there pertained to the possible hybridization of two types of sand dollars on the Atlantic coast. After graduating with a BA in Biology and a minor in Educational Studies, Arden joined Teach for America and moved to New York City to teach at a struggling middle school in the South Bronx. In addition to science, Arden also taught some sections of art, drama and social studies. While teaching in New York, Arden attended Bank Street College of Education -- a school known for its progressive methodology -- and has a Masters degree in Middle School General Education from that institution. After finishing her graduate work, Arden returned to Minnesota where she taught 7th and 8th grade math and science at a private Montessori school. As a teacher of science, math, art, drama and social studies, Arden enjoys looking at the world from multiple perspectives. She is a strong proponent of interdisciplinary curricula and is very excited to be at LJA.

Lizzie Forshee – 6th & 7th Grade Science

Lizzie Forshee comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with a bachelor's degree in Science from the University of Minnesota and a Grades 5-12 Life Science Licensure from the College of St. Catherine. Lizzie has worked with students of diverse backgrounds and various communities. During her undergraduate work, Lizzie taught for Mad Science, an after-school science program. Lizzie is was most recently a Science Educator for the Science Museum of MN, and a teacher within the Minneapolis School District. Lizzie is coming to Laura Jeffrey Academy to promote hands on learning through a safe and responsive environment for young learners. Lizzie’s passion is to engage girls in science learning and promote critical thinking in their everyday lives. Lizzie’s passion for inspiring girls in the field of science is transparent through her energy and commitment to the classroom and her students.

Iztchel Skovholt - 5th Grade Math

In 1993, Iztchel started a long and meaningful academic journey, in her home country, Honduras, where she attended college for three years pursuing an electrical engineering degree. Studying physics brought out her passion for mathematics opening the door to teaching. Iztchel moved to Minnesota four years ago and transferred to Metropolitan State University (MSU). She was awarded several prestigious scholarships while at MSU. One scholarship was to attend the Project Lead the Way-Gate to Technology curriculum training where she learned to connect mathematics with engineering thought exciting real-life problems and projects. Iztchel's career in schools has included being a Bilingual Educational Assistant, working with young mothers attending Agape High School and long-term substitute teaching. She completed student teaching in 2008 and graduated from the Urban Teaching Program at MSU. It is her goal to continue teaching with enthusiasm, become a role model not only for the Hispanic community but for all prospective students and make a positive contribution to LJA.

Colleen Atakpu-Abraham - 6th & 7th Math

Colleen Atakpu-Abraham is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she completed bachelor and master's degrees in Industrial Engineering and a master's degree in Education Leadership. Although she began her educational journey in engineering, after working with middle and high school students she discovered a passion for helping students discover their potential as mathematicians! As a graduate student, she worked for three years as a math tutor and pre-college advisor within a pipe-line program for low-income and minority students, and taught a pre-calculus class for students interested in engineering. In addition, she has contributed to several research projects, including examining the impact of new engineering courses on undergraduate students, evaluating the usefulness of an instructional technology tool for math and science teachers, as well as facilitating workshops on assessments for engineering faculty. She is excited to pass on her enthusiasm for math to LJA students by providing them with unique opportunities to discover how math shapes their everyday lives.

Rhonda Landwehr - Physical Education and Health Coordinator

Rhonda comes to Laura JeffreyAcademy with excitement and passion for helping our girls learn and understand the importance of health and physical activity. She recently obtained her teaching licenses in Physical Education, Health, and Adapted Physical Education from the University of St. Thomas. She also is completing her work in 5-8 General Science. Rhonda attended St. Cloud State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management with minors in coaching and general business. After college, she spent time substitute teaching, working with the Jr. Timberwolves/Lynx program, and coaching basketball and softball. Rhonda has also been a Program Coordinator for Community Education and taught at STEPS (an engineering camp for girls). From her experiences working with youth, she decided teaching was where she belonged and returned to college. She is currently working on her Masters in Education at the University of St. Thomas. Through her personal and professional experiences, she hopes to instill a passion and excitement of health and fitness in our girls. Rhonda strives to help the girls at LJA be healthy and active life long learners.

Wendy Braun - Art Teacher

Wendy grew up in Southern California and moved to Minnesota 7 years ago to spend time with her grandmother where she fell in love with the state and can’t imagine living any where else. She received a Masters in Art in 2005, and a Masters in Education (pending) from MSU Mankato. Her Bachelors Degree is in Behavioral Science and Psychology with an emphasis on Social Work from Concordia University Irvine California. She has over ten years experience working in the technology field emphasizing in graphics and web design. She has guest lectured at California State University Long Beach and Irvine Valley College and taught in Zambia Africa. More recently she became project Lead the Way certified allowing her to teach engineering classes specializing in the science of technology, electronics, and robotics. As an artist her favorite mediums are mixed media, painting, and glass work. She views various art mediums as different languages in which students may express themselves and their understanding of what they are learning. Paint is a language; clay is a language, glass work is a language; She has been studying about art as a language from the world renowned schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, over the past several years.

Annie Dau - Music Teacher

Annie Dau comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in K-12 Music Education from St. Cloud State University. Although her emphasis was in voice, she has been studying piano since she was eight and guitar since she was sixteen. Prior to her attendance at St. Cloud she was accepted to and graduated from the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, MN. After receiving her Bachelors, Annie ventured to Sydney, Australia to experience living and working in a different country. Annie has five years experience teaching as a private instructor, most recently for Simply Strings Studio in Minneapolis. She has also directed youth choirs in St. Paul and given general music instruction in both English and Spanish. During her undergraduate work Annie became interested in Women’s Studies and got involved in Women’s Equality Groups in both St. Cloud and Minneapolis, in which she continues to be active. She looks forward to beginning her work toward a Master’s Degree in Music Education in the near future. Annie is excited to create a hands-on learning environment where her students can experience, create, collaborate, and perform a variety of music. She hopes that students will be able to transfer the skills they learn in her classroom to the process of becoming confident and conscientious individuals within society.

Allison Stapley - Technology (GTT / Project Lead the Way)

Allison Stapley comes to Laura Jeffrey Academy with eight years of teaching experience in Houston, TX. All of her experience has been in schools of choice, including seven years at engineering magnet schools and one year at in International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education, with a minor in physics from Gustavus Adolphus College, and a Masters of Education from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. Allison has worked as a science teacher, campus science specialist, engineering teacher, and math teacher. Throughout her experience she has worked with students in several programs including; Future City Competition, Botball, Young Astronauts Club, and Young Inventors Club. She has also provided professional development for teachers in the area of engineering and curriculum development. Allison has assisted schools in writing winning award and grant proposals, including both state and national magnet awards.

Elizabeth Herzog - Special Education

Elizabeth Herzog joined the LJA team for its inaugural 08’-09’ school year and is enthusiastically beginning her second year as the special education teacher. Elizabeth took an alternative route to teaching; she earned a degree in psychology at the College of St. Benedict and worked in non-profit social service organizations. Then, through the New York City Teaching Fellowship program, Elizabeth was able to transition to the field of education and make her work with youth the focal point of her career. While she was thoroughly challenged and inspired by the diverse, urban youth in Manhattan, she returned to her roots after finishing grad school to be closer to her family. Elizabeth has a for passion advocating for the needs of diverse learners and is committed to affording appropriate learning opportunities for all LJA scholars. Before landing at LJA, Elizabeth had an idea about the kind of teacher she wanted to be, but was never able to realize that potential without the collaboration of her LJA colleagues. She is inspired by the scope of their commitment to youth and critical pedagogy and is proud of the way they honor the important work that is LJA’s mission.