BARR Center's Growth and Expansion Continues With Multiple New Hires
MINNEAPOLIS, July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks), a model that improves America's education system with intentionally deepened relationships and a data-driven personalized and supportive approach, announces the addition of 12 new people to its team. Implemented in 170 schools across the U.S., BARR has now helped more than 100,000 students.
BARR's mission is to create equitable schools where every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status, has access to high quality education where adults know them, recognize their strengths, and help them succeed. BARR's strengths-based model provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students.
"We are thrilled to welcome our new board member, Gail Toatley, and our new team members as we look forward to a long and successful future," said Angela Jerabek, educator, founder, and executive director of BARR. "As the adoption of BARR continues to expand, we know we have hired the right individuals to help us further our mission."
New additions to BARR include:
Board of Directors:
-- Gail Toatley (Minnesota): A retired educator with 40 years in the field
of education, Gail earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, an Master of
Education in Guidance and Counseling, and an Educational Specialist
Degree in Administration. Gail has served in numerous positions in South
Carolina, Texas, Georgia and Minnesota on both the secondary and
elementary levels. She has been involved in diversity training as a
student and as a leader. As one of the students who integrated the
schools in her Southern hometown in the 1960s, Gail has a unique
experience and a critical perspective on equity.
Staff:
-- G. Bryan Fleming (Minnesota): Network for School Improvement (NSI)
Associate Director. Bryan brings more than two decades of experience in
education, research and as a school administrator, having most
previously served as a consultant for Minneapolis Public Schools.
Fleming attended the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque), where he
earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education. He received his
Master of Arts in Education Administration from Saint Mary's University
of Minnesota and has pursued post-graduate studies at Harvard University
in education leadership and policy. Bryan serves on several Twin Cities,
Minn.-based nonprofit boards and is chair of his local city planning
commission.
-- Beth Heimer (Minnesota): Associate Director of Elementary Schools. Beth
is a K-6 licensed educator with 25 years of experience in the classroom
and administration. Beth graduated from Saint Benedict's College with a
Bachelor of Arts in Education and has a Master of Education in
Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
Over the past year and a half, she has consulted on the development of
the BARR elementary model.
-- Hallela Hinton-Williams (Minnesota/Iowa): Administrative Intern. A
rising fourth-year student at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa,
Hallela is majoring in Spanish and Religious Studies. After graduation,
she hopes to enter the education and nonprofit field in order to assist
schools and communities in creating partnerships that support each
aspect of students' lives. Hallela hopes her role with BARR will teach
her strategies to create more equitable schools, tools for
organizational success, and nonprofit management.
-- Megan Reder Schopp (South Dakota): Research and Data Analyst. Megan is
responsible for integrating BARR into the national education
conversation through data and evaluation, writing publications, and
delivering presentations based on analytic work with the BARR database
and additional data sources. Megan received her Master of Science in
Counseling from South Dakota State University and is currently a
doctoral candidate in Educational Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore, Md.
-- Lisa Shepherd (Minnesota): Communications Manager. Lisa brings more than
15 years of communications and marketing experience in various industry
sectors including education and is responsible for marketing,
communications and public relations for the BARR Center. Lisa has a
Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications and Spanish from Miami
University of Ohio.
-- Christina Ritter (Texas): Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives.
Christina brings 28 years of experience in education and has an
extensive background in systems thinking, leadership development,
instructional design, and professional development design and
implementation. Christina has vast experience in working with diverse
student populations and creating a culture that supports, promotes and
builds equity and access for all students. She is currently a doctoral
student at Texas Tech University where she also received her Master of
Education and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry.
Coaches and Trainers:
-- Adrianna Bertoia (California): A former special education teacher with
11 years of experience, Adrianna has demonstrated success in curriculum
development, instructional design, and learning and development.
Adrianna has her Master of Education from Trinity University as well as
her Bachelor of Science in Education from Indiana University of PA.
-- Anthony "Tony" Bland (New Jersey): From curriculum development, program
management, training and state leadership, Tony's 20 years of
professional experience has been all about applying operational and
leadership competencies to solving challenges. Tony is affiliated with
several boards and committees in and around Camden, New Jersey. Tony has
his Master of Education from Temple University and his Bachelor of Arts
from Monmouth University.
-- Brad Brubaker (Minnesota): With the majority of his career spent at
BARR's inaugural school, St. Louis Park High School in Minnesota, Brad
has more than 30 years of education experience. Brad has been a
part-time BARR Coach and Trainer since 2013 serving 20 schools. Brad
received his Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education and History
from Gustavus Adolphus College and a Master of Education from the
University of Minnesota.
-- Tamiko Thomas (Minnesota, Colorado): With more than 20 years of
professional experience in human services and working in schools as a
social worker, program manager, dean of students, assistant principal
and educational consultant, Tamiko has a success record creating
collaborative spaces that enhance school environments, promoting equity,
leading diverse teams, and disaggregating achievement data to monitor
and improve teaching and learning. She is currently a graduate student
in Hamline University's School of Business Ph.D. program and has a
Master of Education from the University of St. Thomas as well as her
Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota.
-- Richard "Dick" Ungar (Minnesota): Spent the last 27 years in the Eastern
Carver County School District, Minn., most recently as the principal of
Chanhassen High School which is a BARR School in the Scale Up Study.
Dick has a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the
University of St. Thomas as well as an Education Specialist Degree in
K-12 Leadership. Dick was an art educator at North Elementary and Chaska
Middle School before becoming a secondary administrator.
About BARR Center
BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) aims to bring education into the 21st century with intentionally deepened relationships and a data-driven personalized and supportive approach. BARR aligns students, teachers, staff, and families with a unified culture of support so that, together, we can build strong schools and communities. For more information, visit, https://barrcenter.org/.
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