Katrina Darin is the kindergarten and first grade teacher at CVCS. This is her third year at CVCS, but her eighth year teaching, and she has taught grades K–3. She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Katrina moved to Chicago six years ago, and continues to enjoy being a part of the CVCS community and working with all of the students and families.

Sarah Kelley is the first and second grade teacher at CVCS. This is her third year teaching at CVCS, and she is excited for the learning experience. Sarah attended Michigan State University for both undergrad and graduate school. She completed her graduate program with a degree in literacy. She also taught first grade in Glencoe, Illinois, and looks forward to a new school year.

Angela Castro teaches second and third grade at CVCS. She received a degree in early childhood education from Kennedy King College, and in elementary education from Saint Xavier University. She chose to work for CVCS because it is a place to teach and learn so many skills and to be involved with families on a consistent basis. Ms. Castro has worked with children for more than 15 years.

Denys Reams is the fourth grade teacher and is in her third year at CVCS. She previously taught a variety of grade levels in the Chicago Public School system for eleven years. She received a master's degree in elementary education from Saint Xavier University. She is excited about the rich curriculum offered by CVCS and the unique opportunity to individualize instruction for her students.

Amanda Eron is delighted be the fifth grade teacher this year. She is in her third year at CVCS and her fifth year of teaching. She previously taught third graders in Denver and English language learners and students with disabilities in Chicago. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan with certification in Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan. Amanda is fascinated with finding ways to help all students learn to think critically and become more confident in themselves.

Steve Harper is a new sixth grade teacher at CVCS. He has four years of previous middle school teaching experience in San Diego, California. More recently, he worked for a large corporation as an outside salesperson in downtown Chicago, and is happy to be back in the classroom. Steve looks forward to facilitating the academic growth of students by focusing on their individual needs, and believes strongly that the curriculum and educational opportunities available in this unique hybrid school environment are some of the best available in public education. He holds a master's degree in educational leadership, with an emphasis on classroom behavior management, from the University of Oregon.

Erik Toman is excited to be returning for his fifth year with Chicago Virtual Charter School. For the third time he will be teaching seventh and eighth grade math. Erik received his master's degree in administration and supervision and plans to begin working on his doctorate soon. In his classroom he challenges students to think outside the box every day, and he spearheads the yearbook club and the running club.

Gail Marshall recently graduated from the Secondary Teaching and Learning Program at DePaul University and is looking forward to focusing her attention on teaching full time. She had the pleasure of working at CVCS in a temporary capacity during the 2010-2011 school year, which allowed her to learn about the unique and innovative educational opportunities this school offers the students of Chicago. She is joining CVCS full-time as the language arts teacher for 7th and 8th grade. Gail is passionate about teaching and its possibilities, and can provide real world experiences that help students, colleagues, and administrators work toward a common goal: quality education for all.

Karen Syverson is thrilled to teach Advanced Learner classes for the second year. She strongly believes that informed parental involvement is essential to creating a positive educational experience for children. It's this same belief that drew her to CVCS when it first opened, and what continues to inspire her. A teacher for more than 20 years working in public schools, private schools, and homeschooling her own two children, Karen holds her BA in psychology from Blackburn University and an MAT in elementary education from National Louis University, and is working toward a master's degree in gifted education.

Andrea Fromm rejoins CVCS as high school English teacher.  Having received her BA in English Education from the University of Illinois-Chicago, she has been teaching and leading all ages in creative writing and arts and crafts throughout her six years in Chicago. She leads the K¹² International Creative Writing Club for high school students and loves coming up with fun ways for her students to explore literature and writing. Andrea is very excited to be rejoining the CVCS staff for another successful year.

Julia Katsis loves spreading her enthusiasm for math to others and is excited to be teaching at CVCS. She received her degree in math secondary education from The University of Iowa and has four years of teaching experience in Chicago and Hawaii. Julia loves being in Chicago and working for a school that combines traditional classroom instruction with the latest in individualized, online learning approaches.

Sue Vasilic teaches high school history and social studies at CVCS. She earned her bachelor's degree in teaching history from University of Illinois at Chicago and expects to complete her master's degree in curriculum adaptation at Northeastern Illinois University by December 2012. Sue holds two Illinois teaching certificates for secondary education and special education. Her teaching experience includes over eight years at private, charter, and public schools in Chicago. She looks forward to an exciting year of teaching and learning, especially in such a forward-thinking and innovative school with dedicated families.

Dawn Labady is new to the CVCS high school team this year, and is excited about her role as the high school science teacher. She joins us with a wide array of experience with young people, including over fifteen years working with inner city youth in New York City and Chicago. In addition, she has worked with students overseas, including teaching in Taichung, Taiwan. Dawn firmly believes that "education is the lighting of a fire, not the filling of a pail," and seeks to ignite a passion for science in her students.

Erica Hiller is the high school advisor. This is her second year at CVCS, and she is excited to be part of a progressive hybrid education environment. Erica graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with her BA and master's degree in education, and she is certified as a K–12 school counselor. Erica began her career in the Midwest as an educator at Baker Demonstration School in Wilmette before discovering CVCS. She is most excited about helping high school students and their families achieve academic success as they prepare for important educational milestones.

Anya Pierce is the K–12 guidance counselor. Her undergraduate studies were in social work and psychology at The University of Iowa, and she earned a master's degree in school counseling from Loyola University Chicago. She embraces the opportunity to work with students of all ages and enjoys helping them plan for future opportunities beyond CVCS.
Sheila Rawat is a paraprofessional for students with special needs. She completed her bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her master's degree at National-Louis. She is a certified elementary teacher in Illinois and has diverse teaching experience at three non-profit organizations in India working with underprivileged children. This is Sheila's second school year at CVCS, and she is excited about continuing to make a difference in the lives of students in the city of Chicago.

Melissa Finley is in her fifth year teaching at CVCS as the Academic Support Team mathematics teacher. She has taught for eleven years, including teaching students in grades 1–12 in private and public schools. Melissa has also worked with adult learners, and she spent time teaching at a community college. She received a degree in elementary education, with a concentration in mathematics, from The University of Akron. She is currently in her last year at Northeastern Illinois University, working on her master's degree in school counseling. Melissa loves making math fun for her students, and is looking forward to working with them to conquer math one problem at a time!

Sisie Puntil-Wilcek (Ms. PW) is the special education teacher for high school students at CVCS. She has been teaching for over thirty years in the area of special education. She received an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in deaf education and has two master's degrees—one in special education and one as a reading specialist. Sisie looks forward to working with the students, parents, and staff at CVCS. This is her first time teaching at a charter school.

Nicolette L. McDavid is the middle and high school case manager at CVCS. She also co-teaches with the middle school team. Nicolette values the individual strengths and challenges of every student. She is committed to establishing high quality education and instruction to the students at CVCS. She has over 5 years of teaching experience in Chicago, working with students with learning and emotional disabilities. Nicolette has a bachelor's degree in arts in English from Roosevelt University, a master's degree in teaching, and a master's degree in education in curriculum and instruction from National Louis University.

Emily Bus is the special education teacher and case manager for grades K–5. Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, she has a BA in special education from Michigan State University as well as an M.Ed. in reading from DePaul University. In addition to her teaching experience in Illinois and Michigan, Emily also had the opportunity to work in Louisiana through the Teach Greater New Orleans program. This is Emily's second year at Chicago Virtual Charter School, and she looks forward to serving students in such a unique and innovative way.

Andrew Kirk is a paraprofessional for students in grades six through eight. This is his first year at CVCS. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Loyola University Chicago with an emphasis in Finance. Andy is excited to be here at CVCS and he looks forward to meeting all of the students and families.

Kate Jones is in her first year working as a paraprofessional for the Chicago Virtual Charter School. She moved to Chicago two years ago after graduating from Michigan State University. Kate has a deep passion for photography, and loves to cook almost as much as she loves to eat! She really enjoys interacting with her students, both in the Learning Center and electronically. Kate is excited to meet the new and returning families, and looks forward to a great school year!

Heather Johnson is the academic support math teacher for grades three through five.. This is her second year at CVCS. She graduated from The University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in art and received her K–12 certification, with a concentration in art, from Chicago State University. She is thrilled to be a part of the CVCS team and their unique education model.

Jessica Harding is the middle school reading support teacher. This is her sixth year teaching middle school and first year at CVCS. She received her undergrad degree from the University of Dayton in middle childhood education and her master's degree in reading with a Reading Specialist certificate from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Jessica previously taught middle school English and math to grades six through eight. She is excited to be a part of CVCS and is looking forward to working with the students and families.

Jennifer Roberts is the RTI Specialist. This is her 16th year in education, and her first full year at CVCS. She is also the parent of former CVCS student. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree from DePaul University in elementary education, and her graduate degree in reading specialty from Northeastern Illinois University. She looks forward to working with new and returning families by supporting literacy, and wants everyone to know her door is always open.

Laura Houghton is the reading academic support teacher for grades three through five at CVCS. This is her fourth year teaching, but her first at CVCS. She previously taught kindergarten and third grade. Laura graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Elementary Education. She is excited to be a part of the CVCS community. Laura is looking forward to an exciting school year and getting to know all of the students and families.

Angie Tucker, CVCS' Learning Coach Resource and Support Teacher, was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana where she attended Butler University. A variety of educational experiences have led her to this position. For eight years Angie taught both first and second grade in a growing school district near Indianapolis. She also held the position as an English as a Second Language Instructor, providing assistance to classroom teachers to support students learning English for the first time. During this time, she worked with individual students in kindergarten through fourth grade to help them learn the English language. While living in Chicago, Angie has been an Educational Consultant working in the Chicago Public Schools to provide staff members and parents with professional development in  Special Education and ISAT Training.