Faculty and Staff - Center School

Faculty & Staff

Our warm, dedicated, compassionate faculty take the time to understand each student and their specific learning style. We pride ourselves in empowering students to become confident learners.

Lower School

Barbara Cunnane

Lower School Math

B.S. Marketing: Temple University
M.Ed. Education: Chestnut Hill College

Certifications:
Elementary Education K-6, Middle Level
Mathematics 7-9, Special Education N-12

bcunnane@centerschoolpa.org

Sherri Cunningham

Lower School Teacher
5th Grade

B.S. Education of Exceptional Children:
Pennsylvania State University
M.Ed. Reading: Beaver College

Certifications:
Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Reading Specialist,
Socially Emotionally Disturbed

scunningham@centerschoolpa.org

Ami Howarth

Lower School Teacher
2nd and 3rd Grade

B.S. Early Education and Special Education: Arcadia University

Certifications:
Early Education Pre-K – 4
Special Education Pre-K – 8
ESL certification K-8

ahowarth@centerschoolpa.org

Pat Lux

Lower School Math Assistant

B.A. Special Education: LaSalle University
M.Ed. Special Education: Temple University

Certifications:
Governor’s Institute for Regional Coaching in
Literacy and Math, Middle School Mathematics

plux@centerschoolpa.org

Diana McGeady

Lower School Teacher
4th Grade

B.S. Early and Elementary Education: Temple University
M.Ed. Education Holy Family University

Certifications
Early Childhood, Elementary Education, Reading Specialist

dmcgeady@centerschoolpa.org

Middle School

Derri Benbow

Middle School Teacher
Reading and Language Arts

B.A. English Education: Barrington College
M. Ed. Reading: Arcadia University

Certifications:
Reading Specialist, English, Orton-Gillingham

dbenbow@centerschoolpa.org

Colleen Chapman

Middle School Teacher
Reading and Language Arts

B.A. Elementary Education: Holy Family College

Certifications:
Elementary Education, Orton-Gillingham, Wilson

cchapman@centerschoolpa.org

Megan Duntzee

Middle School Teacher
Language Arts
Middle School Science

B.S. Science: West Chester University
M.Ed. Education: Chestnut Hill College

Certifications:
Middle Level Education 4-8 with concentrations in Science 7-8
English Language Arts and Reading 7-8
General Science 7-12

mduntzee@centerschoolpa.org

Shannon Niewood

Middle School Teacher
Reading & Language Arts

B.S. : Elizabethtown College
M.Ed.: Holy Family University

Certifications:
Reading Specialist Certification K-12,
Elementary Education K-6,
Special Education N-12, Wilson

sniewood@centerschoolpa.org

Rebecca Park

Middle School Teacher
Middle School Math and STEM

B.S. Education: Temple University

Certifications:
Middle School Education 4-8 with concentrations in
Math 7-8 and Sciences 7-8

rpark@centerschoolpa.org

Jennifer Perreault

Middle School Teacher
Middle School Social Studies

B.A.: Education and Psychology: Monmouth University

Certifications:
K-6, Mid-level Middle School Education 4-8 with concentration in Social Studies 7-8 (in process)

jperreault@centerschoolpa.org

Electives

Mori Behar

Violin Teacher

B.A.: Berkeley College of Music

B.A. English Education: Barrington College
M. Ed. Education: Arcadia University

Certifications:
Reading Specialist, English, Orton-Gillingham

mbehar@centerschoolpa.org

Thomas Copeland

Health and Physical Education Teacher

B.S. Health and Physical Education: West Chester University

Certification:
Health and Physical Education

tcopeland@centerschoolpa.org

Linda Jarrett-Armiger

Guidance Counselor

B.S. Elementary Education and Special Education: Lock Haven State College
M.Ed. Elementary Counseling: West Chester University

Certifications:
Elementary Education, Elementary School Guidance, Special Education, School Program Specialist, Trained in Mindful Schools, Responsive Classroom Trained, Member of the American School Counselor Association

ljarrettarmiger@centerschoolpa.org

Debbie Kowalchuk

Art Teacher

B.S. in Art Education: Temple University,
Tyler School of Art

Certification:
Art, Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Fundations

dkowalchuk@centerschoolpa.org

Administrative

Megan Stalker

Director of Admissions and Marketing

B. A. Communications: LaSalle University
M.A. Professional Communication, Public Relations and Marketing: LaSalle University

mstalker@centerschoolpa.org

Lisa Steiert

Director of Finance and Operations

B.S. Business Administration: Gwynedd Mercy College
Graduate Certificate: Fraud and Forensic Accounting: LaSalle University

lsteiert@centerschoolpa.org

Melinda Wawrzyniak

Head of School

B.S. Elementary Education: University of Maryland
M.Ed. Reading: Arcadia University

Certifications:
Elementary Education, Reading Specialist, Orton-Gillingham, Responsive Classroom Trained

mwawrzyniak@centerschoolpa.org

Staff

Adam Berman, Psy.D.

School Psychologist

B.B.A.: George Washington University
M.A.C. Counseling Psychology: Arcadia University
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Certifications and Licensure:
Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Psychologist

aberman@centerschoolpa.org

Caitlin Coppick

Technology Integration Specialist

B.A.: Elementary and Special Education:
St. Joseph’s University
M.A.: Education: St. Joseph’s University

Certifications:
Elementary K-6, Special Education N-12,
Instructional Technical Specialist

ccoppick@centerschoolpa.org

Tiffany Getz

Administrative Assistant and Transportation Coordinator

tgetz@centerschoolpa.org

Quince Hunt

Building and IT Manager

qhunt@centerschoolpa.org

Caitlin Straub

Marketing and Development Associate

B.A. English: St. Joseph’s University

cstraub@centerschoolpa.org

Center School has played a key role in my personal development. Center School’s success stems from their competent and caring staff. They gave me the attention I needed in order to develop and grow as a person of character while teaching me a solid academic foundation for my future studies.

Alexander Heller
alumni, graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with Honors
This school saved my granddaughter’s educational life. The school did a fantastic job of teaching her how to deal with her learning differences and enabled her to transition back to a more traditional school. The school is a hidden gem. I would strongly recommend this school to any parent or grandparent with a child with learning differences.

Edward Hayes
Board Member and Grandparent
Thanks to the teachers for giving my daughter the strategies and skills to read while building her confidence. She is in high school now and doing very well.

Angela Richardson
former parent
The self-advocacy skills that our son has learned at Center School will stay with him his entire life. We feel like he has a leg up on kids his age because he understand the type of learner he is and knows what to ask for when he needs it. The weight of school was lifted off of our son when he started at Center School. Center School is a place where my son thrives and grows everyday.

The Onziks
parents
Our daughter attended Center School for three years. One of our main goals was to help Michaela understand who she is as a learner and demystify her by helping her to understand why she was having a hard time. At Center School they taught her strategies that she could use and to help her become a respectful self-advocate. She graduated from Center School and started at Science Leadership Academy. On her second day of school, unprompted by anyone, she stopped to speak to each teacher. She told each teacher that she has ADHD and learning differences, that “this is an explanation, not an excuse,” that she has strategies and is working on using them, and that the teacher should have a signal for her when she is talking too much. Wow. Mission accomplished!

Alexis Lieberman and Ilene Burak
parents