Meet the 2014 Woodrow Wilson Indiana MBA Fellows in Education Leadership
Allison Chance
Special Education Teacher, Center Grove Schools, Greenwood, IN
B.A./M.A., elementary and special education—Ball State University, Muncie, IN
Oversees training and development of special education teachers; developed and implemented a system for gauging student productivity in class resulting in increases in student work completed and student achievement.
Dominic Day
Social Studies Teacher/Team Leader, Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center, Wayne Township, IN
B.S., education-social studies—Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Named Indiana University Armstrong Educator of the Year (2013–2014); nominated for Life Changer of the Year Award (2013–2014); selected as Teacher of the Year, Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center (2011–2012); founder and sponsor of Brothers of Another Color; mentor for teachers in clinical practice; serves on the District High School Redesign Committee.
Dana Dietz
Instructional Coach, Avon Community School Corporation, Avon, IN
B.A., Spanish—Hanover College, Hanover, IN
Teacher and teacher leader, Avon Community School Corp.; child advocacy instructor, implemented hospital’s mobile medical clinic and translated Spanish for underserved migrant families, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Tampa, FL.
Thomas Hakim
Math Department Chair, MSD Washington Township Schools, Northview Middle School, Indianapolis, IN
B.A., finance—Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
M.A.T.—Marian University, Indianapolis, IN
Achieved ISTEP passage rate of 86%, including high growth for bottom 25% and top 25%, with 8th grade mathematics students during the 2012-2013 school year; in both 2013 and 2014, awarded Sontag Prize in Urban Education, a national award for urban educators sponsored by Lawrence Public Schools in Lawrence, Massachusetts; named one of five statewide recipients of the Indiana Excellence in Teaching Award by StudentsFirst Indiana in 2013; was a secondary math teacher with Teach For America; formerly a commercial real estate associate banker.
Mike Hall
Principal, Monon Trail ES, Westfield, IN
B.A., general and elementary education—Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
M.Ed.—Indiana Wesleyan University, Indianapolis, IN
Has implemented academic and character-based programs that have led to major increases in student achievement in math and language arts; currently leading creation of professional learning communities in his school; served as assistant principal in four schools; has worked in both struggling high-need schools and high-performing schools.
David Harker
Teacher Leader/Language Arts Teacher, Greenwood Middle School, Greenwood, IN
B.A., English teaching–University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Analyzed schoolwide student assessment data to identify specific, longitudinal trends in student underperformance, and developed and implemented a schoolwide protocol resulting in student achievement gains; developed and implemented a character-based protocol for improving student achievement and behavior issues.
David Hobaugh
Science Department Chair, Chemistry Teacher, Tri-West High School, Lizton, IN
B.S.—chemistry/math minor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Teaches/taught chemistry, honors chemistry, AP chemistry, integrated chemistry/physics, honors integrated chemistry/physics; fourteen time Most Influential Teacher Award (as selected by top academic students); three-time recipient of “You Make It Matter” Award; received Emerging Leader Award from the International Society for Technology in Education.
Tracy Hood
Instructional Coach, Plainfield Community School Corp., Plainfield, IN
B.A., magna cum laude, physics/mathematics minor—Hanover College, Hanover, IN
M.S.,science education, summa cum laude—Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Former physics teacher who developed her own curriculum in the absence of a suitable physics text; developed a project-based learning lesson to incorporate current physics research into the high school curriculum; selected to participate in Langley Aeronautics Research Summer Scholars Program, where she worked with NASA contractors on climate research; helped design, test, and create a new circuit for high temperature tests in a nuclear magnetic resonance machine.
Sara Hunter
STEM Coach and Teacher, Zionsville Community Schools, Zionsville, IN
B.A., theatre arts emphasis in directing, minor in business administration/entrepreneurship—Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
M.A., Teaching—Chapman University, Orange, CA
Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teacher; Emerging Leader Award, International Society of Technology in Education; will be featured in the in upcoming issue of Learning & Leading with Technology magazine.
Adrienne Kuchik
Academic Support Manager—Mathematics, Gary Lighthouse Charter School
B.S., education—Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
As a fifth-grade teacher at Lighthouse, created original, detailed mathematics lesson plans that went above and beyond the fifth-grade state standards; raised overall ISTEP scores by approximately 26%; recipient of the Indiana County Merit-Based Scholarship; National Dean’s List 2003 and 2004.
Adam Love
AP History, Government, Social Studies Teacher/Department Chair, Tri-West HS, Brownsburg, IN
B.S., cum laude, government, economics, history—Butler University, Indianapolis, IN
Developed a new AP history curriculum and implemented a plan to raise student achievement on AP exams, resulting in the highest achievement in the history of the school and leading to changes in the way other AP courses are taught; top 15% on National Teacher’s Exam.
Jacob Pactor
English Teacher/Intervention Team Leader, Speedway High School, Speedway, IN
B.A., political science—Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN
M.A., English—Butler University, Indianapolis, IN
Teaches English 9, English 11, and AP literature & composition; taught ENGL-101 as a college class for college credit at Speedway High School; served as a Cities of Service Project Leader, Office of the Mayor, City of Chicago.
Kari Serak
English teacher, Brownsburg West MS, Brownsburg, IN
B.A., English—DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Created standards-based curriculum for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades; planned and implemented systems for progress monitoring/data management; named Outstanding Student Teacher, spring 2007; Holton Memorial Scholarship Recipient based on scholastics and leadership.
Wes Upton
Teacher Leader/Geography/History Teacher, MSD of Wayne Township, Wayne, IN
B.S., government education—Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Developed and implemented a school-wide study skills and college readiness program; developed and implemented a plan to lead a team of nine teachers to exceed school-wide student achievement rates; his teams have exceeded schoolwide averages for the past three consecutive years.
Kelly Zibton
Fifth-Grade Teacher/Team Leader, Delaware Trail Elementary School, Brownsburg, IN
B.S., summa cum laude, early childhood education/elementary education—Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Served as the fifth-grade team leader for the last two years, encouraging team members and strengthening student success based on data-driven approaches; at previous school, selected for a Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) Tier Two team to help create, plan, and implement school- and districtwide behavior program; as first-year teacher, planned and implemented everyday math curriculum to first-grade through fourth-grade students; received Making a Difference Award, Delaware Trail (2013).
