Our Staff
Dana Formby  Dana has a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Wyoming, and an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University. She taught at La Petite Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was named teacher of the year by parents and teachers three years in a row. In Chicago, Dana was a teacher in the after-school Pre-K program at The Francis Xavier Warde School in the West Loop. She has also taught performance and storytelling for young children, teens and adults through Chicago Dramatists, The Vet Art Project, and Mortar Theatre Company. Dana believes strongly in learning through play and is excited to be a part of the community at Families Together Cooperative Nursery School.
Deadre Lorber Deadre completed her B.A. from National College of Education (National-Louis University) and holds two IL teaching certificates, Elementary and Early Childhood Education. She has taught many children from PreK through 8th grade. Her experiences include teaching music to the whole school, developing integrated curriculum themes, teaching literature-based reading and writing, and differentiating instruction in order to reach each child. After teaching Chicago Public School children for more than twenty years and then leading workshops for parents of children PreK through 3rd grade, Deadre is happy to be part of this wonderful community of families. She tutors privately at the elementary school level and also has her own business. Deadre is the mother of two adult children.
Ellen Palmer Ellen completed her B.A. in Sociology in 1987, and began building a career path weaving education, social work and literacy into a 3-strand commitment to teaching psychosocial skill development. She previously taught preschool for approximately 12 years, spent 5 years as the director of a Montessori after school program, worked throughout college as a direct care provider at a residential facility for disabled girls, served as a science museum educator for approximately 3 years, performed as a storyteller, and led poetry writing workshops for children and families. Ellen has enjoyed the diversity of working with children of all ages - from infants through highschoolers - and believes strongly in the mentoring role of adults in teaching children how to be true to themselves while belonging to and honoring their community and society.
Salena Miller Salena graduated from National-Louis University with a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Psychology (March 2006). She began working at Families Together Cooperative Nursery School in June of 2006. Her experience in childcare centers, however, goes back about 10 years. Prior to graduation she spent six years as a lead teacher at The State of Illinois Child Development Center located in downtown Chicago. She is also the mother of a growing eleven year old boy who attends Burley Elementary School. Within the classroom she believes in building a nurturing community where all children feel safe and welcome. With her experience, she plans to provide a curriculum based on play that is meaningful and relevant to the lives of the children.
Mary Tabatowski Mary graduated from the University of Chicago in 2000 with an undergraduate degree in English and Italian literature. She had always been fascinated with how children learn, and this led her to find teaching jobs after college. She taught preschool for several years and then 3rd grade in a parochial school before returning to grad school at the Erikson Institute to get her Masters Degree and teaching certificate. This is Mary's fourth year at Families Together, and she's happy to be teaching 2 classes this year as well as taking on more administrative responsibilities in her Assistant Education Director position. She is especially interested in exploring math and science with young children, and she has significant experience in implementing story dictation/dramatization programs in the classroom. In her spare time you can find her playing bluegrass music on her mandolin, singing, reading, and doing art projects at home.
Kate Brenner  Kate manages the myriad of paperwork required for students, adult volunteers and staff as well as scheduling the assisting parents in the classroom. She manages the admissions inquiries and process, tuition payments, and accounts payable and receivable. Kate has a B.A. in French and her previous work experience includes volunteer coordinator and marketing/PR at Twin Cities Public Television, 1 year as an English tutor in Brazil, and 10 years in marketing for a healthcare company. Kate's three girls attended Families Together so she comes to the position with experience as a co-op parent.
Laura Pinsof Laura is serving as our Interim Education Director during the 2011-2012 school year. She is thrilled to bring her background in educational leadership and teaching, along with her four years of being an FTCNS parent, to this new role. During her time at FTCNS, Laura has led the Board as President for two years, and served as Human Resources Chair for two years. Before this, she worked as the PreK-12 Social Science Coordinator for the Champaign Unit 4 schools and as a teacher at New Trier High School. Laura holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Wesleyan University, a Masters in the Art of Teaching from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Masters in Educational Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is certified to teach and serve as a principal in Illinois. Laura is passionate about putting creative play and problem solving and a focus on socio-emotional development at the center of early childhood education. She is also dedicated to supporting the continual growth and development of teachers so that they can give their best to children and find deep fulfillment in their professional lives.
Aimee Skinner Aimee serves on the FTCNS staff as the Administrative Director. In this role, she works with the Board, teachers, and parent committees on matters relating to finance, technology, fundraising, property services, and other administrative areas. Aimee worked for several years as Associate Director at a non-profit and prior to that was a management consultant. Her volunteer experiences include grant-writing, fundraising, strategic planning, and event planning for schools and non-profit agencies. Aimee holds a Masters of Education (2007) and is a certified secondary mathematics teacher and enjoys the opportunity to combine her education and administration credentials in this position. She is also a former FTCNS parent and proud mom to 5-year old twins. |
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