Meet our 2012-13 team
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 Lynn Newman |
 Kevin O’Laughlin |
 Gigi Hunter |
 Liz Fleck |
ADMINISTRATION
Edward Jackson, head of school. B.B.A., Kennesaw State University; M.Ed., Loyola College, Maryland; AMI Primary Diploma, Montessori Institute of Atlanta; AMI Elementary Diploma, Washington Montessori Institute.
Edward Jackson is Charles Towne Montessori’s Head of School, a position he has held since 2006.
A former primary and elementary teacher at Charles Towne Montessori, he was a lead-teacher in the primary program at First Montessori School of Atlanta, Ga., and headmaster of Pawley’s Island Montessori School in Pawleys Island, S.C.
Jackson holds Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) diplomas at the pre-school (primary) and elementary levels, as well as a bachelor’s of business administration degree in finance from Kennesaw State University and a master’s degree in education from Loyola College in Maryland.
Before embarking on a Montessori career, Jackson distinguished himself for more than seven years in the Atlanta business and arts communities. His involvement included: tour director, rehearsal assistant, alumni secretary and development/public relations director for the world-renowned Atlanta Boy Choir; assistant to the managing principal of Towers Perrin Consulting; and credit/financial analyst for Trust Company Bank and ITT Commercial Finance.
Jackson maintains memberships in the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), the North American Montessori Teacher’s Association (NAMTA), and the Pi Sigma Epsilon Business Fraternity. He is also certified in Musikgarten and Orff-Schulwerk Level 1 music training.
A member of the Rotary Club of Charleston, he is active in civic and community affairs. He and his family live in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Debbie Kirby, business manager
Susan Burkhardt, administrative assistant
FACULTY
Elementary Program
Lynn Newman, lead teacher, elementary. B.S., Carroll College; M.Ed., Loyola University Maryland; AMI Elementary Diploma, Montessori Institute of Minnesota.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in social work, lead upper elementary teacher Lynn Newman worked for several years as a treatment counselor. Because of an interest in working with children, she later decided to pursue a teaching degree and earned a teaching certification and reading teacher license from Cardinal Stritch University in Wisconsin. She then worked in Milwaukee Public Schools and the Houston Independent School District as a classroom teacher and as a reading specialist.
When her children were young, she worked part-time as an ESL teacher in the Hong Kong public schools, teaching English to children from first grade to middle school.
Since receiving her AMI Elementary Diploma and a master’s degree in education, she has taught at the upper elementary level in international schools in Tokyo, Germany and the Virgin Islands.
Primary Program
Gigi Hunter, lead primary teacher, B.A., Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, WV; M.Ed., Walsh University, Canton, OH; AMI Primary Diploma, Washington Montessori Institute, Washington, D.C.
Gigi Hunter joined the staff of Charles Towne Montessori in 2010. After she completed her bachlor’s degree in psychology, Gigi received her AMI primary diploma and has more than 30 years of Montessori teaching experience.
Gigi also holds a master’s degree in education and has taught as an adjunct professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and Walsh University in Canton, Ohio. She also serves as a Montessori teacher trainer for the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York and Montessori Opportunities.
Kevin O’Laughlin, lead primary teacher, B.A., University of California at Irvine, Ca; AMI Primary Diploma, Sion Hill College, Dublin, Ireland; AMI Elementary Diploma, Washington Montessori Institute, Washington, D.C.
Kevin O’Loughlin has been an integral participant as teacher, administrator and leader in the Montessori movement for over thirty years. For 24 years, Mr. O’Loughlin has distinguished himeslf at both the Primary and Elementary levels. He served for five years as a lead Primary teacher at the Montessori International School, Redwood City, California and the Santa Fe Montessori School, Solana Beach , California. Kevin also served for over seventeen years as a lead Elementary teacher at Community Montessroi School in Lexington, Ky.
Mr. O’Loughlin has served several tenures at Charles Towne Montessori. First as Elementary lead teacher and Academic Director, and currently as Primary lead teacher.
Toddler Program
Elizabeth Fleck, toddler lead teacher, AMS Toddler certification
Elizabeth Fleck, a lead toddler teacher at Charles Towne Montessori, completed her American Montessori Society training in Raleigh, N.C., in 1991. Liz began her teaching career with children by working in day care centers and pre-schools until receiving her Montessori Liz held a lead toddler position for five years at Charles Towne Montessori when she left to marry and start a family. She rejoined the Charles Towne Montessori faculty in 2009.
