Hillsdale College Launches Program to Honor, Mentor K-12 Teachers
Fourteen teachers join inaugural class of master, lead teachers
Hillsdale, Mich. — Hillsdale College announced the launch of a new program to honor and encourage K-12
teachers associated with its Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI). The Master and Lead Teacher Program
provides honorariums to select teachers in exchange for mentoring and curriculum resource development.
“A great teacher is a person of deep learning, an engaging speaker, and perceptive in working with students,”
said Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 education at Hillsdale College. “Through this new program,
we will honor the very best teachers, and give them an opportunity to teach others about classical education.”
Participation in the program is open to experienced teachers currently teaching in a Hillsdale College-affiliated
school. Hillsdale College received nearly 40 applications from 11 schools. Applicants applied to become a lead
or master teacher. Master and lead teachers’ duties involve mentoring other teachers and sharing resources with
the network of Hillsdale College-affiliated schools. In addition, master teachers will also work to foster a
community of teachers, evaluate and create teacher resources, and present at the College’s annual summer
conference.
Of the applicants, 7 were selected to be master teachers and 6 were selected to be lead teachers. The inaugural
cohort and areas of focus are:
Master Teachers
• Mrs. Julie Apel, Latin and General Education, Founders Classical Academy of Leander | Leander, TX
• Mr. Michael Berndt, 7th-12th-Grade Science, Founders Classical Academy of Leander | Leander, TX
• Ms. Rachel Holland, K-12th-Grade Music, Seven Oaks Classical School | Ellettsville, IN
• Ms. Abby Johnson, 7-12-Grade Mathematics, Golden View Classical Academy | Golden, CO
• Mrs. Sarah Kiesewetter, 5th and 6th Grade, Golden View Classical Academy | Golden, CO
• Mrs. Ali Pries, 3rd and 4th Grade, Golden View Classical Academy | Golden, CO
• Mrs. Lyndsey Rariden, Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade, Founders Classical Academy of Leander |
Leander, TX
Lead Teachers
• Ms. Monika Grzesiak, Literature and Rhetoric, Founders Classical Academy of Lewisville | Lewisville,
TX
• Mrs. Rachel James, French, Seven Oaks Classical School | Ellettsville, IN
• Dr. Terrill Legueri, 7th-12th-Grade History, Golden View Classical Academy | Golden, CO
• Mr. Nathan McClallen, Physical Education and Athletics, Founders Classical Academy of Leander |
Leander, TX
• Ms. Jennifer Mulvey, 4th Grade, Golden View Classical Academy | Golden, CO
• Dr. John Tutuska, Logic and Moral Philosophy, Founders Classical Academy of Lewisville | Lewisville,
TX
“All teachers know that it takes years to master the art of teaching, and that one is never truly done learning,”
said Rebecca Holland, BCSI director of curriculum and instruction. “We hope that this program offers
experienced teachers a new challenge—an opportunity to the serve the nearly 800 teachers in the BCSI
network.”
About the Barney Charter School Initiative
Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI) promotes the founding of tuition-free, public K-12
classical charter schools and excellence in their teaching and operations. BCSI supports more than 20 American
classical education schools nationwide. BCSI schools train the minds and improve the hearts of young people
through a content-rich curriculum with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic virtue. For
more information, visit this website.