CONSULTANTS

Ms. Szekeres is a founding partner of Pensarus. Her organizational work includes Human Capital Development, Strategic and Financial Planning, Process Refinement, and Technical Program/Project Management. Her content work has focused on PK-16 Education, Workforce Development, and Leadership. She has led teams in the education, business, and IT arenas, managing projects and departments of size ranging from $50k – $14mil in annual revenue, and she has developed operations for public and private sector entities with budgets of up to $150mil in annual spending. This work has occurred with diverse entities, including PNC Bank, the US Department of Education, NIKE Inc., the National Head Start Association, the Urban League, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as additional school, corporate, non-profit, and government entities. Ms. Szekeres holds an an AB magna cum laude in Sociology from Harvard College and an MEd from George Washington University. She was an Export DC ambassador to South Africa, recognized for client services excellence by PNC Bank and ARC Solutions, and earned the Kawamura Fellowship to Japan, Principal’s and Teacher of the Year Awards from Marriott PCHS, and the Praxis II Excellence Award from ETS. Volunteer roles have included: serving as Treasurer and founding board member of the “Tier 1 Rated” Sela Public Charter School, adviser to DC’s Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie and Miami Herald-endorsed school board candidate Mo Abety, “Venture Capitalist” for BUILD-DC, founding board member of the DC Entrepreneurs’ Organization Accelerator Program, coach for the Howard University Swim Team, amongst other roles.

Joseph D’Amico, MA, MS, School Review Partner Consultant. Mr. D’Amico serves as Deputy Director on this project with Pensarus. He has evaluated over 500 schools during a 30 year educational career, which also includes serving as a classroom teacher in Urban High & Middle Schools in the city of Philadelphia. He has lead projects and departments with a number of prestigious organizations, including serving as Executive Director of George B. Thomas Learning Academy; Senior Research Associate, North Central Regional Ed. Laboratories; Executive Director of Quality Assurance, Educate Inc.; and Vice President, Educational Research Service. Mr. D’Amico founded a consortium of charter school experts, D’Amico and Associates, and within his extensive background working specifically with charter schools, he has conducted significant research and review of schools for the DC Public Charter School Board and the city of New Orleans—two vibrant charter school communities. Mr. D’Amico obtained his MS in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in Qualitative Research, an MS in Cultural Anthropology/Organizational Research from Brandeis University, and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Percival Matthews, PhD, Math Specialist. Dr. Matthews is a consultant with Pensarus and a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He brings 20 years as a teacher of multiple ages groups, 7 years as a K-12 professional development consultant, and more than 7 years as an educational researcher. His pre-doctoral training grant, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences, provided him with expert tutelage by pioneers in the field of education research and evaluation. Dr. Matthews led the math instructional reviews of several turnaround schools for Pensarus, and also offered web-based professional development to math teachers in Jersey City, NJ. Dr. Matthews currently conducts research in mathematical learning and development in the #1 rated Educational Psychology Department in America, according to US News. He holds an AB in Physics from Harvard University, an MA in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Psychology from Vanderbilt University.

Abner Oakes, MA, School Reform and Development Consultant. Mr. Oakes is highly experienced and knowledgeable K-12 education professional. Most recently he was a Senior Program Associate at Learning Point Associates and, while there, worked on a variety of contracts, from federal (The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement) to state (Illinois State Board of Education) to district (Winner School District, Winner, SD). His work focused on the design and development of products and services to support states, districts, and schools with their reform and improvement efforts and the facilitation of technical assistance to these constituencies. In addition, he conducted extensive outreach and developed Learning Point’s strategic plan for that outreach using new and social media. Previously, Mr. Oakes worked for nine years at Modern Red SchoolHouse, a provider of high-quality staff development to schools and districts; is consulting or has consulted for organizations such as SchoolWorks, the Global Sleepover, Eduventures, the D.C. Public Charter School Board, the Center for Education Reform, and the Cesar Chavez Public Charter High School for Public Policy; and for 16 years taught language arts to middle and high school students. He earned his BA in English from Dartmouth College and an MA in English from Middlebury College. Mr. Oakes serves on the Education Committee for Sela Public Charter School in Washington, DC and blogs at Dacha.com.

Kathleen “Kate” Tindle, EdD, Literacy and Science Instructional Specialist. Dr. Tindle is a consultant with Pensarus. She brings over 30 years of experience in education that includes 15 years working in PK – 12 schools and 13 years’ experience preparing teachers for high poverty high-needs urban schools. Dr. Tindle’s content work has focused on effective instruction for struggling students to access curriculum through culturally responsive pedagogical methods. Much of this work involves building students’ literacy levels in ways that honor their developmental needs (e.g. adolescents reading at elementary levels). Dr. Tindle has in-depth experience teaching graduate school courses in effective instructional models, conducting classroom observations, and working with schools interested in improving their instructional programming. She holds three degrees: BS in Curriculum and Instruction (Elementary Education) from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (urban education program); MEd in Curriculum and Instruction (Secondary Education) from University of Maryland; and EdD in Curriculum and Instruction (supporting novice teachers) from George Washington University. Dr. Tindle is Chair of the Board for Teaching for Change (www.teachingforchange.org), a non-profit organization that works to build social justice starting in the classroom.

Victor Udoewa, PhD, STEM Specialist. Dr. Udoewa works around the world as a Global Education Instructional Designer and Training Specialist for Google and an Adjunct Professor of Education in the George Washington University College of Professional Studies. There he instructs teachers who are earning a master’s of education with a focus in science education. His areas of focus include math and science (physics) education, and has written science curriculum and integrated math and science curriculum for George Washing University and YES Prep Public Schools. In addition to tutoring, private lessons, and after school programs, he has taught grades 9 – 12 in Texas and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Rice University and the University of Cape Town in South Africa. In addition, Dr. Udoewa is the founder of YES International Summer Service (YISS) that takes high school students in groups of 10-12 to international countries to do service projects partnering with NGO workers on the ground for 1-2 months at a time. This emerging non-profit won a National Character Education Award in 2007. Dr. Udoewa has also been a guest speaker at the National Public Charter Schools Conference on Service in Education. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and an SB in mechanical engineering and materials science from Harvard University.

Julia M. Matthews, MEd, Special Education and English as a Second Language Specialist. Ms. Matthews is a consultant with Pensarus, and a research specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She brings 9 years of experience in the field of education and 3 years’ experience in educational research with a  focus on special education, math learning/instruction, and universal screening measures within the RTI model, for ELL students.  She has worked with students with a wide variety of special needs including learning disabilities, behavior disorders, autism, intellectual disabilities, and cerebral palsy.  Ms. Matthews led the SPED, RtI and ELL portions of the performance reviews of several turnaround schools, and has managed several research engagements. Her work has given her significant experience writing, implementing, and evaluating individual education plans.  She also has experience training, supervising, and evaluating the performance of paraprofessionals and graduate students. Ms. Matthews has experience in instructional design and assessment and has collaborated with five different schools and after-school programs.  Ms. Matthews holds an MEd and a BS summa cum laude in the Special Education and Elementary Education, both from Vanderbilt University.

Christine Y. Mason PhD, School Improvement and Teacher Mentoring Partner Consultant. Dr. Mason is a collaborator with Pensarus and the Executive Director of the Center for Educational Improvement of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. She is a nationally recognized expert in the area of educational reform, teacher mentoring, and special education. Dr. Mason serves as a consultant and project director for school improvement with several schools in Ohio and Washington DC, providing technical assistance and professional development in Common Core curriculum and STEM, (Science, Technology Engineering and Math).She has been trained and certified as an Ohio School Improvement Facilitator, DC School Improvement Specialist, and DC Charter School Program Reviewer. She has served as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education ((i3) Innovations, Investments, & Improvements; National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation Research; Transition to Teaching; Secondary Transition Services; and Supported Employment) and has received funding from the U.S. Department of Education, National Institutes of Health, and the Small Business Innovations and Research.

Janet Metcalfe PhD, Cognitive Science Specialist. Janet Metcalfe is Professor of Psychology and of Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University. Current research centers on how people know what they know, that is, their metacognitive abilities, and whether they use this evolutionarily unique ability efficaciously–for effective self-control. She has been extensively involved in metacognitive research, both theoretical and applied, for over 15 years and has written journal articles and book chapters and has edited monographic volumes on the topic, including Metcalfe and Shimamura’s Metacognition: Knowing about Knowing (MIT, 1994). She is on the editorial board of the newly established journal Metacognition and Learning.

Cynthia L. Clauson, PhD, Online Learning, Critical Thinking, and Differentiated Instruction Specialist. Dr. Clauson is a consultant with Pensarus and the founder of Academic Arts and Entertainment (AAE). Dr. Clauson (1997) developed a scientifically based and results driven and technology delivered program for assessing critical thinking while providing individual coaching and staff development for educators to design effective instruction at higher levels for all students. She has also integrated the fine arts to increase critical thinking in the content areas with teachers for the past 26 years and is currently implementing this practice with the Duke Ellington Performing Arts High School staff. In addition, she served as the national program and research director for Advanced Academics, a division of DeVry University, from 2007-2010. Prior to this Dr. Clauson implemented the Washington State “lighthouse model for virtual education” while serving as the Executive Director for Student Achievement in the Marysville School District north of Seattle, WA. In this role, she led repatriation of hundreds of students who otherwise would not have been high school graduates across an extremely diverse community (2004-2007). More specifically, Dr. Clauson has provided consultation in numerous school districts and organizations on a national level from 1997-2011 in the areas of virtual, online instruction, assessment, curriculum and dropout repatriation across diverse communities and was a public school leader and educator for 26 years. During this time, she also served districts in Washington State in the following roles: Superintendent of Schools, Executive Director for Student Achievement, Student Services Director, Principal, and Curriculum and Staff Development Director. Dr. Clauson received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. (1997).

Tangelia Orr, MEd, Classroom Technology Specialist. Ms. Orr holds a Master of Education from Alabama A & M University. She is currently licensed in the state VA, Pre-K-sixth grade and in the state of GA, Pre-k- eighth grade ( 7/2011). She is currently teaching third grade in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia. Fairfax County Public Schools is ranked as the fourth best public school system in the nation. She has chaired TAT (Teacher Assistant Team) for two years. The TAT team is set up to provide teachers with support with struggling learners. She has completed 75 plus hours as a clinical Faculty Advisor for George Mason University interning students. She has also participated in the Great Beginnings Mentor Program in FCPS. She has also served as a Math Resource Teacher for grades k-4 for two years, and designed and presented comprehensive lesson plans according to Math Best Practices (LEARN Model). She incorporated various technology in the classroom including smartboard lessons, Senteo Smart Response, kidsperation and powerpoints. Ms. Orr served on the Focus Team Committee at Providence Elementary. As a member of the committee, she assisted in engaging instructional staff in professional development to improve students’ level of critical thinking skills to ensure successful student learning experiences. She presented quarterly, “Unpacking the standards” staff developments to further improve student hands-on learning activities in math and to promote critical thinking.

Carol Glenn, BA, Web Development and Project Assistance. Ms. Glenn possesses a variety of skills and has served as a research assistant, project coordinator, and web developer. She served as coordinator of Regional Educational Laboratory, Mid Atlantic region professional development events in Washington, DC and Maryland on topics such as: Adolescent Literacy, RtI Math, and School Turnaround. She conducted research and analysis for projects, such as the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse’s Fatherhood Initiative and the Veterans Relationship Management Program. She also has experience with technical project management, supporting projects for web development for Associated Veterans and database implementation for the National Association of Head Start to new association management software platform. As a developer, Ms. Glenn is proficient in Ruby, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, Javascript, and jQuery. Ms. Glenn holds a BA in Asian Studies from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Learn more about employment opportunities at our company by sending email to:careers@pensarus.com