Meet Our Presenters
Nicole Pepe
Co- President of NJ Teacher to Teacher, LLC
Consultant and Presenter
Nicole is a co-founder of NJ Teacher to Teacher, LLC. She is an experienced classroom teacher for over 7 years, in elementary and middle schools. She received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a NJ Standard Teaching Certificate K-8. Nicole is Highly Qualified in the state of New Jersey as a Language Arts teacher. She obtained a Master of Elementary Education from Rutgers University in 2001, with a concentration in Instructional Technology. She is a member of the Kappa Delta Phi Honor Society, 2002. In addition to districts supported through NJ Teacher to Teacher, LLC, Nicole has been a provider of professional development for the following agencies - Center for Effective School Practices, Rutgers, NJ, Mathematics Coalition Presenter at the CMSCE, Rutgers University, EIRC - Education Information and Resource Center, and Schoolwide, Inc. Nicole is currently a candidate with NJEXCEL, seeking supervisor and administration certificates.
Darlene Farrace-Prott
Co- President of NJ Teacher to Teacher, LLC
Consultant and Presenter
Darlene is a co-founder of NJ Teacher to Teacher, LLC, established in 2003, providing teachers with high quality professional learning and development. She holds a certificate in Elementary Education and has over 14 years teaching experience. Darlene received a BA from Kean University and is currently completing course work toward a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership. She is working to receive both supervisor and principal certifications. Her vocation as a staff developer and educational consultant, includes traveling to many districts throughout NJ and providing effective learning and support in the areas of Mathematics and Language Arts. Darlene enjoys collaborating with other educators in order to effectively increase student achievement. She is excited to share her experiences, ideas and strategies with other professionals in the field of education. In addition to the consulting services provided by NJ Teacher 2 Teacher, other professional experiences include presenting for the Center for Effective School Practices, Rutgers, NJ, and the Center for Math, Science and Computer Education, Rutgers, NJ and Schoolwide, Inc.
Lauren Benjamin
Consultant and Presenter
Lauren Benjamin has taught at the Manhattan New School, P.S. 165 and most recently at Dobbs Ferry School District in Westchester County. Throughout her classroom experience, she has worked with various populations of students and taught primary and upper grades. Her classroom served as lab where teachers and administrators from around the country could view elementary literacy instruction. She conducts workshops for in-service teachers, led study groups and has taught graduate level courses in literacy at Pace University, New York University and Hunter College.
As a teacher and a consultant, Lauren presented and collaborated with administrators, coaches and teachers. She guides with planning, analysis, study groups, and workshops. In addition, she has presented at many national and state level conferences.
Along with Lisa Elias Moynihan, Lauren's classroom was an integral part of two of Tony Stead's videos on nonfiction literacy instruction entitled Time for Nonfiction and Bridges to Independence: Guided Reading with Nonfiction. In addition, Lauren co-authored an article with Lisa on the nonfiction read aloud that was published by School Talk in the Spring of 2005. Lauren and Lisa are currently writing a book on content integration throughout the literacy block, which is scheduled to be published by Stenhouse in 2012.
Lisa Bratus
Consultant and Presenter
Lisa Bratus is an enthusiastic presenter and consultant for NJ Teacher 2 Teacher. She has been a certified teacher with more than 8 years classroom teaching experience. Lisa specializes in designing workshops that encourage differentiated instruction across the curriculum in grades K-4. Her classroom experiences have encompassed a wide range of special education scenarios. These experiences have led to a special interest in creating a balanced classroom through co-teaching and a hands-on learning environment. Lisa graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA with a double major of elementary education and criminal justice. She has been a vital member on several curriculum writing committees in the subject areas of language arts, math and science. Lisa is a dedicated educator who truly enjoys presenting learning strategies to teachers, parents and students throughout New Jersey.
Marla J. Burns
Consultant and Presenter
Marla J. Burns, MAT, LDT-C has worked in the field of education for over 10 years. Marla's career began with a BA and Elementary certification from the University of Connecticut with a double concentration in counseling and early childhood education. This strong foundation in child development, learning styles, and social/emotional development has helped shape Marla's philosophy of education. After working with infants through toddlers and working as a victim advocate in the Connecticut judicial system, she moved to New Jersey and earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching and Teacher of the Handicapped certification from Montclair State University. Marla's passion for working in urban districts and with students with disabilities led her to Jersey City, New Jersey where she has worked for the past 9 years. While working as a resource replacement teacher and in-class support teacher for all grades, kindergarten through eighth, Marla pursued a post-master's certification and became a Learning Disabilities Teacher - Consultant in 2004. Since then, Marla has been the head of the special education department for one of the top charter schools in the state, has helped design curriculum according to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, has consulted for schools across the state, and has become part of the Hudson County Social and Emotional Character Education Consortium. In 2008, Marla began teaching graduate courses in special education at Montclair State University. Today, Marla continues to dedicate herself to the field of special education and research in an effort to help meet the needs of all students and create lifelong learners.
Natalie Crisafulli
Consultant and Presenter
Natalie Crisafulli is an enthusiastic presenter and consultant for NJ Teacher 2 Teacher. She has been a certified teacher with more than 12 years classroom teaching experience. Natalie began her teaching career in fifth grade Math and Science and since then has taught 7th Grade Mathematics for 10 years. Natalie specializes in designing math workshops in grades K-8. The workshops allow for students and teachers to use hands-on strategies which lead to exploration and discovery. She has enjoyed modeling these strategies with teachers and students. Natalie graduated from West Chester University in West Chester, PA with a major in Elementary Education. She has her Masters Degree in Counseling which she received at New Jersey City University.
Catherine Kovarcik
Consultant and Presenter
Catherine Kovarcik's educational background in math, science and technology has been the basis for the problem-solving based workshops she presents. Catherine specializes in Basic Skills instruction, exploring hands-on strategies for learners to succeed. As a Math Specialist, she has written curriculum and worked with every grade level from elementary through middle school. Preparing students and informing parents for NJ ASK assessments are primary aspects of her work. Through her own school district and NJT2T, Catherine has mentored in-service and new teachers. She returned to The College of New Jersey to obtain Masters of Education in Educational Leadership, additionally obtaining NJ Principal and Supervisor certificates.
Barbara Doherty & Charlotte Jaffe
Consultant and Presenter Team
Barbara Doherty and Charlotte Jaffe are a professional dynamic duo! Together, they have been part of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania school systems for over 25 years each. Their wide range of experiences includes being certified classroom teachers, Gifted and Talented teachers, Program Coordinators, Language Arts Specialists and Basic Skills teachers. Barbara and Charlotte have also authored over 100 educational texts and simulation games. They have published several educational articles for local newspapers and have served on curriculum writing committees. These ladies have successfully provided professional development training for many school districts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They have also worked for AmeriCorps, Juvenile Justice Commission, NJEA, NJCTE, and The National Parks Service. You will benefit from their educational expertise as they serve as consultants, mentors and conduct long-term training and coaching.
Andrea M. Harbison
Consultant and Presenter
Andrea M. Harbison has been an educator for over 20 years. Her experience includes 9 years as an associate kindergarten teacher, a resource teacher for Sylvan Learning Systems, 4 years as a sixth grade home room teacher of all subjects, one year as grant coordinator for an education/job training program for young adults, three years as a Head Start Site Director for Monmouth County Head Start Neptune City, and Assistant Director of Education for the same program. Andrea is a double major honors graduate of New Jersey City University holding a BA in Elementary Education and Geo/Environmental Science. She is a registered education consultant and instructor of adults with Professional Impact New Jersey.
JoAnn Howard
Consultant and Presenter
JoAnn Howard has her BS in Elementary Education from St. John's University and a MS in Elementary Education and Urban Studies from Fordham University in New York. She holds a Supervisor, K-8 and Teacher of the Handicapped certification. JoAnn worked for the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission located in Piscataway, NJ for 17 years, where taught basic skills, remedial subjects and mainstream curriculum in Non-Public Schools and served as a liaison between the Child Study Team and the Non-Public School. She was a Supervisor for Non-Public School Services for the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission of Piscataway, NJ. JoAnn also worked for the Special Education/Special Needs Department at Create Charter Schools in Jersey City, NJ, where she created and implemented programs that motivated students to achieve academically and emotionally. Here she served as Supervisor of the Special Education Department and Child Study Team. Her responsibilities including supervising the CST, Home Instruction, Special and General Education Teachers, counseling staff and Instructional Aides. She coordinated and provided Special Educational Professional Development, as well as monitoring all modifications and accommodations in classrooms. JoAnn enjoys working with children through her own consulting business in Old Bridge, NJ where she discusses various Special Needs issues with parents, teachers, staff and administrations.
Nancy Frederick
Consultant and Presenter
Nancy Frederick is so excited to be a part of the NJ Teacher to Teacher team! She graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in elementary and special education with an emphasis on reading instruction. She also has her master's degree in special education from Kean University. She has 12 years of teaching experience in Woodbridge Township in grades 1-5. She is trained in Wilson Reading and has developed workshops to provide staff development on the topic. She has worked with children with various learning disabilities in a variety of classroom settings. Nancy's specialties include co-teaching, inclusion, Wilson Foundations and differentiated instruction. She firmly believes that, when given the proper tools and strategies, all students can learn. There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" approach. She is also trained in preparing students with learning disabilities for standardized testing such as NJ-ASK. She loves to collaborate with other educators and is excited to share her ideas and strategies.
Danielle Meekings
Consultant and Presenter
Danielle Meekings has her BA from Montclair State University and her Master's in Education as a Reading Specialist from Rutgers University. She holds a K-8, Supervisor and Reading Specialist Certifications. She worked in the Bridgewater Raritan Regional School District for eight years. There she taught third grade, first grade and Reading Recovery. For one year she took a sabbatical to be a Reading Coach for the NJ Department of Education. During which time she provided information and guidance regarding a range of effective and innovative literacy practices through various activities such as; educational discussions, demonstrations lessons with pre- and post- discussion analysis, collaborative lessons, study groups, in-services/workshops and classroom visits. During the fall semester she serves as a Rutgers University Supervisor for student teachers in elementary and middle school classrooms.
Jill Perez
Consultant and Presenter
Jill Perez views her life as a compilation of rich learning experiences that include various schooling opportunities, travel and unique personal adventures. When Jill initially began her journey into the education realm she was an anthropology graduate. She did not envision herself as a teacher, but more as an explorer. This prompted her to view the role of a teacher as a "miner" (Gloria Ladson-Bilings), believing every student has knowledge and potential and thus guiding students to their full self discovery. It was in fact anthropological studies that led Jill towards an educational career path.
Jill has been a public school teacher for over a decade in both urban and suburban schools. She has taught several different grade levels in the subjects of health, math, social studies and yoga. And though she is a highly qualified teacher of academic subjects it was her practice as a yoga teacher that encouraged her to reflect more on the art of teaching. Jill believes that yoga shaped her approach to learning and teaching. Yoga encouraged not only her own creativity, but her students as well, allowing for a collective exploration of the human spirit present in the classroom dynamic.
As alum and Part-Time Lecturer of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, the works of John Dewey have inspired Jill's educational outlook. Jill believes that schools should serve as agents of change, reflecting the evolving needs of our democracy. As a parent, she also comprehends the necessity to involve families and communities in school affairs. She feels that if we want our students, our babies, to succeed we need to create learning environments that promote caring, respect, individuality and peace.
James Polizzotto
Consultant and Presenter
James is an exceptionally energetic and enthusiastic presenter and mentor. He has over 30 years of teaching experience within the Paterson, NJ School District and holds a Masters Degree in Education. He was a Literacy Coach for grades K-8 for 5 years, during which he incorporated learning modality principles in various classrooms. As a literacy coach he designed and conducted various faculty workshops and instructed staff members on how to implement effective strategies for reading and writing. James has also mentored staff members using motivational strategies to engage students in active learning. He projects a charisma that captures the imagination of students and staff. James served as a member of the Paterson Professional Development Board, Chairperson of School Management, recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award, Member of Who's Who in American Education, as well as a participant on both Math and Social Studies Curriculum Committees.
Jennie Porfido
Consultant and Presenter
Jennie Porfido has worked with children with Autism for over seven years and this has become her life's passion. She was instrumental in implementing her school district's Autism program. Jennie has teaching experience in both a Resource Room and a Self Contained Preschool Classroom. She has hundreds of hours training with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst which has provided her with a vast knowledge in Applied Behavior Analysis, Verbal Behavior, and behavior modification in general. Jennie has worked closely with regular education teachers and devised plans to transition special education students into the mainstream. Jennie has provided parent training in behavior modifications in order to bridge the gap between home and school. Jennie holds a BBA from Pace University, and a MA in Special Education from New Jersey City University.
Chuck Schneekloth
Consultant and Presenter
Chuck Schneekloth is currently an English teacher at Maplewood Middle School. He benefits from a diverse educational background which includes training in four states: California (MA, Education Leadership, UC Berkeley), New Jersey (M.Ed., Secondary English Education, Rutgers), Oregon (Oregon Writing Project, University of Oregon), and Hawaii (Hawaii Writing Project, University of Hawaii at Manoa). In addition, he received three years of Project Based Learning training through the New Tech Foundation in Napa, CA. As a consultant, he has worked for the Oakland Teaching Fellows, Bay Area Writing Project, Teach For America, Oakland Unified New Teacher Support and Development, and CSU East Bay. Chuck was also an adjunct professor at City College of San Francisco and English Department Head at Castlemont High School. His passion for writing extends outside the classroom through his yet unpublished book Kenny's Castle, documenting his first year as a teacher and track coach in Oakland, CA.
