- Sand Hill School teachers create a joyful environment for learning.
- Teachers celebrate each student’s strengths and skillfully and sensitively manage challenges.
- Trained as special education teachers and experienced working with students who struggle with learning and social issues, they offer a wealth of strategies to create an environment for your child to be successful in the classroom.
- Teachers are skilled in delivering instruction that is developmentally appropriate, direct and explicit, multisensory, appropriately paced and structured and systematic.
- Demonstrating compassion, teachers know their students well and adapt instruction to meet individual student needs.
- Teachers communicate frequently with parents to learn from each other in order to enhance your child’s experience at home and in the classroom.
Shayla Hulgan’s experience growing up with a sibling with special needs brought her to the field of special education. Her family’s struggle in getting the right help for her younger sister led to the belief that there had to be a better way to help individuals and families dealing with learning differences. After learning about Sand Hill School’s flexible approach to teaching and the emphasis on each child’s unique strengths, Shayla jumped at the opportunity to join the staff.
Shayla has a B.A. in psychology and a B.S. in human development from the University of California, Davis. She received her M.A. in learning disabilities from Northwestern University. Before joining Sand Hill School, Shayla worked as a full-time learning specialist at QWERTY Education Services.
Nick Ratcliff has a highly personal connection to special education. Growing up, Nick struggled with Tourette’s with motor tics and learning differences. His teachers left him wanting more from his education as they only addressed his learning differences, instead of his unique capabilities. Motivated by the deficit of teachers who understood him as an individual, Nick decided to pursue special education so that he could be the teacher that he never had. Nick is happy to be a part of Sand Hill School where the focus on individual strengths is in line with his own personal experience.
Nick received his B.A. in elementary education and human development from Prescott College. He has an M.A. in special education and is working towards an M.A. in literacy, both from Saint Mary’s Kalmonivitz School of Education. Before coming to Sand Hill School, Nick worked as an award-winning elementary school teacher at Willow Creek Charter School in Prescott, Arizona.
Emilie Jobson has always been drawn to students who don’t fit the mold of a typical classroom. Some of her most memorable students are those who pushed her to come up with different teaching practices to help them understand concepts and stay engaged. Emilie also credits former students with behavioral difficulties and academic struggles for helping her develop greater patience and compassion for children who have challenges.
Emilie taught in Los Angeles’ public schools and later worked as a behavioral specialist at Esther B. Clark School at Children’s Health Council. She received her M.A. in special education, multiple subject and educational specialist teaching credentials at Notre Dame de Namur University. After graduate school, she taught special education in Bay Area public schools.
Heather Whitlock was first drawn to special education because she grew up with a sibling with a language-based learning difference. Her brother struggled in conventional classrooms, but Heather witnessed how his academic progress improved once he began attending a smaller school with teachers committed to finding a program to fit his needs, identifying his strengths and reaching him as a student. As an educator, Heather incorporates these core values into shaping the curriculum at Sand Hill School.
Before joining Sand Hill School, Heather spent seven years teaching at Charles Armstrong School in Belmont, California, a private school for children with language-based learning differences. Heather received a B.A. in psychology at Humboldt State University and completed an M.A. in curriculum and instruction with University of Phoenix.
Heather has a giant rock collection that she enjoys sharing with her students.
Jill Glover loves teaching not only because it affords the opportunity to positively influence the life of a child, but also because she too is constantly learning.
Jill discovered her passion for special education as program director of a learning center where she worked with children with learning difficulties and academic challenges. Tailoring curriculum to fit the needs of each child, Jill learned how to use children’s strengths and interests to help them enjoy learning and feel successful.
Jill has taught in public schools in Washington D.C., and most recently, she worked as a teaching assistant at Esther B. Clark School at Children’s Health Council. She received her M.Ed. in elementary education from The George Washington University.
Melissa Fedoronko began a career in product design, based on her interest in designing for disabled children. Later she found a second, more satisfying career in the field of special education. Working with students with unique needs has been especially rewarding for Melissa because she admires the resilience and determination of her students as they work to overcome their challenges.
Before coming to Sand Hill School, Melissa spent five years teaching at Charles Armstrong School in Belmont, California, a private school for children with language-based learning differences. She also served as a case manager during her time there. Melissa received a B.S. in industrial design from Philadelphia University and completed her M.A. in special education at New Jersey City University.
