LOVE YOUR SCHOOL - Key Persons
My name is Buster Nicholson. I currently reside in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. I have worked in the public school system as a teacher and administrator. During my tenure in the classroom, I saw many opportunities to improve on the methodologies of instructional delivery. This led me to opening and operating a tutoring center which focused on individualized plans and assessment techniques that utilize multi-modal remediation and enrichment. Using my experience, I authored and published SchoolMedic's Field Guide to Elementary Classroom Management .
I have an M.S. in Supervision and Administration in Education, and a B.A. in Elementary Education. My career path has included executive level positions in government, as an analyst for the U.S. Secret Service, and in senior management at American Military University. My wife and I enjoyed homeschooling out four children beginning in 1998 and finishing in 2021.
Hello! My name is Deanna! I grew up in Colorado and moved to
Job Titles:
- Commendation from Arizona Governor
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Member of the Arizona State Board of Education
Arizona native and mother of five, Jenny Clark knows full well the unique variations in how children learn. They thrive in a variety of different educational environments. Jenny grew up in Arizona, attended her local district school from K-12, and then continued on to the University of Arizona and received a BSBA in Business Economics. Today, she utilizes a variety of schooling options for her own family, and loves sharing with other families about their options and helping them find the right fit for their kids!
That's what inspired Love Your School. Jenny wanted to create an avenue for families and schools to share more about the amazing ways Arizona kids are learning, growing, and loving their education - whether they are in district, charter, private, online, homeschool, microschool, learning pod, or receive an Arizona Empowerment Scholarship.
In addition to founding Love Your School in 2019, Jenny is a member of the Arizona State Board of Education, a partner at First Day PR, and a national speaker for parents and school choice.
Job Titles:
- PARENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
My name is Kim Dully and I am a mom of three school aged kids. My husband and I both have a master's degree in education and we want to instill a love of learning in our children. One of the ways we love to learn as a family is by reading together. We try to do everything with intention and that includes education. My husband and I helped to launch a private school in our county and our children currently attend there. I believe that education is the gateway to real change in a person's life. I want every parent to feel confident about the way their child is educated, whether that is homeschool, hopeschooled, private school, public school, or anything else. The beautiful thing is that as a parent I get to choose the right option for each one of my children each year. There is no one size fits all!
Job Titles:
- Parent Support Specialist
Linda Crosby is an author, speaker, humorist and homeschool mom from Phoenix, Arizona. She has taught in public and private schools, kindergarten, junior high and special education. For 21 years Rick and Linda homeschooled their four children and she taught high school literature/history classes. Linda has been encouraging audiences across the USA and Canada since 2003 with a message of hope, laughter, and endurance. Her book titles include Laughing in the Midst of Mothering and Laughing in the Midst of Marriage. Rick and Linda served on the Arizona homeschool board for six years and graduated their last homeschooler in 2022. The Crosbys participated in the Empowerment Scholarship Account for six years. Linda takes a fancy to playing board games, fishing, painting, and nature journaling, all of which were incorporated in their homeschool adventure. Her mission is to spread joy!
Job Titles:
- Parent Support Coordinator
Lindsey White and her family have called the East Valley home since 2015. She grew up on a dairy farm in Northern Indiana and graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Organizational Communication. Moving to Arizona just as her older daughter was about to enter Kindergarten, Lindsey was amazed (and a little overwhelmed!) at the varied school options available. Lindsey loves working with a team that is dedicated to helping families navigate their options and find a school that they LOVE.
Lucy is passionate about school choice and empowering families to find school options that serve them best. New to Arizona, she was amazed that a state can offer so many education possibilities for families! Lucy has a Bachelor's in Biblical Studies from Lancaster Bible College with a focus in counseling. She is also currently working towards her MABTS at Phoenix Seminary. Lucy worked in early childhood development programs serving children ages one to five, and also spent years tutoring and academic-mentoring students ages 14-22 in the United States, Lebanon, Slovakia, and the Netherlands. Lucy knows first-hand how important individualized education is for students and is grateful to live in Arizona where children are given the opportunity to attend a school that allows them to thrive!
Job Titles:
- Parent Support Specialist
Marta MacBan is a mom of two beautiful girls. She grew up in Arizona at a time when every child went to their neighborhood public school. Now she is a parent she has learned there are so many great options in Arizona and that there is not one fit for every child. Her passion for education has grown since having children. After exploring a few options, her family is now part of a cottage school so that they can learn together as a family and as a community. She loves helping other families learn about the various school options and programs out there to find a school they love!
Job Titles:
- Parent Support Specialist
Tatiana Peña was born, raised, and currently resides in South Phoenix. She grew up attending public schools in South Phoenix, as well as Tempe. She earned a bachelor's degree in multi-lingual and multi-cultural education at Arizona State University. She worked as a teacher in public, internationally, and private schools teaching from pre-school- 1st grade. Tatiana completed a Master's in Public Administration from Grand Canyon University. She is married and has five daughters. Knowing how valuable a good education can be to give children better opportunities for success, Tatiana values giving children and families educational equality through school choice. She loves advocating for families to have better access to quality education, whether it be through public or private options. Tatiana is fluent in Spanish and regularly works to help immigrant families find better solutions to meet the needs of their children in education.
In addition to 18 years of public school service in a variety of roles, I served as a K-12 Civics Literacy Captain and Regional Director at the Florida Department of Education. I led a team of Instructional Coaches in implementing Governor Desantis' Civics Literacy Excellence Initiative, ensuring the execution of state-level policies in education. I oversaw the design and development of dozens of professional learning sessions around the origin and development of the fundamental principles that characterize the American Republic. I also proudly served in the US Army with the Florida National Guard as a Combat Field Medic.
My family and I just moved to Beckley, West Virginia from Florida. I am currently the Innovation Hub Director for Love Your School as well as the Director of Education Partnerships and Strategy at the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy. As a teacher and a parent I am passionate about education and I am committed to shaping the future of students through school choice.