ACC Staff
ACC Staff
The Alaska Comprehensive Center will draw on the strengths and capacities of the applicant organization, SERRC, and of NWREL, both highly knowledgeable and experienced Alaskan educational service providers.
Jerry Schoenberger
Alaska Comprehensive Center Director
Jerry Schoenberger joined the South East Regional Resource Center in 2000 as Director of the Alaska Regional Comprehensive Assistance Center (AKRAC). He is currently the Director of the new Alaska Comprehensive Assistance Center (ACC). Schoenberger brings 23 years of site level experience as both an elementary and K-12 principal, and teacher, and has worked in both rural Alaskan and urban schools. Mr. Schoenberger's experience includes the design and implementation of innovative technology in elementary schools, and strategic planning at the district and site level. He has also served as the President of the Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals and Alaska Council of School Administrators.
Teri Regan
Professional Development Coordinator and Content Center Liaison
Ms. Regan is a highly regarded educator in both urban and rural contexts in Alaska. She presents skilled leadership at all levels of learning, from classroom and school administration as a principal to leading data driven instruction and school-wide planning. Ms. Regan holds Alaska certification as a K-12 Special Education teacher, K-8 Administrator/Principal, and K-12 Special Education Administrator. Her Bachelor's Degree is in K-12 Special Education with her Master's Degree in Public School Administration. She is an experienced 'trainer of trainers' and is well versed in all aspects of NCLB. In 2004 and 2005, Ms. Regan coordinated the state approved supplemental education services (SES) program offered by SERRC providing services to eight schools in five districts throughout Alaska. For the last year and a half, Ms. Regan has also worked with the Statewide Mentoring Project as a Principal Coach with new principals in both rural and urban schools.
Gerry Briscoe
Education Specialist/Content Center Liaison
Mr. Briscoe comes to the Alaska Comprehensive Center following 30 years in Colorado as an elementary teacher, literacy coordinator, and elementary principal. The school where he last served as principal received the Colorado Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award. His master's degree is in remedial reading, and he received his administrative certification from Western Washington University. He is a fellow of The Art and Craft of the Principalship from Harvard University and of the Principal Leadership Academy from Tointon Institute. During his service as a classroom teacher, he received the Thelma Pett Award from CCIRA to engage in action research in reading. He has trained trainers in the areas of parenting and conflict resolution, facilitated staff induction programs, and presented district-wide staff development activities in literacy K-12.
Kela Halfmann
Webmaster/Design & Communications
Ms. Halfmann has over 20 years in public relations, marketing, and communications design. Her experiences have ranged from developing and implementing community outreach and youth education programs to designing and producing comprehensive information packages including website design and development, print productions, and film media for public information. As the Site Designer and Webmaster for the umbrella agency (SERRC) and the ACC, she has developed and launched interactive websites/forums and designed cutting edge multi-media and print presentations for both the agency and for programs specific to educators, parents, and students. Ms. Halfmann also provides professional development and technology instruction in computer skills training, software applications, and also offers in-service training to districts on website construction.
Deborah Davis
School Audit Design Coordinator (NWREL)
Ms. Davis is Project Director in the Center for School and District Improvement at NWREL and will serve as Audit Design Team Coordinator for the ACC. In her current role she provides leadership for the research and development of products and services related to school improvement for schools not making Adequate Yearly Progress. As part of this effort, she has developed an onsite review process that uses literacy and mathematics as a lens for school improvement. She joined the NWREL staff in September of 1995, and after four years as an independent consultant, and returned to the Lab in September of 2003. During the time away from NWREL, Ms. Davis worked with a number of clients on school improvement projects, including work with the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, ESD 112, the Multnomah Commission on Children, Families, and Community, and the Portland Public Schools. Ms. Davis has a MA in Developmental Reading and an Administrative Credential.
Jacqueline Raphael
Research Advisor (NWREL)
Ms. Raphael is a Research Associate with the Center for School and District Improvement at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Her current responsibilities include serving as Editor of the online Catalog of School Reform Models and a member of the R&D team developing and field-testing a process for facilitating professional learning teams at K-12 schools. Ms. Raphael has spent over ten years studying and writing about educational programs. Topics of published work include standards-based reform, use of technology, educational program evaluation, professional development, and pre-service teacher training. She has published in journals such as Educational Leadership, Change, Journal of Science Teacher Education, and the peer-reviewed Journal of Research in Science Teaching , and has presented papers at AERA. Ms. Raphael co-authored two volumes on student testing innovations in postsecondary science and a book on creative writing groups.
Dr. Art Burke
Evaluation Advisor (NWREL)
Art Burke is an Evaluation Advisor in the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. His responsibilities include designing evaluation studies, analyzing results, and writing reports. He joined NWREL in 2004. Prior to joining NWREL he worked as an evaluator and analyst for the Vancouver Public Schools and the Portland Public Schools. Earlier he held teaching and administrative posts at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine and the University Of Illinois College Of Education. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Scranton, and a doctorate in education, with a special field of measurement, evaluation, and statistical analysis, from the University of Chicago.
Timothy W. Speth, M.A.
Tim Speth is currently involved with several research and evaluation projects throughout the Northwest, as a Senior Advisor of NWREL’s Child and Family Program. He is the co-investigator on NWREL’s studies on supplemental educational services in the northwest and parent and community involvement in the northwest. He is the primary external evaluator for 5 Washington schools participating in the Comprehensive School Reform Project (CSR) and assists in CSR related activities throughout the Northwest. Over the past 6 years Tim has worked with nearly 20 Alaska schools (urban and rural) on their Comprehensive School Reform projects, providing evaluation and technical assistance services. He has had extensive training and experience in research design, statistics, and program evaluation.