Trainer Profiles
Lona Adler, Teacher Trainer
Deb Berman, Inclusion Trainer
Henry Brooks, Teacher Trainer
Emily Feinstein, Out-of-School Time Trainer/Coach
Linda Flanagan-Loggins, Teacher Trainer
Carole Friedman, Teacher Trainer
Neil Gross, Teacher Trainer
Sandy Gross, Teacher Trainer
Cristina Harris, Senior Trainer/Coach
John Jenkins, Teacher Trainer
Mark Kavarsky, Teacher Trainer
Sharmeen Khan, LMSW, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Nancy Klein, Teacher Trainer
Sheri Klugmann, Autism Training Specialist; Teacher / Parent Trainer
Susan Kosberg, Teacher Trainer
Rachel Lissy, Senior Trainer
Carmen Lloyd, Teacher Trainer
Heidi Lopez, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Tanya Manning-Yarde, Teacher Trainer
Kawana McInnis, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Frances Meyer, Teacher Trainer
Christina Olivares, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Yaniyah Pearson, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Linda Polsky, Teacher Trainer
Robert Schwartz, Teacher Trainer
Jocelyn Slovak, Teacher Trainer
Melissa Sornik, Teacher Trainer
Bonnie Taylor, Parent Trainer, Autism Specialist
Lisa Tazartes, Executive Director/Teacher Trainer
Lona T Adler, Teacher Trainer
Lona brings an extensive and varied background in education that includes 35 years as a New York City Public School classroom teacher, reading teacher, writing specialist, mentor/coach, assistant principal, teacher trainer and instructional specialist. As an instructional specialist on the district level and through the Office of School Improvement and Comprehensive Planning at Central Board, she provided on-site support, resources, training, and technical assistance to schools in the areas of assessment, curriculum content, organizational design, and team building. In addition, Lona has been a collaborator on several school redesign efforts and an adjunct instructor in the education departments of several universities. Lona holds a BA in Education from Brooklyn College, an MS in Reading from CW Post University, a New York State Education Department School Administrator /Supervisor (SAS) certification, a New York State Education Department School District Administrator (SDA).
Deb Berman, Inclusion Trainer
Deb is a graduate from Colgate University and holds an MBA in Public and Non-Profit Management from Boston University, and a Master of Education from Harvard University. After becoming a City Year Corps Member in Boston, Deb served as a Psycho-Educational Counselor at Judge Baker Children's Center, MA, supervising several classrooms of children with severe behavioral disorders and designing and implementing school-wide behavior policies. She has worked as a head counselor at Ramapo for Children's residential summer camp and is the founder and first Executive Director of Camp Starfish, Inc. in Boston, serving children with emotional, learning, behavioral, and social problems. Deb is now an Independent Consultant, engaging non-profit organizations to conduct strategic planning, marketing research, fundraising, coaching and executive recruiting projects. In this capacity, she also facilitates workshops designed to develop committees on inclusion in community-based organizations, followed by supportive coaching.
Henry C. Brooks, Teacher Trainer
Brooks began his career as a teacher in the White Plains School District and served as elementary teacher, alternative education teacher, curriculum resource teacher, and assistant principal. In 1986, he began a fifteen-year term as principal of the Katonah Elementary School. Among his accomplishments was leading his staff and school community to being named a New York State school of excellence for the 1998-99 school year. He received his BA and MA in Elementary Education at SUNY New Paltz and his 6th year Professional Diploma and certification in Educational Administration from the University of Bridgeport. Brooks has an expertise in working with school districts and social service organizations to build teams and effective leadership.
Emily Feinstein, Out-of-School Time Trainer/Coach
Emily has been working in youth development for over fifteen years. As a coach, trainer, and staff developer, she worked with numerous schools and after-school programs to create safe and supportive environments for children. She has trained students, teachers, and parents in conflict resolution and behavior management, coached teachers in positive discipline, developed advisory and mediation programs, and worked closely with program leaders to identify and implement best practices that promote community and collaboration. Emily has worked with a range of youth development agencies, including; Partnership for After-School Education, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, and Creative Response to Conflict.
Linda Flanagan-Loggins, Teacher Trainer
Linda has over 20 years of experience in the fields of youth development and education. She has provided comprehensive asset-based programming for youth and developed mentoring programs for teachers and youth workers. She is trained and certified in conflict resolution, bias awareness and multicultural curriculum development through participation in workshops of organizations including Harvard Graduate School Education Principals' Center, Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) and many others. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz and is a recipient of the State of New York Chancellor's Award. She is currently pursuing graduate study in education. Linda brings to Ramapo a wealth of experience as a facilitator and experience to share in working with children with difficult behavior.
Carole Friedman, Teacher Trainer
When Carole retired from her position as a principal with the New York City Department of Education, she was not yet ready to retire from the field of education entirely. As a Ramapo trainer and coach, Carole brings her understanding of the needs of school professionals and the vital skills that she developed during her 33 years in education. She draws on her experience as a principal, assistant principal, staff developer, and teacher to provide professional development for teachers and train them to change student behavior by changing their own behavior; this in turn enables teachers to devote valuable classroom time to instruction instead of management. Her special expertise in developmentally appropriate education provides valuable insights into childhood behavior.
Neil Gross, Teacher Trainer
Neil has been both an educator and an administrator in Westchester and New York City for over 38 years. He has experience teaching children with learning disabilities on elementary and secondary levels. His experience in New York City ranges from working in residential schools for emotionally challenged students to facilitating a total communication program for the deaf and hard of hearing. Neil was responsible for the implementation and development of a character education program in a highly successful alternative high school in Rye, New York. He has focused on developing programs for students and families of students challenged with emotional and social issues. The programs he has developed have provided a support community able to assist families with the myriad issues they face in today's challenging world. He is also the recipient of the “Educator Overcoming the Odds Award” from Student Advocacy of Westchester. Neil has a Masters Degree from New York University in Special Education and completed his administrative work at Pace University.
Sandy Gross, Teacher Trainer
Sandy is a retired Yonkers teacher who comes to Ramapo for Children with over 35 years of experience. She has been a teacher, mentor, coach, facilitator, chairperson, and dean of discipline for the Yonkers Public Schools. She is a presenter and facilitator giving workshops in differentiated instruction. She has also been a consultant for schools, principals, and teachers needing assistance. In addition, she is a recipient of the NYS English Council Educator of Excellence Award and the Jewish Council of Yonkers, "Leader in Education" Award. She is also noted in Who's Who in American Education. Sandy is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and Penn State University.
Cristina Harris, Senior Trainer/ Coach
Cristina received her Masters in Social Work from New York University, and has provided counseling and training to parents, children, youth workers, and school professionals throughout the city, focusing on building strong relationships and effective communication. She began her professional career as a Teach for America teacher in the Bronx and has since directed after school programming, provided individual and group therapy to children and families, and designed educational and recreational programming for school-aged children in Ghana and Peru. Through her work as both a teacher and social worker, Cristina has gained a solid understanding of “what makes kids tick,” and this insight guides her training and coaching.
John Jenkins, Teacher Trainer
As a Learning and Development Specialist with a doctoral degree in Education from New York University, John has served as a training consultant with Kaplan K-12 services and schools throughout the New York City system. He has also been a principal at both charter and public schools in the New York City area. His doctoral research is on the experience of adolescent males in urban schools. John's areas of expertise also include literacy; teacher training and development; and diversity, social justice, and inclusion. John received an SAS/SDA Certificate in Administration and Supervision from Baruch College, CUNY, and an M.S. in Secondary Education and English from Herbert H. Lehman College. He received his B.A. in English from the University at Albany.
Mark Kavarsky, Teacher Trainer
Mark Kavarsky, Ed.D., has been both a teacher and administrator for over 35 years, working predominantly in middle schools in New York City and Long Island. Mark was the founding principal of the Salome Urena Middle School, IS 218M, located in Washington Heights, NY. This nationally recognized middle school was featured in the PBS broadcast of the documentary "Three O'clock and Beyond." Mark has district-wide experience in team building, curriculum mapping, strategic planning, school safety, and classroom management, as well as grouping practices for children with special needs. Most recently, Mark has served as an assessment coordinator for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which publishes the "National Report Card." .
Sharmeen Khan, LMSW, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Sharmeen started working with youth as an adolescent herself through her high school peer tutoring program, and went on to create and implement after-school programs. Most recently, she served as the supervisor of Youth Programs at the Arab-American Family Support Center in Brooklyn, during which time she coordinated all aspects of the after-school program, teen program, and summer camp. In this capacity, Sharmeen created and delivered trainings for staff, developed and facilitated group work, and supervised a staff of youth workers. She has experience facilitating groups with middle school students in both after school and clinical settings, and has extensive expertise in the area of child and adolescent development. Sharmeen recently graduated from NYU with a Masters in Social Work and plans to continue working in a clinical, administrative, and educational capacity with children, youth, and their families.
Nancy Klein, Teacher Trainer
Nancy's commitment to public education has spanned over 30 years. Nancy holds New York State certification in Special Education in grades K-12. She holds a Masters of Science in Special Education and has done postgraduate work in School Psychology. Her experience includes working with students with both learning and behavioral challenges in a variety of settings. Nancy is certified by Cornell University's Therapeutic Crisis Intervention program for supporting behavioral management strategies for both staff and students. Her experience as a coach includes implementing professional development activities and individual coaching sessions, and supporting instructional and behavioral best practices.
Sheri Klugmann, Autism Training Specialist; Teacher / Parent TrainerSheri is a Queens College graduate and earned both a Masters degree in Elementary Education from Hunter College and a Masters degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Touro College. Sheri was trained at the YAI/New York League for Early Learning, where she studied and gained skills on Applied Behavior Analysis. After working as a general and a special education teacher in various public schools throughout New York City, she joined the YAI full-time as a Special Education Itinerant Teacher, working both at home and in school settings as a 1:1 shadow for children with PDD, Asperger's Syndrome, severe speech and language delays, social delays, and behavior challenges.
Susan Kosberg, Teacher Trainer
Susan has been an educator in Westchester and New York City for more than 35 years. Her diverse experience includes classroom teaching to children with learning challenges and regular education students, and college- and graduate-level courses in Education. She has presented professional development workshops at the Superintendent's Conference Day and for the NYS Department of Education. Susan has participated on numerous panels for educational conferences and associations, including “Effective Practices in Instruction with Children with Disabilities” for the Council for Exceptional Children at Manhattanville College. In addition, Susan has been teaching a college field experience course in special education for counselors at Camp Ramapo every summer for more than 20 years.
Rachel Lissy, Senior Trainer
Rachel began her career working with young people as summer counselor at Camp Ramapo in 1995. During her seven summers working at Ramapo, Rachel developed behavior management, relationship-building, and supervision skills that continue to be fundamental to her work. Finding after-school programs to be an exciting place for children to explore new activities and build supportive relationships, Rachel started her after-school experience as a teaching associate with Citizens Schools, an innovative, apprenticeship-based after-school program serving middle school students in the Boston area. In New York she worked with Good Shepherd Services, first as the director of an after-school program serving two 6-12th grade schools in Brooklyn and then as the site coordinator for a TASC program serving 200 students in grades K-8. Rachel led this after-school program through its transition into an OST site and helped to design the school's first vacation and summer programs. Rachel is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at UC Berkeley and has worked in the Oakland public schools leading academic enrichment activities while pursuing her degree.
Carmen Lloyd, Teacher TrainerCarmen is an experienced educator with an extensive background in school leadership and training. In her 35 years as an educator, she showed progressive advancement from classroom teacher to staff developer, assistant principal, and principal in New York City Public Schools and in the Non-Public sector. As a New York City principal, Carmen spent 13 years in the Chancellor's District, where she focused on restructuring failing schools and closing the gap in educational achievement for high-risk, underachieving students. She has advanced degrees in Educational Administration and Supervision from Long Island University, C.W. Post College and a Masters in Education from Hunter College in New York.
Heidi Lopez, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Heidi has been working with young people in youth development and after-school settings for more than a decade. She has worked directly with youth through on multiple levels, from peer mentor and group leader to supervisor and director of a large Beacon program.. In addition, her experience includes supervision, administration, and community organizing. Heidi has her undergraduate degree in Sociology and a Masters degree in Social Work. In addition to her work as a Ramapo trainer, Heidi is a social worker at a community college, a volunteer with high school youth, and is pursuing a PhD in Social Justice.
Tanya Manning-Yarde, Teacher Trainer
Tanya holds a doctorate of philosophy from the University at Albany, with a dissertation focus on literacy as contextualized action in urban classrooms. She has experience as a tenured high school teacher, educational consultant, assistant professor of education, and mentor. She has been an instructor of undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates, in-field supervisor, instructional coach for new and probationary teachers, and site-based instructional coach for new transfer schools. Her areas of expertise are in engaging high school students, curriculum mapping, and literacy strategies.
Kawana McInnis, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Kawana has worked in youth development for more than 15 years as an educator, supervisor, trainer, coach, and mentor. She has served as a NYC Department of Education teacher, a youth development trainer for faith-based organizations, an Education Specialist for children in foster care, and an Educational Program Director for Advantage After School Programs. Kawana is a certified CDHS (Center for Development and Human Services) trainer for foster parents, an associate pastor for young people, and is currently participating in the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative to continue developing her skills as a youth development trainer and leader in the field. She obtained her BA in Psychology from Brooklyn College and plans to pursue a Masters in Divinity for Urban Ministry starting in 2010.
Frances Meyer, Teacher Trainer
Fran has been an educator for over 35 years in roles as diverse as teacher, counselor, principal, director and college professor. As the first executive director of the Cooke Center for Learning and Development, Fran became well known in New York City for designing various models for inclusive education. As a result, Fran was awarded a grant from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Council to conduct workshops throughout the metropolitan area. Through this grant, Fran was able to create videos and training manuals for inclusive education. Fran also served as a county director of special education and a director and principal of residential and center-based programs for children with disabilities. She has training in crisis intervention and taught both teachers and administrators on the college level for 17 years. Fran earned a doctorate, professional diploma, and Masters degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Masters degree from Adelphi University.
Christina Olivares, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Christina has been working in the field of youth development for more than 10 years in positions including Senior Program Coordinator for College Guidance at Harlem RBI, Youth Development Specialist with the NYC Department of Education, an arts curriculum developer, and an administrator. Christina's experience working with middle and high school students in after-school settings has focused on building leadership skills in young people and coaching them toward success. Christina holds a Bachelor's degree in Critical Multicultural Pedagogy from Amherst College, and is currently pursuing her Masters in Fine Arts at Brooklyn College.
Yaniyah Pearson, Out-of-School-Time-Trainer
Yaniyah has 28 years of experience in the field of youth development, and has held senior management positions in youth development organizations since 1996. She has worked with Episcopal Social Services, Educators for Social Responsibility, and YouthBuild USA as director, trainer, and technical assistance provider. She served on the first New York City Workforce Investment Act Board Youth Council. She has been a trainer since 1981 and has trained hundreds of educators, youth workers, and youth across the United States in the areas of youth leadership development, diversity, conflict resolution, substance abuse prevention, and stress management. She has worked with New York City school administrators and K-12 teachers in conflict resolution curriculum and classroom management. Most recently she ran the Human Services Department in Newburgh, NY with oversight for eight 21st Century Community Learning Centers. She has been an adjunct professor in developmental psychology at Dominican College of Blauvelt. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Lesley College Graduate School and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Brandeis University.
Linda Polsky, Teacher Trainer
Linda has taught in New York City public schools for more than 25 years and was an assistant principal in a performing arts school for 6 years. She holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision, as well as a BS and MS in Education. Linda continues to work with new teachers in her role as a Mentor with the Department of Education. In her work for Ramapo for Children, she helps teachers learn the skills necessary to be stronger and more effective in their classrooms.
Robert Schwartz, Teacher Trainer
Formerly the Principal of Greenburgh Eleven USFD at Children's Village in Dobbs Ferry, NY, and Assistant Principal of Newtown High School in Queens, NY, Bob taught in elementary- , middle- , and high schools in NYC for 12 years, many of them as a special education teacher. His areas of expertise include special education, crisis intervention, and behavior planning. Bob is a product of the New York City educational system and graduated from S.J. Tilden H.S., in Brooklyn, NY. He holds an M.A. and P.D. in School Psychology and an M.A. and P.D. in School Administration and Supervision from Brooklyn College of the City University. Bob earned his undergraduate degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York.
Jocelyn Slovak, Teacher Trainer
Jocelyn is a former New York City Teaching Fellow. She got her start in urban education as an English teacher at the Academy of Urban Planning High School in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she ultimately served as lead 12th grade teacher. Having taught everything from French literature to entrepreneurship in the past eight years, Jocelyn has also developed curriculum for the nonprofit Creative Connections, coached teachers for Kaplan K-12, and served as Coordinator of Early Intervention Services for the Byam Network within the New York City Department of Education. She brings to Ramapo for Children her sensitivity and as well as her enthusiasm for working with teachers of all ages. Jocelyn holds an honors BA from Wellesley College in Comparative Literature, an MA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, and an MS in Education from Pace University.
Melissa Sornik, L.M.S.W., Parent Trainer
Melissa Sornik has been working with students with disabilities and their families for nearly ten years. She is the cofounder and president of Long Island Twice Exceptional Children's Advocacy, Inc. (LI-TECA), an organization supporting individuals who are gifted with learning differences and disabilities and their families. She is also the founder and director of the Talent Development Cooperative (TDC), TECA's talent development mentor program for children and adolescents with disabilities. She has lectured widely on the subjects of twice exceptionality, talent development, giftedness, and divergent learning styles, as well as coauthoring an article on the identification of twice exceptional students. In addition to her work with Ramapo Training, Melissa counsels children and adolescents with disabilities as both a school social worker and through private practice. She earned her BSW from Molloy College and her MSW from Fordham University.
Bonnie Taylor, Parent Trainer, Autism Specialist
Bonnie received her doctoral degree in Psychology from the Graduate Center of The City University of New York, where she concentrated in neuropsychology. She completed an autism-focused postdoctoral fellowship at the Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. There, she participated in cutting-edge research in autism spectrum disorders, and conducted behavioral evaluations for children and adults with autism. Bonnie has also gained extensive experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities in community-based settings, including F-E-G-S and the JCC of Manhattan. Her work with people with autism spectrum disorders has included conducting diagnostic assessments and functional behavior analyses, evaluating and implementing programs, curriculum development, and facilitating social skills groups for young adults with Asperger's. Bonnie brings to the Ramapo staff a font of knowledge and autism-specific experience for leading staff trainings.
Lisa Tazartes, Executive Director/Teacher Trainer
Lisa holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Swarthmore College. She has taught special education and is an experiential education specialist. Lisa is also certified in adventure-based counseling and life space crisis intervention. A member of the Ramapo staff for more than 15 years, she is a graduate of the Executive Level Program of the Institute for Non-Profit Management at Columbia University. Lisa is a founding director of both Ramapo's Challenge and Adventure Retreats and Ramapo Training. Her career has been devoted to building the skills and capacity of educators and youth service professionals. Lisa is also the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Zella Bronfman Award, in recognition of her role as a change agent who is helping to transform the delivery of services to people with disabilities.
