A Message From Our Leadership Team

We welcome you to our school with an invitation to explore the many stories throughout our website that highlight the vibrancy of the Laurel Springs community.

There is great joy and opportunity in being an online K-12 private school offering a challenging curriculum that serves as the foundation for a lifelong passion for learning. Every aspect of our program is focused on the learning experience, on building close connections with our faculty, and on creating age-appropriate learning environments for our Lower School, Middle School and Upper School students. These are the foundational building blocks that shape our community.

We are a school with a global reputation of educating students to be well prepared for college and beyond. What you’ll find in Laurel Springs’ online environment is a deliberately constructed community that embodies what it means to define one’s own education. We put equal importance on each student’s individual development as we do on global citizenship and respect for others. Our focus is preparing students for the world ahead, and it has always been our guiding principle since the school’s founding in 1991 by Marilyn Mosley Gordanier.

Our entire school—faculty, students, administrators, parents, and alumnae—is committed to ensuring that Laurel Springs is a thriving community. We are focused on building upon our solid academic foundation that provides rich experiences for our students. Their success is supported by the quality curriculum, counseling services, teacher support, extra-curricular activities, special program offerings, and our dynamic guest speaker series. This commitment reaches into every aspect of school life.

Our teachers are extraordinarily talented and dedicated. 13% of our faculty have doctorates and over 69% of them hold master’s degrees from selective colleges and universities around the world. Recruited for their outstanding academic achievements and their commitment to Laurel Springs’ core educational values, our teachers are encouraged to select, expand on, and modify their curricula, fostering an unparalleled sense of ownership and creativity in their teaching practices.

The heart of the Laurel Springs experience is the relationship between inspiring, caring teachers and talented, motivated, and engaged students. At Laurel Springs, our mission to support students to achieve their academic goals and foster their personal interests and talents is more than just a statement; it is how we do school. Students who attend Laurel Springs are inspired by the power of ideas, made available through engaging exchanges with teachers who are passionate about global concepts that construct, characterize, and transform the world.

Beyond the online course experience, Laurel Springs encourages its students to be responsible and caring, while engaging in the school community and as citizens of the world. One place that this happens is in our iClass environments. Our iClasses are designed to provide opportunities that are both academic and social that explore content-specific big ideas, skills, and application of learning.

In the days ahead, we hope you will take the time to learn exactly how, each day, our students and teachers are working together to demonstrate our mission to personalize the learning experience and help students realize their best selves. We invite you to get to know the heart of this remarkable community: our students, faculty, and staff.

Meet the Leadership Team

The Laurel Springs philosophy was developed by a visionary leadership team. Our team is comprised of experts in the field of online learning, curriculum design, academic instruction, and assessment. They are passionate about our mission and about helping our online school students develop a lifelong love of learning.

Peter Robertson
President

Peter Robertson has 30 years of leadership expertise in primary and secondary education, focused on teaching and learning, technology & data science, policy, and business operations. He began his career as a high school history and government teacher and has devoted most of his professional life to defining and supporting quality instruction through standards-based curriculum, aligned assessment, technology resources and professional development.

Prior to joining Laurel Springs, Peter spent almost a decade in senior leadership positions at Connections Academy, now owned by Pearson. While at Connections, he supported boards and school leadership teams in start-up, staffing, operations, school improvement, charter renewals, and strategic planning. He also led data-driven efforts to address student retention, graduation rates, and other key school operations and student achievement related areas.

Prior to joining Connections Academy, Peter was an engagement manager for the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the Chief Information Officer for the Cleveland Municipal School District, Head of K-12 Product Development and an R&D practice leader for the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and Vice President for Education Services at SchoolOne.

Peter holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and master’s degrees in business administration and educational administration from Columbia University.

Email: PRobertson@laurelsprings.com Phone: 216.367.2793

Caroline Colantuno
Vice President

As the Vice President of Laurel Springs School, Ms. Colantuno oversees the day-to-day operations of the school, sets direction for strategic priorities, and delivers on the school’s mission to support students in achieving their academic goals.

As a member of the LSS Leadership Team, Caroline believes that effective communication and culture are critical to the success of the Laurel Springs global school community. Ms. Colantuno has demonstrated success as an experienced leader who collaborates with management teams to identify strategic priorities and develop comprehensive plans for school-wide growth. She is passionate about ensuring a positive school culture and is committed to fostering a collaborative environment where all team members are afforded the opportunity to contribute to the school community.

She has over 25 years in the education industry, beginning her career with Laurel Springs in 2011 leading the marketing and communications efforts as the Director of Marketing. As a parent of a high school senior and a college sophomore, she also understands how important every aspect of a family’s experience is as it relates to their child’s education. Caroline holds a B.A. in Family Studies from Arizona State University and is working toward her Masters in Organizational Leadership.

Email: CColantuno@laurelsprings.com Phone: 484.947.2056

Megan O’Reilly Palevich, M.Ed.
Head of School

Megan O’Reilly Palevich has been a teacher and administrator in the public and private sectors for 20 years. Her rich and varied experience in PreK-12 education includes curriculum design, signature innovative program development, technology integration, and personalized professional development for educators. Mrs. Palevich has won awards for innovation in science education from CESI and in social studies education from Facing History and Ourselves. She earned her B.A. from Rosemont College in Elementary Education and Psychology, and her M.Ed. from Cabrini University in Educational Leadership with completion of the K-12 Principal Certification Program.

Email: MPalevich@laurelsprings.com Phone: 484.947.2016

Diane Coraluzzi
Director of Student Services

Diane Coraluzzi has worked in the field of customer service management for 20 years and is passionate about creating legendary customer experiences. She is committed to ensuring legendary service and actively seeks solutions that work for our families. She is genuinely enthusiastic about serving our students and their families and looks forward to working with them throughout their years with Laurel Springs. She earned her B.A. in English and Communications from Cabrini University.

Email: DCoraluzzi@laurelsprings.com Phone: 484.947.2038

Julie McGovern
Director of Marketing & Communications

Julie McGovern has 20 years of experience in communications, strategic planning and marketing, and has worked for several organizations leading growth, market expansion and brand evolution. She is committed to amplifying the Laurel Springs Mission by developing integrated marketing strategies that deepen the understanding of our values, demonstrate the collective experience of our thought leaders and continue to create compelling student and parent engagements. Julie has her Bachelor of Arts in English & Communications from Cabrini University.

Email: JMcGovern@laurelsprings.com Phone: 484.947.3455

Ken Scheuer
Director of Admissions

Ken Scheuer has worked in sales management, coaching, and training for over 25 years. He brings a consultative sales approach to our enrolling families, and a supportive leadership style to our Admissions and Partnership teams. Ken is committed to helping Laurel Springs continue to identify educational solutions that satisfy our families’ unique needs. He earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Ursinus College.

Email:KScheuer@laurelsprings.com  Phone: 484.653.2928

Marilyn Mosley Gordanier, M.A.
Founder

Marilyn Mosley Gordanier has more than 35 years of education experience. Since founding Laurel Springs in 1991, she has led the school to become a premier provider of customized distance learning. Ms. Mosley Gordanier was nominated for a Nobel Earth Prize, and is the president of the United Nations Global 500 Environmental Forum. She participates in the Captain Planet Foundation on its Board of Directors, and serves on the STEM Education Working Group for the Clinton Global Initiative.

Academic Department Chairs

Click on the ADC’s image to read more about them.

Patti McClimans, M.Ed. Mathematics Academic Department Chair

Patti McClimans has been part of the Laurel Springs family since November 2016 as a math teacher, and the Math Lead Teacher since October of 2018.  She has been in the field of education since 1991. After spending many years in the classroom, she moved to private tutoring as well as college level instruction. Mrs. McClimans has also been an instructor in professional development programs in the field of Gifted Education and has worked with curriculum and assessment development in mathematics at the local school and district levels.    Patti holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Education in Secondary Mathematics, both received from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, she holds gifted certification in the states of Georgia and Colorado as well as Secondary Math teaching certification in four states.

Cory Plough, M.Ed. Social Studies Academic Department Chair

Cory joined Laurel Springs School as the Social Studies Academic Department Chair in 2015. Throughout his twelve years of online and blended learning experience, he has worked with a variety of programs around the country developing curriculum, integrating emerging technologies and mentoring students. He earned his M.Ed. in Educational Technology from Boise State University with a focus on online education and has studied Education Leadership at UNLV. Prior to that, he earned his B.A in History from California State University Northridge. Cory has spoken at numerous conferences and written about online education since 2008.

Bridget Schleifer, M.Ed. K-8 Academic Department Chair

Bridget has over 20 years of brick and mortar classroom, online and blended education experience as both a teacher and administrator. Mrs. Schleifer has her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University, a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University and is a certified reading specialist and K-8 teacher.

Alex Schroeder, M.Ed. Dean of Faculty Academic Department Chair

Alex was a high school English and ESL teacher as well as an high school Administrator before coming to Laurel Springs. She has developed assessments and curriculum at both the school and district level, and has also served on committees to evaluate teachers working towards National Board certifications. Alex earned her M.Ed in Teacher Leadership as well as her Principal’s Certification from Regis University, her B.A. in English from the University of Colorado at Denver, and her teaching certification through Western State University, and is certified in Linguistically Diverse education.

Emily Reid, M.Ed. Blended Learning Manager 

Emily has been in the field of education for over 10 years. She has worked as a traditional teacher at in brick and mortar setting, as well as teaching students in Kindergarten through 8th grade in an online environment. She has also managed after-school programs facilitating students with learning needs to fill gaps in knowledge and enhance their learning experience. Emily Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in Humanities as well as a Master’s Degree in Elementary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. She is extremely passionate about the progressive world of online learning. As the Blended Learning Manager and Customization Coordinator she is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in implemented blended learning in an online classroom, providing professional development to staff involved in online and blended learning, and tracking and analyzing data in regards to student success. Mrs. Reid is focused on individual student’s growth and progress, providing teacher support, and determining and enhancing the best curriculum and environment to benefit each student.

Rachelle Wafer Student Engagement Manager 

Rachelle has been involved in the private school sector for 30 years and is celebrating her 20th year as a Laurel Springs School teacher, academic department chair or administrator. She is a Level 2 Learning Success Consultant, earning her B.A. from Antioch University majoring in Psychology, minoring in Communication, with concentrations in child development and education. She has developed student centered, teacher professional development; personalized student study systems; curriculum; and a viable social community for students in a virtual campus to become well-rounded members of any community. Her focus in all areas has been to instill students lead with their strengths; address areas for growth to meet individual goals; and develop an effective balance of self-sufficiency, creativity and productivity in preparation for college and career in the 21st Century.

Gabby Bray, M.Ed. Dean of Academy 

During her 20 year career in education, Gabby has spent significant amounts of time working in brick and mortar schools, in fully online schools, and in several blended settings.  Gabby began her career as a high school Social Studies teacher, quickly adding Gifted and Advanced Placement credentials and experiences.  She subsequently held a variety of positions including Department Chair, Instructional Coordinator, Assessment Coordinator, and Staff Development Instructor in areas such as research-based instructional practices, data analysis, blended learning, and classroom engagement.  Gabby has worked on curriculum and assessment development at the local school, district, and state level.  Her current areas of focus include differentiation in the online setting, fostering leadership in teachers, and best instructional practices for gifted learners.  She received her B.S.Ed. and her M.Ed. in Social Studies Education from the University of Georgia.  She holds gifted certification in Georgia and teacher certification in five other states.

Jennifer Taylor, MLS Science  Academic Department Chair

Jennifer Taylor has been in the field of education since 2002 and has spent the last 10 years working with students, families and teachers in online schools.  Prior to joining Laurel Springs, she was an online Science Department Chair and teacher.  She has a wide variety of experience in online education, including teaching, teacher training, curriculum development, and school operations. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Science in Science Education from North Carolina State University in 2002 and a Master of Library Science degree from East Carolina University in 2006. She is certified to teach all sciences in grades 9-12 and holds her media coordinator certification for grades K-12. 

 

Lisa Bechtold, M.A. World Language & Electives Academic Department Chair

Ms. Bechtold earned her Bachelor of Arts in Secondary English Education and British Literature from the University of Montana and her Master of Arts degree in Online Education from the University of Phoenix. She also holds a teaching credential in Secondary English, she is a Highly Qualified NCLB Latin teacher, and holds a National Board Certification in Young Adult Literature and Composition. As Lead Instructor she worked in both the K-8 and English departments. Ms. Bechtold has trained new instructors and served as mentor teacher for the past five years in English, World Languages and the Electives departments.   With over 30 years of teaching experience that also includes curriculum development, Ms. Bechtold resides in Missoula, Montana.