Athlos Academies Welcomes Kia Murray, Director of Education
Welcome Kia to the Athlos Academies Team!
We are thrilled to introduce Kia Murray, our new Director of Education, who has joined Athlos Academies with a wealth of experience and a passion for school improvement planning.
Kia Murray has worked in and supported charter schools for 20 years as a teacher, coach, school leader, and educational consultant. Her work has focused on improving academic achievement through quality instruction and impactful leadership practices.
Kia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Mercyhurst University and her Master’s Degree in educational leadership from the University of Northern Colorado. She is currently working towards her Doctoral degree in Charter School Administration at William Howard Taft University. Kia also has certifications in Critical Friends Group Coaching from the National School Reform Faculty, Student-Centered Instructional Coaching from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Cognitive Coaching.
In her most recent role, Kia served as the Director of Academic Services at the Colorado League of Charter Schools, a non-profit support organization serving over 260 charter schools across the state of Colorado. In addition to providing technical assistance and consultation to schools, Kia developed and implemented the League’s School Quality Review program, approved with distinction by the Colorado Department of Education, to provide holistic school review and improvement planning services to schools across the state. Additionally, she wrote, secured, and managed health and wellness grants supporting dozens of schools in low-income communities to improve school meal infrastructure and build staff and student resiliency. Kia’s recent experience also includes work with the Colorado Department of Education as an Administrator Mentor Cohort Leadership Mentor and a Unified Improvement Plan reviewer. Kia holds a Professional Principal and Elementary Education license in the state of Colorado.
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years. For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>Athlos Academies Welcomes Kevin Tompkins, Accounting Specialist
Welcome Kevin to the Athlos Academies Team!
We are thrilled to introduce Kevin Tompkins, our new Accounting Specialist, who has joined Athlos Academies.
Kevin Tompkins holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in business with a concentration in accounting from Indiana University.
His professional experience includes working in accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, and full cycle accounting.
Prior to moving to Florida in 2019, Tompkins coached high school baseball in his home state of Indiana for three years.
His first job out of college was in the accounts payable department of a staffing agency in Columbus, IN, and since then, has worked in accounts payable, accounts receivable, and purchasing for a marina forklift company in Fort Myers, FL.
Additionally, he has worked as a full cycle accountant for a non-profit charter school organization called Optima Ed in Florida.
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years. For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>Athlos Academies Welcomes Oladoyin Taiwo, Marketing and Communications Manager
Welcome Oladoyin to the Athlos Academies Team!
We are thrilled to introduce Oladoyin Taiwo, our new Marketing and Communications Manager, who has joined Athlos Academies with a wealth of experience and a passion for driving brand marketing and fostering effective corporate communication strategies.
Ms. Taiwo has a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with an MBA in Marketing. She is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom.
She has extensive knowledge of brand marketing and corporate communications for schools, including 15 years of overall experience with Marketing and Communications and five years of Senior management experience helping schools increase enrollment and supporting their communication and marketing needs. She brings a unique blend of skills to our team.
Her dedication to creating dynamic and engaging marketing communication initiatives and her proficiency in project management and analytics make her an invaluable addition to our organization.
She belongs to the American Marketing Association and The Women in Management, Business & Public Service.
Her commitment to excellence is evident in her successful marketing and strategic brand communication track record.
She has a proven knack for crafting messages that resonate with diverse audiences, effectively conveying organizations’ mission, vision, and values.
Her experience in traditional and digital media ensures that our communication strategies remain adaptable and impactful in an ever-evolving landscape.
As Marketing and Communications Manager, she will play a pivotal role in shaping our Marketing Team and reinforcing our brand.
Her enthusiasm for fostering meaningful connections will contribute to the continued growth and success of Athlos Academies.
We are excited to witness the positive impact she will make as we continue to empower students and shape the future of education.
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years. For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>Athlos Academies Welcomes Julie Ogden, Finance Manager
Athlos Academies welcomes a new Finance Manager, Julie Ogden. Ms. Ogden has a Bachelor’s degree in accountancy with a Master’s in business administration. She is a CPA exam candidate, qualified by the Florida Board of Accountancy. She has extensive knowledge of financial accounting for local and state school systems, including ten years of overall experience with finance and accounting and five years of experience in the generally accepted governmental accounting standards, program cost accounting and reporting, and school internal funds. She brings a thorough knowledge of the segregation of governmental, proprietary, and fiduciary funds and their revenue recognition on a modified accrual basis. She belongs to the Florida School Finance Officers Association and The National Society of Leadership & Success.
Ms. Ogden stated, “School finance is a broad and evolving field encompassing three resource-related functions – raising revenue, allocating resources, and using resources – all aimed at providing educational opportunities and producing educational outcomes. I look forward to bringing my expertise to the network of schools at Athlos Academies.”
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years. For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>Athlos Academies Welcomes Dr. Brian Dawes, Executive Director of Athlos Academy of Utah
Athlos Academies welcomes Dr. Brian Dawes, Executive Director, who will join Athlos Academy of Utah in July. Dr. Dawes comes to Athlos with a wealth of knowledge and over twenty years of educational leadership experience. Dr. Dawes is a lifelong learner with a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Southern Utah University, a Master of Science in Social Science and HR Management from Utah State University, and a Doctorate in Advanced Educational Leadership from Argosy University.
He taught for seven years at the middle and high school level and was the principal at Ferron Elementary, a National Title 1 Distinguished School. He was the past President of the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals. As a school leader, he significantly improved teacher retention at his previous schools. He has worked to build inclusive school communities for children of all faiths and diverse cognitive and physical abilities. Dr. Dawes has a portfolio of notable successes and a career filled with helping push the bar of educational excellence for students, educators, families, and school communities.
For more on Dr. Dawes, please see LinkedIn: Brian Dawes | LinkedIn
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years.
For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>May 5, 2023
Boise, Idaho –
Today Athlos Academies announced a new Chief Operations Officer. Teresa Tate has worked with K-12 charter schools for the past 16 years. Her work has focused on school personnel and school/systems operations. Teresa received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University. She started her career working for the city planning and zoning office and a marketing and printing company before entering the education field. She has worked in human resources for twelve years and has overseen school operations for eight years.
In her most recent two roles, she was the Chief Operations Officer for a charter network based in Arizona. She supported the growth of eleven additional campuses during her tenure, creating systems to support their development to serve over 12,000 students and 1,000 staff. Her primary duties focused on growth strategies and efficient building design while overseeing eight departments. These included HR, Marketing, Compliance, Finance, IT, Food Services, Facilities & New Construction.
From 2018-2023, Teresa worked as the Vice President of School Services at the Colorado League of Charter Schools, a non-profit support organization serving the 269 charter schools in the state of Colorado. In this role, she oversaw Academic Services, Business Services, Exceptional Student Services, HR & Talent Services, and New School Development. She also managed Board Governance Services directly. She focused on providing resources, training, crisis support, and networking opportunities to the charters across the state – serving various school models and sizes.
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years.
For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>March 1, 2023
Boise, Idaho –
Today Athlos Academies announced a new CFO. Chris Brooks has over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting. He started his accounting and finance career in the public sector, working for several CPA firms preparing financials and taxes for closely held businesses. After a national Education Service Provider recruited him, he started in the education sector, beginning as a staff accountant and progressing to Director of Finance. Chris left the education industry for a year and then returned as a CFO of a school district in Arizona. Chris has become a big proponent of school choice and has developed a passion for helping provide choices for parents and students. As a financial leader, he has participated in several K-12 public school transformations and growth initiatives. Chris is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Arizona. He earned his post-bac certificate in Accounting from Arizona State University and his Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from Arizona State University.
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana and Utah, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years.
For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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]]>March 16, 2022
Boise, Idaho –
Today Athlos Academies announced a leadership transition, signaling optimism for the future of Athlos Academies schools and continued growth for the burgeoning charter school network that serves students in three states with more schools planned.
Superintendent Darin Knicely has resigned effective March 25 to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Knicely joined Athlos Academies in 2018 and oversaw many exciting developments for Athlos schools, including the launch of a tutoring service for students in Athlos Academy of Jefferson Parish designed to address learning loss from school closures during the COVID pandemic.
Athlos Academies co-founder Jason Kotter expressed gratitude for Mr. Knicely, saying, “We appreciate Darin Knicely’s grit and creativity as we worked through the challenges of the past few years. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Effective April 11, Athlos Academies is excited to welcome a new CEO, Dr. William Bressler. Ed.D. “We are full of optimism as we move forward with Dr. Bressler’s’ leadership. His experience and vision will benefit hundreds of students, staff, and families in the Athlos school community,” said Ryan Van Alfen, one of the Athlos Academies co-founders.
Dr. Bressler has more than twenty years of PK-12 education administration experience. He is known for his transformational leadership approach, helping develop others and effectively managing, guiding, and motivating groups to create, implement and execute innovative strategies and structures.
He has developed teams and processes that consistently produce exceptional academic, financial, and operational results. He has a record of accomplishment providing student-centered learning environments that academically challenge students to their fullest potential while ensuring they are healthy, safe, engaged, and supported.
Dr. Bressler started his career in education as a high school guidance counselor. Later, served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, superintendent, chief academic officer, and executive director.
Dr. Bressler earned his doctorate in education leadership and management from Capella University, his master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Arizona State University, and his bachelor’s in social work from Arizona State University. He is also a state-certified superintendent and principal.
Dr. Bressler stated, “There is a consensus that improving our nation’s quality of education is a priority. Throughout my professional career, I have been motivated to positively contribute to our nation’s education improvement efforts for the better good of the school community and society in general. As I recently learned about the Athlos model and its innovative education pillars, I was truly inspired to see an education organization adopt research-based strategies that work. I chose to work for Athlos Academies because I believe we will have a beneficial impact and see excellent results by executing the model with fidelity. The opportunity to join a team of committed educators who feel the same is exhilarating.”
Dr. Bill Bressler, Ed.D.
About Athlos Academies
Athlos Academies is a social venture started in 2006 to provide sustainable solutions to many of the struggles charter schools face today. The organization offers a range of services to charter schools, including charter application development, facility construction, leasing, bond marketing assistance, operational support, research-based curriculum, staff and student recruitment, and teacher training. It currently partners with schools in Louisiana, Utah, and Minnesota, with more schools looking to join the partnership in the next few years.
For more information on Athlos Academies and their innovative charter school model, visit athlosacademies.org.
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Bentz, who teaches junior high English language arts, is a sixteen-year veteran educator known for his passion for education and his involvement in journalism, yearbook, creative writing, chess team, book club and National and Junior National Honor Society. Recently Bentz began recording videos as part of a literacy series called “Tuck-In-Tuesday’s” which were designed to help educators stay connected with students during the pandemic.
“Mr. Bentz always goes the extra mile to display leadership, optimism, and energy in everything he does,” said Ameran Link, Athlos Social Media Specialist.
Bentz says his best quality as an educator is his desire to put students and their needs first and foremost in all his classes. “Everything I do, from ongoing professional development to advocating for kids, is driven by a humble desire to see young people become smarter, better human beings,” he said.
Spano, who teaches fifth grade social studies, is a 32-year teaching veteran known for his extracurricular involvement and award-winning student clubs and athletic teams. Most recently, the Triton Sharks, a robotics team, finished in the top ten among First Lego League Robotics competitions. As part of the robotics team, Athlos students apply Performance Character Traits such as grit, creativity, and social intelligence.
Cheryl Martin, principal at Athlos Academy of Jefferson Parish, said, “Although Mr. Spano is new to the public-school setting, he never lowered his expectations or placed any restrictions on student abilities. He has found a way to engage students in history and current events. Students are eager to participate in classroom discussions.”
Gyamerah, who teaches English language learners (ELL) at Athlos Academy of St. Cloud, completed her first year of teaching and has already made her mark as an educator pursuing lifelong learning.
Courtesy Photo: Eunice Gyamerah, pictured in Minnesota with her award
Camille Wells, Chief of Operations and Growth for Athlos Academies, said, “Eunice shows leadership
by pursuing her doctorate degree and studies focused on the Somali community. She displays curiosity by being a lifelong learner, benefitting her students and helping them become English language learners. She brings her personal and professional experience to her work with ELL students, helping them acquire English to reach their academic goals. She is also an advocate for the school, helping Athlos grow and serve more children in the St. Cloud community.”
Athlos Academies is a social venture providing a new and unique approach to teaching and learning. Its mission is to provide high-quality educational opportunities for the whole child built on the three foundational pillars: Prepared Mind, Healthy Body, and Performance Character. Students participate in four scientifically developed physical activity sessions each week, Performance Character is integrated into the culture of the school, and high academic achievement is an expectation for all students.
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]]>2020 has been a year of both challenges and opportunities for public education. School leaders had to think quickly on their feet at they responded to the health and safety needs of students, staff, and families during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Educators did the heavy lifting of shifting their instruction online and learning how to create new classroom communities in the virtual landscape. While instruction moved online, classroom rituals, family events, and other cherished school traditions were also re-invented with innovative new approaches.
At Athlos Academy of St. Cloud, a tuition-free public charter school in St. Cloud, Minnesota, educators took the opportunity to start new traditions geared toward the emotional and academic needs of children. Searching for a meaningful connection with students, teachers created “Tuck-In Tuesdays,” a virtual bedtime story time shared on social media every Tuesday evening.
Donning pajamas, sitting by the fire, or finding a cozy reading nook by the window, teachers, social workers, and school leaders took turns reading books and introducing social-emotional learning to their virtual students. Some went as far as including their children and furry friends.
Rainbow Fish, The Mitten and The Giving Tree all became opportunities not only to enjoy a story, but also to build the valuable connection that serves as the foundation of all teacher-student relationships.
“This became a labor of love for our staff and a way to connect with our families and students. We miss seeing them and wanted to stay connected in a meaningful way,” said Executive Director Randy Vetsch.
While the “Tuck-In Tuesdays” are geared toward children, even adults have enjoyed the new tradition. One parent commented, “Tianne’s grandma enjoyed the book!” after Director Vetsch launched the series with the time-honored story of The Mitten.
“Tuck-In Tuesdays” are available at the Athlos Academy of St. Cloud Facebook page and archived on the website with links to find the books at the library or online. Athlos Academy: Tuck-in-Tuesday Book List (athlosstcloud.org)
As the new year begins, and with it the hope of returning to learning in-person, new traditions like “Tuck-In Tuesdays” will remain a loving tribute the good things that came from the challenges of 2020.
Author: Heather Crocker
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