The following biographies are a brief profile of each of our Early Childhood teaching specialists and our Class Teachers for grades One through Eight. They are listed here in alphabetical order by last name. Teacher bios for early childhood and specific grades are also listed under those sections of our website.

Gregory Beech, Jason Burnstein, Anne Crampton,  Marcee Hansen, Thako Harris, Mary Hatch, Kelly Larson, Peter Lawton, Sara Logan, Melissa McPartland, Kerry Miller, Anna Ridgeway,

Gregory Beech

Grade Six Teacher

Gregory Beech has taught his current class since first grade. He served as Chair of the CLWS College of Teachers, served on the Board of Trustees for three years, and also served as Faculty Chair. He first joined City of Lakes Waldorf School as co-teacher of fifth grade in 2004.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School; Class Teacher, 2004-present
Children’s Theatre Company: Academic Tutor for 5th graders
Tightrope Theatre, Founder and teacher: K-7
University of Wisconsin, River Falls; Directing ’91
Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC; Acting & Directing ’90
Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ; Theatre History ’89, Acting ’88

Education
Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Acting, MFA ’89
University of Minnesota, Morris, double major: English & Theatre Arts, BA ’86
Waldorf Teaching Certificate Candidate, Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Training Center, Chicago, IL
Waldorf Grades Deepening Intensives, Micha-el Institute, Portland, OR
Additional Waldorf Training; Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento, CA
Waldorf workshops and classes: Novalis Institute, Minneapolis, MN

Jason Burnstein

Grade Seven Teacher

Mr. Burnstein served on the faculty as the movement and games program for four years. He led the after school sports program for two years and directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream for a past seventh grade class and Cyrano de Bergerac for last year’s eighth grade. Mr. Burnstein has completed three years of the five-year Spatial Dynamics training with Jaimen McMillen and will continue that training along with classroom curriculum training.
Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Movement and Games Teacher, 2005 – present
Novalis Institute, Minneapolis, Faculty, 2007-09
Rudolf Steiner Institute, Faculty, 2007 – present
Circus Juventas, Instructor 2007 – 2009

Education
University of California, Santa Barbara, BFA
Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado, MFA

Anne Crampton

Grade Eight Teacher

Anne Crampton is an experienced teacher who has taught in a variety of settings. She taught at Watershed High School, a charter school that utilizes Waldorf teaching methods, prior to her work at City of Lakes Waldorf School. She joined the faculty last year when her current class was in fifth grade. In addition to teaching sixth grade, Ms. Crampton teaches language arts to CLWS seventh graders.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Grade Teacher, 2007 – present
Watershed High School, Minneapolis, MN, English Teacher, 2004-2007
Bais Yaakov High School, St. Paul, MN, English Teacher, 2001-2003
Johnson Senior High School, St. Paul, MN, 1994-1998

Education
University of Minnesota, Language Arts Teaching Certification (Grades 7-12)
Macalaster College, BA, English and History
University of Wisconsin-Madison, MA, English Literature
Novalis Institute, Waldorf teacher training

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Marcee Hansen

Grade Four Teacher

Ms. Hansen joined the faculty in December, 2005 as the 7th grade teacher. After taking that class through 8th grade, she became the 1st grade teacher of her current class. Ms. Hansen brings several years of teaching experience in a variety of settings. Ms. Hansen attended Waldorf teacher training programs in Chicago, Toronto, Portland and Minneapolis and will receive Waldorf teacher certification in the summer of 2009. She is the mother of three children that attend City of Lakes Waldorf School.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, 2006 – present
Ben Franklin Middle School, Grade 7, Ridgewood, NJ, 1996-1997
Tehipite Middle School, Fresno, CA, 1994-1996
A:Shiwi Elementary School, Grades 2 and 3, 1991-1994
St. Anthony Mission School, Zuni, NM, Grade 1 and 2, 1991-1992

Education
Ball State University, BS in Elementary Education, 1990
Novalis, Minneapolis, MN, 2005-present
Waldorf Teaching Certificate Training, Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Training Center, Chicago, IL, 2005-present

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Thako Harris

Grade Three Teacher

Mr. Harris brings twelve years of teaching experience: seven years of high school teaching, and nearly five years of elementary school. He joined City of Lakes Waldorf School in 2004 as the German teacher for Grades 1 – 8. He found this work to be quite rewarding, allowing him to keep his “mother tongue” alive, and to kindle geographic enthusiasm in his students. He became the Grade One teacher in 2008.

Education
U. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, Fisheries and Wildlife
Novalis Institute, Minneapolis, MN, Waldorf teacher training 2005 – 2008

Waldorf Teaching Certificate Candidate, Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Training Center, Chicago, IL; 2010

Teaching Experience
German Teacher, City of Lakes Waldorf School, Grades 1-8, 2004-2008
Community Learning Project, Alternative High School Teacher, 1995-2000
Minnesota Transitions School, Alternative High School, 2004-2006

Mary Hatch

Kindergarten Class Teacher

Mary Hatch has been involved with Waldorf education for nearly 30 years. She was a founder of the Minnesota Waldorf School and all six of her children were Waldorf students. She has served as a Kindergarten teacher for almost twenty years. She has a strong interest in serving children with developmental challenges, and recently received a Waldorf Teaching Certificate in Remedial Education from Rudolf Steiner College.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Kindergarten Class Teacher, 1989 – present
Minnesota Waldorf School, Aftercare Teacher and Early Childhood Assistant, 1982-1988

Education
College of St. Catherine, 1963-1965, Chemistry
U. of Minnesota, 1966-1969, B.A., History (1966), and Graduate Study in Russian History
U. of Massachusetts, Boston, 1975, Biology
Waldorf Teaching Certificate in Remedial Education, 2007, Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento, CA

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Kelly Larson

Grade Five Teacher

Kelly Larson began her work at CLWS five years ago when she started with the seventh grade class in 2004-2005. After completing two years with her first class, she began with her current class of students the following fall. Kelly is an accomplished educator with extensive middle school experience, having taught every core subject and many elective subjects in a variety of school environments. Kelly is also a teacher trainer and has worked with adult learning in a variety of ways and settings.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Grade Teacher, 2004-present
Saint Mary’s University, Master of Teaching and Learning Adult Educator, 2000-present
Columbia Heights School District, Central Middle School, Grades 6-8 Teacher, 1997-2004
Plymouth Christian Youth Center, Alternative Middle School, Grades 7-8, 1995-1997
Shivela Middle School, Murrieta, CA, Grades 6-8 Teacher, 1991-1995

Education
California State University, 1988, BA in Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota, 1991, BS in Elementary Education
Hamline University, Middle School Endorsement: English, Math and Social Studies
Saint Mary’s University, 2000, Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning
Waldorf Teaching Certificate Candidate, Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Training Center, Chicago, IL; 2010
Waldorf training, grades 1-3, 7, 8 (completed each summer for the next academic year)

Peter Lawton

Sabbatical Year

Peter Lawton brings a breadth of life experiences to his role as class teacher. After teaching math and music in the Minneapolis Public Schools, he joined the faculty at CLWS in 2002 as the first grade teacher of his current class. Peter has served in a number of leadership roles including College of Teachers Chair and Faculty Chair.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Grade Teacher, 2002 – Present
Minneapolis Public Schools, 1999 – 2002, Math Grades 6 – 10, Music Grades K – 8
Waldorf Teachers Certificate, Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Training Center, Chicago, IL, 2009

Education
Manhattan School of Music, 1987-1991, Bachelor of Music, Voice
U. of St. Thomas, 1998-1999, Master of Arts, Education
Public licensure in music and math

Sara Logan

Grade One Teacher

CLWS is pleased to welcome Sara Logan to the faculty. Sara brings many years of Waldorf teaching experience to the classroom.

Teaching Experience
Spring Hill Waldorf School, Excelsior, MN, Grades Teacher, 2001-2010
Spring Hill Waldorf School, Excelsior, MN, Russian Language Teacher, 2000-2002
Spring Hill Waldorf School, Kindergarten Assistant, 1999 – 2001

Education
Sarah Lawrence College, New York, BA, Liberal Arts
Sunbridge College, New York, MSEd, Elementary Education, Waldorf Education

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Melissa McPartland

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Melissa McPartland began her journey into Waldorf education in 2001 when she enrolled her son in a Steiner School in England. Since moving back to Minneapolis, Ms. McPartland has been involved in the CLWS community as an Early Childhood teacher, recorder ensemble director and parent.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, 2007 – present
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Early Childhood Assistant Teacher, 2005-2007
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Recorder Ensemble Director, 2004 – 2006

Education
Saint Olaf College, Bachelor of Music
Boston University, Master of Music
Waldorf Teachers Certificate Candidate, Rudolf Steiner College, Sacremento, CA

Kerry Miller

Educational Support Teacher

Kerry Miller has served CLWS in many capacities since joining the faculty in 1990. From 1990 to 2002, Kerry was a lead Kindergarten Teacher. She was a member of the first CLWS College of Teachers founded by Rene Quirido. Since then, she has served as the College of Teachers Chair. After completing remedial education training, Kerry began to assist students in need of learning support. A full-time educational support position was created for her and she retired from the Kindergarten to begin this work in 2002.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Part-Time Educational Support Teacher, 1997-2002, 2004
Watershed High School, Part-Time Special Education Teacher, 2004
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Full-Time Educational Support Teacher, 2003-2004
Novalis Institute, Adult Education Teacher, 2003 – present
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Kindergarten Teacher, 1990-2002
Camphill Village, Early Childhood Teacher, 1976-1979

Education
Sunbridge College, Masters Program Candidate for Remedial Education, started 2005
Prescott College, ADP Educational Degree Program, B.S., Therapeutic Education
(expected completion date: Spring 2005)
Sunbridge College, 1994-1997, Waldorf Teaching Certificate in Remedial Education
Delrow College, 1974-1976, Certificate of Graduation
University of Minnesota, 1973, Psychiatric Technician Training

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Anna Ridgeway

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Ridgeway is the first graduate of City of Lakes Waldorf School to serve as a faculty member. While completing her degree in child psychology, Ms. Ridgeway worked as an Early Childhood Assistant at City of Lakes Waldorf School for two years. In 2002, she joined the staff as a lead teacher and completed the training required for a Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching Certificate through the accredited Mi-chael Institute in Portland, Oregon.

Teaching Experience
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Early Childhood Teacher, 2002 – present
City of Lakes Waldorf School, Early Childhood Assistant, 2000-2002

Education
University of Minnesota, 1997-2002, B.A., Child Psychology
Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching Certificate, Mi-chael Institute, Portland, OR, 2008

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