Meet Our Teachers
Sam E. received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Butler University in 2015. She also has endorsements in Reading and Special Education. Sam taught/worked with primary grades in North Riverside as well as Oakbrook. She also facilitated an "Academic Pod" during covid for a group of students in District 181. Most recently, she has been privately tutoring as well as teaching classes at Level Up during the school year and in the summer. Sam resides in Willowbrook with her husband.
Mary graduated from Iowa State University with an Elementary Education degree. She was a past administrator at a local preschool. She held this position for 22 years and was responsible for children 2 years of age through Kindergarten. She now tutors students grades Pre-K-5th grade.
Jean has passion for teaching and feels lucky to have a job in education. She has a Masters in early education from Depaul University, which led her to her first job at Latin school, teaching Kindergarten. She worked in private schools for 20+ years. She has many years of experience in the classroom understanding students abilities and learning needs. She is patient and aware of how to teach students to reach academic goals. She also holds a degree in Art, from Iowa State University. This also allows her to be creative when designing curriculums. With her background and love for teaching she is excited to be part of Level Up as we continue to grow.
Meaghan is a certified regular and special education teacher with 15+ years of Reading Specialist experience. She has been a Certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner for the past 12+ years with extensive experience in Orton-Gillingham based reading and spelling programs which are multi-sensory and systematic. Meaghan graduated from Illinois State University in 2004 with a bachelor’s in Elementary Education. In 2008, Meaghan earned a Master’s Degree in Reading from St. Xavier University. She has endorsements and continuing education in the areas of Learning Behavior Specialist and English Language Learners. Meaghan is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Reading, Language and Literacy at National Louis University. Currently, Meaghan is a Reading Specialist in the western suburbs of Chicago.
Amy S (Virtual) graduated from Wheaton College with a BS in Mathematics and MA in Teaching. She student taught at Naperville Central High School and served as a long-term substitute in 6th grade math at Hinsdale Middle School. She taught 8th grade math for 4 years at Clarendon Hills Middle School, where her classes included Math Lab, 8th Grade Math (Pre-Algebra), Algebra 1, and Honors Algebra 2/Trig. She has been tutoring in math and ACT/SAT test prep for 8 years. She has teaching or tutoring experience with all math courses from 5th grade math - AP Calculus and Statistics.
Page received a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from Loyola University New Orleans in 1994. Her degree is K-8 and she has an endorsement in reading. Page taught both second and third grade and privately tutored in New Orleans. Page was an instructional assistant at St Joseph School in Downers Grove. She has been working and teaching in District 181 for the last 7 years. She has a true love for teaching and loves to watch her students become successful. Page resides in Downers Grove with her husband and their 4 children.
Brittany graduated from Miami University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She taught preschool and kindergarten at a private school in Chicago and tutored students in grades K-3 for 8 years. Brittany moved to Clarendon Hills 11 years ago and has been home raising her four kids. Brittany is excited to be at Level Up. Her kids have attended the different programs over the years and she has seen the value it has brought to their education.
Michelle has been in public education for over 30 years and continues to enjoy working with students building their academic skills across all content areas. She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and another in Educational Leadership from Concordia University and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois. After beginning her career in Chicago, she worked in D181 for 17 years until she moved into administration in another western suburban school district. She has many years of experience in the classroom understanding student’s abilities and learning needs. She is patient and aware of how to teach students to reach academic goals through highly engaging activities. With her background and love for teaching, she is excited to be part of Level Up as we continue to grow.
Jocelyn received a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a Secondary Education Degree in U.S. and World History from North Central College in Naperville. She taught middle school social studies in Winnetka and a project based learning class for grades 2-8 at a private school in the western suburbs. Over the past four years, she has also tutored children in D181 in 3-8th grade through Level Up, and led two academic "pods" during Covid. She enjoys helping students develop skills and understanding through engaging activities. Jocelyn resides in Clarendon Hills with her husband and two children.
Kelly is a certified (K-9) general education teacher with 13+ years teaching experience. Her passion for being involved with children, in a school setting, started with her own four children and volunteering in their classrooms as they were growing up in Lisle. She returned to school later in life to earn a BA in Applied Behavioral Science from National Louis University and continued her education to receive her Masters of Arts in Teaching, also from National Louis University. She taught fourth grade for nine years and currently teaches second grade for the VVSD365 school district. Kelly was also an instructional assistant for (K-2) multi-needs and third grade in Naperville. She enjoys giving children the tools and strategies they need to become confident problem solvers and learners. She enjoys traveling, learning, being with friends and spending time with her adult children and first grandchild.
Amy M. earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Western Illinois
University and her Master’s degree in Special Education from Northern Illinois University. She has been teaching and tutoring students in grades Pre-K through 12 for over 20 years in both general education and special education settings. Currently, she co-teaches a class of 2nd grade students in the Valley View School District. She is excited to share her experience and expertise in order to support student growth at Level Up!
Mary D. has been preparing many students each year for the SAT/ACT for the past 15 years. Preparing for this important exam requires an approach that meets each individual’s needs while addressing all subject areas of the exam. She is well versed in all areas of the test and is here to help your child find success and confidence during this important part of his/her life. Click here to inquire.
Dyanne has been teaching and tutoring for the past 28 years with half those years being as a reading specialist and co-teaching in the primary grades. She graduated from NIU in elementary education and has a Master’s Degree in curriculum and instruction. She also has a Master’s Degree from Lewis University as a Literacy Specialist. She just received her special education endorsement and has taken classes focused on autism, executive functioning skills, social emotional needs and dyslexia. She believes in teaching with an explicit, systematic and multi-sensory approach. Her own neurodivergent son has just graduated from college and her daughter is currently at the University of Tennessee. Dyanne is excited to be a part of Level Up and to foster the love of learning in children and watch the students reach success.
Kristi has worked in private and public school education since 1986 in Oklahoma and Illinois. She has a BS in Elementary Education with a Mathematics Minor from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Lewis University. Her current certifications are in elementary general education, with both Learning Behavior Specialist 1 and Reading endorsements. Kristi has worked in District 181 since 2009 and as a Resource Teacher since 2011. She loves traveling with her husband to see her adult son and daughters in New York and Colorado as much as possible. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing the "light bulb moment" on students’ faces and in their eyes when they begin to understand and then master concepts and skills. She is excited to join the team at Level Up!
Chad (Virtual) has been teaching high school Physics and Chemistry for 28 years. He earned a bachelor's degree in Physics Education from Illinois State University with a minor in Chemistry. He has taught all levels of Physics and Chemistry to a wide range of students. Chad has extensive experience with one on one tutoring in both Physics and Chemistry including AP Physics and AP Chemistry.
Steve (Virtual) retired this past May from Glenbard East, having taught math there for 33 years. He has tutored in-person and through zoom off and on over the years, and is currently working at College of DuPage as a math tutor 20 hours per week. His speciality is Pre-Algebra through Calculus II (AP Calculus BC).