Institute for School Innovation
Staff
Dr. Larry S. Rosen, President & CEO
Larry Rosen, a founding partner of The EdDesigns Group, has more than 40 years' experience in teaching and administration (most recently at Stetson University and Johns Hopkins University) as well as innovation in K-12 schools and human service organizations. He has served as a teacher, counselor, principal, professor, director, dean, and college vice president. For the past four years he has been the General Manager for Education Solutions for Panasonic North America.
He has served on several national boards including one of the nation's largest health care systems. Larry spent five years during the 1990s on full-time assignment with the Walt Disney Company developing educational designs, including the acclaimed Celebration School. He is a recognized expert in values development who has authored several books and developed many innovative programs, including school and curriculum design and teacher training nationwide in diverse areas. He received bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Dayton and a doctorate from St. Louis University.
Winifred (Winky) Jenkins-Rice, Vice President for Educational Programs & Client Support
wrice@ifsi.org
Ms. Jenkins-Rice holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Elementary Education from Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA and a Master of Education degree from Pennsylvania State University in Curriculum and Instruction. She also holds certification in Exceptional Education and Varying Exceptionalities (K-12). Ms. Jenkins-Rice has been an educator for over twenty-five years in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida. Ms. Jenkins-Rice was a former CHILD teacher and consultant before working full time for ISI in 1995. She piloted the first CHILD cluster for exceptional students and co-authored the CHILD Special Needs Inclusion Guide. She was a founding board member for a charter school in St. Marks, FL and continues to work within the charter school movement. Ms. Jenkins-Rice is active in her church with children and youth ministries.
Diana R. Paulson, Director of Program Development
dpaulson@ifsi.org
Ms. Paulson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the Ohio State University and a Master's degree in Computer Education from the University of North Carolina. Receiving her National Board Certification in 2005, Ms. Paulson has been in education for over 30 years, teaching in five different states and at every level, including, online for the University of Central Florida. Ms. Paulson has served as a mentor to student teachers, a teacher ambassador abroad, and was honored as Teacher of the Year in Union County, NC. She has been recognized as an education innovator, starting several unique programs, such as, a collaborative teaching environment between regular and special education, and a county-wide literature project. She has presented at state and national conferences, and written and received numerous grants.
Ms. Paulson is a former CHILD teacher and ISI's first regional coordinator. She has worked with ISI since 2002. Ms. Paulson enjoys spending time with her family and is active in her community and church's women's ministries.
Julie Switzer, Consultant
jswitzer@ifsi.org
Ms. Switzer holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Ms. Switzer taught school for six years, five of them as an Intermediate CHILD specialist in an Imagine Charter School in Osceola County. She was involved in a pilot program integrating the Leap Frog School’s LeapTrack System with CHILD in her classroom.
Ms. Switzer was also a CHILD consultant for three years, coaching and supporting new CHILD teachers. She has presented numerous sessions at district workshops. Ms. Switzer served as the Training Facilitator and Director of Teacher Development from 2008-2012 and now works as a training consultant for ISI.
Tanisha Denegaul, Administrative Associate
tdenegaul@ifsi.org
Ms. Denegaul is a native of Roswell, New Mexico and now lives in Tallahassee. She is a proud mother of two girls. She spent 5 years teaching pre-k when the children were young. Tanisha also is culinary trained and enjoys cooking and entertaining.
Associates
Lyn Channey, Senior Consultant- New Britain, CT
channeyL@csdnb.org
Ms. Channey has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Science Education and a Masters of Sciences Degree in Mathematics from Central Connecticut State University. She is also a PIMMS Fellow (Project to Increase the Mastery of Mathematics and Science).
Ms. Channey was a middle school Math and Science teacher for 13 years and an Elementary Numeracy Resource Teacher for 2 years. Ms. Channey was chosen Teacher of the Year for both Pulaski and Louis P. Slade Middle Schools and received a Science Teacher Award from the University of Connecticut. She has mentored several student teachers and first year teachers and has served on several State of Connecticut panels for writing CMT items and the checklist for special education students. Lyn is currently mentoring and coaching over thirty teachers in New Britain, CT.
Consultants
The Institute also contracts with over 60 certified Project CHILD teachers and administrators to mentor and coach fellow educators new to school innovation.