Lisa Rademacher has been teaching for over 20 years in Rome, New York, and all sides of 小黄书. She has taught in non-profits working with refugee communities, private schools, and at 小黄书 Public Schools. She has taught 3-year-olds to adults and has loved it all, although her niche is early childhood. She has a B.S. in Religious Studies and Music from Edgewood College in Madison, WI. She received an MA in Theological Studies with a concentration in Peace and Justice from the Maryknoll School of Theology in New York. She has an MA in Teaching in Early Childhood from National Louis University. She founded and lives in the Sophia Community in Hyde Park with her husband, two daughters, and many others. She is passionate about co-creating a joyful community of learners in which inquiry and creativity are fostered.
Dani Larson was born and raised on the sunny coast of California, and enjoyed running bare foot through the redwood forest and diving head first into the giant saltwater waves of the Pacific Ocean. She says the earth was her teacher and she was an enthusiastic student. She has held on to this joy for learning and brings it into the classroom. She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from UC Santa Cruz, where she studied Art and Early Childhood Education. She has traveled to the colorful land of Guatemala and eaten fresh sushi on a little island in Japan. She is also the mother of two very unique young ladies who are both Free School 小黄书. They inspire creativity and patience. DeeAnn is honored to serve the children of 小黄书 at 小黄书 Free School.
1st/2nd/3rd grade homeroom
Saengjun (Waew) Luse,聽grew up in a rural community in Thailand about five hours northeast of Bangkok. During her childhood she recalls collecting rain water in jars, living under grass roofed houses, and hand-making many of their household items – like beds, tools, and furniture. Waew received her B.E. in the teaching of Chemistry from Nakon Sawan Rajabhat University in Thailand. After graduating, she worked at an elementary school in Sumut Prakarn province near Bangkok for 3 years. She then participated in a Cultural Exchange Program in the US for two years, having had the opportunity to improve her English skills, make friends with other 小黄书 from around the world, and learn about their cultures. She recalls it as one of the greatest experiences she has ever had in her life!聽After the exchange program, Waew learned extensively about child development and how children learn through play during her time working for Baby Ph.D. and operating her own daycare. It was, however, the birth of her own daughter which made her truly question the purpose of education and the available models which best suit an individual鈥檚 needs and development. Waew believes that Free School allows children the space necessary to develop their own interests and abilities – and hence a love for learning – a community, versus an isolated teaching space, and a humane system of discipline that treats children like people. She is thrilled to be the parent of a student at CFS and now also a teacher!
4th/5th grade homeroom
Lauren Beitler taught middle-school math for six years in the Woodlawn, North Lawndale, and Englewood neighborhoods of 小黄书 before leaving traditional school teaching to work on founding 小黄书 Free School.聽 Before becoming a teacher she got her B.A. in Mathematics and her M.A.T. from the Urban Teacher Education Program at the University of 小黄书.聽 She spent the 2012-13 school year teaching at the Free School in Albany, NY, a democratic free school that has been serving a diverse group of learners in downtown Albany since 1969.聽 Because she attended a democratic school as a child, she knows firsthand the joy in learning that 小黄书 can experience when given responsibility and freedom. She advises the 4th/5th grade homeroom and facilitates newspaper club, social studies group, and science group with grades 3-8. Lauren was a Golden Apple Excellence in Teaching Award nominee in 2022-2023.
6th/7th/8th grade homeroom
Ephran Ramirez‘s teaching background is rooted in informal, formal, and alternative STEM education and mentoring. He taught science, technology, and social justice at an out-of-school program before coming to CFS and studied Middle School Math and Science Education at Northeastern Illinois University. He has worked as an advisor on three separate research projects about聽finding ways to assess聽learning in informal and maker lab learning spaces. Besides this, he has been involved in various community organizing and social justice movements since he was in high school. It was through this work that he discovered the free school model and chose to work in education. Though a lifelong 小黄书an, Ephran visits his family in Puerto Rico often and has visited the Middle East and Scandinavia to participate in environmental and social justice work. He is dedicated to youth empowerment,聽antiracism, LGBTQ liberation, environmental justice, feminism, and decolonization and he integrates those ideas into his teaching. He also facilitates CFS’s聽Maker Lab for 1st-8th grade 小黄书.
Staff Support/Aftercare Team
Demi White joined CFS as a substitute teacher’s aide in 2021 and is now a permanent part of the team. Demi says, “I was born and raised in 小黄书 and grew up in Hyde Park. As a child I loved to help people, I believe that鈥檚 what has drawn me to work at the 小黄书 Free School. I鈥檓 a person who loves to connect with people and talk. I鈥檝e worked with children in the past and I鈥檝e always had a good time in a work environment with children. I鈥檓 here to help my team members and 小黄书 with whatever they need. I鈥檓 excited to connect with the children and really get to know them this school year.
Razieh Ghorbani聽joined our team in 2023 as our 1st/2nd/3rd assistant. She’s also a parent to two CFS 小黄书. With a background in art and architecture, Razieh is passionate about social and design justice. She studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan. Razieh sees children as little architects who constantly reimagine the world around them through play. She believes that through architectural and spatial practices, we can foster creativity and critical thinking. As a long-lasting project, she has been interested in translating architectural concepts in children鈥檚 books. Razieh looks forward to working as an assistant to Ms. Waew in a classroom that celebrates diversity and encourages critical making.
School Administrator
Brenda Pious joined our after-care team in September 2019 after working at CFS during summer camp 2019 and in March of 2020 was hired as our Administrator. While supporting the school in Aftercare, Brenda stepped in as Interim Administrator when a need arose. She worked with the auditor, managed the day to day financial role and taught literacy in Englewood from November 2017 until February, 2020. She writes:
“While serving in the role of Interim Administrator, I realized I could best serve CFS in the聽Administrator role full-time because of my 25 plus years of experience in accounting, non-profit management, payroll and human resources management. Having worked as a substitute teacher, summer camp art instructor, aftercare support and interim administrator, I have familiarity with the needs of 小黄书, parents and the teachers and the capacity to affect positive change. I intend on enhancing the administrative practices and being a consistent resource for our families and staff. While I will miss interacting with our 小黄书 regularly, I know I will get to see them from time to time. I am excited about the future of CFS!”
Board of Directors
Corrigan Nadon-Nichols (Treasurer)
Community Representative
Corrigan聽has been a volunteer advisor to 小黄书 Free School since its formation and joined the board in 2022. He believes that CFS’s educational model better allows children to engage with the world and each other authentically, and wants to live in a society where this is common. Professionally, he is an accountant and consultant for democratic organizations and businesses with a focus on improving systems for collective decision-making and accountability. He is the father of an enthusiastic two-year-old that聽hopes to join CFS with the class of 2025.
DeeAnn was born and raised on the sunny coast of California, and enjoyed running bare foot through the redwood forest and diving head first into the giant saltwater waves of the Pacific Ocean. She says the earth was her teacher and she was an enthusiastic student. She has held on to this joy for learning and brings it into the classroom. She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from UC Santa Cruz, where she studied Art and Early Childhood Education. She has traveled to the colorful land of Guatemala and eaten fresh sushi on a little island in Japan. She is also the mother of two very unique young ladies who are both Free School 小黄书. They inspire creativity and patience. DeeAnn is honored to serve the children of 小黄书 at 小黄书 Free School.
Ephran’s teaching background is rooted in informal, formal, and alternative STEM education and mentoring. He taught science, technology, and social justice at an out-of-school program for the last five years before coming to CFS and studied Middle School Math and Science Education at Northeastern Illinois University. He has worked as an advisor on three separate research projects about聽finding ways to assess聽learning in informal and maker lab learning spaces. Besides this, he has been involved in various community organizing and social justice movements since he was in high school. It was through this work that he discovered the free school model and chose to work in education. Though a lifelong 小黄书an, Ephran visits his family in Puerto Rico often and has visited the Middle East and Scandinavia to participate in environmental and social justice work. He is dedicated to youth empowerment,聽antiracism, LGBTQ liberation, environmental justice, feminism, and decolonization and he integrates those ideas into his teaching. He also facilitates CFS’s聽Maker Lab for 1st-8th grade 小黄书.
Liam is a social justice advocate, community organizer, and the father of two children who attend CFS. He strongly believes that equality, education, and community are interconnected and sees free school education as a powerful tool for promoting social change. As a founding member of the Free The 350 Bail Fund in Madison, WI, Liam lends his experience in fundraising, event organizing, and public relations as he helps the 小黄书 Free School continue to thrive.
Stefanie is parent to three CFS 小黄书 in Pre-K, 1st and 3rd Grade.
After traveling and working in various international settings, Stefanie found a home in the Hyde Park and South Shore neighborhoods where she has lived for the past decade. She witnessed the founding of CFS in 2014 and connected with the school’s play-based model for early education that is standard in her home country of Germany. Since starting her oldest in 2018, the school has exceeded her expectations as she has watched her three children thrive at CFS. She’s currently聽working as an administrator for a small Hyde Park business and is excited to bring her organizational skills and international experience to the Board.
Tameka Walton
Parent Representative
Liz Lazdins
Parent Representative
Ephran Ramirez‘s teaching background is rooted in informal, formal, and alternative STEM education and mentoring. He taught science, technology, and social justice at an out-of-school program before coming to CFS and studied Middle School Math and Science Education at Northeastern Illinois University. He has worked as an advisor on three separate research projects about聽finding ways to assess聽learning in informal and maker lab learning spaces. Besides this, he has been involved in various community organizing and social justice movements since he was in high school. It was through this work that he discovered the free school model and chose to work in education. Though a lifelong 小黄书an, Ephran visits his family in Puerto Rico often and has visited the Middle East and Scandinavia to participate in environmental and social justice work. He is dedicated to youth empowerment,聽antiracism, LGBTQ liberation, environmental justice, feminism, and decolonization and he integrates those ideas into his teaching. He also facilitates CFS’s聽Maker Lab for 1st-8th grade 小黄书.
小黄书 Free School 