Staff Bios

Bob Wentsch - Principal Educator, Lower Elementary
Bob received his Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Drake University in Iowa. Bob began teaching as a Teacher Corps intern in 1972, developing community programs and activities for inner city children. During his nearly 30 years of teaching, Bob has continually analyzed and experimented with different methodologies and philosophies to develop programs that best serve the children he is teaching. In 1976 he and his wife Terri and a small group of parents co-founded the Rivendell School in Colorado, designed to allow each child to achieve his or her academic potential and become a responsible and contributing member of society. The school began with 7 students. When the Wentsches left in 1993 it had 240 students in preschool through eighth grade. In 1994 Bob was hired as the director of the elementary program at our school. This led to his becoming the Principal Educator for Sedona Charter School's Lower Elementary classroom when the school opened in 1995. Bob has completed his Montessori (AMS™) certification for teaching children ages 6 to 9 and is also Arizona state-certified to teach grades K through 8. Montessori teachers from throughout the state come to observe and learn from Bob's class, which has developed a reputation as a model of student choice within a safe and dynamic structure, where students develop responsibility, independence, and a strong foundation in academics, arts, and music.

Shandra Light Ryan - Facilitating Teacher, Lower Elementary
Shandra is a native to Sedona and even attended the very first Sedona Montessori Preschool. She and her two children moved from Flagstaff in 2006, when Shandra joined the Sedona Charter School teaching staff. Prior to her move here, Shandra studied Elementary Education at NAU and worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for six years. Shandra is bilingual in Spanish and English and specializes in cultural diversity education.

Terri Wentsch - Facilitating Teacher, Lower Elementary
Terri has been teaching as Sedona Charter School since its start in 1995. Prior to this she taught and co-managed Rivendell School with her husband Bob for 17 years. Before joining Rivendell, Terri taught in a school for underprivileged children and in a Montessori school. Terri has completed Montessori training (AMS™) for ages 3 to 9. Beyond teaching, Terri's duties include pursuing state and federal grants and expanding the technology curriculum. When she has a spare moment she devotes some time to her passions for computer arts and fiber arts.

Marsha Johnson – Principal Educator, Upper Elementary
Marsha Johnson joined the Sedona Charter School staff in 2001 after teaching 13 years in California schools. She developed a multiage program at an innovative, alternative school in Monterey prior to moving to Sedona. Marsha taught in the Lower Elementary class for five years, then took on the Upper Elementary Principal Educator position with the 2006-07 school year. Marsha is Arizona-certified to teach grades K-8 and has Montessori certification. She holds a Liberal Arts degree from Mills College in California and took post-graduate courses in education and administration. Marsha grew up in Alaska and worked and traveled in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She particularly enjoys teaching math, art, foreign languages, and geometry. She also enjoys developing curriculum that is interesting and engaging for all children.

Chris Vercillo – Facilitating Teacher, Lower Elementary
Chris joined our Lower Elementary staff in 2008 after spending 17 years teaching in Montessori classrooms in Flagstaff and Maine, where he proved his ability to work effectively with a broad range of students. Chris is excited about the team teaching concept here at Sedona Charter School. He particularly enjoys working with 6 to 9 year olds because they have such a great imagination—and, he says, because “I can run faster than they can.” Chris is Montessori AMS certified to teach ages 6 to 12. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts Photography with a minor in Art History from the University of Arizona. In his spare time, Chris enjoys hiking, camping, and listening to music.

Bill Baker - Facilitating Teacher, Upper Elementary
Prior to joining our Upper Elementary staff in 2006, Bill Baker worked with children and young adults for more than 20 years in schools in California and in Mesa, Arizona. In Mesa, he worked as an animal handler for elementary schools, conducting classes with live indigenous animals from all over Arizona. He also led science camps for Arizona schools in various outdoor settings including the Grand Canyon. He spent several years as an instructor for grades 7 through 12, developing individualized curriculum for students to meet and exceed Arizona State standards. Bill especially enjoys teaching science and geography, and coaching volleyball and tai chi. Bill has hiked over 3,000 miles in the Grand Canyon and has ridden a bicycle across the United States from Ventura, California to Key West, Florida. He is happy to make his home in Cottonwood.

Laura Schuurman - Facilitating Teacher, Upper Elementary
Prior to coming to Sedona Charter School in 2006, Laura attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in reading. Laura is licensed in the state of Minnesota to teach grades K-6, and she is Arizona certified for grades K-8 with a K-12 reading endorsement. Laura has completed Montessori training for ages 9 to 12. One of the highlights of Laura’s career was teaching second grade at the Antwerp International School in Belgium. There she worked in a classroom with students ranging in diverse backgrounds including Japanese, Korean, British, Dutch, French and Indian. Laura enjoys the individualized program in the Upper Elementary Classroom and enjoys being able to work closely with other teachers to form a sense of community.

Jan Montgomery - Facilitating Teacher, Upper Elementary and Special Education Director

Jan Montgomery holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Kent State University and a Masters in Educational Administration and Psychology from Southeastern Louisiana. Jan is Arizona-certified as a K-12 special education teacher and supervisor; she also holds a Structured English Immersion endorsement for grades K-12.
During her thirty-three years of service as a teacher, counselor, supervisor, and district administrator, Jan has taken on many leadership roles and special projects. She traveled to Japan and China to lecture about learning disabilities, and was invited to the Oxford Round Table in England to discuss reform in education. In 2003, Jan moved to the Sedona area and built a new home in the Village of Oak Creek. She began working at Sedona Charter School and quickly became a key member of our staff. Her passions are finding the right learning styles of children, teaching reading, helping students with learning challenges, and teaching students to solve problems arising from everyday conflicts. Her interests outside the classroom include travel, reading, music, and environmental issues.

LeAnn Woods – Facilitating Teacher, Upper Elementary
LeAnn Woods joined the Upper Elementary staff in 2008. She graduated from Luther College in Iowa, where she received a Liberal Arts degree in Elementary Education with endorsements in Early Childhood and Reading. She is Iowa state-certified in grades K-6. Before finding her way to Sedona Charter School, LeAnn lived in Brussels, Belgium where she taught in a Kindergarten room at St. John’s International School. There she was able to work with children from all over the world, in an inquiry-based, internationally accredited curriculum, called Primary Years Programme. LeAnn loves to travel and has enjoyed her time exploring New Zealand, South America, and Europe. She also likes to read, run, bike, camp and enjoy the outdoors.

Jon Anderson - Principal Educator, Middle School
Jon joined our middle school staff in 2006. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jon spent several years traveling the world and pursuing his education. He has traveled extensively in East Asia, focusing much of his time teaching English in Taiwan between 1998 and 2001. He is a 1999 graduate of St. Olaf College in Minnesota where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in both Political Science and Asian Studies. In May of 2006 he received his Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where he also taught U.S. history and government at Mayfield High School. In November of 2007, Jon completed his Certificate of Adolescent Studies through the North American Montessori Teachers Association, an affiliate of Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). Jon is Arizona state-certified to teach grades 7-12 social studies. He teaches social studies, photography, community involvement, physical expression, and portfolio. In his free time, Jon enjoys hiking and climbing, activities he shares with his students through the Middle School Hiking Club.

Dorene Calhoon - Facilitating Teacher, Middle School
Dorene has brought a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and teaching talent to the Middle School when she joined our teaching staff in 2003. In the past she has been awarded a science research fellowship, a Mountains and Minds Institute Grant, and South Dakota's Christa McAulife Grant. She has been an exchange teacher in Australia. She has mentored students on land and aboard ship as a counselor for Sea Education Association, and she has participated in a residential seminar for teachers on the Navajo reservation. With some 25 years of teaching experience, Dorene has a BS degree from the University of South Dakota, and she is Iowa state-certified to teach grades 7-12 chemistry, biology, general science, and athletics. Dorene enjoys hiking, mountain biking, reading, and travel - but she is most enthusiastic about sharing her love of science and sports with middle school students.

Robin Magon - Facilitating Teacher, Middle School
Robin joined our Middle School staff in the fall of 2008, and immediately embarked on adventures in English with the students. She conveys her love of the language to them, and they enjoy learning the nuts and bolts of grammar at the same time they are learning to unleash their creative spirit in stories, poetry, and the occasional rap song. Robin has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Chapman University in California and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from California Polytechnic University. Having spent four years teaching in California schools, Robin is California state-certified for grades K-12 self-contained classrooms and for teaching English as a second language, and she is Arizona state-certified to teach grades K-8. Robin enjoys travel, dance, theater, arts and crafts, and practicing sustainable living, and plans to share these passions with her students in our Middle School classroom.