Bright Ideas has been open since 1985, a total of 26 years. Our enrollment is quite high this year and has necessitated our adding new staff members. The children at Bright Ideas are incredibly fortunate to have this highly qualified group of teachers, with a total teaching experience of 351.5 years! The administrators and their staff have a total of 157 years of experience. Bright Ideas attracts truly gifted and experienced teachers who continue to bring us their own “bright ideas”.

Carl Plummer has been the Superintendent of Bright Ideas for 13 years. He’s also the PEIMS Coordinator, Technology Director, and the Judo coach. He has a BS in Criminal Justice from Midwestern State University and 1 year in law school. He was the land manager for Strategic Resources Corporation for 23 years. He’s been in martial arts for 43 years, and has a 3rd black belt in Judo, a 2nd in Jujitsu, and a 2nd in Kenpo. He’s taught Judo and Jujitzu for 13 years and is a certified national level coach with USA Judo.

Prek-K: Erin Shaver has a BS in Elementary Education and is certified in EC-4 and 4th-8th. Ms. Shaver has 51/2 years of experience teaching PreK and as a school age counselor at the YMCA.

K-1st: Jamie Newberry has a BS in Elementary Education and a BS in Bible/Theology. She is certified in EC-4th. She has 18 years of experience teaching many Elementary levels including 7 years in kindergarten and 4 years at Bright Ideas. She teaches all classes for K-1st, including Spanish. Ms. Newberry is also the Early Childhood Coordinator, providing parents with information on assistance and programs that they or their child may need.

1st-2nd grades: Danielle Sanders has a BA in Elementary Education and is certified to teach EC-4th and 4th-8th grades. She teaches all subjects, including Rosetta Spanish, except Science. She has 5 years experience teaching this level, including 3 years at Bright Ideas. Ms. Sanders is also the CScope Administrator.

2nd-3rd grades: Leigha Johnson is teaching Reading, ELA, and History. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology/Sociology. Ms. Johnson is currently working on her certification and will take the EC-6th certification test this month. Ms. Johnson is also working on her Master’s in Human Psychology. Her experience runs the gamut from assisting in Headstart, elementary, to tutoring others and home- schooling her own two children, who are enrolled in Bright Ideas.

3rd-4th grades: Susan Cragar is teaching Reading, ELA, and History. Ms. Cragar has a degree in Elementary Education/Sociology, and is certified in Elementary Self-Contained 1st-8th, Elementary Sociology 1st-8th, and Driver Education. Ms. Cragar has 22.5 years of experience teaching.

3rd-5th Math: Kelly Trebisky has a BS in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Information Systems. She is certified to teach 4th-8th and English as a Second Language 4th-8th. Ms. Trebisky has 41/2 years of experience teaching Math. Before she taught Math, she coached high school tennis for 6 years, and assisted her husband, a golf pro, for 4 years.

Sarah Taylor teaches 6th-8th English and 9th-12th English and Creative Writing at UHS. Ms. Taylor has a BA in English, minoring in Psychology/Secondary Education. She is certified in English Language Arts and Reading 8th-12th. Ms. Taylor has the unique position of being the first former Bright Ideas student to teach for Bright Ideas. She substituted for us all last year and everyone agreed she was a perfect fit.

Kristin Mahurin has a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies and is certified in 4th-8th grade Math and Generalist. She is teaching 6th-8th grade Math, 7th Science and 6th-8th grade Infinity. She’s taught at Bright Ideas for two years. Ms. Mahurin is also one of the breakfast duty personnel and is the DMAC Administrator.

Karen Newman is our 1st-8th grade Science teacher. She is certified to teach Elementary and Science, has a BS in Elementary Education. She has 20 years of experience teaching science at all grade levels. She’s taught Science at Bright Ideas for 13 years.

Michael Christian teaches Reading, ELA, and History for the 5th-6th grades and high school Dance. He has a BA in Elementary Education and is certified in Special Education and 4th-8th ELA and Reading. Michael has 7 years of experience including two years at Bright Ideas. He was a professional dancer and danced with companies throughout the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Christian is the STAAR/EOC Testing Coordinator.

Shannon Ward teaches 7th-8th grade English, 5th-6th grade Science, and Infinity. She is certified in EC-4 and 4th-8th. Ms. Ward has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Management as well as 3+ years toward a dual major in Biology and Chemistry. She has substituted for 4 years, and taught at Bright Ideas for 11/2 years.

Exie Nicholas teaches Math, grades 9th-12th, has a BS in Math, is certified in Secondary Mathematics, and retired from WFISD with 34 years of experience. She has taught at Bright Ideas for 51/2 years.

Harold Horry teaches Environmental Science, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Hydroponics, and AquaCulture, and has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology. He’s certified in Elementary Science and in All Level Science. He retired from Windthorst ISD with 32 years of experience. He’s been teaching here for 51/2 years.

Robin Hibbard has a Bachelor’s degree in History and is completing her Master's degree in Education. She taught at MSU for 2 years and Bright Ideas for 10 years. She teaches high school English, and Speech.

Rachelle Phares has a BS in Education and 18 years teaching experience with 8 years at Bright Ideas. Rachelle is certified in Elementary Self-Contained, 1st-8th ELA, and Secondary Social Studies. Currently, she lives in Oklahoma and teaches our online courses: Government, Economics, World History, Journalism, US History, and University Planning. Ms. Phares is also our Instructional Leader.

Leslie Fernandes teaches high school Art and 7th and 8th grade Science. She has a Master's degree in Fine Arts. She is certified in Secondary Art and Secondary Life Science. She has been teaching 23 years with 11 years at Bright Ideas.

Laura Richardson is our high school Spanish and French teacher. She has a BS in Humanities- Social Sciences and a BS in Political and Social Sciences, both from Ecuador in South America. She also has a certificate in French Language and Civilization from the Sorbonne University in Paris. She taught Spanish for 13 years, with 10 years in New York and 3 years at Bright Ideas. She teaches Spanish and French with the assistance of Rosetta.

Vanessa McGarry teaches 9th and 10th grade US History and World History. She has a BS in Criminal Justice and majored in History. She is certified in 1st-8th Self-Contained, 1st-8th Elementary History, and 6th-12th English. Ms. McGarry has 12 years of experience teaching with one year at Bright Ideas. Ms. McGarry is the Kuder and Study Island Administrator.

Donna Reynolds is our Special Education and Dyslexia teacher. She has a Bachelor’s in Education and a Master’s in Counseling. She holds certifications in Lifetime EC- Handicapped Child, Professional Counselor, Professional Special Education Counselor, Lifetime Language and/or Learning Disabilities, Lifetime Elementary – General, Lifetime Elementary – English. She has 39 years of experience in the education field as a teacher, counselor, and distance learning specialist with 1/2 year at Bright Ideas. Ms. Reynolds is also the 504 Administrator.

Jan Gardin is our Violin teacher. She has 17 years experience teaching violin privately from ages as young as 2 to 50 years old, including one year at Bright Ideas.

Linda Cornelius is our Speech and Language Therapist. She has a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing from Texas Christian University and 14 years of experience in speech therapy and 6 years at Bright Ideas.

Megha Patel is the Math Tutor for the high school. She has a BE in Civil Engineering. In India, she had her own tutoring business which ran from 3:30 – 10:30 PM M-F. In India, all students go to tutoring after school. She has 6 years of experience tutoring Math and Science.

Frances Edwards writes our Culture Study curriculum. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts. She has 22 years’ experience teaching Pre-K to adult, of which 10 were spent teaching Intermediate at Bright Ideas. She began writing the Culture curriculum in 1990 and has continued to write it for the school for the last 21 years.

Support Staff:

Jack Reed is our Special Services Coordinator. He has a Bachelor’s in Speech and Hearing Therapy and a Master’s in Education. He currently is the Lead Special Education Fiscal Monitor for the Minnesota Department of Education, and is the Senior Consultant providing special education consultant services to charter schools and other public schools in Texas. He has been the Special Education Compliance Monitor for Texas Education Agency and Project Support Manager in TEA’s Student Assessment Division. These are just a few of the positions he has held for the last 33 years in the area of special education.

Juli Plummer is the Records Administrator, Special Education Intake and Referral Coordinator, and Dyslexia Assessor. She has a BA in Speech and Hearing Sciences, a minor in Development and Family Studies, and 15 years of experience at Bright Ideas. She is working on her Master’s in Counseling.

Sharon Elliott is the bookkeeper and does PEIMS data entry. She was the business manager for Seymour ISD for 30 years, and has been working for Bright Ideas for 5 years.

Stephanie Norris is the head Administrator Assistant. Ms. Norris has worked at Bright Ideas for 10 years. Ms. Norris is the DMAC Tech and the Textbook Administrator.

Liana Plummer is the Director of Advertising and the Development Director. Liana has a BA in Marketing and an MFA in Advertising. Liana has 13 years of experience at Bright Ideas.

Alyvia Plummer is designing an interactive website for the school that will advertise as well as deliver information to the school’s parents and students. Alyvia has a BA in International Studies and a MFA in Illustration. Alyvia has 8 years of experience at Bright Ideas.

Jessica Mobley is the Accounts Receivable clerk, the Director of the National School Lunch program, the Truancy Officer, the Friday D-Hall attendant, and a regular substitute. She has 3 years experience at Bright Ideas and 4 years experience as a Quality Mental Health Professional Provider.

Chris Carr is our one of our lunch duty and after school care personnel. She also is our landscaper. She has one year of experience at Bright Ideas.

Joshua Ferguson is one of our breakfast, lunch duty, and daycare personnel. He graduated from Bright Ideas in July, 2010, and plans to join the military. He has one year of experience at Bright Ideas.

James Copelin is our Technology Assistant. He’s been at Bright Ideas for one year. Sandra Sawyer is our Volunteer Coordinator.

Becky Dethlefs is our Parent Advisory Team president. She’s been the PAT president at Bright Ideas for one year.

Next Page: Bright Ideas Board of Directors.