Rebecca Fox-Blair
School Director
rebecca.foxblair@mgschools.net
608-268-6933
Rebecca, a teacher for 30+ years and co-founder of MG21, has a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Bachelor of Arts degree in history and teacher certification from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is certified in history, broad field social studies, charter schools and alternative education. Rebecca was a 2010 Kohl Education Foundation Fellow award winner. She has long been an advocate of student activism and loves the opportunity to work in a student driven, project based school. Rebecca is married with two adult children. In her free time she enjoys walking her dog Cassidy, camping, kayaking, reading and fishing. Rebecca serves as the School Director for MG21.
Jodi Anderson
Student Support Specialist
jodi.anderson@mgschools.net
608-268-6934
My first and most important role is as a mother of 4 amazing daughters and one very handsome brand new grandson, Henry Thomas. I have worked with children/adolescents for over 23 years in a variety of settings and have loved every single minute of it! I was born and raised up north ( the actual up north-lol) in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. I moved to the Madison area (currently live in Cottage Grove) about 12 years ago and while I haven’t ventured out a ton, I have truly enjoyed the caliber of people and opportunities this area offers. I received my bachelors in child development and human studies from UW- Superior and my teaching degree and Masters degree from Marian University in Fond Du Lac. I have taught in the Sun Prairie, Beaver Dam and Madison school systems and have learned so much from the families and students along the way. I am excited to be joining MG21 because the philosophy and teaching models align perfectly with my beliefs and values and I am beyond excited to be a part of this growing family. In my free time (what is free time..?) I love to read, take long walks, go fishing and first and foremost, spend time with family. I can’t wait to start this new journey of exploring with the students and helping them to uncover their greatness!
Michelle Bartman
Upper Campus Teacher/Advisor
michelle.bartman@mgschools.net
608-316-1375
Dr. Michelle Bartman has been teaching high school science since 2003. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education and a Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences from UW Madison in 2012. She previously taught Human Anatomy, Biotechnology, Biology, and an EMT course at McFarland and Baraboo High Schools, and is passionate about sharing the amazing world of science with her students. Outside of school, Michelle loves spending time with her friends and family, including her husband, Fred, and her 2 young children, Teagan and Molly. She enjoys reading crime, science, or literary fiction books and cooking a variety of healthy and tasty dishes. She also enjoys being outdoors, and spends her time camping, hiking, biking, or hanging out at home on her deck. Michelle is excited to join the staff of MG21 and all the new adventures and possibilities that will come!
Andrea Fresen
Social Worker
andrea.fresen@mgschools.net
608-316-1922
Since graduating from UW-Madison with her Master’s in Social Work in 2017, Andrea has been working as a School Social Worker in the greater Madison area. After an internship at Shabazz High School, Andrea has known she has always wanted a career working in a school that is a little different than what is typical. Andrea has a passion for mental health work and providing an environment that is safe, supportive and healing. She takes an individualized, student centered approach to provide services in the classroom, small group and one on one setting. She enjoys collaborating with families and other care providers to achieve the most consistent and responsive support for each child. Outside of school, Andrea is busy chasing after a busy toddler and settling into her new home on the east side. Some of her hobbies include foraging berries and mushrooms, eating with others, traveling and most recently creating a yard that will be beautiful and good for the earth!
Kendra Gillingham
UC Paraprofessional
kendra.gillingham@mgschools.net
608-316-1924
Kendra is a dedicated and compassionate paraprofessional with significant experience working with high acuity and support needs children. Having graduated from MG21, Kendra brings a unique perspective to the team. Prior to her role at MG21, Kendra interned with the Department of Justice, assisting with research on state crime statistics, as well as working at The Richardson School as a 1-1 para, providing support to medically complex children and those with high support needs. Outside of her professional pursuits, Kendra finds joy in playing video games, watching horror movies, and spending quality time with her cat, Bela.
Maia “MJ” Harris
Upper Campus Teacher/Advisor
maia.harris@mgschools.net
608-316-1380
MJ is originally from the Salt Lake Valley in Utah where she received bachelors degrees in history and political science from the University of Utah, and almost went to law school. In the end, a career in education called out more and they ended up in Wisconsin pursuing a masters in social studies secondary education at UW Madison. They are passionate about the classroom being a safe space for all, alternative learning strategies, and community building, which is why she is so excited to be at MG21! In her free time MJ enjoys cooking, reading, writing, playing video games, planning her Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and hanging out with her cat Persephone.
Isabel “Bel” Haynes
Upper Campus Teacher/Advisor
isabel.haynes@mgschools.net
608-316-268-6920
Bel’s first foray into teaching was during her sophomore year of high school; her Latin teacher graciously let her serve as a teachers assistant for a Latin 1 class even though the role was usually reserved for upperclassman. Amidst designing Roman history jeopardy and hosting numerous “Translation Tuesdays”, Bel fell in love with education and never looked back. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a double major in History and Philosophy in 2018 while working as a tutor for nearly every class she took. After college, she worked as a tutor and independent living coach for young adults with learning difficulties for several years before returning to school to earn her Master’s degree in Secondary Education. Though her initial area of study was Social Studies, she gravitated towards teaching English and English as a Second Language and earned certification in all three subjects. She is thrilled to be joining the MG21 team and fulfilling her passions for teaching and supporting LGBTQ and neurodivergent youth. Outside of school, she loves to read, play games of all kinds, start novels that she probably won’t finish, and take long walks with her tiny gremlin dog Leeloo and her fiancée Sarah. She has also spent the last 7 years creating and exploring fantasy worlds with her best friends turned adventuring party in Dungeons and Dragons.
Stacy Levin
Administrative Assistant
stacy.levin@mgschools.net
608-316-1924
Stacy grew up in New Jersey, went to art school in Baltimore and got a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at the UW-Madison. She left her job of many years doing graphic design at Overture Center to care for her elderly and sick father. Since then she started a business, EarthSilks, dyeing silk using plants. This coincides with her passion for learning about plants, “weeds” and herbs as food and medicine. She has a deep respect for alternative education and volunteered at Malcolm Shabazz High School for many years. She believes in life long learning, a just society for all and in looking at life creatively while searching out ways to grow and change. These are all values that MG21 embraces. She is thrilled to be part of the MG21 staff.
Echo Lira
MC Paraprofessional
echo.lira@mgschools.net
608-316-1924
After graduating from Monmouth College with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2020, Echo worked as a Behavioral Technician where they had the opportunity to work with kids ages 1-6 on the autism spectrum. After getting married in August of 2021, they moved to Madison and worked at a doggie daycare for about a year before starting as a paraprofessional at Glacial Drumlin school. There, they had the opportunity to work with a variety of students with different needs and learn a lot about how the school system works. They also helped co-advise the GSA and loved being able to be a mentor and role model to LGBTQ+ youth. Echo is excited to take that experience to MG21’s Middle Campus and continue their work as a paraprofessional and wants students to feel heard and comfortable being themselves. In their free time, Echo enjoys doing lots of different arts and crafts projects, watching whatever TV series they are currently hyper fixating on, collecting plants, and biking or hiking at different trails around Madison. They also have a passion for working with animals and pet sit in their spare time along with currently working to become a dog trainer. At home, Echo has a senior chiweenie named Azaria that they rescued 9 years ago and 3 cats: Cora, Cleo, and Frankie.
Jillian “Jill” Memmel
Student Support Specialist
jillian.memmel@mgschools.net608-316-1808
Jill has been teaching for the past 13 years. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and her Master’s degree in Special Education. Both degrees are from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jill has taught in Chicago, Stoughton and Sun Prairie in general education, special education and alternative education settings. She has taught grades 4K-12 throughout her career. Prior to teaching she spent time as a Camp Counselor and Unit Director at a YMCA Camp Maclean in Burlington, Wisconsin. She lives in Cottage Grove with her husband and 2 young children (Marshall is 5, Ari is 1). She likes to spend her weekends outdoors with her family. She also loves reading (especially Young Adult Fiction) and watching TV. She has a passion for being creative and learning new things and is excited to share this with the MG21 Community.
Keith Pollock
Middle Campus Teacher/Advisor
keith.pollock@mgschools.net
608-268-6937
Keith enjoys teaching and learning while being outside. He is an experiential educator with over 30 years of experience and is passionate about making our community and world a better place. He loves to teach by creating hands-on opportunities using a project based learning approach. Keith has a bachelor’s in biology from Carleton College and a master’s degree from UW-Madison in Education Psychology. He holds a license in Alternative Education from Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction. Keith has previously worked for Madison Metropolitan School District, Goodman Community Center, and the Dane County Transition School. Keith enjoys canoeing, camping, rock-climbing, hiking, chess and card games. Keith also gardens and works to restore natural habitats, He commutes by bicycle in most weather and loves to play ultimate frisbee.
Julie Theado
Reading Teacher
julie.theado@mgschools.net
608-316-1898
Julie grew up in Sheboygan, WI. She moved to Madison to attend college and has lived there ever since. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Special Education, and a Reading Teacher’s license. Her teaching experiences have been diverse, ranging from teaching 2nd grade, student teaching in England, and working with adolescent boys in a residential drug treatment program. She has divided her time between MG21 and the high school for the past 5 years. She has also been an adviser for the GSA – which is a club for LGBTQ+ students and their allies – at the high school for the last two years.
When she is not working, Julie enjoys spending time with her husband, two teenaged kiddos, and dog Athena. She also loves reading, going to concerts, gardening, biking, swimming, paddleboarding, and traveling. Some of her favorite places to travel have been the Redwood forest in California, Ireland, and South Korea. South Korea is of special importance to her; it is the birthplace of her two adopted children.
Melissa “Mel” Zastrow
Middle Campus Teacher/Advisor
melissa.zastrow@mgschools.net
608-316-1402
Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mel has studied tropical biology in Costa Rica, taught English in coastal Ecuador, worked on an organic mushroom farm, taught at both Jefferson Middle School and a Montessori school, and married one of the greatest people she knows, Josh. They live with their dog Maggie and three chickens just a bike ride away from school. Outside of work, she is an avid gardener and a wilderness backpacker and is most content outside, immersed in nature. Her pile of books never gets smaller, only grows taller- she loves lounging in a hammock while reading. Mel is passionate about learning and exploring this world. She enjoys projects (especially completing them!), watersports, trying new recipes, writing stories, and exploring new places. She considers MG21 home and feels fortunate to be part of such a beautiful community.
