maureen

co-director

“I love school because it is a systemic structure in which we have the opportunity to improve almost every individual’s life. There is almost no other structure in existence with as much possibility to make a difference.”

Maureen Chapman is a lifelong educator who taught for 15 years in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and spent eight years in school leadership. As a Curriculum Director and the head of an Instructional Leadership team, Maureen oversaw curriculum, resources, student data, instructional coaching, professional development, new teacher induction, and career education. Since co-founding cor creative partners, Maureen has leveraged her experience, expertise, and love of education to her work coaching, consulting, and facilitating professional development programs. Maureen is a sought-after public speaker and author on building leadership skills in the academic setting. Her book with James, Leaders of the Class: Units for Teaching Motivation, Perseverance, Communication, and Collaboration in the Secondary Classroom, is due out later this year.

james

co-director

“I love school because, at its best, it is a place of joyful and caring connection, learning, and growth.”

Prior to co-founding cor creative partners, James Simons served as a high school principal and dean of students, an instructional coach, a middle and high school English teacher, a visual storyteller, and a writer. In his current role, James coaches school leaders and classroom teachers, facilitates team- and school-level professional development, offers consulting services, and contributes to a community of thought leaders by speaking, producing videos, and writing. James has presented at local and national conferences, and along with Maureen, he has written a book for Solution Tree: Leaders of the Class: Units for Teaching Motivation, Perseverance, Communication, and Collaboration in the Secondary Classroom, due out later this year.

sarah

instructional coach, designer + facilitator

“I love school because it’s a place to explore, discover, and understand the world and ourselves.”

A passionate life-long learner and advocate for educational equity, Sarah Riemens seeks to make classrooms spaces of support, challenge, and growth for all students. At cor, Sarah takes the lead on instructional coaching, curriculum implementation, and all things social studies. Before joining the team, Sarah spent 15 years in the classrooms of East Los Angeles and Roxbury, Massachusetts. She has taught a variety of English, history, and social studies courses; yet is most passionate about Advanced Placement Capstone, which exposes high schoolers to academic research through project-based learning experiences. An empathetic listener and creative problem solver, Sarah is always looking forward to meeting new educators!