Our Staff
School Founder and Board Chair
Leah Brzezinski
Inspired by her two twice-exceptional sons, Leah founded Arete Academy in 2014. Even though Leah doesn't come to school each day, she is still committed to creating an environment where bright students who learn differently can feel a sense of belonging, have the opportunity to build on their strengths, and reach their fullest potential.
School Director
Max Melby
Max joined Arete in 2014. He was on the hunt to find an environment where teachers could teach kids in the way that they needed to be taught. He has been so grateful to participate in education innovation and has found a lovely, quirky home in the 2e community.
Assistant School Director
Jamie Teigen
Jamie joined Arete in 2014 because she was interested in the mission of celebrating the strengths of this unique learner population while simultaneously providing support in areas of need. She has stayed because she loves the work, relationships, and ability to see such growth in students when they are in a place that supports their potential.
Operations Director
Molly Dunnigan
Molly joined Arete in 2016. For her entire career as an educator, she has never worked in a "typical" classroom setting. She feels that all kids are capable of great things and that working with the ones who learn differently (a lot like her!) are the most rewarding and fun.
Art and American Sign Language Teacher
Cat Mathieu
Cat joined Arete in 2015 and has enjoyed the opportunity to grow along with the school. She enjoys working with this population of students their unique approaches to making art.
Math and Language Arts Teacher
Haley Reese
Haley joined Arete in 2016 and hasn't had a dull day since. Arete gives Haley the ability to support her students in ways that aren't usually possible in other schools and she loves being a part of this school community.
Language Arts Teacher
Betsy Gill
Betsy joined Arete in 2019 and has enjoyed finding ways to connect students with text and finding ways to make it easier and more effective to write. She loves seeing the curiosity that 2e students bring
Science Teacher
John Burrell
John joined Arete in 2019, initially drawn here by how closely he could relate to the life experiences of Arete students. He feels grateful to be somewhere that allows room for originality, insights, and a unique sense of wonder.
Social Studies Teacher
Lisa Pintok
Lisa came to Arete in 2020 and has enjoyed how Arete's approach to education fits her own teaching style- a conversational and student input-centric classroom. Lisa firmly believes that all students are capable of success with the right support.
Enrichment and Math Teacher
Jeff Potter
Jeff joined Arete in 2020. He was initially attracted to Arete because of our small class sizes and the unique opportunities (and challenges!) presented by 2e learners.