“PACE Academy creates a great atmosphere for staff to teach and for students to learn.” – Lavernia Devine, Teacher Assistant

The staff of PACE Academy brings together a wide range of experiences and interests.  Staff members share their unique expertise with students, and they work diligently to help students achieve goals inside and outside of the classroom.  All staff take pride in being a part of a school community that values their individual talents, skills, and abilities.  

PACE Academy's principal, Rhonda Franklin, completed her undergraduate degree at Virginia State University and her graduate degree at North Carolina Central University.  Before coming to PACE Academy, Rhonda had experience in variety of positions including a counselor, supervisor, and teacher at an outdoor therapeutic program, and served as the Director of the Exceptional Children’s Program at a North Carolina charter high school.  Rhonda was instrumental in the creation and development of PACE Academy.  Starting with a simple idea in the Winter of 2002, Rhonda worked tirelessly with others to survive the competitive charter school application process. 

Through her guidance and leadership, PACE Academy met all expectations during the rigorous planning year and opened in the Fall of 2004.  Rhonda’s ability to hire and train a superb staff, skills in recruiting the students of PACE Academy, and her keen sense of humor have played an enormous role in the success of PACE Academy.  Serving as the director of a charter school requires a very talented individual who can seamlessly balance the various roles and responsibilities required of her position.  Not only does Rhonda fulfill the typical responsibilities of a high school principal, but she also satisfies the comprehensive duties assigned to a traditional school district’s central office and superintendent. Rhonda welcomes opportunities to work with staff, students, and their families.

Email Rhonda Franklin.

Jane begins her seventh year at PACE Academy as the Assistant Principal-Exceptional Children. She earned her Ed.S. degree with an emphasis on the neurobiological influences of learning.  Jane completed her undergraduate work at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and earned her M.Ed. from NCSU with a concentration in Learning Disabilities.  Jane is certified in the Wilson Language System, and is passionate about helping people of all ages learn to read. 

Prior to joining PACE, Jane worked as an Exceptional Children's teacher for students in grades K-12. Jane takes pride in being a part of the charter application process from writing the actual document to the extensive preliminary planning year activities  a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Jane thanks everyone for their commitment to PACE Academy and welcomes students and their families for another fabulous year.

 Email Jane Miller.

Bret begins his eighth year as the Assistant Principal of Student Affairs at PACE Academy. Bret earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of South Alabama. He has worked as a counselor at both the boys and girls campuses for Three Springs of North Carolina. He has gained a great amount of respect for all the kids who have it tough but do not make excuses because it is tough. He hopes to see each student grow and mature while at PACE Academy.

Email Bret Morrison.

Charryse Fredrick, a North Carolina native, is in her second year teaching at PACE Academy.  She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned her B.A. degree in English. Upon graduation from college, she worked as a Mental Health Technician in Mecklenburg County in a local family's home and at a residential treatment facility for youth, before moving to the State of Florida.  Charryse lived in Florida for six years, working in retail and the real estate industry.  After a few years of working in Corporate America, Charryse is honored to be in the classroom.

A lover of language, literature, poetry, and sports, she encourages students to be active in mind and body.  Charryse enjoys writing, community service, and traveling.  She spent more than a decade mentoring and tutoring youth in the State of North Carolina before beginning her teaching career at PACE.  Her favorite quotation is the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "be the change you wish to see in the world."

Email Charryse Fredrick

Jasme is excited to teach English III and IV at PACE Academy.  She has an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Communication Studies with a concentration in performance.   Her teaching experience includes Artist in Residence for Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (L.E.A.P. ) in New York City, Director of St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation ArtsQuest Summer Camp  and Blues in the Schools .

In addition to teaching Jasme performs regularly around the East coast.  Jasmé has been seen at the  DPAC, Carolina Theatre, Bitter End, S.O.B.’s. CBGB’s, Bergen Performing Art Center,  Apache Café, Cat’s Cradle, Soul Café, Bimbe Festival and Bull Durham Blues Festival.  Her opening act credits include  B.B. King, George Duke, Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Ledisi, Maceo Parker, Kem, Boney James and Peter White.

Her songwriting credits include the title track of “Holla.” This song was also featured in the movies “Garfield” and “Kicking and Screaming” as well as the television shows “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Las Vegas.” 

She was also a recipient of Emerging Artist Grant from the Durham County Arts Council Grant, The Wallace Ray Peppers Chancellor Award for Outstanding Performance of African American and African Literature. 

Email Jasme Kelly

Bill Hoffman teaches Social Studies. Bill's experience includes: teaching at a charter high school, serving as an officer in the USMC, and volunteering for the PEACE Corps in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Bill is retired from Verizon where he had extensive experience in business and management worldwide.  Bill completed hus undergraduate work at Union College of Kentucky and graduate work at Western Kentucky as well as UNC-Greensboro.

Email  Bill Hoffman

 Email Sheri Flack

 Email Andrea Garrison

Christine is a Glass Blower, Fine Artist, Commercial Artist, and Art Teacher. She graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 1985. Her work has been shown in Berlin and Wurzburg, Germany; Los Angeles, California; and Durham, North Carolina. Christine has won several art contests, and so have her students. She also works as a freelance illustrator, a sign designer, and has been commissioned to do paintings for hotels and restaurants.

She presently resides in the small community of Saxapahaw, near Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her son Elan. She has taught elementary through high school art students in the Alamance/Burlington school district and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Her future ambition is to complete a Masters degree in Fine Arts.

Email Christine Norton

Jason will meet a variety of needs in and out of the classroom this year.  Jason completed his undergraduate work at Mount Union College (Ohio) and completed the NCTEACH program.  Prior to joining PACE Academy, Jason worked at Three Springs of NC and Woodlawn Middle School.   From 2005-2010, Jason led the OCS  program at PACE.

Email Jason Cottrell

Joan looks forward to her eighth year as the Business Manager of PACE Academy. She grew up in Georgia where she attended Georgia Southwestern State College with a major in Art and minor in English. During that time she was involved with the local theater group. After college she spent several years in the radio industry as both an announcer and advertising producer.

Joan has over 18 years experience in various roles related to business management and administration. She has been involved with the charter school movement for many years, spending two years as a charter board member and almost two years in office management before joining PACE Academy. She is the mother of three children. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, gardening, watching movies, and volunteering.

Email Joan Hill

Jerrie  Blacklin is certified by the American Speech/Language Hearing Association and has a specialty in pediatric language development. She has over 30 years of experience in the field and has been in private practice for over 10 years. Jerrie’s experience includes hospital and school work.  She has practiced in a supervisory capacity at the Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and as a Clinical Supervisor and Professor at the Universities of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in Greensboro.  Jerrie is published in the areas of Childhood Apraxia of Speech and in Development for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Her international work was with cleft palate children in Equator, South America and language impaired children in Moscow, Russia. She has presented workshops and lectures at local, regional, national and international  forums on the topics of  childhood apraxia of speech, cleft palate speech,  traumatic brain injury, language/learning disabilities, and executive language functioning.

Jamie is a graduate of UNC- Chapel Hill where she received her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy.  Her undergraduate work was completed at Florida State University where she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biology.  

Jamie has been an occupational therapist for eight years with experience in both Durham County and Wake County Schools.  She recently implemented a hands-on, functional, living skills program to facilitate transition for High School students.  Her philosophy is that a student can build upon skills and reach their academic goals while gaining experiences in the community in which they live.  

Jamie enjoys spending time with her husband and four-year old daughter. 

Email Jamie Bittner

Email Lavernia Devine

Zach Chesson joins PACE Academy for 2010-2011 as a multitalented math & Spanish teacher. Originally from the Washington D.C. area, Zach moved to Chapel Hill to attend The University of North Carolina. Zach graduated from UNC with a double major in Math and Spanish, studied abroad in Costa Rica, and played rugby. When he isn’t in the classroom Zach enjoys traveling, fishing, and hitting the slopes with his snowboard.

Email Zach Chesson

 
Jamie Warren grew up in Brick, New Jersey then went to the University of Delaware to study education with a concentration in  mathematics. Upon completing her degree in the spring of 2010, she taught middle school math in Chestertown, Maryland. She is thrilled to be joining the PACE Academy faculty for the 2011-2012 school year teaching math. When she is not teaching, Jamie enjoys spending her time going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and skydiving!

Email Jamie Warren