About Open Wings › Our Staff
The people who know your child
A great school comes down to the people in the room. Ours is a small, dedicated team across both campuses, with a teacher and an associate in every classroom, who know each child by name, strengths, and needs.
How our classrooms are staffed
Faculty & staff
Alicia Johnson
School Director
Holds a bachelor's in special education with a behavioral-disorders emphasis and taught in an alternative high school before joining Open Wings as a classroom teacher.
Dr. Kim Hufferd-Ackles
Founder & Educational Advisor
Founded Open Wings in 2012, holds a PhD from Northwestern University, and is the mother of four.
Jennifer Hendrick
Office Manager
Spent six years overseas supporting children with special needs and holds a degree in business administration.
Delaney Leber
SEL Coordinator
A Carthage College graduate in social sciences with a psychology emphasis, now in her fifth year at Open Wings.
Amanda Leonard
Teacher
Angela Corn
Teacher
Holds a bachelor's in elementary education with a psychology emphasis and more than 20 years in childhood education across many settings.
Anthony Rowe
Teacher
Taught for 27 years in Winnetka, Illinois, then three years at Open Wings Online before returning in person.
Hayley Henschel-Jensen
Teacher
A Carthage College elementary-education graduate and former preschool director, now in her fifth year teaching at Open Wings.
Heidi Brant
Teacher
An elementary-education graduate who taught for 12 years before joining Open Wings in 2021.
Jennifer Donald
Teacher
Kimberly Sabisch
Teacher
Spent two decades homeschooling and now teaches writing and reading for middle- and high-school students.
Mikah Steitz
Teacher
A Central Michigan University elementary-education graduate, now in their second year at Open Wings.
Halle Borree
Teacher Associate
A Carthage College graduate in psychology and criminal justice who completed a psychology thesis internship at Open Wings.
Naomi Petravich
Teaching Associate
A UW-Stout graduate in human development and family studies with an autism-spectrum concentration, and the mother of four.
Jazzy Thomas
Teacher Associate
Jori Broidy
Open Wings North (Glendale)
Amy Nunn
Shynell Newell
Deena Boyington
Meet them in person
The warmth of our team is something you feel on a tour. We would love to introduce you to the people who would know your child.