Consultants and Coaches

Nicola (Nicki) Ammons
After 30 years of teaching English, Reading and Language Arts in grades 7-12 and providing professional development for the Cleveland School District, Nicola retired and spent three years on home improvement projects and traveling. Nicola came to IER in 2001 and has been working as a consultant and coach in the Cleveland and Warrensville Heights School Districts.  During her time with IER, she was “on loan” to the Institute for Learning where she was trained as a peer coach and provided professional development for the Cleveland School District in its implementation of the Cleveland Literacy System.  She has a B.S. Ed. from Miami University and a M.Ed. from John Carroll University.  Nicola and an IER colleague were responsible for beginning the parent component of IER where parents are encouraged to learn strategies to better help their school-age children and to enjoy reading, journal writing and discussing a variety of genres.  

Halle P. Bargar
Halle began working with the Institute for Educational Renewal in 2000.  During her time with IER, Halle provided professional development for selected elementary schools in the Cleveland Municipal School District and the Euclid Schools on the topics of collaborative leadership, positive school culture, and comprehensive literacy instruction.  She also facilitated principal meetings where principals were given the opportunity to collaborate and foster Professional Learning Communities within their individual schools.  Halle is a former classroom teacher in the Beachwood School District.  She has a Masters in Education from John Carroll University and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Bowling Green State University, where she was a Cum Laude graduate. Halle is grateful for the opportunity to work with IER.  It has given her the chance to support great students, teachers, principals, and parents in Cleveland’s urban schools. 

Katie Crotty
Katie was asked to join the IER staff in 1998 by then Director Marcia LaRiche. She has served as a literacy coach for IER in the Cleveland and Warrensville Heights school districts, and as a consultant for The Cleveland Schools Book Fund.  Katie was a classroom teacher for nine years, teaching one year at Holy Cross in Euclid before joining the Cleveland Municipal School District as a first grade teacher at Joseph Landis Elementary.  While teaching in Cleveland, IER provided her with professional development and classroom modeling.  Katie also studied Best Practices as defined by Harvey Daniels, attended the Walloon Institute in Michigan, and spent a week at Wellesley College in Massachusetts studying Affective Teaching – all afforded to her through her affiliation with IER.  Katie earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Masters in Education from Cleveland State University. She continues to share her love of literacy and learning while supporting teachers and students.

Connie Friedman
Since coming to IER in 2002, Connie has worked in Cleveland, Euclid and Warrensville Heights schools as a school coach and educational consultant.  While at IER, Connie has presented staff development sessions in child and adolescent development, comprehensive literacy, and culturally responsive teaching.  Prior to consulting, Connie was a middle school teacher, a dance teacher, and a children’s programming director.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master’s in education from John Carroll University.  She enjoys working with students, teachers, principals and administrators as they work together to create meaningful learning experience for all students.

Jane M. Harris
Before joining the IER staff as a school coach in 2000, Jane served as an IER co-consultant while teaching at Watterson Lake Elementary School in the Cleveland Municipal School District.  Jane taught in Cleveland for 37 years.  In addition to teaching in the classroom, Jane planned and facilitated professional development sessions for teachers, educational aides and parents.  During the 2000-2001 school year, John Carroll University borrowed Jane from the Cleveland Municipal School District, during which time she taught a class at the university, supervised student teachers, and worked as an IER consultant.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in Reading Supervision.  Both of her degrees were earned at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.  Jane says that working for IER gives her the opportunity to help teachers, administrators and parents work as a team to create great learning communities. Jane has a passion for working with parents and helped to design the Parent Book Clubs.

Laurel M. Markovich
Laurel joined IER in 2001 and worked as a consultant and coach in Cleveland before assuming her current responsibilities as coordinator of the IER Leadership Network.  She received her undergraduate degree in education and her Master of Arts degree in English from Kent State University.  A 30-year veteran of the Cleveland public schools, Laurel taught English, journalism, and speech and served for many years as high school newspaper adviser.  She was named a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar in 1984.  After retirement, Laurel served as a trustee and coordinator of public relations and publications for Akron’s historic preservation advocacy organization.  In her current role with IER, she enjoys the opportunity to facilitate cross-district conversations among teachers, principals, parents, and others within the school community and looks forward to continuing to develop and expand Network programming. 

Rebecca C. Rumsey
Rebecca came to the Institute for Educational Renewal in 2003.  After serving as an IER school coach in both the Cleveland and Euclid School Districts, she moved to IER’s administrative office, where she is involved in program development and evaluation.  Rebecca is a former classroom teacher in the Cleveland Municipal School District, where she taught fourth grade at Walton Elementary.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Miami University and worked in business and postsecondary school administration before earning her teaching certification from Cleveland State University.  Rebecca continued her education at John Carroll University, earning a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology.  She enjoys research and evaluation in the field of education, and has appreciated the opportunity to work for an organization dedicated to promoting life-long learning for students and teachers alike. 

Carol H. Tierney
Carol has been with IER since 2001.  She has taught special education, early childhood, and elementary classes. During her teaching career, she was recognized as a Jennings Scholar and served as a mentor to new teachers. Before coming to the teaching field, Carol worked as a psychiatric social worker, providing evaluation and counseling to patients at University Hospitals.  She also provided social service support to families and students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.  As an educational consultant, she has presented professional development sessions on literacy instruction for Rigby Books and for the Cleveland Schools Book Fund.  While working at IER as a school literacy coach, Carol has presented staff development sessions on student assessment, classroom management, parent involvement, intervention, and comprehensive literacy.   She continues to work with administrators, principals, and teachers to formulate plans for school change.  Carol is dedicated to improving the learning of children in Cleveland and in the first ring districts.