About us

Joelle Flaherty has been the Head of School at MEC since 2009. Prior to serving as Head of School, she was an upper elementary teacher from 2001 through 2009. She earned a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and an M. A. in Montessori Education from St. Catherine University. She received her Montessori Elementary I and II teaching credentials from Southwestern Montessori Training Center. Both of Joelle’s children graduated from MEC and one of her grandsons is a current student. She is a former President of the Louisiana Montessori Association.

Lisa Clair is a graduate of LSU with a B.A. in Political Science and has been teaching at MEC since 1991. She received her Montessori teacher certification from the Montessori World Educational Institute. In 2017 she left the classroom to join the administrative team and assist the Head of School. Her children attended MEC, and her grandchildren are current students. Lisa is the current Vice President of the Louisiana Montessori Association.

Meghan Flaherty is a graduate of The Art Institute of Portland. She became an MEC parent and volunteer in 2018. She began serving as our administrative assistant in July of 2021.

Wayne Layssard is a lieutenant with the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. He has served as MEC's school resource officer since August of 2020.

Dr. Robert Wright is a Professor of Psychology at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, where he has been a dedicated member of the faculty since 2007. He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. in School Psychology from Louisiana State University. He completed his school psychology with the Devereaux Center for Effective Schools in Philadelphia PA. 

 

With more than 20 years of experience in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), he focuses on behavioral assessment, evidence‑based intervention, and the practical application of ABA in educational, clinical, and home-based settings. He is committed to mentoring students and supporting community-based initiatives across Louisiana.

 

A member of the MEC community for 15 years, Dr. Wright is the parent of two Montessori graduates and one current student. He previously served three consecutive terms on the Montessori Board of Directors, including two years as Board President.

Jorge Rocha Alvarez is a Venezuelan-American Pineville resident, husband, and father of one. He was raised in six different countries across three continents, which has built a rich and diverse outlook on his professional and family life. Through his political advertising from Ad Central, Jorge has produced award-winning work for some of the biggest campaigns, PACs and Super PACS in the nation, such as President Joe Biden’s official campaign launch, the DCCC, the NRSC, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ted Cruz, House of Representative members, governors and secretaries of state.

Jorge has also produced award-winning work for some of the biggest nonprofits and independent expenditures in the country, ranging from the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, the UFCW, the NRDC, all the way to the NRA. His corporate portfolio includes National Geographic, Pepsico, John Deere and the Philadelphia 76ers, among others.

His work to revitalize Main Street in Pineville has earned him recognition by the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance and the CENLA Chamber of Commerce. He believes in the resurgence of “walkable cities,” privately owned public spaces and the development of businesses that promote historical, educational and cultural value.

As a first-generation immigrant hailing from a country given a humanitarian crisis status, Jorge maintains his commitment to aid fellow expats in need, by helping detainees in the LaSalle ICE Processing Center navigate through “self-deportation” process, in which non-violent immigrants fly outside the country on their own recognizance through AEX (a major deportation hub), providing language, social, logistical and financial assistance.

Meenu Sharma holds a Masters in Business Administration from College of Business, Louisiana Tech University. She is a results-driven professional with over 15 years of extensive financial and technical analysis experience at Crest Industries and McKesson Corporation, working in the field of financial planning and analysis, budget administration, strategic planning and treasury management. She currently serves the role as CFO at Premier Urgent Care and Premier Imaging group of clinics, overseeing nearly 100 employees and is intricately involved in strategic growth. She is the proud mom of an elementary school student at MEC.

Elaine Beck is the proud grandmother of four MEC students- Pershing, Eli, Amelia, and Holt. Her sons Joe and Yuri were some of the first students to attend MEC. Elaine is an AMS certified Montessori teacher. She taught at MEC for many years in the Elementary I and II environments. She also served MEC as a Science Specialist and Financial Director. She is currently retired from LSUA where, as an assistant professor in the education department, she taught elementary teachers how to teach math and science. As an MEC board member she has served as chair of the Toddler program committee and the Middle School program committee. She has been chairperson of the annual fundraiser, cochairperson of the special needs committee, and has worked with the alumni committee. She is currently involved with organizing volunteers to listen to emerging readers ages 3-8 and works with students in the upper elementary class on Wednesdays.

Nola Parker is married to Joshua Day, and they have one son named Daniel, who will be moving to the upper elementary class at MEC in August. She graduated from Louisiana State University of Alexandria in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and a double minor in Psychology and Political Science. Nola currently attends Southern University Law Center, where she is working toward earning her Juris Doctor Degree and plans to practice Education Law. In law school, Nola works with Armour Law Firm in writing grants and securing funding for the firm’s partnering non-profit organizations and small businesses located in Dry Prong, Louisiana. Nola has served in various leadership roles, and she has helped organize events and promote awareness for various causes. She has worked as a paraprofessional in a special education classroom at Pineville Junior High. Also, Nola has served as a parent volunteer at MEC by assisting teachers in the upper elementary classroom, reading with children in both the primary and lower elementary classes, and participating in various activities at the school. Nola is a proud parent and an avid supporter of the Montessori method, the community, and our school.

Brannon Andrus is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences and has worked for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture for 10 years. He and his wife, Amy, have a six-year-old daughter who has been attending Montessori Education Center for the past two years. Brannon takes on leadership roles within his job and by coaching his daughter's soccer team. The Andrus family participates in a wide range of events around Cenla. They enjoy volunteering their time to support local school, church, and community activities. They are members of St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria.

Alfonso Augustine, called Fonz by most people, grew up in Marksville, LA. He graduated from Marksville High in 2003. Alfonso attended Louisiana State University of Alexandria and then transitioned into the auto industry for employment. He is currently a district manager for Louisiana Dealer Services. Alfonso provides service to dealership staff throughout Louisiana along with compliance and sales training. He started in the auto industry several years ago, serving Rapides parish and surrounding communities with auto needs at Hixson Autoplex of Alexandria from 2005-2015. Alfonso is married to the wonderful Terika. They have been happily married for eight years. Their son, Grayson, started at MEC as a toddler and is currently in lower elementary. Alfonso believes in MEC and its mission. He has served on the MEC Board for the past nine months, assuming a vacant partialterm-position. He is a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Alexandria and loves spending time with his family and playing ball with his son. Alfonso also enjoys classic cars, cooking, and zydeco music.

Jonathan is married to Rhianna and the proud father of MEC students Asa and Nash. He serves as the Chief Transportation Officer for the Rapides Parish Planning Commission and administrator of the Alexandria-Pineville Metropolitan Planning Organization (APMPO). He is a planner by profession with more than 11 years of community resilience and development, public transportation, and hazard project planning and project management experience in Louisiana. As a Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) certified educator, Jonathan designed exciting and challenging curricula utilizing new technology and instructional strategies for American Studies, Law Studies, English I, Speech, Fine Arts, Biology I, Earth Science, and Pre-Algebra for grades 8-12 between 2006 and 2011. He also serves on the GAEDA Revitalization Corporation Board of Directors and the Glass Act Recycling Board of Directors. Jonathan served on the United Way of Central Louisiana Board between 2018 and 2021.

Sara Bruner and her husband, Bryan, are proud to have their three children, Robby, Anne, and Will.  Sara and Bryan live in Forest Hill and run the family business, Clyde Holloway’s Nursery. Sara was born and raised in Forest Hill. She received her undergraduate degree from LSU and then went on to participate in Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), an AmeriCorps program at the University of Notre Dame, through which she received her Master of Education. As part of ACE, Sara was placed in Fort Worth, Texas and taught middle school. After her two years in ACE, she stayed in Fort Worth and continued her career in education as a Service Learning Coordinator and then as one of Fort Worth ISD’s lead Science and Technology teachers. Sara cooked part time while teaching and eventually opened a catering business. After seven years of catering and the birth of their first son, Robby, the Bruners moved to Forest Hill to raise their family. Sara is very active in education as a volunteer, teacher, and community partner.

Carol Kelly has been teaching for the past 19 years and currently serves as the STEM teacher for Pre-K through sixth grades at Rosenthal Montessori. She earned a master’s degree in Educational Technology Leadership after realizing her passion for meaningful integration of technology into curriculum. Carol loves to volunteer her extra time to the children and youth programs at her church by teaching Sunday School, serving on various committees, and chaperoning youth activities and mission trips. When not at school or church, she can be found watching her girls in gymnastics meets, on the soccer field, or the basketball court. Carol is married to Patrick Kelly, biology teacher extraordinaire, Geek Squad sponsor, and girls’ basketball coach at Pineville High School. They have been blessed to be a part of the Montessori family for the last 11 years where their daughters, Caitlin, Camille, and Cathleen attend.

Dana Lyles is the Director of Operations and Outreach at the Alexandria Museum of Art. Her work has included day-to-day operations and finances of the non-profit and facilitating events and learning experiences at the museum. Her current work largely involves planning classes, camps, and outreach projects to bring art education to individuals of all ages and schools in the area. Dana received her Bachelor of English from LSUA and Master of Arts in Teaching from Louisiana College. She spent 17 years working in public and private schools, teaching middle and high school English, Speech, Creative Writing, and Publications, coaching Cheer, and serving in various leadership roles including serving as a PBIS Team Lead, Testing Coordinator, Head of Transition Committee, Curriculum Coordinator, Writing Coach, Assistant to the Head of School, Athletic Director,and the Head of Upper School at ACDS. Her husband, Michael, is the owner of Sam Stokes Nursery in Forest Hill and is active with numerous pecan growers organizations in the Southeast. Their daughter, Samantha, is a 8th grader at MEC. Dana volunteers at MEC each week. Samantha is active in dance, voice, and theater, so Dana spends a great deal of time volunteering and working on a variety of productions in the area.

Del Payne is a behavioral consultant with ABA School Consultants and serves several parishes across Louisiana. She works to support classrooms with students who have challenging behaviors and disabilities. She earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Louisiana College and has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her career began as a special education teacher at Pineville Elementary School and her passion for working with individuals with special needs continues to grow. Del serves in the Special Needs ministry at her church and has been serving on the Board of Directors for The Broom Tree, a local special needs nonprofit organization, since 2021. She and her husband, Chris, decided to make MEC home for their three children in 2016 and enjoy watching them grow every year.

Micah Rodgers is currently employed in the Information Security sector with 23 years of experience, which has not only entailed technical work but also engineering, planning, operations, and resource management. Micah attended LSUA majoring in Astronomy and holds many current industry certifications and has managed groups of people and assisted large corporations in developing plans to meet current government and industry regulations. He has two children, a senior at Bolton High School and a freshman at Pineville High School, who are MEC graduates. Micah is a native of the central Louisiana area and has strong ties to the school and the community. Micah has served as the Technology Director for the MEC Board of Directors since 2014, helping to establish and modernize the school’s processes to increase flexibility and improve both the staff and the students’ experience. Particularly noteworthy, Micah’s leadership on the MEC Board allowed for the school’s successful transition into the remote education space mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meet Earl Williams, the GMC F&I Manager at Walker Automotive. Married to his wonderful wife Erica for nearly 5 years. They share the joy of parenting their son Elliot. Earl dedicates his time as a pastor at Christian Baptist Church in Bunkie, LA serving his community for over 5 years. He likes investing in real estate; which has become a passion for him. In his free time he enjoys going to LSU games with his family and spending time with his family.

Sarah McCartney has been a teacher in our Toddler Program since August of 2012. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University at Alexandria, where she received a B.S. in psychology. Her experience with toddler students dates back to 2007. She received her Montessori teacher certification from Authentic Institute of Montessori.

Tiffany Bailey joined our toddler staff in August of 2017. She has more than 14 years of experience working with toddler and preschool children. Tiffany earned her BS in Psychology and completed her Montessori certification through the North American Montessori Center.

Chloe earned her B.S. in psychology from LSUA. She is an experienced nanny and began working at MEC as an assistant to the toddler teachers. She is now a full-time toddler teacher working alongside Kate Devine. 

Kate is a MEC graduate and current MEC parent. She joined our staff in 2023 as a teaching assistant in the toddler program. She is currently pursuing her Montessori certification with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. She leads a toddler classroom with Chloe Boone.

Astrid attended LSUA, where she earned a B.A. in English. She has prior teaching experience at Mabel Brasher Montessori. She is looking forward to the opportunity to gain additional experience in a Montessori setting and getting to know the children.

Alexis earned a B.A. in psychology from Liberty University. She has prior experience as a nanny and as administrative support for the Pentecostals of Alexandria. She is a Montessori parent with two children currently enrolled at MEC. Alexis has the opportunity to work with all of the toddler children as a floater who works in both classrooms. 

Elissa Cooley began her career at MEC as our after school director. In December of 2021, she joined our primary teaching team as an intern. She received her Montessori Early Childhood credential from the Montessori World Educational Institute. Elissa’s daughter is a current MEC student.

Alexis joined MEC as an assistant in our after-school program. We are pleased to have her join us full-time as an assistant to the three primary classrooms.

We are fortunate to have Susan Dukes join the primary teaching team at MEC. Susan is a graduate of the University of New Orleans and has been a Montessori-certified teacher since 1994. She began her Montessori career at University Montessori in Hammond, Louisiana. Susan leads a primary classroom with the help of co-teacher Kathryn LaCaze.

Shahla Khalid graduated from the University of Karachi in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She obtained her Montessori certification through the Association Montessori Internationale. She joined MEC as a primary teacher in the spring of 2017. Shahla is the mother of three.

Kathryn is an experienced teacher who holds a BS in Elementary Education from East Carolina University. She served the primary classes last school year as a volunteer. This year she joins Susan Dukes to serve as a full-time primary teacher. Both of Kathryn's children attend MEC.

Ashlyn Magel has been a parent and volunteer at MEC. In 2021 she joined our staff as an assistant helping in all three primary classrooms. Ashlyn now serves as a full-time intern teacher  with co-teacher Elissa Cooley.

Teresa Strandquist joined MEC for the 2019-2020 school year. She holds a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Pennsylvania State University and AMS certification as a Montessori teacher. Teresa’s serves all three primary classrooms part-time as a resource teacher.

Coty Verdin is a graduate of Northwestern State University where she received a B.S. in Biology, a B.S. in Psychology, and an A.A in Criminal Justice. She began as a MEC substitute teacher in the spring of 2017. She joined the Primary Program full time during the 2017-2018 school year. Coty earned her Montessori Early Childhood credential wih the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.

Angela Hayes received a B.A. in Journalism from Louisiana Tech University and a M.A. in English from Northwestern State University. She received her Montessori teaching certification from Montessori World Educational Institute, and has taught in the Lower Elementary Program since 1995. Her children and grandchildren have attended MEC.

June Jones is a graduate of Northwestern State University and was awarded a Master of Education degree. She received her Montessori Elementary I and Elementary II credentials from Southwestern Montessori Training Center. June has 45 years of experience in education and joined Montessori Educational Center during the 2018-2019 school year.

Lisa Rozas has worked at Montessori Educational Center since 1996. She has a degree in vocal performance from Louisiana College. She began her career at MEC as our music teacher. She began working in the lower elementary environment during the 2013-2014 school year. She received her Montessori teacher certification from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. Both of her children attended MEC.

Eddie Scroggs attended Louisiana College where he earned a B.A. in History. He received his M.A. in history from Louisiana Tech University. He began working as a lower elementary teacher in 2014. He completed his Montessori Elementary I and II teacher certification through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.

Amy is a teacher's assistant for the upper elementary classrooms. Amy also assists with the library, office duties, and MPA events. She is a parent of an MEC student and has been a volunteer since 2022.

Courtney is new to MEC but not a new teacher. She earned her B.A. in English from LSUA and a Master's in Teaching from Louisiana College. She has experience teaching language arts in both public and private school settings. She is looking forward to strengthening her Montessori knowledge and developing positive relationships with both students and parents. Courtney is the parent of a primary student enrolled at MEC.

A graduate of LSUA with a degree in biology, Charity Rodgers directed our science lab and instructed children ages 6 through 12. This year she is stepping into the role of Upper Elementary teacher. Both of her children attended MEC.

Buffy Stroderd is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a B.A. in Speech Communication. She obtained her Montessori Elementary I and II teacher certification with the Center For Guided Montessori Studies. She began teaching in the upper elementary classroom in 2012. Buffy is the parent of a current MEC student and a MEC graduate.

Anna is an experienced teacher with a B.S. from the University of LA Monroe. She will be working part-time in the Upper Elementary classrooms, assisting the teachers. Anna is an MEC parent with a children enrolled in the primary and lower elementary classes.

Sue Sullivan is a former professor of biology at Louisiana State University Alexandria. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Molecular Genetics from the University of Georgia. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, she began working full-time as an intern with the middle school students. Sue obtained her Montessori Secondary I and II teacher certification from the American Montessori Society and is now the lead middle school teacher. She is a former president of the MEC Board of Directors and the parent of an MEC graduate.

Jeff retired from the US Army and pursued further education at Louisiana College where he graduated with a degree in Business Management. As Jeff continues his education journey he recently graduated from the Master of Science in Management and Leadership program at Western Governors University. His background is in logistics, business, and project management. He has extensive experience with mentoring, peer leadership, and volunteerism. Jeff earned his Montessori Secondary I & II credentials from the Houston Montessori Center.

Annabella is a graduate of LSU and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art. She is in knowledgeable in the areas of art fundamentals, art history, and concept development. She has experience producing art shows and is looking forward to her first Fine Arts Showcase with MEC this school year. While working part-time with our students, Annabella is pursuing a Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Art Therapy.

Jane is a graduate of Millsaps with a degree in biology with a minor in environmental studies. She will be working with our elementary students in the science lab and our school gardens. Jane is the parent of two MEC students and we are excited to have her as a part of our faculty beginning with the 2023 - 2024 school year.

Pam began working at MEC at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. Pam was a Food Service Manager for the Rapides Parish School Board for 34 years. Prior to becoming the doorkeeper for after school, Pam worked with the Middle School students. Pam has a large extended family and enjoys working at MEC because it feels like family as well.

Vickie came to MEC in January of 2022. Prior to that, Vickie was a Cafeteria Manager for the Rapides Parish School Board, and retired from Cherokee Elementary School. Vickie works with the Lower Elementary students. Vickie has 2 children and 3 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Vickie has always loved being around children so feels right at home at MEC.

Tina came to work at MEC in 2021. Tina also retired as a Food Service Technician from the Rapides Parish School Board and is currently working as a professional tax preparer in addition to her work at MEC. Tina works with the children in Upper Elementary. Tina would like for the families to know that she is very devoted to her God and is an honest woman.

Sharron began working at MEC in August of 1998. Sharron also retired from the Rapides Parish School Board where she was a Cafeteria Technician at Pineville High School. Sharron was the “Bread Lady”. Sharron has two sons and six grandchildren. Over the years Sharron has worked with all age groups, but particularly enjoys the Primary children. She feels that coming to work at MEC was the best decision she ever made.

Amanda began working at MEC in 2025 in addition to her career as a Food Technician for the Rapides Parish School Board. Amanda works with the Primary children. Her focus is on her love of Jesus and her family, and she loves working with the children at MEC.

Joyce came back to MEC in 2023 after a brief hiatus. Joyce typically can be found working with the Primary children. During her career as a stay at home mom Joyce perfected her cooking and baking skills while raising her three sons and helping with her many grandchildren. Joyce also hunts, fishes, and paints.