About Us

Toddler Faculty

Jemma Lortie & Jen Bray

Jemma Lortie studied Social Work, and has a B.S.W. degree from Northwestern State University. She has worked with two to three year old children for over 10 years. She has been a teacher in our Toddler Program since January of 2011. She received her Montessori teacher certification from North American Montessori Center.
​jemma.lortie@mecalex.org

Jen Bray received her Montessori teacher certification from North American Montessori Center. She began as a part-time floater in our Toddler Program in 2014, and became a full-time teacher in 2015. Prior to working at MEC, she had experience as a nanny. She attended Louisiana Tech University where she studied Early Childhood Education.
jen.bray@mecalex.org

Sarah McCartney & Tiffany Bailey-Johnson

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 North American Montessori Center.
sarah.mccartney@mecalex.org

Tiffany Bailey-Johnson joined our toddler staff in August of 2017. She has more than 12 years of experience working with toddler and preschool children. Tiffany completed her Montessori certification through the North American Montessori Center.
tiffany.bailey@mecalex.org

Kaitlyn Huff

Kaitlyn is a graduate of Montessori Educational Center, and a recent graduate of Bolton High School. She will be assisting the teachers in both toddler classrooms.

Primary Faculty

Teresa Strandquist & Jeanette Tudor

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 children are current MEC students.
teresa.strandquist@mecalex.org

Jeanette Tudor is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a B.A. in communication. She completed the Alternative Teacher Education Program at Northwestern State University in 2006. Jeanette has served as a substitute at MEC and will join the faculty full-time for the 2020-2021 school year. She is completing Montessori early childhood certification with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. Her daughter is a current MEC student.
jeanette.tudor@mecalex.org

Shahla Khalid & Coty Verdin

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.
​​shahla.khalid@mecalex.org

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 is a MEC parent of one and frequent school volunteer. 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.verdin@mecalex.org

Tala Wagner & Briana Lee

Tala Wagner is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University where she received a B.A. in English. She received her Montessori teacher certification from the American Montessori Society in 2010. She has taught at Montessori schools in Waco, Texas and Lawrence, Kansas. She joined the faculty of MEC in 2015 as a toddler teacher. She began working in the Primary Program during the 2016-2017 school year. She is also the parent of an MEC student.
​​tala.wagner@mecalex.org

Briana Lee joined the faculty of Montessori Educational Center in August of 2018. She is pursuing her Montessori primary certification with the Montessori World Educational Institute.
briana.lee@mecalex.org

Lower Elementary Faculty

LISA ROZAS & JUNE JONES

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.
​​lisa.rozas@mecalex.org

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.
june.jones@mecalex.org

Angela Hayes & Eddie Scroggs

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.
angela.hayes@mecalex.org

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 is in the final phase of completing his Montessori Elementary I and II teacher certification through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.
eddie.scroggs@mecalex.org

Upper Elementary Faculty

Amber Voorhies, Buffy Stroderd, Christal Workman and Penny McGinty

Amber Voorhies began her career as MEC’s Art Instructor in 2003. She attended Louisiana College where she earned a B.A. in Art. She completed Elementary I and Elementary II Montessori teacher certification through Southwestern Montessori Training Center as well as Toddler Montessori training with North American Montessori Center. She has worked with children of all ages in our school, and is currently serving as an upper elementary teacher. Both of her children attend MEC.
amber.voorhies@mecalex.org

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. Both of Buffy’s children attend MEC.
buffy.stroderd@mecalex.org

Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, Christal Workman became a full-time teacher in the upper elementary class. In the past, Christal has substituted where needed, and worked as an assistant teacher in the Lower Elementary Program. She is a graduate of Louisiana Tech with a B.S. in Architectural Studies. She is currently participating in the Elementary I phase of Montessori training and will pursue Elementary II certification with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. Christal is the mother of four MEC students.
christal.workman@mecalex.org

Penny McGinty has joined the upper elementary class as a part-time assistant for the 2019-2020 school year. She received her B.A. in English and French from Louisiana Tech. Penny’s experience at MEC dates back 20 years. She has served as the upper elementary lead teacher, as the interim head of school, and as a board member. Penny is responsible for forming the Grand Gardeners club at the school. Three of her grandchildren attend MEC.
penny.mcginty@mecalex.org

Middle School Faculty

Jess Harris & Sue Sullivan

Jess Harris leads our Middle School Program. A graduate of Louisiana State University at Alexandria, with a B.A. in Elementary Education, Jess received her Montessori Secondary I and II teacher certification from the American Montessori Society. She is the parent of an MEC student.
​​jess.harris@mecalex.org

Sue Sullivan is a 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 with Jess Harris and the middle school students. She is a former president of the MEC Board of Directors, and the parent of an MEC graduate.
sue.sullivan@mecalex.org

Science

Charity Rodgers

A graduate of LSUA with a degree in biology, Charity Rodgers directs our science lab. She instructs children ages 6 through 12. She is the mother of an MEC graduate and a current student.
charity.rodgers@mecalex.org

Administration

Jordan Fontenot, Lisa Clair, & Joelle Flaherty

Jordan Fontenot is a graduate of Louisiana State University at Alexandria and joined MEC as an after-school teacher. She has been serving as our administrative assistant since the spring of 2017. Jordan completed the Fundamentals of Montessori course through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.
jordan.tullos@mecalex.org

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.clair@mecalex.org

Joelle Flaherty has been the Head of School at MEC since 2008. Prior to serving as Head of School, she was an upper elementary teacher from 2001 through 2008. 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. She is the current President of the Louisiana Montessori Association.
​​joelle.flaherty@mecalex.org

After School Staff

Cynthia Butler, Wanda Strother, Sharron Rusk, Emma Sullivan, Caroline Randall, Carrie McKinney, Jeri Litton, Darlene Thompson and Joyce Brocato