Vision Home & Community Program- Resource Consultants & Staff

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Resource Consultants & Staff

Resource Consultants (RC's) are at the center of the Home and Community Program. At the beginning of each school year, or when a learner enrolls in the program, one of the first things th learner does is find an RC. The RC helps the learner and his or her family develop a learning plan, find learning resources, budget time and funding, determine how to assess progress and meet the requirements of the program.

If you can't find the RC your looking for please call the VISION office at 527-8766. Thank you!

North Fork Resource Consultants

Tina & Don Carney 527-2301 or 314-0475

Gary Handschumacher 921-3789

Anjula Jalan 527-4214

Jill Knutson 527-3969

Denise Claire Laverty 527-6505

Tony Peters 527-6505

Shawn LaBounty 527-3020

Carrie Learner 872-4938

Steve Lyons 270-5458

Prima Merry 527-3471

Becky Ochs 872-4825

Moni Slater- Podgorny 872-7685

Marcia Wyatt 250-6038

Phyllis Swackhamer 527-4035

Staff Members

Melinda Merriam

Anjula Jalan 527-4214

Moni Slater-Podgorny 872-7685

Margaret Stockton 872-4767

Stewards

Barbara Hulet 323-5721

Denise Claire Laverty 527-6505

Jim Link 527-3523

Dick Nunamaker 874-4735

Terrie Watts 856-7187

I have been associated with the education of young persons and VISION since long "before the turn of the century". It has been my privilege to work with many committed people who believe that all students are 'gifted' and must only be allowed permission to make her or his own path. Learning happens in many ways, and it is, in my belief, the right of all young people to be supported in this effort. I look forward to our 7th year of providing this unique option for students and families in the North Fork Valley.

~Gary Handschumacher

Anjula Jalan has been the Director of the Home and Community program. She is also a Resource Consultant and has worked with learners of all ages. Before coming to the North Fork Valley, Anjula taught at a school in Denver. She is a graduate of Oberlin College.

My name is Tony Peters. I have been a resource consultant with vision for four years and an educator for five. I work as a team with my wife Claire. I find the work enjoyable, rewarding and challenging. We have worked with all ages and types of learners and have had success with most. Last spring we saw our first senior graduate.

My educational background is in music. I have a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University with majors in theory, composition and trombone. I spent most of my 20s working as a freelance jazz musician. My main love is guitar and I have been teaching it off and on since I was in high school. My other interests include psychology, natural healing and cooking, solar energy and alternative building techniques, gardening, philosophy, astronomy and astrology. For recreation I enjoy rafting, backpacking, telemark skiing as well as basketball and volleyball. I also enjoy lounging around with a good book.

I see my job as a resource consultant takes many forms. All learners and families need something a little different so I try to be a good listener and find out how I can help the most. My roles range from disseminator of information to researcher to counselor to friend and playmate. This work calls on all the skills I have gathered over the years plus a good deal more. I enjoy the challenge and look forward to meeting what each year brings my way.

Hello, I am Marcia Wyatt, and I was hired as a RC to begin the 2006-07 school year. Working with families who are home schooling is where I have the most interest, although I am willing to work with other learners who are self motivated and desire to pursue self-set goals. I would like to spend time with learners on field trips, at portfolio gatherings, playing games, doing community service projects with other RC's and their learners and going over the required paperwork for the program. My husband David and I have been home schooling our four children for the past 14 years, and we have been in the Vision program for six of those years. Our oldest son will begin his second year of college this fall at Bob Jones University. I have served on one graduating committee for a young lady who graduated in the spring of 2006.

I have worked for the Vision Home and Community Program since 2001 and I have always appreciated the wide range of opportunities there are to learners of all ages throughout the community. I respect learning of all types, from traditional pedagogical approaches to wide-ranging self designing or unschooling approaches. What determines whether or not things are "working" is determined not by any one set of criteria or standards but rather by how much everyone is engaged, motivated and taking responsibility for their part in the learning process. "Gumption" is one of my favorite words, and I think that it should be listed as a core subject along with math and English. What kind of CSAP questions would they ask to measure a learner's knowledge of gumption, I wonder.

There is no replacement for meeting face-to face with learners and families, and I like to enhance the conversations around learning through writing as well. I attended a training for the SelfDesign on-line learning community in Canada in August of 2006 and was impressed by the wealth of resources and depth of conversation that is possible through their on-line village. I am pursuing a pilot project in Vision to see how we can make this resource enhance our program, and I would be happy to work with any families who would like to be included.

~Moni Slater