OUR TEAM

MS. MIMOSA JONES TUNNEY

FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL

In 2010, Mimosa Jones Tunney firmly believed that she had reached the highest level of human success: her own parking space on the Warner Bros. lot.

The spot – which came from writing on a critically-acclaimed television show – was evidence of her worth. As was directing her first documentary short series and developing a film with Tom Hanks. But it was through writing a mini-series for Oprah and HBO about the Life of Ida Tarbell that suddenly made the parking space seem irrelevant. That… and having her first child.

At the turn of the last century, Ida Tarbell’s boss, S.S. McClure, invented syndication, took down John Rockefeller – the wealthiest man in the world - and partnered with President Teddy Roosevelt on more reform than the U.S. had seen then or since. McClure was, at one time, the most famous person in American. And yet, Tunney discovered while in the Library of Congress reading an original letter from McClure’s friend Alexander Graham Bell, that McClure’s greatest contribution wasn’t any of those things. It was bringing Dr. Maria Montessori to America to reform Education.

The effort by McClure failed and cost him his career. Yet, the letter affirmed that we had been here before. That 2020 might as well be 1910. That everything – commerce, transportation, medicine, communication, even toothpaste – had advanced in our society with the exception of our education system. And what a beautiful system it is… founded on the premise that we could educate the largest group of people mankind had ever known.

Where is that majesty today? That passion for getting it right when it comes to our youngest and most valuable citizens?

Why, after all this time and countless reincarnations and reinventions of America, haven’t we created a system based on the development of the child and what we know scientifically works in learning? Why haven’t we focused as much on getting it right for American children as Apple has focused on selling iPhones?

It doesn’t take long after reading the great pedagogical writers of history – Piaget, Comenius, Gardner, Montessori, Malaguzzi and many others – to understand how humans learn. It’s not like trying to understand biochemistry or statistics where you might need a certain gene to process complex ideas. These ideas – ideas about education – are blatant. They are outwardly logical. And they all point to giving children the foundation to work independently, make good choices, lead, compromise, find happy moments, overcome failure and understand their own self-worth and abilities. This along with academic standards is the only thing that moves our human culture in a positive direction.

Years before Tunney worked in Hollywood, she graduated from American University’s School of Public Policy in Washington D.C. and worked for one of the most powerful senators on Capitol Hill. She then served as the youngest gubernatorial speechwriter in the United States before starting two innovative non-profits bringing her the distinction of Deal Maker of the Year when she was still in her twenties. In 2017, with her experience, acute research skills and a deep understanding of the why behind our collective failure to reimagine a better version of American education, Mimosa Jones Tunney set out to build the new American school: The School House.

The School House is the culmination of logic, gumption, hard work and innovation. It’s a school worthy of the American child with a new kind of curriculum and a new kind of teacher culture. It’s a school based on today’s science while still holding true to our nostalgia and love for our public institutions. It’s place and a curriculum that any community, anywhere, public or private, can build for a third of what it usually costs. And where working families across the nation can enroll their children.

Mimosa Jones Tunney is married to John J. Tunney, III. The Tunney Family created and funded The School House and John voraciously supports this mission by serving on the Board of Directors. She is mom to John and Duke -- the inspiration of all things including this endeavor.

MS. NICOLE WALKER

LEAD PRIMARY EDUCATOR

AMS Early Childhood Credential, BA in Elementary / Special Education CPR / AED / Epi-Pen Infant / Child and Adult Certified, 6 years of experience as an Educator.

MS. JANICE MEANEY

LEAD PRIMARY EDUCATOR

AMI (Association Montessori International / USA) Diploma 0-3 years Certified, AAS Degree in Business, Continuing Education in Early Childhood Education at Suffolk Community College, CPR Infant/Child and Adult Certified, 27 years’ experience as an Educator. Janice was awarded a Grant through Suffolk AEYC (Association for the Education of Young Children) “Celebrating and Exploring Multicultural Families in our Classroom”

MS. LAURE DUVERGER

LEAD ELEMENTARY I EDUCATOR & DANCE CONSULTANT

BA in Engineering, Former Martha Graham Dancer, AMI Primary Educator and currently training for the Elementary environment, certified Positive Discipline. CPR/AED Infant/Child, 8 years experiences working with children.

MS. CHLOE TSIAMES

LEAD ELEMENTARY II EDUCATOR

AMS Elementary I and II Training, BA in English with minor in Elementary Education, Master's in Elementary Education, Adelphi University.

MS. KYLE PLATI

ASSISTANT PRIMARY EDUCATOR

BA St. Joseph’s College with dual certification in Elementary Education and Students with Disabilities (Birth-6th Grade), MA SUNY Stony Brook (concentration in Child Study), NYS Early Intervention Provider, Special Education Itinerant Teacher, 14 years of experience as an Educator.

MR. MICHAEL SWABY

MUSIC EDUCATOR

BA in Music Education / Certified by the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in piano and music theory level five / Certified by the ABRSM in Advanced Choral Singing / Certified DISC trainer /Certified John Maxwell Team member / 14 years experience as a Music Educator.

MS. MIRIAM FLORIDIA

LEAD SPANISH EDUCATOR

Primary Diploma in Elementary Education. National University of Cuyo, Argentina. Bilingual Teaching Training (Spanish as a Foreign Language) University of Jaden, Barcelona-Spain. 5 years of experience as an Elementary School Educator in Argentina and +10 years of experience as a Spanish Educator in New York.

MR. CHARLES M. CORWIN

GROUNDSKEEPER

Greenport High School 1977 & United States Army

MS. MEG LEONARD

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

BA in Elementary/Special Education with a minor in English from Fairfield University, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified, Child and Parent Certified Life Coach, 18 Years Educator and Administrative Experience.

MS. CASSANDRE ETIENNE-DENIS

LEAD PRIMARY EDUCATOR

AMI (Association Montessori International / USA) A to I Diploma, BS in Elementary Education Pre-K-6, CPR infant, child and adult certified, 21 years of experience as an Educator

MS. DEBBIE (DEBORAH) GIORDANO

LEAD ELEMENTARY I EDUCATOR

Certified Lower Elementary Montessori Teacher, BA in English, 13 years teaching experience, 5 years’ experience as a Special Education assistant.

MS. STEFANIE PIZZOLO

LEAD ELEMENTARY I EDUCATOR

Primary and Elementary I and II Montessori Diploma from Montessori Europe; Bachelor of Science in Human Development with a concentration on Early Childhood Studies, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified, 20 years of experience as an Educator.

MS. ANNA COSTELLO

ASSISTANT PRIMARY EDUCATOR

ECE Certified/ BS in Business from St. John’s University / CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified / 6 years experience assistant educator / 10 years of daycare experience 

MS. ANNA GIULIANA TUCCIO

LEAD SCIENCE EDUCATOR / LEAD ITALIAN EDUCATOR

MS in Molecular Biology, University of Naples

MS. JENNIFER RUSSO

HEAD LIBRARIAN

Master's in Library and Information Science and a Bachelor’s in English. Eight years of experience as a Youth Services Librarian.

MS. JENNA HENNESSEY

SCHOOL NURSE

BS in Nursing, BS in Education, Human and Social Development Minor, Registered Nurse, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified

MS. JULIE KARL

LEAD PRIMARY EDUCATOR

AMI (Association Montessori International / USA) Primary Diploma, BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified, + 7 Years Educator Experience.

MS. KAITLYN RUSSO

LEAD PRIMARY EDUCATOR

BA in Sociology with a concentration in Human Services, Masters in Social Work, Child Development Associate, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified. Over 10 years experience in the Montessori Environment, former curator of the TSH Pre-School Extended Day Program. Currently obtaining her WSMNYC Montessori Certification in NYC.

MS. NICOLE INTOCI

LEAD ELEMENTARY I EDUCTAOR

AMI Primary Diploma, BA in Elementary Education, Students with Disabilities and IT with a minor Psychology, Masters in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Montessori, 7 years of experience as an Educator.

MR. THOMAS TROTTA

LEAD ELEMENTARY II EDUCATOR

BS in Childhood Education from St. John's University with a concentration in history and a Master’s Degree in Childhood Education, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified, currently obtaining certification in Montessori Elementary I and II in NYC.

MS. MICHELLE FARLEY

ASSISTANT PRIMARY EDUCATOR

BA in Elementary Education with an endorsement in ESOL & ESE, CPR/AED Infant/Child and Adult Certified, 5+ years of experience as an Educator.

MS. DANIELLA MAGNANI

REGGIO-EMILIA ART EDUCATOR

Master of Arts from Adelphi University in Art Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Arts with a minor in Art History and Creative Technology.

MR. JONATHAN KULA

LEAD PHYSICAL SCIENCES EDUCATOR

Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education. Licensed Coach. CPR/AED/First Aid Certified. Five years experience as an Educator and Coach.

MR. WILLIE STEEL

LEADER OF THE SCHOOL HOUSE BAND

High School Diploma from Walt Whitman H.S., U.S. Army from 1979 to 1985 Receiver.. U.S. Army Commendation Medal Studied Guitar at W.H. Bauer School 1990 to 1996, 25 years of private music instruction, Two years of guitar instruction at Chaminade High, 4 Years music teacher at Cold Spring Harbor, 32 years as a professional musician.