Our Team - Choice Schools

OUR PEOPLE

At the heart of any good company is good people. Choice is no exception. Our people come from all over the state and have a wide array of educational, professional, personal, and cultural backgrounds. We are all brought together by the shared passion of helping children.

We also focus on developing one another through meaningful relationships, challenging work, constructive feedback, sound professional training, and a true commitment to nurturing the career path of each team member.

All Academic Excellence Team Area Superintendents Communications Executive Leadership Executive Leadership Support Finance & Operations Human Resources Payroll & Benefits Special Education

Special Education Supervisor Nicholas Stage

Nick has been with Bradford since 2011 as the Special Education Supervisor and resource room teacher, and has recently joined Choice Schools Associates' team under the same role in 2023. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in special education and earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University. Nick’s commitment to student development is unparalleled, and we look forward to seeing his passion for supporting students and staff to reach their highest potential this school year. Nick is intentional in focusing on relationships among staff, students, and stakeholders within the educational community. Nick’s wife, Jessica, also shares his passion for education and focuses on technology integration in the classroom setting. They have a five-year-old son Jonathan who is starting Kindergarten this fall, and a two-year-old daughter, who melts his heart every day. In addition, the Stage family stays busy creating memories outside and enjoying nature as much as possible. A fun fact about Nick is that he was ranked #1 in the Midwest in Rock, Paper, Scissors. He accepted sponsorship and was sent to Las Vegas to compete in the national championship and has competed seven times in the world championships (world ranking #65). If you want to challenge him, feel free to ask, but he will most likely tell you that he "only plays sanctioned matches".

Chief of Student Services and Specialized Designed Programs Sarah VanderBaan

Sarah is our Chief of Student Services and Specialized Designed Programs. Her role is responsible for providing leadership and consultative support to school leaders and staff regarding specially designed instruction and be outrageously intentional about making sure students with unique needs are served well. She previously was a middle school Resource Program Teacher and West Michigan Special Education Content Leader. She also worked for Benton Harbor Area Schools and Wyoming Public Schools. Her teaching experience includes early childhood through high school general education and special education. Sarah received her bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in Learning Disabilities and Early Childhood Education. Sarah received her Master’s in Specific Learning Disabilities from Grand Valley State University. Sarah also received her Educational Leadership-Special Education Administrator endorsement from Grand Valley State University. Sarah lived in Hong Kong for three years and taught at The American School there.

Special Education Supervisor Nicole Tuinstra

Nicole Tuinstra is our Special Education Supervisor. She started with Choice Schools as the Elementary Special Education teacher at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science and is now the Special Education Supervisor at Choice Schools Associates. Nicole received her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University in Group Social Studies and Elementary Education and also received her Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Impairments. Nicole also has the approval to be a Teacher Consultant. Nicole provides exceptional supervision and support to schools regarding the processes, procedures, and requirements of the special education process.