Kerri Barrett is with the Central Office team as Chief Communications Officer. Kerri earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Michigan. A year later, she joined the Choice family at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science as a high school social studies teacher. While teaching, she earned her master’s at Michigan State University in educational leadership. In October of 2012, she was given the opportunity to lead the elementary school at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science.
Matt Bazen is our Chief Human Resources Officer. With over 12 years of experience in charter school management, Matt has held diverse roles in Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, and, most recently, Director of the HR Business Partner Team. In his latest capacity, he focused on staffing, retention, and engagement across the network of 100 schools. As the CHRO, Matt leads all HR related functions, ensuring strategic oversight and effective management across the organization’s human resources initiatives. He holds a management degree from Grand Valley State University and earned his MBA at Western Michigan University. Additionally, he teaches a management class at GVSU, a role he’s enjoyed since 2018.
Kristen Crawford is our Superintendent of Montessori schools. She joined the Choice Schools family in January 2020 as the assistant principal at New Branches Charter Academy and transitioned into director of of behavior intervention, in August of 2023. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from Liberty University, her Masters in Educational Administration and Supervision from Southern Wesleyan University, and has recently finished up her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. Prior to coming to Choice, she served at Success Virtual Learning Centers, opening and running learning centers in Grand Rapids and Lansing. Her transition to leadership came after a decade of teaching Health and Physical Education in both private and public schools. Kristen has a great passion for finding ways to support, engage, and meet the unique needs of all students so that they can grow to their greatest potential.
Ali DuBois serves as the superintendent of our environmental model. Ali joined the Central Office team after nearly 15 years of school leadership and teaching, including Muskegon Montessori Academy for Environmental Change (MMAEC), where she launched the school and served as the school principal for six years. Ali was instrumental in growing the school as well as improving their test scores and is also a two-time Michigan Charter School Administrator of the Year finalist. Because of the MMAEC team’s efforts, the school is one of the highest-ranking schools in Muskegon County! As the superintendent, Ali consistently drives academic improvement and remains at the forefront of leading the turnaround in academic performance across the schools she leads. Ali is also currently a fellow in the Educational Policy Fellowship Program at Michigan State University.
Laura Moellering has spent nearly all of her career in education working in charter schools. She started her career with Choice in May of 2017. Starting her journey as a High School English and Psychology teacher, she moved into leadership roles first as a Curriculum Director and then as a charter High School Principal. After that, Laura moved to a Central Office position where she oversaw curriculum and instruction and mentored school leaders within a diverse portfolio of charter schools.
She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at Eastern Michigan University, and it was during her master’s program in Curriculum and Instruction that Laura truly came to appreciate the opportunity that charter schools presented for students and families who desired a different educational experience. Laura finds great satisfaction in designing programs that met student’s educational and emotional needs.
She is excited to be with Choice where she is able to be part of a community that genuinely respects families and believes in every student’s ability to achieve at high levels. When she isn’t engaged in work, she can be found on Lake Michigan, ideally with one of her three daughters, or curled up with a good book or podcast.
Kristin Molyneux serves as our Chief of Academic Excellence and Director of Environmental Education. In her role, she is responsible for ensuring exceptional academic programming and resources across all our schools. Kristin’s responsibilities encompass various facets of academics, including curriculum development, instruction, mentoring, professional development, communication of Character Choices, support for preschool programs, curriculum analysis, testing support, data analysis, and compliance with the Teacher and Administrator Evaluation system. She joined the Choice Central Office Team with a background in teaching. In 2004, she was a kindergarten aide at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science, and then she took a teaching position at the Academy and taught middle school for eight years. In 2013, Kristin became Choice’s Curriculum and Instruction Specialist, and in June of 2022, she became Senior Director of Academic Excellence and Environmental Education. Kristin graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and earned her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as her Educational Specialist Degree from Central Michigan University with her Central Office Administrative Certificate.
Shatara is our Director of Compliance & Board Governance. She serves as a gatekeeper within the organization by managing multiple projects that relate to the operations of the company and the school boards we serve. She values Choice Schools’ core principles and values the integrity, service, and support that we provide to the schools we manage. She provides board governance and compliance oversight to all Choice Academies. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Jackson State University and a Master in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.
Kurt has lived a life of serving kids in charter schools. He started his career teaching in 2001 at a charter school in Big Rapids. After serving as a middle school and high school math teacher and a K-8 principal and executive director, he has come to Choice with an enthusiasm to lead our classical schools. He has joined our area superintendents team starting in July of 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University and his masters from Jones International University.
In Kurt’s spare time, he loves spending time with his wife Kathy and 2 sons (both of whom are attending WMAES).
Cheryl Paull has been with Choice Schools since 2009, joining the central office team in October of 2022. She serves in the role of Superintendent for the K-12 Scholar Model. Cheryl has two masters degrees one in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment and the other in Educational Leadership. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going on vacation and cooking. Prior to joining the central office team, Cheryl was a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator and school leader at all educational levels.
Caryn Slater is our Chief of Staff. Caryn is passionate about developing the cross-functional connective tissue in an organization by aligning people to the strategy and getting the organization to work in harmony to achieve its ambitious goals. She will partner with school leadership and academy boards through strategic planning, creation, and implementation with a caring and understanding disposition that supports success. She comes from the non-profit sector. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Kuyper College. She previously worked as a teacher and administrative assistant in an early childhood center, where her love for helping children grow and develop flourished.
