The Liberty School

The Liberty School is an exciting place for both students and teachers. Teachers are encouraged and supported in their continued pursuit of professional goals. Energetic, imaginative and thoroughly professional, the leadership and staff represent vast amounts of specialized educational experience working with dyslexic, twice exceptional, and gifted students. Our teachers are skilled in the “Science” of teaching, including current methodologies and expertise in their subject areas; also, they are masters at the “Art” of teaching, knowing how and when to apply the right approach to light up the eyes of each student.

Bill O’Flanagan, Ph.D., was appointed Head of School in July 2010, succeeding Founder Joyce Bilgrave, who remains active on the board and in the life of the school. He was trained in the Orton-Gillingham language remediation approach at The Rectory School in Pomfret, CT where he served as Assistant Head. In the 1980′s Bill served as Headmaster of The Chelsea School, a high school for dyslexic students in Silver Spring, MD. From 1988 to 2008 Bill was President of The Pathway School in Norristown, PA.

Joyce Bilgrave, M.Ed, Fellow, AOGPE (Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practioners and Educators) is the Founder of the Liberty School and the Durango Mountain Camp for students with dyslexia. She also founded the Jemicy School in Baltimore, MD and the Rawson-Saunders School in Austin, TX. She is a nationally recognized expert on dyslexia, is on numerous advisory boards for educational institutions across the country, and is a speaker and lecturer on the dyslexic and twice exceptional student.

Pamela Savage, M.Ed, ABD (Doctoral Candidate) is a Colorado licensed teacher at the Liberty School. She majored in Educational Psychology at UCLA with an emphasis on Cognitive and Personality development. She was an educational consultant in private practice for 10 years and a classroom teacher for 12 years.

Kathleen Cashette, M.A. is a language therapist and teacher. She completed the “Cognitive Science in Education” program at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She has specialized knowledge in working with students who have ADD/ADHD and has worked as a language therapist, classroom teacher, and private tutor for the past 14 years.

Christian Holmen, B.A. English, teaches Math, Science and English at Liberty School. Christian has been teaching in the classroom for nine years. He is adept at constructing experiential and project related lessons that engage students at a high conceptual level while tying in practical applications.

Part-time faculty includes Orton-Gillingham Tutors: Juliet Zick, Diane Estes, Laura Kuniansky, M.Ed., Lauren Nelson M.Ed., Lauren Geraghty, Matt Seagrave, and Anne O’Flanagan, M.Ed., Fellow, AOGPE. Bonnie Ward also teaches art through our shared school program.