Meet Your child’s Team
All staff are required to complete the 40-hour training in Applied Behavior Analysis as a Registered Behavior Technician, a 22-hour ABA-based crisis management training, social/emotional professional development, and training in our evidenced-based, standards-aligned curricula.
Administrative team
Ms. Kris
Founder, CEO/Executive Director, Reading Specialist, Certified School Counselor, Positive Behavior Support Specialist, Certified Special Education Teacher, Kristina@azbreakthroughacademy.org
Tel: 866-620-9380, ext. 1
Kristina is currently completing her second Masters of Science degree. This M.S.Ed. degree is in Transformative Teaching and Learning with a Certificate of Specialization in Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, and Yoga. She also holds certifications as a Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator (SEL*F) and in the T.E.A.C.H. Method (trauma-informed teaching). In addition, Kristina also holds a Master’s of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialty in Play Therapy and a certificate in Child Trauma from the Harris Institute. She also holds a post-graduate certificate in Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS)/Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a certificate in Structured Literacy specializing in the treatment of Dyslexia, a post-baccalaureate certificate in Special Education, and a state certification in School Counseling. Kristina has numerous specialized trainings targeted to benefit the learners at Breakthrough Academy including the highly-regarded, intensive Morningside Academy Summer School Institute to study Precision Teaching and Mathetics (from which Direct Instruction is derived). Learn more about our Director here.
Mrs. Bernice
Assessment Coordinator, Special Education Teacher, and Reading Specialist, Bernice@azbreakthroughacademy.org
Mrs. Bernice has over 25 years experience as a Special Education Teacher. Her expertise is in the Science of Reading and has completed the LETRS Structured Literacy training. Like Kristina, Mrs. Bernice is also completing her M.S.Ed. degree in Transformative Teaching and Learning with a Certificate of Specialization in Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, and Yoga. She holds a certificate as a Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator (SEL*F) and in the T.E.A.C.H. Method (trauma-informed teaching). She has also been trained in Precision Teaching by the prestigious Morningside Academy. Mrs. Bernice is our Assessment Coordinator and Academic Coach and oversees the collection of performance data that helps our team (and learners) make decisions.
Mrs. Bernice has two grown children with Autism and is passionate about providing quality education to children with disabilities.
Administrative Support
Executive Administrative Assistant & Billing Specialist
Leighann@azbreakthroughacademy.org
Tel: 866-620-9380, ext. 3
Mrs. Leigh Ann works hard supporting the operations at Breakthrough including billing and tuition! She has dedicated her service to Breakthrough for the last ten years! Mrs. Leigh Ann has a passion for helping families with special needs and is a mother of two young adults children who successfully live with learning differences.
Miss Helayna, School Secretary
Miss Helayna is talented at multitasking which is a BIG help to our little school! She keeps our building organized and ensures our scheduling and planning are up-to-date! Miss Helayna is currently studying for her undergraduate degree and has part-time hours with Breakthrough.
Instructional TEAM
Ms. Rendi, Instructor
Rendi@azbreakthroughacademy.org
Ms. Rendi is a former Registered Behavior Technician and brings vast experience in behavior management to the classroom. Ms. Rendi is our “FLEX” (social emotional learning) Manager, helping our team implement this important subject. She is trained in all of the FLEX curricula. Ms. Rendi is also a Precision Teacher, trained by the prestigious Morningside Academy. She is currently enrolled in a dual teaching certification program for both general and special education. Her classroom is filled with fun and collaboration! Ms. Rendi is a mother to a child with multiple disabilities and is dedicated to our field!
Ms. jerdean, M.ED in Special Education and M.Ed in Education Administration, Instructor
Ms. Jerdean has 20 years of experience as a Special Education Teacher and four years experience as a School Administrator and Leader. Ms. Jerdean is passionate about fostering inclusive learning environments and leading organizational development efforts. She is a transformational leader committed to empowering students, uplifting communities, and strategically improving educational outcomes. Ms. Jerdean recently relocated from North Carolina - welcome to our beautiful state! We are so glad to have her on our team!
Ms. Joelle,M.Ed in Curriculum and instruction, instructor
Ms. Joelle holds a Masters degree in Education, specializing in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been a general education elementary teacher for 24 years working in special education for the last five years in both private and public schools. She has training in Structured Literacy and loves working with our elementary learners! She adds so much to our team and our learners benefit greatly from her expertise!
Mrs. Christina, Instructor
Mrs. Christina is an experienced educator with over 14 years working with children with disabilities. In addition to her academic classes, Mrs. Christina understands the importance of and is passionate about teaching independent living skills. She also teaches Nutrition and Culinary Arts. As a mother of children with special needs, Mrs. Christina has a special place in her heart for our learners.
Mr. sam, PE Instructor and bt
Mr. Sam loves working with our learners! He has the most loving heart! He is patient and passionate about teaching the importance of physical self-care and the skill of rule-governed play to our learners. Mr. Sam was one of our first graduates from Breakthrough Academy and uses his first-hand experience with our programs to support our learners.