Regional Superintendent of Schools

In his 15 years as an educator, Dr. Michael Karner has served in several roles for school districts in Illinois including: Principal of the Lake County Regional Safe School Program, an Assistant Principal for Zion District 6 and a Mathematics, Spanish and ELL teacher at Zion Benton District 126. Dr. Karner currently serves as the Regional Superintendent of Schools for Lake County, IL which oversees 45 public schools, 27 private schools, 3 special education cooperatives, and 2 charter school districts. With access and opportunity as his guiding principle Dr. Karner is committed to ensuring that all school districts have supports and resources to provide a high-quality education to students.

Executive Director

Melissa Lundgaard serves as the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy. She has worked in the education space since 1994, having earned her degree from Miami University in Mathematics Education and her master’s in Education from The College of New Jersey. Prior to this role, she worked in the corporate world as a Human Capital Solutions Consultant at Aon. Melissa has also been Senior Manager of Leadership Development, Instructional Coach, and National Math Lab Instructor for Stride/K12. She brings experience from all over the country as an Adjunct Math Instructor, Teacher Trainer, and High School Mathematics teacher. In her free time, Melissa enjoys running, building community, spending time with her family and friends, and exploring the US National Parks.

Operations Director

Maria Gottschalk is the DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS for the Illinois Virtual Schools and Academy. While employed at the Illinois State Board of Education, she was a founding staff member (along with her late husband, Jim Kinsella) of the virtual program in Illinois when the first students were enrolled in 2001. Maria was “hooked”. She has experience in almost every operational aspect of the program and is just as passionate today about serving the students, schools, and teachers as she was then. Over the years, the people in the program have become friends and family, and Maria treasures all of them. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, playing with her cat, attending musicals where her niece sings, and crocheting.

Partner Success and Operations Manager

Ed Cook is the PARTNER SUCCESS AND OPERATIONS MANAGER for Illinois Virtual Schools and Academy. He started his career in student services as the Program Coordinator for the Upward Bound Math and Science program at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He joined Illinois’ virtual program as the Customer Service Lead in 2015, and later took on the role of Credit Recovery Coordinator. Ed also brings experience as a Client Success Manager for education technology companies, and tech startups. Prior to taking a ‘real job’, Ed spent several years travelling with his wife working as river guides throughout the world. In his free time, Ed is an avid outdoorsman. He enjoys fly fishing, hunting, backpacking, mountain biking, climbing, whitewater kayaking and rafting. Most of all, he enjoys being able to share these experiences with his children.

School Counseling Coordinator

Brenda Elvers is the SCHOOL COUNSELOR for IVSA. Mrs. Elvers is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a master’s in Human Development Counseling. She has 30+ years of experience in education, with 20+ years as a school counselor. Mrs. Elvers is excited to be a part of the virtual realm of education, an area that is growing dramatically while offering amazing opportunities for our young people. In her free time, Mrs. Elvers enjoys spending time hiking with her husband, running, working out, and hanging out with her family.

Teaching & Learning Specialist

Ron Chernobrov is the TEACHING & LEARNING SPECIALIST (in addition to teaching HISTORY) with IVSA. He has been teaching with the Illinois Virtual programs since 2012 and also works as an adjunct professor at a local community college near Chicago. He holds an undergraduate degree in history from Knox College, a master’s in Instructional Technology from Western Illinois University, and a master’s in History from Chicago State University. In his spare time, Ron enjoys tinkering with computers, reading, playing video games, and hanging out with his dog, Casey, who also serves as his teaching assistant.

Student Success Coach

Kyle Grimes is the STUDENT SUCCESS COACH for IVSA. Mr. Grimes has 15 years of experience in education, working primarily with middle and high school students in the virtual setting. He believes that student success is achieved through developing positive relationships and finding unique ways to encourage engagement. In his free time, Mr. Grimes enjoys spending time with his wife and son, exercising, watching sports, and taking his boat out on the lake.

REGISTRAR

Laura Quiros is the IVSA REGISTRAR. Laura has over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Originally from Costa Rica, her fluency in Spanish and French has enabled her to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and ensure they receive the best possible service. Laura is passionate about helping students and their families navigate the administrative processes, ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed.  Her goal is to continue making a positive impact in the lives of those she serves. In her free time, Laura loves to spend quality time with her husband and their two kids. They are passionate about the outdoors and enjoy activities like camping, bike riding, and traveling together. These experiences allow them to explore new places and create lasting memories as a family.

Spanish and Social Studies Teacher

Evelyn Barrientos-Perkins is a SPANISH and SOCIAL STUDIES teacher at IVSA.  She has been teaching languages (Spanish and English as a new language) for over 12 years at various levels.  For the past 3 years, she has served as the Bilingual Services Director.  As a native Spanish speaker and an English Learner, she loves to connect with her students in a personal level and encourage them to find the commonalities between both languages.  Evelyn has her Spanish Education degree from Southern Illinois University, and her master’s degree in ESL from Dominican University.  She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and loves to share her language and culture with anyone who wants to learn.  During her free time, Evelyn loves to read, listen to music, watch period movies/shows and write short stories.

Science Teacher

Hayden Beattie is a SCIENCE TEACHER for IVSA and also works for the Lake County ROE as a Truancy Specialist. Hayden graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a Bachelor in Psychology and Chemistry and later received his Masters from McKendree University with a certification in secondary education. Hayden has been teaching science for 4 years in Illinois and absolutely loves it! Hayden has also worked as a football coach for 4 years for districts. In his free time, Hayden enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, especially playing games together. 

Spanish Teacher

Santiago De Fazio is a full-time SPANISH teacher at IVSA. He has been passionately educating students since graduating from Purdue University in Indiana. He finds fulfillment in teaching both Spanish courses and specialized Medical Spanish. Beyond the classroom, Santiago is an avid cook and traveler. He is also a strong advocate for studying abroad and emphasizes to his students the invaluable benefits of language acquisition.

Spanish Teacher

Kymberly Farmer (Kym) is a full-time SPANISH TEACHER. She has been teaching Spanish for just over 3 years and has worked in a variety of settings including private, public, and charter schools as both an elementary and secondary Spanish teacher. Although she finds joy and success in teaching students of all ages, she especially enjoys engaging with the upper-level students to cover some of the more advanced grammar points of the Spanish language. She discovered her passion for teaching Spanish during her undergraduate studies at Aurora University. She then went on to earn her master’s degree in secondary Spanish education from Saint Xavier University. In addition, Kym spent 3 months living in Costa Rica for an immersion trip and gained many insights related to the culture and dialect; an experience that she loves to share with her students.  In her free time, she enjoys caring for her ever growing collection of houseplants and cooking new recipes at home with her family. 

Science Teacher

Alana Ferguson is a SCIENCE TEACHER for IVSA. Alana graduated from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville with a bachelor of Biology and a certification in secondary education. She also has an ESL endorsement obtained through St. Francis University. Alana has been teaching science for 13 years (in Arizona, Japan, and Illinois) and absolutely loves it! She has experience teaching all areas of science, including Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science, Physics, AP Environmental Science, and AP Physics. In her free time, Alana enjoys spending time with her husband and two small children, especially at the beach.

Science Teacher

Kelsey Maldonado is a K-8th grade MATH and Elementary SCIENCE teacher at IVSA. She graduated and began her teaching career in Florida, where she taught elementary school for two years. In her first year, she was recognized as “First-Year Teacher of the Year” at her school for her dedication and impact on students. After relocating to Illinois, she utilized her ESOL endorsement and Spanish proficiency to pursue a position as an ESL teacher, supporting multilingual learners and expanding her approach to inclusive education. She has decided to join the IVSA team because she wants to support a diverse group of learners regardless of their location. Excited about the reach of online education, she is passionate about engaging students and enhancing their learning in a remote environment. In her free time, Mrs. Maldonado enjoys spending time while traveling with her family, playing games, and eating all the sweets (especially ice cream)!

English and Music Appreciation Teacher

Margaret McGregor is an ENGLISH AND MUSIC APPRECIATION TEACHER for IVSA at Lake County ROE. Margaret has 28 years of experience in education, working with Pre-kindergarten through high school students as a teacher, reading coach, and administrator. In her free time, Margaret enjoys traveling, watching classic movies, playing the trumpet, running marathons, and creating word games and puzzles.

Spanish Teacher

Nikki Messina is a full-time SPANISH TEACHER and very excited to work with IVSA! With over 20 years of experience teaching all levels of Spanish, Nikki is passionate about helping students connect with language and culture. She studied Spanish secondary education at Purdue University and has a Masters degree in Bilingual and Bicultural Education from DePaul. In addition to teaching Spanish, she has extensive experience working with dual language programs and multilingual learners at both the middle school and high school levels. Outside the classroom, Nikki enjoys spending time with her husband and their four children, two daughters and twin sons. 

K-8 Full-Time Teacher

Justin Millner is a K-8 FULL-TIME TEACHER in his second year with IVSA. Justin has 10+ years of teaching experience, ranging from 3rd grade public school to middle school ELA, Social Studies, and PE/Athletic Director in private schools. He holds a degree from Elmhurst University in Professional Communication with a minor in Urban Studies and a Master’s degree in Teaching from National Louis University. Justin’s teaching motto is, “I teach students, not subjects” which supports his belief in connecting with his students as best as he can to best serve their needs. In his spare time, Justin likes to spend time with his wife Jess, and their dog, Bear. They like to try new restaurants, travel, play sports and video games, and watch a lot of streaming services and movies. 

Mathematics Teacher

Stephanie Rahimi is a MATHEMATICS teacher for IVSA. Mrs. Rahimi is a graduate of the University of Illinois (I-L-L) with a Master’s in Educational Technology. This is her 10th year teaching high school and 8th-grade math. Mrs. Rahimi is thrilled to be a part of IVSA and is excited to help make math enjoyable for all students. You can often hear her saying “go math!” whenever we use math in the real world. Mrs. Rahimi enjoys rooting for the Illini sports teams, going on adventures with her three children and husband, working out, and trying DIY projects.