Lisa Rademacher has been teaching for over 20 years in Rome, New York, and all sides of Chicago. She has taught in non-profits working with refugee communities, private schools, and at Chicago Public Schools. She has taught 3-year-olds to adults and has loved it all, although her niche is early childhood. She has a B.S. in Religious Studies and Music from Edgewood College in Madison, WI. She received an MA in Theological Studies with a concentration in Peace and Justice from the Maryknoll School of Theology in New York. She has an MA in Teaching in Early Childhood from National Louis University. She founded and lives in the Sophia Community in Hyde Park with her husband, two daughters, and many others. She is passionate about co-creating a joyful community of learners in which inquiry and creativity are fostered.
DeeAnn Larson was born and raised on the sunny coast of California, and enjoyed running bare foot through the redwood forest and diving head first into the giant saltwater waves of the Pacific Ocean. She says the earth was her teacher and she was an enthusiastic student. She has held on to this joy for learning and brings it into the classroom. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz, where she studied Art and Early Childhood Education. She has traveled to the colorful land of Guatemala and eaten fresh sushi on a little island in Japan. She is also the mother of two very unique young ladies who are both Free School students. They inspire creativity and patience. DeeAnn is honored to serve the children of Chicago at Chicago Free School.
1st/2nd/3rd grade homeroom
Saengjun (Waew) Luse, grew up in a rural community in Thailand about five hours northeast of Bangkok. During her childhood she recalls collecting rain water in jars, living under grass roofed houses, and hand-making many of their household items – like beds, tools, and furniture. Waew received her B.E. in the teaching of Chemistry from Nakon Sawan Rajabhat University in Thailand. After graduating, she worked at an elementary school in Sumut Prakarn province near Bangkok for 3 years. She then participated in a Cultural Exchange Program in the US for two years, having had the opportunity to improve her English skills, make friends with other students from around the world, and learn about their cultures. She recalls it as one of the greatest experiences she has ever had in her life! After the exchange program, Waew learned extensively about child development and how children learn through play during her time working for Baby Ph.D. and operating her own daycare. It was, however, the birth of her own daughter which made her truly question the purpose of education and the available models which best suit an individual’s needs and development. Waew believes that Free School allows children the space necessary to develop their own interests and abilities – and hence a love for learning – a community, versus an isolated teaching space, and a humane system of discipline that treats children like people. She is thrilled to be the parent of a student at CFS and now also a teacher!
4th/5th grade homeroom
Lauren Beitler taught middle-school math for six years in the Woodlawn, North Lawndale, and Englewood neighborhoods of Chicago before leaving traditional school teaching to work on founding Chicago Free School. Before becoming a teacher she got her B.A. in Mathematics and her M.A.T. from the Urban Teacher Education Program at the University of Chicago. She spent the 2012-13 school year teaching at the Free School in Albany, NY, a democratic free school that has been serving a diverse group of learners in downtown Albany since 1969. Because she attended a democratic school as a child, she knows firsthand the joy in learning that students can experience when given responsibility and freedom. She advises the 4th/5th grade homeroom and facilitates newspaper club, social studies group, and science group with grades 3-8.
6th/7th/8th grade homeroom
Ephran Ramirez’ teaching background is rooted in informal, formal, and alternative STEM education and mentoring. He taught science, technology, and social justice at an out-of-school program for the last five years before coming to CFS and studied Middle School Math and Science Education at Northeastern Illinois University. He has worked as an advisor on three separate research projects about finding ways to assess learning in informal and maker lab learning spaces. Besides this, he has been involved in various community organizing and social justice movements since he was in high school. It was through this work that he discovered the free school model and chose to work in education. Though a lifelong Chicagoan, Ephran visits his family in Puerto Rico often and has visited the Middle East and Scandinavia to participate in environmental and social justice work. He is dedicated to youth empowerment, antiracism, LGBTQ liberation, environmental justice, feminism, and decolonization and he integrates those ideas into his teaching. He also facilitates CFS’s Maker Lab for 1st-8th grade students.
Staff Support/Aftercare Team
Demi White joined CFS as a substitute teacher’s aide in 2021 and is now a permanent part of the team. Demi says, “I was born and raised in Chicago and grew up in Hyde Park. As a child I loved to help people, I believe that’s what has drawn me to work at the Chicago Free School. I’m a person who loves to connect with people and talk. I’ve worked with children in the past and I’ve always had a good time in a work environment with children. I’m here to help my team members and students with whatever they need. I’m excited to connect with the children and really get to know them this school year.
Gunes Henderson works as an Assistant Teacher in the Pre-K-3 classrooms. Born and raised in Turkey, Ms. Güneş studied Psychology and Theater Studies at McGill University, Canada. She enjoys assisting Ms. Waew, Ms. Lisa and Ms. Dani and watching CFS children, including her own, thrive every day.
School Administrator
Brenda Pious joined our after-care team in September 2019 after working at CFS during summer camp 2019 and in March of 2020 was hired as our Administrator. While supporting the school in Aftercare, Brenda stepped in as Interim Administrator when a need arose. She worked with the auditor, managed the day to day financial role and taught literacy in Englewood from November 2017 until February, 2020. She writes:
“While serving in the role of Interim Administrator, I realized I could best serve CFS in the Administrator role full-time because of my 25 plus years of experience in accounting, non-profit management, payroll and human resources management. Having worked as a substitute teacher, summer camp art instructor, aftercare support and interim administrator, I have familiarity with the needs of students, parents and the teachers and the capacity to affect positive change. I intend on enhancing the administrative practices and being a consistent resource for our families and staff. While I will miss interacting with our students regularly, I know I will get to see them from time to time. I am excited about the future of CFS!”
Board of Directors
Adam Scartozzi
Community Representative
Adam was born and raised in Northwest Indiana, active in community efforts to grow kinder connections between members in a variety of settings. As a community member, Adam is enthusiastic in his support of the Chicago Free School’s mission as well as the tradition of free school education. Adam believes cooperation, communal forms of learning, and listening to kids is the foundation of a better world.
Adam is a licensed mental health therapist, with 14 years of clinical experience having worked with adults, children and families experiencing a spectrum of emotional/relational challenges for the better part of his clinical career. Adam is passionate about individual practices of psychological resilience and relational practices that allow for the flourishing of human potential.
When left to his own devices, Adam is a sewing enthusiast, tea aficionado, and avid reader who will be outside reading in the sun on the first day of 70 degree weather!
Corrigan Nadon-Nichols (Vice President)
Community Representative
Corrigan has been a volunteer advisor to Chicago Free School since its formation and joined the board in 2022. He believes that CFS’s educational model better allows children to engage with the world and each other authentically, and wants to live in a society where this is common. Professionally, he is an accountant and consultant for democratic organizations and businesses with a focus on improving systems for collective decision-making and accountability. He is the father of an enthusiastic two-year-old that hopes to join CFS with the class of 2025.
DeeAnn was born and raised on the sunny coast of California, and enjoyed running bare foot through the redwood forest and diving head first into the giant saltwater waves of the Pacific Ocean. She says the earth was her teacher and she was an enthusiastic student. She has held on to this joy for learning and brings it into the classroom. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz, where she studied Art and Early Childhood Education. She has traveled to the colorful land of Guatemala and eaten fresh sushi on a little island in Japan. She is also the mother of two very unique young ladies who are both Free School students. They inspire creativity and patience. DeeAnn is honored to serve the children of Chicago at Chicago Free School.
Ephran’s teaching background is rooted in informal, formal, and alternative STEM education and mentoring. He taught science, technology, and social justice at an out-of-school program for the last five years before coming to CFS and studied Middle School Math and Science Education at Northeastern Illinois University. He has worked as an advisor on three separate research projects about finding ways to assess learning in informal and maker lab learning spaces. Besides this, he has been involved in various community organizing and social justice movements since he was in high school. It was through this work that he discovered the free school model and chose to work in education. Though a lifelong Chicagoan, Ephran visits his family in Puerto Rico often and has visited the Middle East and Scandinavia to participate in environmental and social justice work. He is dedicated to youth empowerment, antiracism, LGBTQ liberation, environmental justice, feminism, and decolonization and he integrates those ideas into his teaching. He also facilitates CFS’s Maker Lab for 1st-8th grade students.
Jersey-Shabazz Hosier (President)
Community Representative
Jersey-Shabazz Hosier (he/his) is a thought leader where strategy meets justice. He is born and raised in Rogers Park, Chicago. He is passionate about program and system design, organizational development, and intersectional feminist leadership practices. He is a former teacher and university administrator. He brings over 9 years of scaling up projects and initiatives with intentionality and inclusion in academic settings, communities, organizations and State government.
His academic background includes scholarship in Justice Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Northeastern Illinois University where he received his BA. He also holds an MS in Organizational Psychology with a focus on cultural competency at the intersection of policy. His doctoral research and writing focus on how digital organizing and online activism influence and inform equity-related decisions made within institutions. In addition to his academic and professional contributions, he is an espresso connoisseur, an avid cyclist, and is currently reading: Writing Beyond Race: Living Theory and Practice by bell hooks.
Liam Manjon
Parent Representative
Liam is a social justice advocate, community organizer, and the father of two children who attend CFS. He strongly believes that equality, education, and community are interconnected and sees free school education as a powerful tool for promoting social change. As a founding member of the Free The 350 Bail Fund in Madison, WI, Liam lends his experience in fundraising, event organizing, and public relations as he helps the Chicago Free School continue to thrive.
Nina Hieronymus (Treasurer)
Parent representative
Nina is a proud parent of two CFS students and has been an active member of the Hyde Park community for over 15 years. She has a deep passion for urban gardening, food preservation, and promoting food democracy and autonomy at the community level. Nina is delighted to lend her expertise as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in her role as the treasurer on the Board.
Stefanie is parent to three CFS students in Pre-K, 1st and 3rd Grade.
After traveling and working in various international settings, Stefanie found a home in the Hyde Park and South Shore neighborhoods where she has lived for the past decade. She witnessed the founding of CFS in 2014 and connected with the school’s play-based model for early education that is standard in her home country of Germany. Since starting her oldest in 2018, the school has exceeded her expectations as she has watched her three children thrive at CFS. She’s currently working as an administrator for a small Hyde Park business and is excited to bring her organizational skills and international experience to the Board.
Chicago Free School 