Melinda Coughlin, Special Ed Coordinator

Melinda Coughlin joined our team at GWCS in January 2006.  She has been employed in the field of special education for approximately 20 years.  During those years as a teacher and as an administrator, she has worked with diverse special needs populations including children and adolescents with acquired brain injuries, learning disabilities, developmental delays, psychiatric disorders, hearing impairments, and chronic health impairments.  Highlights of her career include the development of the special education program in a large urban charter school, the development of school programs at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP); the creation and implementation of a school reentry protocol for children with acquired brain injury served at Children's Seashore House of CHOP; and the reorganization and revitalization of an early intervention program serving the birth to three year old special needs population. 

Mrs. Coughlin completed her undergraduate program at Towson University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  She obtained her Masters of Education in Special Education at Loyola College in Baltimore, MD and is completing the special education supervisory certification at Arcadia University.

Mrs. Coughlin is married and mother of three daughters, ages 23, 21 and 20 and two pugs.  In her “free time” she is an avid gardener.

After working in a large urban middle school and high school for five years, I was ready for a change.  I looked for a position in an elementary school that is committed to the development of the whole child, committed to creating life-long learners and thinkers, and committed to building a community where staff, parents, and students are all stakeholders engaged in the creating and maintaining an academically stimulating and nurturing environment for the families it serves.  I found those qualities/characteristics at GWCS.

GWCS is an exciting place to be!  The setting and integrated curriculum are unique, but for me as the special education coordinator, even more important is the interest in and dedication of this team of professionals in meeting the needs of all of our students.

Jean Wallace, Academic Director

As the Academic Director and CEO, Jean is responsible for guiding the design and implementation of our unique K-8 curriculum and for supporting the direction of all areas of school life. Jean works in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and Green Woods' Business Director to build on our successful past toward an even greater future.

Jean is responsible to the Department of Education for ensuring that Green Woods students are receiving a standards-based learning experience within the guidelines and mandates of Federal, State, and Charter School Law. In addition to the many responsibilities associated with curriculum and instruction, Jean supports Green Woods through successful grant writing, ongoing website communication, developing our student voice through the Jr. SLT, and by networking with key partners from within and outside the Green Woods community.

Jean's volunteer efforts as a member of the Governor's Council for Environmental Education provide a rare and exciting opportunity to work with many of the state's environmental experts and agencies. "By working collaboratively with the Department of Education and the many outstanding environmental agencies throughout our state, Green Woods is able to gain both valuable resources along with well-deserved recognition for the exceptional work being done by our teachers and students," Jean said. "Our innovative curriculum design allows us to use environment and ecology as the theme for integrated learning. Receiving the 2007 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence was proof of our success in delivering a high quality educational program at Green Woods."

In addition to the daily interactions with Green Woods dedicated staff and parents, Jean enjoys those special times when she gets to trail along on hikes with our budding naturalists. "Hiking with even our youngest students and seeing how they interact with the natural world is always an incredible learning experience for me. While many young children enjoy walking in the woods, Green Woods students are skilled observers, able to take in the big picture of the field ecosystem while at the same time patiently exploring the leaf litter in search of the smallest signs of life."

Jean holds a PA Certification for Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction and dual Pennsylvania teacher certifications, which recognize her ability to teach both K-12 Environmental Education and Elementary Education. She holds an Associate Degree in Health Science from Gwynedd Mercy College; a BA in Elementary Education from Beaver College, and a MAEd in Environmental Education from Arcadia University. Jean is currently enrolled in a post-graduate School Leadership Program at Arcadia.

Jean lives in Flourtown with her husband Frank, her mom Mary, her daughter Mary who attends the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University, and their black lab, Murphy.