All of our faculty hold college degrees or are experienced practitioners in their field. They agree to the terms of the Teacher Handbook.
More information for the spring semester coming soon.
Jennifer Aicher has a Master’s in Chemical Oceanography and has spent many years travelling and studying the world’s oceans. She has lived in upstate New York, central Pennsylvania, American Samoa, Hawaii, Miami, and now calls the Florida panhandle her home. She began a degree program and taught college classes for many years, as well as teaching elementary Sunday school and middle school camps. While in American Samoa she initiated an elementary school outreach program for science education. She substituted in New York State for k-12, and she has temporary teaching certification from the state of Florida. Now having a child of her own, Jennifer is eager to engage children in learning from a young age. Throughout her career she has also been a grant writer, administrative writer, published weekly newspaper columns, and scientific content writer. She continues to write a series of books with her own daughter in mind.
Andrei Chendea has a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2002) and he received his teacher certification through the Teacher Ready program from University of West Florida in 2012. He has worked as a 6-9 teacher at the Montessori School of Pensacola where he learned and practiced the Montessori method; he has experience with all of the 6-9 hands on materials and curriculum. In 2012 he retired from the Navy after 20 years of service, teaching Navy and Marine Corps students basic electronics theory. Andrei is an avid learner, outdoorsman and very passionate about camping and spending more time outdoors. He is married and has two children who attend A la Carte Education. He loves science, math, history and learning through hands on experiences.
Amy Fifer Fitzgerald grew up in Pensacola and left to study Elementary Education at Mercer University in Macon, GA. She later moved to NC, where she fell in love twice--once with the man who would become her husband and again with the Montessori philosophy of education. Her passion for Montessori led her to take the 3-6 Training at the Montessori Teacher Training Institute in Clemson, SC. She has worked with children for over 20 years, including work as a nanny and teaching in 6 different Montessori schools. In 2007, she took on her favorite role--that of mama to one amazing girl-child named Faith. Motivated by her quickly growing daughter, Amy started her own Montessori school in 2010. Since moving back to Pensacola, she has integrated her talent for teaching children with her passion for creative arts. She currently teaches fiber arts to children in after-school classes, week-long summer camps, and small groups of homeschoolers. Her classes have featured weaving, hand sewing, machine sewing, embroidery, and knitting. Amy is excited and grateful to be working with ACE as both a teacher and vice president of the board.
Crystal King Wallner holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Central Florida and a certificate of Anthroposophy from the Rudolf Steiner Centre of Toronto. She is currently studying Herbalism with the Sage Mountain Herbal Center and enjoys spending her days with her son, Ezra. Crystal has worked with several Waldorf homeschooling curriculums, and will soon be pursuing certification in Waldorf Early Childhood Education. Crystal was raised in the Panhandle and is dedicated to bringing a wider variety of alternative schooling options to the area by providing holistic, nature based curriculums for children.
More information for the spring semester coming soon.
Jennifer Aicher has a Master’s in Chemical Oceanography and has spent many years travelling and studying the world’s oceans. She has lived in upstate New York, central Pennsylvania, American Samoa, Hawaii, Miami, and now calls the Florida panhandle her home. She began a degree program and taught college classes for many years, as well as teaching elementary Sunday school and middle school camps. While in American Samoa she initiated an elementary school outreach program for science education. She substituted in New York State for k-12, and she has temporary teaching certification from the state of Florida. Now having a child of her own, Jennifer is eager to engage children in learning from a young age. Throughout her career she has also been a grant writer, administrative writer, published weekly newspaper columns, and scientific content writer. She continues to write a series of books with her own daughter in mind.
Crystal King Wallner holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Central Florida and a certificate of Anthroposophy from the Rudolf Steiner Centre of Toronto. She is currently studying Herbalism with the Sage Mountain Herbal Center and enjoys spending her days with her son, Ezra. Crystal has worked with several Waldorf homeschooling curriculums, and will soon be pursuing certification in Waldorf Early Childhood Education. Crystal was raised in the Panhandle and is dedicated to bringing a wider variety of alternative schooling options to the area by providing holistic, nature based curriculums for children.
