Our Consultants
Educators.coop is a professional partnership of highly trained consultants. We believe in a personal, systematic approach, matching our team members’ expertise to the client’s needs.
Steve Regur Ed.D. is a founder of Educators Cooperative, Inc. Steve began his career teaching in Texas. He then worked on the East Coast as a school consultant and traveled nationally as a program manager. Following a move to California to work as a director of school accountability, he founded his own company, which eventually merged with the consulting division. He has authored or coauthored more than $4.2 million in grants for schools, two school charters, a pilot school design, and a collaboration workbook to support teachers.
E-mail: steveregur@educators.coop
Amy McCammon has a variety of roles within the organization. She is a founder of the company, an Educational Consultant and the ISSN West Coast Coordinator. She holds an M.Ed. focusing on the integration of technology into classroom practices. Amy works with school leaders and teachers, providing strategic support for operations, curricular design, and instructional strategies. Amy is also coordinating the technical support for the start-up of two internationally focused schools in the L.A. area, which includes district coordination and technical assistance to school leaders.
E-mail: amymccammon@educators.coop
Sebastian Cognetta Ed.D. is a founder of the company. He serves as an account manager for the consulting division, overseeing the implementation and managing client relations for the majority of the company. Sebastian is a CORE certified trainer with extensive experience in data analysis, administrative coaching, and K-12 literacy. Sebastian has worked in professional development and school change throughout southern California focusing on leadership and administrative support. He also serves as a Site Director of our sister cooperative, Aveson Educational Cooperative.
E-mail: sebastiancognetta@educators.coop
Kate Bean is a founder of the company. She holds an M.S. in Educational Administration as well as a California Administrative Credential. Kate serves as the Executive Director of our sister cooperative, Aveson Educational Cooperative’s, overseeing the operations of two charter schools in Pasadena. Kate has expertise in school reform, administrative coaching, and innovative leadership.
E-mail: katebean@educators.coop
Scott Houston has taught for a total of 11 years in elementary, middle and high school. He is National Board Certification in early adolescent mathematics. He holds a Master’s degree in middle school education. He has been an educational consultant for the last nine years and has helped teachers with direct instruction, early literacy, math strategies, science strategies, reciprocal teaching, SDAIE strategies, and textbook implementation.
E-mail: scotthouston@educators.coop
Kirk Melkonian holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He is also a California credentialed multiple-subject teacher with nine years of classroom experience. As a consultant, Kirk works directly with administrators and teachers, providing consulting in the areas of lesson and curriculum design, data-analysis, assessment and instruction. In 2007, as a 3-5 Project Specialist, Kirk was part of the team that opened the Aveson Charter Schools in Altadena. Kirk’s education passions include Global Competencies and Project-Based Learning.
E-mail: kirkmelkonian@educators.coop
Ron Carmi came into the field of education via Teach For America in 1993. He was placed in New York City and taught Math and Language Arts to middle school students. While in New York, he earned a Master’s degree in Education from NYU and began working in the area of comprehensive school reform. For the past 10 years, Ron has worked directly with students, teachers, and principals, focusing on the implementation of researched-based strategies designed to give each student a meaningful learning experience. Ron also has a passion for music and tries to find ways to incorporate the arts into learning whenever possible.
E-mail: roncarmi@educators.coop
Nicole Pusateri holds a BS in Elementary Education and a MA in Psychology. She has worked in various capacities in the field of Pre-K-8 education since 1991. Throughout her professional career, Nicole has fulfilled the roles of Preschool Director, Elementary Teacher grades K-5, Literacy Coach, and Educational Consultant. She has extensive expertise in the areas of Literacy, Intervention, and English Language Development. In her current role, Nicole works directly with administrators, teachers, and students providing consulting in: Response to Instruction/Intervention, Professional Learning Communities (involving collaboration, assessment, curriculum, and instruction), Targeted Support for English Language Learners, Engagement Strategies, Common Core Standards, and Career and College Readiness Skills. Nicole’s passions include mentoring teens and supporting those in need though volunteer work.
E-mail: nicolepusteri@educators.coop
Chris Foster, Ed.D. has a public school background as teacher, principal, and superintendent in the California school system. For the past eight years, he has been working in higher education in teacher preparation as well as private consulting. Dr. Foster holds a doctorate from the University of Southern California as well as certification in multiple and single subjects. He has a wealth of experience in second language acquisition as well as mathematics and science instruction.
E-mail: chrisfoster@educators.coop
Melinda Pierson Dr. Melinda Pierson is currently the Chair of the Department of Special Education at Cal State Fullerton. Prior to coming to Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Pierson was an assistant professor in the Department of Education at Cal Poly Pomona and was a special education classroom teacher for eight years in the Ontario-Montclair School District and San Marcos Unified School District. She taught K-12th grades with a focus on students with mild/moderate disabilities and served as principal for special education programs. Dr. Pierson currently directs the Education Specialist State Intern Grant as well as the International Center for Education at Cal State Fullerton. She has published over 25 articles in top special education journals.
E-mail: melindapierson@educators.coop
Shelia Wells holds a Master of Arts Degree in Education from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Relations from California State University, Long Beach. Shelia has taught elementary and middle school in California. She has also served as a district coach and trainer for Math Matters, Open Court, Houghton Mifflin Reading and the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment, (BTSA). Shelia provides support for various urban, suburban, and rural districts as a District Implementation Advisor as well as an Executive Coach for Reading First, and non Reading First Schools. Shelia has also provided Language Arts textbook support for K-8 teachers per the California AB75/AB466 No Child Left Behind Federal Initiative.
E-mail: sheliawells@educators.coop
Ray Ivey received an Educational Doctorate from the University of Southern California, Dr.Ivey’s concentrations were urban school leadership, public school fi scal e fficiency and student motivation. Additionally, Dr. Ivey holds a Masters in Mathematics Education a nd a Bachelors of Arts with a major in Mathematics Education and minor in English Language Arts Instruction from the University of Michigan. Having taught in inner city classrooms in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Flint and New York since 2001 Dr. Ivey is well versed in student engagement, teaching with technology, RtII, PLC’s and pedagogical practices.
E-mail: rayivey@educators.coop
Jennifer Krogh, Ed.D. has worked in various capacities in the field of K-16 education. She attended the University of Southern California where she earned her BS in Education, her MS in Educational Administration and her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Teacher Education in Multicultural Societies. Throughout her professional career, Jennifer has successfully fulfilled the roles of teacher and teacher educator for students, pre-service teachers and in-service teachers. In particular, she has extensive experience working with educators in the design and implementation of differentiated curriculum and instruction. Jennifer has a focused interest in gifted education.
E-mail: jennikrough@educators.coop
Gina Olabuenaga, Ed.D currently teaches 5th grade at an Apple Distinguished Pre-K-5 math/ science/ technology magnet in the Los Angeles Unified School District. As a founding teacher of that magnet school, she has implemented a one-to-one, 24-7 laptop program with SMART board technologies. Gina became a writing project fellow with the Los Angeles Writing Project. The experience sparked an interest in the role effective professional development could play in shaping teachers’ practice. Shortly thereafter, she pursued an educational doctorate (Ed.D) in Teacher Education for Multicultural Societies (TEMS) at the University of Southern California. Her research examined the professional development models of successful schools that were integrating 21st century skills education and project-based learning.
