Our People

Dedicated facilitators who put children first.

 

Staff

A headshot of Rachael Allen smiling wearing a navy blue shirt and white pleated pants on a grey background

Rachael Allen. (she/her), Facilitator

Rachael found VFS through kismet in 2008 and still can’t get enough of exploring the levels of evolution within the community. She is mom to a sweet son who has been at VFS since he came to be. She values sharing and witnessing deschooling journeys, which fuels her passion for collective liberation and healing. Rachael is dedicated to self-directed education and other dreams of transformative justice - to which she offers her intuition, creativity, and critical thinking skills. She is grateful to spend her days goofing around and getting messy with so many incredible, inspiring people.

Kathy Crisp, Director kathyc@villagefreeschool.orgKathy is a New Hampshire native and veteran middle school teacher, with a varied background in teaching math, science, reading, and social studies. Kathy initially came to Portland as an Americorps member working in Clark County, WA, on wetland restoration. She joined the Village Free School in 2010 and brings a love of people, a passion for life as revealed through the wonders of nature, and a commitment to children. She is grateful to spend her days in an environment that trusts children implicitly, and delights in the daily opportunities to help them discover and develop their own passions. Kathy loves gardening, reading, camping, hiking, making art, and sharing time with friends and family. She believes in the intrinsic value of each person and in the power of community.

Kathy Crisp. (she/her), Facilitator

Kathy is a New Hampshire native and initially came to Portland as an Americorps member working in Clark County, WA, on wetland restoration. She joined the Village Free School in 2010 and brings a love of people, a passion for life as revealed through nature, and a commitment to liberation. She is grateful to spend her days in an environment that trusts children implicitly, and delights in witnessing humans embrace their own agency. Kathy loves gardening, reading, camping, hiking, making art, and being with people. She believes in the intrinsic value of each person and in the power of community.

Justine McConville, Facilitator/Literacy Coach justinem@villagefreeschool.orgJustine grew up in the southeastern US. She moved to New York City in 2012 to get her MA TESOL and teach in the NYC public school system after living abroad for a year in Madrid. She found her way to Portland in 2016 in search of a school community that practices self-directed and democratic education. She is so inspired by the people who make VFS a place where young people are trusted, their individuality valued, and empathy for one another nurtured. She brings her love for music, reading, crafting, woodworking and gaming to school with her everyday in addition to her interests in politics, science, linguistics, and psychology. In all of her experiences studying education and working with youth, Justine is most proud of the strong relationships that form while learning and playing together. She also wants you to know that this photo was taken by David!

Justine McConville. (she/her), Facilitator/Literacy Coach

Justine grew up in the southeastern US. She moved to New York City in 2012 to get her MA TESOL and teach in the NYC public school system after living abroad for a year in Madrid. She found her way to Portland in 2016 in search of a school community that practices self-directed and democratic education. She is so inspired by the people who make VFS a place where young people are trusted, their individuality valued, and empathy for one another nurtured. She brings her love for music, reading, crafting, woodworking and gaming to school with her everyday in addition to her interests in politics, science, linguistics, and psychology. In all of her experiences studying education and working with youth, Justine is most proud of the strong relationships that form while learning and playing together. She also wants you to know that this photo was taken by David!

A headshot of Leif Schmit, a white genderqueer facilitator smiling in the sun in their backyard amidst white flowers from a blossoming pear tree. They're wearing a blue dress with ruffles and sparkles while sporting a bushy brown beard and mustache.

Leif Schmit. (ze/they), Facilitator/IT Person

Hi there! I'm a 24yo, Genderqueer, Grown Unschooler, Theatre Professional, and Self-directed Education facilitator. If I've learned anything from the theatre, it's that collaboration, artistic expression, and play are central to the learning process. I ground my work at The Village Free School in curiosity, an abolitionist lens, transformative justice practices, and radical youth empowerment at heart. I have many hobbies and skills I've fallen in love with like Argentine Tango, Blues Dance, Ukulele, Pixel Art, Animation, Game design, Language Learning, and Mycology (the study of mushrooms!) over the years and I love finding the ways that different areas of knowledge can weave into and enhance our understanding of each other in surprising ways. I care deeply about making sure young people have the space and resources to cultivate their curiosity like I was able to so we can all get free from the oppressive systems of supremacy that we are raised to accept and perpetuate. You are needed, and your needs are seeds.

My heartfelt gratitude to my beloveds, mentors, students, family, community, ancestors, the land, and queer, BIPOC, indigenous, immigrant, poor, and disabled revolutionaries past and present for all the gifts they have - and continue to - offer the world while facing discrimination, marginalization, and oppression in all their insidious forms.

Robin Hand. (she/they), Facilitator


Robin Hand came to Portland in the fall of 2022 on a whim after making some drastic life changes in the wake of the pandemic. She has a background in social justice organizing, childcare, fine arts, and many years of restaurant work . She spent time as a resource parent with Seneca Family of Agencies serving youth in the bay area, as part of a pilot program that took a youth-oriented approach and prioritized trauma informed care. Most recently, she worked in administration and events organizing for Splinter Collective, a Tucson based non-profit focused on creating liberatory art spaces for queer community. Robin loves to write, draw, sew, cook, and dream. She is especially interested in housing justice, strengthening local food sovereignty, and how those things are tied to climate resilience. She sacrifices her time to the altar of capitalism, but tries not to let that define her. She hopes to never have a career but always keep learning and making shit happen.

Kevon Jones. (they/them) Facilitator

Hi, I'm Kevon, I am a Portland native, I've been living on my own since I was 16. I am a nonbinary African American who is highly motivated, upbeat, and down to earth. 

I learned about unschooling recently through Leif and Lovey. I'm blown away at how deconstructing norms can allow us room to really find ourselves and I'm excited for learning how to relearn and helping others on their own journey!

I believe that we all have the ability to positively affect those around us by being supportive and providing the space to explore who we truly are and what makes us happy. Though it isn’t always possible in the world we live in, I do my best to find and build spaces that allow us to embody these attributes.

Here are a few things I do to be centered and how I play: dance, DJing, listening to music, playing video games, watching anime, writing poetry and recently, exploring improv.

Noppawan Lerttharakul, Facilitator noppawanl@villagefreeschool.orgNoppawan came all the way from Thailand to join VFS in 2015. Back then, she had a short-term plan to witness democratic education in action. But she fell in love. Each day at VFS, Noppawan brings her passion for learning, a sense of wonder, and the magic of creativity to share. She holds a Master’s degree in Leadership for Sustainability Education from Portland State University. Her culminating project focused on the intersection of care, democracy, and sustainable learning. Along with VFS students, she is humbled by the daily opportunity to experience education as, in bell hooks’s words, a practice of freedom. For her, a democratic free school is a place where students take charge of their own education, life gets real and messy, and care for one another sustains us.

Noppawan Lerttharakul. (she/her), Facilitator

Noppawan came all the way from Thailand to join VFS in 2015. Back then, she had a short-term plan to witness democratic education in action. But she fell in love. Each day at VFS, Noppawan brings her passion for learning, a sense of wonder, and the magic of creativity to share. She holds a Master’s degree in Leadership for Sustainability Education from Portland State University. Her culminating project focused on the intersection of care, democracy, and sustainable learning. Along with VFS students, she is humbled by the daily opportunity to experience education as, in bell hooks’s words, a practice of freedom. For her, a democratic free school is a place where students take charge of their own education, life gets real and messy, and care for one another sustains us.

Lovey Davis. (they/them), Facilitator

Hi! I’m Lovey. I was born in Seoul, South Korea, lived in a few other places but was mostly raised in Baltimore, Maryland in a multiethnic and multigenerational household. Though I am mixed with many things (please don’t ask what) I was mostly raised with Black, Latino, and Indigenous cultures. I am a massage therapist and reiki practitioner. I was inspired to become an energy and bodyworker because I learned how impactful it can be for helping people with PTSD and I value centering trauma informed care. Through school I learned so much more knowledge of the body and how we carry feelings and experiences in our bodies. My hobbies include dancing, finding new music, writing, painting, crafts, table top role playing games, story telling, biking, being in nature, swimming, and so much more. I am so excited about being a facilitator at Village Free School because traditional school didn’t work for me and I really appreciate the decolonization that accompanies this environment. I’ve been learning about unschooling and a self-directed learning environment and have been excited about it for years so I’m glad to be a part of the community. Some of what I’m hoping to contribute is my emotional intelligence as well as encouraging self-care, self-love, and autonomy of self in this community. I have been told that I have a grounding and nonjudgmental presence that helps people feel like they can be their authentic self around me.

Derek Czajka. (he/him), Facilitator

Derek is newly moved to Portland after many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in Western Massachusetts. He has spent the past decade or so supporting young people in various capacities, from volunteer tutor, to school-based mentor, to SDE facilitator. Derek is also an avid choral singer, and is looking forward to exploring Portland's thriving choral music landscape. He has a long-standing interest in language and linguistics. A few years ago, he began a self-directed study of the Irish language (sometimes called Irish Gaelic), which is still ongoing, and led to a four-week trip to Ireland in summer 2022. Derek is excited to get to know the community at VFS, and is up for anything from a chat about phonology to a round of Uno.

 
 

School Council

Our School Council is the Board of Directors of our nonprofit organization. The Council meets monthly to make operational decisions and ensure the healthy operational of the school.

 

Aaron Longwell
Council Chair

Hollie Holcombe
Councilperson

Amy Conway
Councilperson

Sarita Flores
Councilperson

Gillian Weisgram
Councilperson

Daveed Jacobo
Councilperson

Stephanie Black
Councilperson

Alexis Gandara
Councilperson

Cali Hayes
Councilperson

Leah G.
Ombudsperson

Hannah Olivarria/Kelty Green
Ombudspeople

Jack Mesplay
Financial Advisor