May 2013 ICP /Learning Lenses Course
Instructor Bios

Claire Wurtzel

Claire Wurtzel, Co-Educational Director for Hidden Sparks, recently retired as the director of professional development for the Churchill School and Center. In addition to providing guidance to the Churchill faculty, she works with many New York City public schools, helping them identify the needs of diverse learners and develop targeted strategies and appropriate differentiated instruction for those students. Prior to joining the Churchill School, Claire was employed by All Kinds of Minds (AKOM). She was instrumental in AKOM being awarded a five-year contract with the NYC Department of Education to train NYC public school educators in the Schools Attuned framework and principles. She was the director of faculty development for the New York City Schools Attuned initiative for five years. Claire was also a member of the Bank Street College graduate faculty for 17 years, during which she taught graduate courses, chaired the Department of Special Education, and served as the director of general and special education initiatives in schools. She has worked with New York City public school educators for over 30 years, supporting teachers’ efforts with students in general and special education classrooms who struggle with learning and/or behavioral difficulties. Claire has published teachers’ manuals and articles and has produced educational videos. She has been recognized as a leader in the field of education and has worked with teachers, psychologists, administrators, museum educators, and families, both nationally and internationally.

Karen Kruger

Karen Kruger, Director of Education for Hidden Sparks, received her master’s degree from Bank Street College of Education. Karen comes with a wealth of experience in the field, having served as Hidden Sparks’ ICP (Internal Coach Program) School-based mentor for the past year, where she mentored internal coaches, a regional facilitator, and the lead trainer for workshops funded through No Child Left Behind. Working with middle school teachers and administrators from New York City middle schools, Ms. Kruger also served as a field facilitator and course instructor for ‘Schools Attuned’, teaching courses offered by “All Kinds of Minds”, developing curricula for workshops, and mentoring and supervising teachers in grades K-12. Ms. Kruger was an adjunct professor at Bank Street College of Education and has taught in elementary and middle schools from Kindergarten through 8th grade.

 Rona Milch Novick

Dr. Rona Novick, Ph.D, Co-Educational Director for Hidden Sparks, is the Director of the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Doctoral Program in Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She served for many years as the Coordinator of Child Psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Schneider Children’s Hospital and as the Clinical Director of the Alliance for School Mental Health, providing outreach services, treatment and training to schools, families and communities. She developed the BRAVE bully prevention program and is a trained cognitive behavior therapist with her own private practice. As one of two educational directors for Hidden Sparks, Dr. Novick provides training, supervision and ongoing mentoring to the Hidden Sparks teams of coaches, principals and Internal Coaches.

 Esther Kramer

Esther Kramer, ICP Coordinator and Mentor for Hidden Sparks, has been an educator in both the New York City independent schools and the New York City public schools, as well as a faculty member and staff developer of the Special Education Department at Bank Street College of Education. Ms. Kramer was the head of the Lower School of the Town School for eight years, and principal and director of the Churchill School and Center in New York. Ms Kramer also served as a facilitator with the Schools Attuned Program from All Kinds of Minds for the New York City public schools. In addition, she co-produced The Open Mind for public television and participated in several research studies.

Andrea Rousso

Andrea Rousso taught in New York City public schools for 33 years. As an educator of emotionally fragile children with special needs, she enthusiastically taught grades K-6 for sixteen years at IHB Day Treatment Center (for children diagnosed with emotional disturbance), in collaboration with clinicians from the Jewish Board of Children and Family Services. Using the skills she acquired in those positions, she became a teacher-trainer for special education. In that role, she consulted with both new and experienced teachers of self-contained special education classes and general education classes and with collaborative teams in inclusive classrooms. During that time, Andrea also led workshops to help both new and experienced teachers understand emotional reactions to learning in the classroom. In addition, she was an instructor for graduate school courses in classroom management. She also tutored children with learning disabilities and emotional problems who were referred to her by psychologists working in private schools. After eight productive years as a teacher-trainer, Andrea decided to return to the classroom. She spent nine joyful years as a special education teacher in a kindergarten collaborative-team classroom. In 2004 Andrea and her teaching partner received a Bank Street Early Childhood Education award for their innovative and motivating curriculum and teaching style. Andrea became a certified facilitator for the Schools Attuned Program of All Kinds of Minds in 2001. Currently, as a part-time consultant in three NYC public schools, Andrea meets with teachers to assist them with curriculum adaptations and understanding classroom behaviors.