De Popolis

De Popolis has a B.S. in English from Loyola University, M.Ed. from DePaul in Education and Curriculum, a C.A.S. in Special Education from National Louis University, and M.A. in Teacher Leadership from Roosevelt University. She is certified K-12 in English and special education and teaches the Wilson Reading System. She is currently teaching special education at Hill Middle School in addition to teaching at Roosevelt University in Graduate Education. Among the subjects De teaches are ACT/SAT, psychology, literature, religion, grammar, diagramming, test taking, organization and study skills, reading, social studies, and application writing. De enjoys gardening, Cubs, dogs, and her two adult children.

Diane Spiotta

Diane Spiotta tutors all levels of Spanish and has taught in both public and parochial schools. She holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Spanish education with a minor in French education from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Diane has taught Spanish at the pre-school, high school and post high school levels. She is currently teaching 7th and 8th grade Spanish in Naperville School District 203. Diane enjoys reading, puzzles, and spending time with her family of eight. The Spiotta family was honored with the K of C Family of the Year award for the state of Illinois.

Isabelle Minville

Isabelle Minville is a graduate from Bois-de-Boulogne College in Canada where she studied humanities, literature, and education. She has been at Treland & Associates for several years, working with private school students as well as with students from remedial to advanced academic needs. Isabelle currently teaches World History, U.S. History, World Geography, Government, British Literature, American Literature, and Contemporary American History. She currently tutors in French, Wilson Reading System, Language Arts, Social Studies, and general skills. In the past, Isabelle has enjoyed tutoring in creative writing, Latin, Literacy, and ISAT writing. Interests include visual arts, literature, fine cuisine, and the Cubs.

Shari Remi

Shari Remi has a B.S. in Education from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Upon completing her degree, she taught Jr. High math, science, and religion at St. Gertrude School in Franklin Park. She then taught third grade for six years at St. Isaac Jogues School in Hinsdale. She attended the Wilson Language training workshop and is currently teaching the Wilson Reading System and the Wilson Fundation program with Joan Treland and Associates. Shari enjoys her family, swimming, movies, and being outdoors.

Rick Klimas

Rick Klimas is a graduate of Loyola University and taught school in Chicago for ten years. He tutored mathematics and science in the Blue Gargoyle adult education program. He teaches science, math, history, economics, philosophy, religion, humanities, music and art history, and language arts courses at the high school level, as well as organizational skills and test preparation classes at all levels including Honors and AP. Rick also teaches ACT/SAT/GRE test prep. A book dealer specializing in scholarly volumes, he also enjoys classical music and plays basketball. Rick and his wife live in Warrenville where he serves as a Park District commissioner.

Itri Papanikolla

Itri Papanikolla has a Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from University of Illinois and wants to continue his education in a higher level of Abstract Mathematics which gives him the chance to teach his favorite subject. He was a tutor at College of DuPage. He speaks Albanian, Greek, Ancient Greek, and French. Itri has a medal in Math Olympiad and is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. His interests include the study of history and economics, painting on canvas, aquarelle, music, and sports. Itri wants to create a new model of how students can observe mathematics and science.

Josh Kettell

Josh Kettell graduated with a B.S. in Secondary Education – Social Studies from SIU in 2003. Since then he has taught at Treland Academy for approximately four years. His tenure here has been staggered with two extended sabbaticals abroad that were both personally and professionally enriching. During these trips he traveled to twenty countries on three continents and taught in Spain and India. The last trip also entailed a 2200-mile bike ride from Portugal to Serbia that served as means to help promote his uncle’s charity for breast cancer and muscular dystrophy. Josh is back with us this year teaching AP U.S. History, Politics, Spanish, Biology, Chemistry, and Communication Studies.

Nancy Wallace

Nancy Wallace is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire with a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology. After completing her degree, she worked as a cardiology technician and as a pharmaceutical sales representative. She has taught for ten years as a substitute teacher and as an aide in the Wheaton and Glen Ellyn schools, grades K - 12. Recently, Nancy has completed continuing education courses in the areas of Environmental Science, Chemistry and Earth Sciences. She has attended the Wilson Language training workshop and has been teaching the Wilson and Fundations Reading Systems. She has tutored biology, environmental science, earth science, nutrition, executive functioning and organizational skills. Nancy is currently completing her M.A.T. in Secondary Education Science at National Louis University. As an active volunteer in her children's schools, Nancy has served on the PTA Board, Art Appreciation Committee, Room Mom, Team Mom, Girl Scout Leader and Religious Education Instructor. Her family supports the area high school sports teams as well as the Chicago sports teams. Go White Sox!

Nick Haskins

Nick Haskins is a graduate of Wheaton College with a B.A. in Social Science and has taught and coached in the Illinois Public School system. He teaches American History, World History, Geography, Anthropology, Language Arts as well as Driver’s Education. Nick spent two years in the Peace Corp doing agriculture development work in African villages. Along with teaching, his career has included work as youth minister, construction manager, church pastor, and residential realtor. Nick is an avid sports fan and enjoys reading and spending time with his family.

Lisa Kuiper

Lisa Kuiper holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of California at Riverside and a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education (Physical Education, Biology, and Theology) from Dordt College in Iowa. She taught Science and Physical Education with middle school and high school students in Southern California and at Timothy Christian Middle School in Elmhurst, Illinois. Other experiences include coaching, working with students in church groups, and leading a mother’s group. Her favorite activities involve her family, playing basketball and softball, camping, exercising, and reading.

Jenna Micko

Jenna Micko holds a B.A. degree in English education with an endorsement in Journalism from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. She has studied Shakespeare and Art History abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England. Jenna taught English at the secondary level for 11 years and Special Education. In addition to teaching British Literature, Reading, Literature as Film, American Literature, Study Skills and Humanities, Jenna has tutored in History, Religion, Biology, Earth Science, Psychology, ACT Prep, as well as other content areas. Jenna has also worked as a reporter for local papers in DuPage County covering local high school sports. She enjoys spending free time with her husband and daughter, as well as watching baseball and football, playing softball, acting in community theatre and creative writing.

Judy Kruse

Judy Kruse earned her B.A. in Education from Wayne State College, where she began her Master’s Degree and taught a creative writing class. She finished her M.S. in Secondary Professional Education at Northern Illinois University. Her twenty-nine years of teaching at the high school level included all of the offered courses including General Math, Algebra and Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus. From 1979-2002, she taught classes at the community college in Math and Step Aerobics. Judy has taught ACT and CLEP reviews in both Math and English. Other math experience includes a sabbatical leave in 1997-98 school year in which she traveled to nine states and observed classrooms, studied curricula and met with teachers and students about math concerns. Judy has been a teacher’s aide at the local high school and taught a five-week Honors Geometry course. Judy is married to Bob Kruse, a former professional football player and High School Social Studies teacher. Their daughter is a middle school teacher, and their son is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force. Judy came out of retirement because she really missed being in the classroom helping students, so Treland Academy is a perfect fit for her current goals.

Dale F. Simpson

Dale F. Simpson graduated from Wheaton Warrenville South High School and received a wrestling sport scholarship to attend the University of Manitoba where he graduated with a B.A. (Advanced) in anthropology and geography. After Manitoba, he moved to Santiago, Chile, where he earned his T.E.F.L. (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate, taught ESL for two years, and learned Spanish as his second language. From Santiago, Dale lived on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) where he was employed as an archaeological tour guide. From Rapa Nui, Dale moved to New Zealand to attend The University of Auckland where he earned his Master’s of Arts (First Class Honours) and Postgraduate Diploma (With Distinction) in anthropology, guest lectured and tutored for the university, and conducted archaeological research on Rapa Nui, New Zealand, and Hawaii. In 2008, Dale was selected as the Regenstein Pacific Collection Intern at The Field Museum of Natural History. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty instructor in anthropology at College of DuPage, an assistant wrestling coach at Neuqua Valley High School, and is publishing two articles about Easter Island archaeology and material culture. Dale is an avid outdoor enthusiast, Cubs/Bears fan, sushi chef, and ultimate Frisbee and disc golf player.

Bob Shirley

Bob Shirley graduated from Dartmouth College with a major in Russian. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and is currently completing his MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching) from National-Louis University. Mr. Shirley holds a Type 09 (6-12) Illinois teaching certificate with endorsements in business, office computer applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), podcasting applications (Audacity, Photostory, MovieMaker) mathematics, social science, and Russian language. Over the past four years, he has gained valuable clinical teaching experience at both the middle and high school levels. Other academic interests include learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. Prior to going into education, Bob consulted on a variety of market research ventures, including a number of years working on projects in Russia and the former Soviet Union during most of the 1990’s. Outside interests include cooking, hiking, Russian literature, and family.

John Gallo

John Gallo has a B.A. degree in Mathematics with a minor in Economics from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. He has tutored local math students for years at levels ranging into college-level courses. John is also a Project Management Professional (PMP) and has mentored junior-level project managers professionally as a veteran marketing and technology project manager. He is a long-time baseball coach and supporter of the Wheaton Jaycees. Areas of interest include all forms of physical recreation and keeping up with new technologies.

Julia Dawson

Julia Dawson has a B.S. in Electrical engineering and Physiology from University of Illinois, M.A. in Computer Science from DePaul, B.S. in Mathematics from Northern, and is certified in Wilson Reading System. She currently teaches mathematics at Thornwood High School and enjoys coaching a middle school robotics team that competes in national F.I.R.S.T. tournaments. Julia enjoys her family, reading, and jogging with her dogs.

Joan Treland

Joan Treland has a M.A+. in Learning Disabilities and B.S. in Socially Maladjusted. She holds four certificate endorsements (K-21): Learning Behavior Specialist, (Learning Disabilities, Social/Emotional Disorders); Standard Secondary Teaching; Standard Elementary Teaching. Her background includes the multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach and the Wilson Reading System. She taught regular and special education kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and high school, co-founded a private school, and has been in private practice for forty plus years. She is currently owner-director of our accredited school and served on the Education Industry Association conference planning committee. She is a member of the International Dyslexia Society and the American Association of University Women. Interests include reading, cooking, traveling, and music. Treland and Associates has accreditations with North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement and NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. All staff members teach executive function and metacognitive strategies.