Learn more about our Advisors.
Escuela Verde staff come from diverse backgrounds, but all share the same belief: that education is the key to personal liberation, that students must be owners of their education, and that learning is a life-long journey we are all traveling. All of our certified educational advisors are not only expert in their fields (some hold or are completing Master’s and PhD degrees), they are passionate about sustainability, student-led learning, and restorative justice. All have many years of teaching experience and comply with DPI standards.
2026-2027 Staff
Kim Copeland
Collaborative Leader
Kim is excited to lead at a school where the focus is on supporting students as they learn how to lead happy, healthy and meaningful lives. She loves how project based learning helps students connect their curiosities to the content they need to successfully graduate high school and prepare for the world beyond. Kim earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences, teaching certification, an M.S. in Administrative Leadership, all from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. While working at Boerner Botanical Gardens, Kim met students and staff at Escuela Verde and knew she found her educational home. Kim was born in Phoenix, AZ and lived throughout the United States before calling Milwaukee home. Kim has three children and two three-legged pitbulls. In her free time she loves audio books, gardening, swimming, camping, crocheting, demo and building things and spending time with family and friends.
Laurel Cutright
Collaborative Leader
Laurel is proud to co-lead and continually co-create the vibrant, sustaining, and welcoming community of Escuela Verde. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Morris with a social studies license, she began working in the environmental field. This led her to a role as an educator at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee before becoming an Advisor at Escuela Verde in 2018. She believes that Escuela Verde can be a model for education for liberation and is constantly thrilled at the world that EV students, staff, families, and community members are building. Outside of work, Laurel loves biking, hiking, camping, reading, cooking, exploring, and spending time with her friends and family. In 2023, Laurel received her master’s in school leadership from the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Jill Weber
Special Education Director
Jill (she/her) is a new advisor at Escuela Verde with over 20 years of experience in education. She began her career working with TCY and is excited to return back “home”! Throughout her life Jill has served as a Special Education para, teacher, transition coordinator, administrator and most recently as a Special Education Advocate. She is a mother to three teenagers, and loves spending time with her family and three dogs. Jill loves to read, garden, hike, and cook. She is looking forward to inspiring and guiding the students to reach their highest potential.
Monica Beltran
Advisor
Monica is happy to continue her journey at Escuela verde as the Cafe/Food & Consumer Advisor. She was born in Leon Gto. Mexico and began cooking with her grandmother at a young age. Her grandmother’s cooking has always been her inspiration and she shares these teachings with her students. Monica comes from the food industry with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. Food has brought her into education in a very unique way. Her goal is for her students to cultivate skills in the kitchen that can be carried throughout their lives and shared with their families and community. She teaches beyond the classroom and encourages her students to explore a variety of careers in foodservice. Monica enjoys crafting, puzzles, music, plants and most of all spending her free time with family. You can find her in our student run coffee shop, Newline Cafe!
Rusty Edlund
Advisor
Born and Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rusty has over a decade of teaching experience in the subject areas of History, Economics and Government. Rusty is excited to continue his role at EV as Advisor to the senior class, helping to prepare the graduating class for what lies ahead. Rusty is grateful for the experiential learning opportunities that Escuela Verde provides for students, and excited to continue to expand his practice with Project-Based-Learning after years of experimenting with it in a traditional school setting. One of EV’s greatest assets is the Newline Cafe. Rusty is a professional barista with 15+ years of experience, so being able to teach students about espresso has been one of Rusty’s favorite ways to connect with the community. When Rusty isn’t teaching, you can find him playing music, writing, or listening to podcasts while taking his dog, Shelby, on a long evening walk.
Nayeli Portillo
Advisor
Bio coming soon…
Julio Fuentes
Technology Coordinator
Julio Fuentes is the IT Coordinator at Escuela Verde and El Puente. He is responsible for managing the technology needs of staff and students. Julio earned a bachelors of computer science from Saint Norbert College. He started working as technical support soon after, helping people with their technology, computer and software issues in Green Bay. In early 2020 he moved to Milwaukee and eventually found his way to working at El Puente. In 2023, he transitioned into the IT Coordinator position at El Puente and Escuela Verde. Julio loves learning, helping people and solving problems and his favorite part of working at Escuela Verde is being able to do just that.
Patricia Gomez
Parent Coordinator & Bilingual Aide
Patricia works as a Bilingual Parent Coordinator at Escuela Verde. This is Patricia’s sixth year at Escuela Verde. Born in Colombia, adopted into the Lakota tradition. She brings her passion and love for teaching that has been formed through the Restorative Practices from Indigenous perspectives of the Americas, and International Mindfulness program that promotes lovingkindness and holistic approach to life. Bringing these two practices together through the mission and vision of EV of having a meaningful lifestyle encompasses the experience that helps the students, parents and the community to connect with one another with their uniqueness and acceptance. She brings to her practice the cultural sensitivity and awareness of her Colombian backgroun and immigrant experience. Patricia loves hiking, reading, traveling, engaging with communities from all over the world and spending time with her daughter, husband and family.
Elizabeth Gonzalez
Administrative Coordinator
Elizabeth Gonzalez is excited and honored to be part of the excellent team at Escuela Verde. It is a privilege for Elizabeth to work with the students and parents of Escuela Verde. Past positions she has held in the community have included work as a Bilingual English/Spanish Medical Interpreter. She has worked and volunteered in different clinics. She is delighted to be serving others! As a descendant of a Mexican family, she thanks her parents for teaching her the values and principles of life.
Amy Kranz
Advisor
Amy is a mother, life-long learner, and seeker with a decade of experience homeschooling four kids (including two who eventually attended Escuela Verde!).
She completed her master’s and doctorate in Psychology through Saybrook University. Psychology and mental health have been the central theme of Amy’s academic and professional work. That theme has taken form as scholarship in the history of depth psychology, teaching yoga and training yoga teachers, attending 30+ births as a doula, and creating a community to support young families and reproductive justice.
Amy believes that we are all wired to learn continuously and educational justice requires breaking down our limited beliefs while expanding what and how we learn. One great query for this is, “What am I not seeing? How can I expand my understanding?” Amy is committed to intersectional justice through mindfulness, curiosity, and action.
During her free time, Amy tries desperately to strengthen her green thumb and to get time for the dozen or so books she is reading at one time. Ask her kids, and they’ll also warn you that she is liable to break into song and/or dance at any time.
Eric Schulz
Advisor
As a dedicated advisor at Escuela Verde, Eric is passionate about fostering a dynamic and innovative learning environment for our students.This is Eric’s second year in education and second year at Escuela Verde. He graduated college from Winona State University with a degree in Social Studies Education. While in college, he learned about the advantages to a Project Based School, like EV and he is a firm believer that Project Based Learning empowers students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and lifelong learners.In the classroom, he is committed to creating a nurturing space where students are encouraged to explore, question, and collaborate. Through carefully crafted projects, he aims to ignite their curiosity and inspire them to take ownership of their learning journey. One of Eric’s core beliefs is that education extends beyond the walls of the classroom. He actively seeks opportunities to connect classroom learning to real-world challenges, helping students see the relevance of their studies in the broader context.Eric is excited to continue this journey of exploration and growth alongside our incredible students and fellow educators at Escuela Verde. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of traditional education and prepare our students to excel in an ever-evolving world. One of Eric’s core beliefs is that education extends beyond the walls of the classroom. He actively seeks opportunities to connect classroom learning to real-world challenges, helping students see the relevance of their studies in the broader context. Eric is excited to continue this journey of exploration and growth alongside our incredible students and fellow educators at Escuela Verde. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of traditional education and prepare our students to excel in an ever-evolving world.
Sean Bussey
Advisor
Sean Bussey (he/him) is is an educator and program designer with more than 15 years of experience building learning environments where young people thrive. Before joining Escuela Verde as ELA Adviser and Bilingual Program Coordinator, Sean led city-wide, youth-centered programs across Milwaukee focused on mentorship, career development, and project-based learning. From 2014-2022, he worked at Carmen Schools of Science & Technology where he fell in love with language programs. Sean is deeply grateful to see his former students become colleagues, teachers, and individuals who are thriving and successful! Most recently, he served as the Apprenticeship Director at Teens Grow Greens, where he directed four yearlong paid apprenticeships in education, entrepreneurship, marketing, and horticulture. He has even worked professionally with over 5 Escuela Verde Graduates. It offers him a unique perspective to the power and impact of a project-based education. Sean has also led numerous multi-organizational events and intitatives, coached educators across diverse contents, and built bilingual storytelling and communication programs rooted in students’ lived experiences. He believes in helping students fall in love with reading, explore who they are through writing, and build the confidence to share their stories—in two languages, and across many platforms. His favorite author is Garth Nix and has a love for fantasy novels; students should expect to read at least one chapter per day! At Escuela Verde, Sean is excited to return to the classroom and collaborate with youth and staff to deepen biliteracy, uplift student voice, and build culturally responsive curriculum that connects learning to life.
Michael Maxson
Advisor
Michael joined Escuela Verde in 2025, bringing over 30 years of experience in Wisconsin public education to our community. His career, rooted in a bachelor’s degree in biology (1992) and a master’s in educational leadership (1998), has been a journey of continual growth. Influenced by Paulo Freire’s “critical pedagogy” and Kegan and Lahey’s “Immunity to Change,” Michael has pivoted from traditional public schooling toward the transformative ecopedagogy platform at Escuela Verde. He is dedicated to supporting students as they reach new heights, while continuing his own journey as a lifelong learner.
Sarah Luther
Advisor
Sarah Luther is an advisor at Escuela Verde, where she integrates her passions for art, gardening, public art, and community engagement into her everyday work with students. She graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and has worked as a civic artist and educator in Milwaukee for 17 years. A proud resident of the Silver City neighborhood for over a decade, Sarah is deeply invested in her community. Sarah feels fortunate to be part of Escuela Verde and Newline Cafe in the community where she lives, learns, and creates.