MODEL SCHOOL
Education Professionals
Marty and Carol Appelbaum
Marty and Carol Appelbaum are the founders of The Turning Point Academy, They have spent a lifetime dedicated to their goal of creating a profound and positive difference in children’s lives. As co-founders of the Appelbaum Training Institute, they are known throughout the United States for their powerful learning strategies geared to students. Over 50,000 educators attended their professional development seminars and conferences in 2007. The Appelbaums have appeared on television, radio and have been quoted in newspapers. In addition to his Degree in Business Management and Montessori teaching certificate, Mr. Appelbaum has been a teacher, an administrator and a principal of schools. He authored two Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses used by college undergraduate students and “How to Teach Children to Follow Rules”, “Keys to Success” and is featured in “Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul.” He has taught in inclusion classrooms with diverse groups of students. His teaching style enhances cooperation and positive attitudes in the lives of all of his students. Mrs. Carol Appelbaum attended the University of Houston. She is a driving force behind the Turning Point Academy, committed to changing the way education has been done in our country. She emphatically agrees with Mortimer Adler who states “Education should be individualized not standardized!” Her goal is for The Turning Point Academy, to be a model for how all children are educated in the 21st century.
As founders of Appelbaum Training Institute, ATiseminars.org, (the largest teacher training organization in the U.S., with a presence in Canada, South America and Asia) The Appelbaums are qualified to provide students with a solid foundation. TPA understands academics and the need for new teaching methods. TPA has implemented NEW College Preparatory Academy’s (NCPA) superior, easy to learn, technology enhanced curriculum, which has a long history of accomplishments.
TPA provides a phenomenal success team for its students. Our education team is personally vested in the success of every student. They are successful role models and educators.
Mrs. Debbie Elder
Mrs. Debbie Elder, Executive Director of the NEW College Preparatory Academy, is a graduate of Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada and a former police officer with the Ottawa City Police Force. She then moved to Calgary, Alberta where she was a youth worker in charge of the disciplinary unit of a secure custody facility for young offenders. Within this organization she was promoted to the position of Labor Relations Coordinator responsible for mediating between staff, management, and the Union. Mrs. Elder left this position to work as an educator with the John Howard Society, teaching high school law and Introduction to Canadian Law at the University of Calgary. After the birth of her first child, she decided to open her home to troubled teens and was voted the Therapeutic Foster Parent of the year in 1993. Upon her arrival in Houston, Mrs. Elder worked as a preschool teacher and ran her own Behavior Management Consultant business helping teens, families, and Corporate America by providing training in Leadership and Interpersonal Communication skills. As a professional educator and speaker, Mrs. Elder traveled the nation training teachers and parents in motivation techniques and success strategies. She remained a tutor and Success Coach for elementary through college age students until January 2004 when she joined the NEW College Preparatory Academy team.
Dr. Kuni Beasley
Dr. Kuni Beasley, founder of the NEW College Preparatory Academy formerly called Gateway Preparatory School, has a BS from Texas Christian University, an MBA from Oklahoma City University, a Doctor of Ministries from Tyndale Seminary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. He attended the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas, graduating at 16 with a full college scholarship. Dr. Beasley has served on the faculty of Northwood University (Business & Government), LeTourneau University (Business Management), University of Texas-Arlington (Public Administration), and Dallas Baptist University (Political Science). Dr. Beasley started the Gateway Program in 1996 with seven students meeting in a rented Sunday school room at the First Baptist Church in Duncanville, Texas. By 1997, Gateway had two more schools in Arlington and Bedford, and by 1998, Gateway had nine schools in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and Waco with almost 700 students. In 2001, Gateway began to convert to the internet and the last conventional site closed in 2003. In 2002, Gateway began to establish network schools to support homeschool families and establish resident sites using the Gateway Program to support students coming out of public and private school.
Dr. Beasley taught college for over 18 years and has served on the faculty of Northwood University (Business & Government), LeTourneau University (Graduate Business), Dallas Baptist University (Political Science), and the University of Texas at Arlington (Urban and Public Administration). His business background includes work with Caltex Petroleum, Texaco, Chevron, Department of Defense, University of Texas, Methodist Hospitals, UNESCO, Dallas Independent School District, the Federal Reserve Bank, and service on the national board of the United Way of America. Dr. Beasley is a retired Army officer who commanded combat arms units in Europe and the US, and is a former football coach of the team that won the Texas State Football Championship in 1994. Gateway Preparatory School, Inc., is a recognized secondary institution providing resident and distance education for homeschool and private school families, and provides supplemental training in SAT, College Prep, Study Skills, and Accelerated Learning strategies. Gateway students have graduated from high school as young as 13 and boasts graduates from the University of Texas at 16, University of the State of New York at 17, Oral Roberts University at 18, and a multitude of students in medical schools, law schools and graduate programs at major universities.
"We tend to think the founding fathers of our nation were 'geniuses' when they were actually well-educated men. Since then, we have built more schools and provided less education. It now takes 12 years to get an 8th grade education. Our kids are no less capable than those in the 1750's, just less challenged. At Gateway, we are educating young people to the level of their abilities, not to the level of politically mandated mediocrity. "Students need to realize that at this point in their lives, their job is to be a student and learn. They need to do a good job at it. This means doing what is expected, when it is expected, and how it is expected…. At Gateway, students learn the techniques and get the equipment they need to not only do what they need, but do it quickly, professionally, and without wasting a lot of time." - Dr. Kuni Beasley, founder of Gateway Prep / NEW College Preparatory Academy.
Mr. Howard Berg
Mr. Howard Berg, co-founder of the NEW College Preparatory Academy formerly called Gateway Preparatory School, is recognized as the world's fastest reader thanks to the cutting edge accelerated learning techniques he developed that turn information overload into information assets. Respected internationally for his contribution to the learning process, he is listed in the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records for reading more than 25,000 words per minute and writing more than 100 words per minute. Mr. Berg is a graduate of S.U.N.Y., Binghamton. Using the same strategies used by NEW College Preparatory Academy students, this biology major completed a four-year Psychology program in one year. His graduate studies at several New York City colleges focused on the psychology of reading. Howard taught for 10 years for New York City's inner city schools, and witnessed first hand how the failure to learn basic study skills was crippling the learning potential of our nation's children.
Howard Stephen Berg is recognized as the world's fastest reader thanks to the cutting edge accelerated learning techniques Link to resources he developed that turn information overload into information assets.
Respected internationally for his contribution to the learning process, he is listed in the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records for reading more than 25,000 words a minute and writing more than 100 words a minute. Howard has appeared on over 1,100 radio and television programs, been featured in Redbook, Bottom Line, Selling, and numerous newspapers, and has published two best selling books, and dozens of home study programs including "Mega Speed Reading" that was marketed by Nightingale Conant nightingale.com and sold over 650,000 copies.
He is a graduate of S.U.N.Y., Binghamton. Using the same strategies used by Gateway students, this biology major completed a four-year Psychology program in one year. His graduate studies at several New York City colleges focused on the psychology of reading.
Howard taught for 10 years for New York City's inner city schools, and witnessed first hand how the failure to learn basic study skills was crippling the learning potential of our nation's children. Only 2% of the students graduated at his High School, and when he volunteered to teach them accelerated learning strategies to improve their academic skills, he was told, "it isn't in the curriculum so you can't teach it." Outraged by the indifference of his school to learning, Howard quit his job as a teacher to become an educator dedicated to helping others fully develop their learning potential.
Using Howard's methods, Dr. Kuni Beasley, President of Gateway Preparatory School, experienced phenomenal academic success. Students completed High School on average in 2.5 years, and graduated with between 30-45 college credits. Link to college prep Twenty students completed college before the age of 20 or younger. Three 13 year olds graduated into college. Two of them attended University of Texas at Arlington. One just graduated at 16 with a 4.0 average in economics. and the other is a senior with a 3.97 average in engineering.
Howard continues to develop new brain based learning techniques to help improve learning at all levels, and does volunteer work with children and adults to help promote literacy in both schools and in the workplace. He has also created more than 14 other accelerated learning programs including speed math, and memory. He is mentioned in a number of books as a leading expert on brain based learning, and has been honored by over 9 books that track outstanding professional performance including, "Who's Who Among Emerging Leaders, and 2,000 Notable American Men".
Mr. Berg's work has been featured in a variety of consumer and business magazines including Forbes, Bottom Line, Redbook, Maxim, Men's Health and Selling. National and local television audiences have seen him more than 1000 times on such programs as "Live with Regis & Kathy Lee," and "Dick Cavett." Because of his entertaining approach to the presentation of useful information, he frequently appeared as a guest with Jon Stewart, and Denis Leary on their Comedy Central shows. Mr. Berg is a Director and co-founder of Gateway Preparatory School / NEW College Preparatory Academy.
Dr. Maryln Appelbaum
Maryln Appelbaum is well-known as an outstanding authority on families, change, and education. She has a doctorate in Psychology and Master’s degrees in both Psychology and Education. She has worked as a therapist and has been a consultant for families and schools. She has been owner and headmaster of three educational centers and one private school for children. She has been the Executive Director of the National Center for Child Care Professionals and the National Center for Montessori Education.
She has written more than thirty "how to" books geared exclusively to teachers and parents. She is especially known for her books, Do It Right, A Positive Guide For Discipline, and How To Talk To Kids So They Listen, How to Handle the Hard to Handle Student, and Response to Intervention. (link to our ATIseminars.org /online store)
She has appeared on television talk shows and has been quoted in newspapers including USA Today. She has been interviewed on both television and radio talk shows across the United States.
She received White House Clearance in 1989 as a leading contender for the position of Director of the United States Office of Child Care Services.
Mrs. Camille Rodriquez
Mrs. Camille Rodriquez, Assistant Dean for Academics, is a graduate of the University of Texas where she attended on a full scholarship and majored in Radio-Television-Film. While there, she was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she worked in radio, writing commercials and public service announcements, as well as in television in Austin, Texas. In 1989, she and her husband moved to the Houston area where she became a substitute teacher in the public schools. Familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the public schools and originally “just an experiment,” Mrs. Rodriquez became involved in homeschooling when her first child was three years old. This involvement developed into a passion for seeing the “light bulb turn on” as her children learned and grew in their studies. She continued homeschooling all four of her children and successfully graduated her oldest child from high school at sixteen with nine hours of college work already completed. She served on the steering committee, including the office of President, of local homeschooling support groups in both the Houston area and in Sewanee, Tennessee while living there during her husband’s seminary training. She has served as Christian Education Director and Children’s Ministries Coordinator in her churches and facilitates women’s Bible studies. Mrs. Rodriquez also spent two years in private school instruction, but left that work in 2005 to become a member of the NEW College Preparatory Academy staff. Currently, Mrs. Rodriquez operates one of the Gateway satellite schools and is a mentor in the NEW program working directly with students using the curriculum in their homes, satelite schools and private schools.