25-26 All Staff Photo

Faculty and Staff

Our faculty and staff (we lovingly call them “staffulty”) make us who we are: the community where children with language-based learning differences thrive. 

“I can’t remember anyone saying ‘no’ here. Again and again, I am blown away by the knowledge of the staff, and the flexibility I am afforded around my own ideas. We feed off each other’s ideas and build on our own, which makes collaborating with colleagues and the administration absolutely energizing. I mean who doesn’t want to rock it in the classroom with that kind of support and excitement around education?”
—    Upper School English teacher

At The Lab School, faculty and staff teach from each child’s strengths. Eighty percent of Lab’s student-facing faculty hold advanced degrees in addition to their teaching certifications. What’s more, Lab staffulty are trained in multiple methods, including Orton-Gillingham, a multi-sensory approach where teachers use sight, hearing, touch and movement to help students connect language with letters and words.

Lab staffulty also have more than training: they have years, often decades, of experience working with students with language-based learning differences. Because of this expertise, Lab staffulty tailor their teaching methods and approach to individual students, ensuring that students are met where they are and given what they need to grow.

We encourage you to get to know our outstanding faculty and staff below.

Find a Person

Last Name Starts With
Faculty Staff Headshot
Faculty
Middle School

Tric Nelson

  • Visual Arts Teaching Artist
  • Visual Arts Coordinator 1st-12th
  • (202) 580-7940
Faculty Staff Headshot
Tric Nelson
  • Visual Arts Teaching Artist
  • Visual Arts Coordinator 1st-12th

Contact Information

  • (202) 580-7940
  • Teaching Artists
Middle School
Faculty
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Middle School

MacRae O'Brien

she/her
  • Dean of Student Life
Faculty Staff Headshot
MacRae O'Brien
she/her
  • Dean of Student Life

Contact Information

Education

  • The College of William and Mary - B.A. Psychology & English Literature
  • Virginia Commonwealth University - M.S.W. Clinical Social Work
Middle School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Faculty
Middle School

Amanda Palmer

she/her
  • Chair of Teaching and Learning
  • English Teacher
Faculty Staff Headshot
Amanda Palmer
she/her
  • Chair of Teaching and Learning
  • English Teacher

Contact Information

Education

  • Muhlenberg College - B.A. Psychology & Education
  • American University - M.A. Special Education: Learning Disabilities
  • Johns Hopkins University - Ed.D. Urban Educational Leadership
Middle School
Faculty
Faculty Staff Headshot
Faculty
Upper School

Darrel Parker

  • Internship Coordinator
  • Assistant College Advisor
Faculty Staff Headshot
Darrel Parker
  • Internship Coordinator
  • Assistant College Advisor

Contact Information

Education

  • Dillard University - B.S.
  • American University - M.A.
Upper School
Faculty