Jami O'Connor - Media Specialist
Jami O'Connor has been with Mountain View since 2006. She began her educational career in 2001 and took three years off to marry her husband and live abroad in Dublin, Ireland. Ms. O'Connor has lived in seven different states and two foreign countries. She has a B.S. in Early Childhood education. She also has a Masters degree in Instructional Technology as well as a Specialist degree in Media and Instructional Technology. She graduated from Lassiter High School in 1993 and attended Georgia Southern University and Kennesaw State University. Her graduate degrees are from the University of West Georgia. Ms. O'Connor has taught first grade and then moved into the Media Specialist position in 2015. Ms. O'Connor has a passion for reading and integrating technology into fun and engaging lessons. Being able to work with and teach all of the students in the school is exciting and what makes her love her position so much. In her spare time, Ms. O'Connor enjoys watching her oldest daughter sing in the band from School of Rock, taking long walks in the evenings, reading, and playing with her youngest children.
"Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present."~ Jim Ro
"Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present."~ Jim Ro
Jamie Roach - ALP
I have been teaching since 2008, started my career in my home state of Illinois teaching at the elementary school I attended as a child. My husband is a Marietta native and the reason I moved south. I have grown to love living here in Georgia, but of course, miss my family back in Illinois. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Murray State University, Go Racers!! My Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology was earned from Kennesaw State University. I have been a teacher at Mountain View since 2014. I love the community and families I get to work with here and feel very lucky to be a small part of their lives. Outside of school, I enjoy my time with my family and friends being active outdoors, practicing yoga, gardening and completing DIY projects around the house. When I have some alone time, I enjoy nothing more than a large bowl of ice cream on the couch watching MY show.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor
Kelley Davis - ALP
I am so excited for another great year at MVES on the Advanced Learning Team! Teaching Target began for me in 2015 and I absolutely love the curriculum and being a facilitator in developing future problem solvers. It also gives me the opportunity to get to know so many of our students through Talent Development. My teaching career began in 2006, after graduating from Kennesaw State University, at Vaughan Elementary and continued at Keheley Elementary for 12 years before moving to join the amazing staff at MVES. I have taught grades 2-5. I finished up my master’s degree in Instructional Technology just in time to put it to good use! My endorsements and certifications include Gifted Endorsement, Math Endorsement, Teacher Leadership endorsement, and Online Learning endorsement.
When not at school, you’ll find me spending time with family and our dogs at our property in North Georgia where we have a big garden and keep honeybees. My favorite sports are baseball and hockey. I love watching the Braves, the 2022 World Series Champions! I really enjoy getting to see present and past students participating in their favorite activities.
My favorite quote is “Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire” By William Butler Yeats
When not at school, you’ll find me spending time with family and our dogs at our property in North Georgia where we have a big garden and keep honeybees. My favorite sports are baseball and hockey. I love watching the Braves, the 2022 World Series Champions! I really enjoy getting to see present and past students participating in their favorite activities.
My favorite quote is “Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire” By William Butler Yeats
Ali Brisse - ALP
Hi, I’m Ali Brisse (it rhymes with peace)! I have been teaching since 2012, having taught every grade level except Kindergarten. Now I have found my happy place teaching Target at this great school. I was born and raised in Georgia and attended the University of Georgia. There I earned a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology: Gifted and Creative Education. I live in Marietta with my husband, Eric, our young daughters, Brooklyn and Madelyn, and Colby, our maltipoo. When I am not teaching, I enjoy singing, watching UGA football, and playing games with friends and family.
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” - Malala Yousafzai
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” - Malala Yousafzai
Shani Flagler -Smith - ALP
I am so excited for another great year at Mountain View on the advanced learning team. I have been teaching since 1999. I taught second grade in Florida, fourth grade in New York, first and second grade in New Jersey, and fourth grade here in Georgia. I graduated at the top of my class from Florida A&M University. I am married to an amazing man, and I have two wonderful children. In my spare time I enjoy reading, going to the movies, traveling, football, and basketball. My mission is to inspire my students to strive for greatness, believe in themselves, and to dream big!
Favorite Quote: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken” -Oscar Wilde
Favorite Quote: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken” -Oscar Wilde
Dr. Alexa Musto - Instructional Support Specialist
Dr. Alexa Musto is passionate about leadership and guiding the continued growth of all educators. She serves the Mountain View Elementary community by engaging teachers, students, and the community through coaching, leading, and learning. Dr. Musto has been in the field of education since 1997. After teaching in Minnesota for two years, she moved to Georgia to continue her educational career. Dr. Musto has 18 years of classroom experience and has served as an administrator since 2015. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, a specialist degree in Administrative Leadership, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Dr. Musto’s focus is on educational efficacy and believes “To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly.” -Brene Brown
Jessica Sutton - Instructional Support Specialist
Hello, my name is Jessica Sutton! I have been fortunate to serve at MVES for the last five years and this will be my first year serving in the role of Instructional Support Specialist, which means I will be supporting all our students and teachers. I have my B.S. in Early Childhood Education, a Master’s degree in Elementary Education, and my Specialist in Curriculum Instruction & Design. I am currently working on my Doctorate in Curriculum Instruction & Design, with a focus in literacy instruction.
My endorsements include dyslexia and reading, which are both of my passions.
I have an amazing husband, two wonderful daughters, and a sweet pup, Mr. Pipper. A few of my favorite things to do while I am away from school are attending Braves games, gardening, crafting, running, and hiking all the trails in Georgia with my family.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop
My endorsements include dyslexia and reading, which are both of my passions.
I have an amazing husband, two wonderful daughters, and a sweet pup, Mr. Pipper. A few of my favorite things to do while I am away from school are attending Braves games, gardening, crafting, running, and hiking all the trails in Georgia with my family.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop
Maureen Armstrong - Art
I’ve crossed the country and two careers to arrive at Mountain View. Most of my childhood was spent in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was there that I developed the passion for Art that I hope to pass on to all of my students. After graduating from the University of Denver I worked for 15 years as a graphic designer. My own children inspired me to return to school for my Masters in Art Education from Georgia State University. I began teaching Art in 2006 and came to Mountain View in 2008. I feel incredibly fortunate to be in this profession and in a community that supports children and each other passionately. I look forward to every moment with my students and their families.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more the you use, the more you have.” –Maya Angelou
“You can’t use up creativity. The more the you use, the more you have.” –Maya Angelou
Gina Davis - Music
Teaching Music to Cobb students since 1997, Mrs. Davis has been active in the metro Atlanta music community since college, holding a BS Music Education degree from Kennesaw State University. She is a graduate of the Cobb County Teacher Leadership Academy and a past recipient of the Teacher of the Year award. Gina is a French horn player and a member of the Georgia Philharmonic Symphony. Gina and her husband, Dr. Tom Davis are Marietta natives and reside in Roswell, where he serves as Senior Pastor of Roswell United Methodist Church. Mrs. Davis is passionate about Music Education and giving students and families a lifelong love and appreciation for Music. Her professional organizations and affiliations include the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Georgia Music Educators Association, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association and National Association for Music Education. She is also a member of the Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, the Roswell Historical Society, the English Laurel Garden Club and enjoys her family, golfing, hiking, and kayaking.
Sarah Edwards - PE
Hello! My name is Sarah Edwards and I have been teaching fourth grade since 2014. I am from Chattanooga, TN, and my first six years of teaching took place in Whitfield County until I relocated to Cobb County with my wonderful husband, Michael, in 2020. I have both my Bachelor’s degree and my Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I also have my Gifted Certification. I am passionate about teaching student's curriculum, as well as important character traits and skills that will assist them throughout their entire lives. In 2021, I received my certification in Health and Physical Education, and I began the new adventure of teaching P.E. the following school year. My desire is that all students will feel comfortable trying new things, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, and growing. Outside of teaching, I enjoy camping, hiking, time with family and friends, going back home to Chatt, and traveling. I am so thankful to be a part of the Mountain View family and I cannot wait to see what this next adventure holds!
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” –Henry Ford
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” –Henry Ford
Carissa Smith - PE
Hello, my name is Carissa Smith, and I am very excited about this upcoming school year. I have been teaching elementary Physical Education since 2002, with most of my teaching career being in Cobb County at Mountain View Elementary. I am originally from Ohio but have lived in Georgia since graduating from college. I now call Georgia HOME! I received my bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Miami University in 2002, my master’s degree in Health Studies from the University of Alabama in 2005, and just completed my specialist’s degree in Instructional Technology from the University of West Georgia in May 2023. I absolutely love teaching and could not imagine myself doing any other job in the world. I love working with children and seeing every one of them grow to be the best they can be. My hope is for them to grow an appreciation and love for leading a physically healthy lifestyle. I have been happily married since 2011 to my husband, Brock and we have 2 amazing daughters, Hadley and Hannah. We enjoy spending as much time outside as possible.
Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be. Rita Pierson
Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be. Rita Pierson
Deborah Horvath - PE Para
I am so excited to be joining the Mountain View family! I am originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan but I’ve been a Cobb County resident since 1985. I attended Auburn University and graduated with a degree in Marketing. After beginning my career in marketing in Atlanta, I made the decision to be a stay-at-home mom until my children graduated from high school. My love for children and my desire to teach lead me to pursue career opportunities working independently as a nanny for several years and for a private corporation in their child care and education center. In the fall of 2020, I had the wonderful privilege to begin working with the Cobb County School District as a Special Education Para. It was a wonderful and unique opportunity as I was able to work at Shallowford Falls Elementary where my daughter was (and still is) teaching first grade. I have been at Cheatham Hill Elementary as a Special Ed Para for the last two years. I am so looking forward to continuing my education career at Mountain View Elementary! My favorite pastimes are reading, cooking, knitting, and many other crafts. I also enjoy taking rowing and Pilates classes, and hiking. But, above all, my favorite pastime is spending time with my husband, Scott, our two children and grandchildren.
“Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” ~ Scott Hayden
“Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” ~ Scott Hayden
Kate Drewicz - Media Parapro
Hello Mountain View family! I am an Atlanta native and graduated high school from The Westminster Schools in Buckhead. I attended Tulane University in New Orleans for 2 years before moving back to Atlanta and finishing my bachelors degree at American InterContinental University. After years as a preschool teacher and nanny, I joined Georgia public schools as a special education para, initially in Dekalb County, and then Cobb in 2020. I earned my M.Ed. in School Library Media in 2019. I love kids, movies, reading, swimming, podcasts, and art of all kinds. I look forward to getting to know you this year!
It is not what is poured into a student that counts, but what is planted. – Linda Conway
It is not what is poured into a student that counts, but what is planted. – Linda Conway
Dr. Cassie Zielinski - STEM Instructional Specialist
Dr. Zielinski (aka Dr. Z) is the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year and balances student interest, curriculum, and rigor using inquiry-driven approaches to learning. To do so, Dr. Z brings the community, environment, and content together through advanced learning techniques, strategies, and hands-on approaches. Mountain View’s STEM Program and Lab is specialized and organized as a school-wide program; providing the STEM-related benefits which includes critical-thinking skills, communication, imagination, and creativity building. Students are offered opportunities to question, learn, and excel through the engagement of world applications, environmental surroundings, and interactive lessons.
Dr. Z has been teaching since 1994 with her specialty being inquiry-learning methods. She has taught K-12 traditional, 9-12 online, as well as graduate level courses in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Georgia. She served as a Southeastern Coach for over 2oo mathematics teachers and administrators in Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida and has coordinated, and presented at several STEM conferences. Her most recent accomplishments are earning an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) direct contact – being just one school of eleven chosen for the United States for January-June 2024, a dozen sensors on a bluShift Aerospace rocket for a suborbital launch scheduled in 2023, a dozen weather sensors on the International Space Station in 2020 which collected data for her STEM students and returned to earth on SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule and working on the radio JOVE project for fall 2022. The data collected is being deposited in a world-wide data bank and was presented at World Space Week.
She holds a Bachelor and Master degrees in the fields of Mathematics, Distance Learning, Adult Education, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds a NASA Lunar and Meteorite Certification and is a member of the Civil Air Patrol. She is gifted certified and a member of the STEM, and Science, Teacher Leader Academy. She has spoken at Space Center Houston, NSTA, and the Kennedy Space Center.
Dr. Z has been teaching since 1994 with her specialty being inquiry-learning methods. She has taught K-12 traditional, 9-12 online, as well as graduate level courses in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Georgia. She served as a Southeastern Coach for over 2oo mathematics teachers and administrators in Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida and has coordinated, and presented at several STEM conferences. Her most recent accomplishments are earning an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) direct contact – being just one school of eleven chosen for the United States for January-June 2024, a dozen sensors on a bluShift Aerospace rocket for a suborbital launch scheduled in 2023, a dozen weather sensors on the International Space Station in 2020 which collected data for her STEM students and returned to earth on SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule and working on the radio JOVE project for fall 2022. The data collected is being deposited in a world-wide data bank and was presented at World Space Week.
She holds a Bachelor and Master degrees in the fields of Mathematics, Distance Learning, Adult Education, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds a NASA Lunar and Meteorite Certification and is a member of the Civil Air Patrol. She is gifted certified and a member of the STEM, and Science, Teacher Leader Academy. She has spoken at Space Center Houston, NSTA, and the Kennedy Space Center.
Debby Taylor - Computer Lab
Debby Taylor is the Technology teacher at Mountain View and loves working with all six grade levels in the computer lab! She has been part of the Mountain View family since 2012. Her teaching career spans from preschool, as a teacher and an administrator, to middle school Language Arts. Ms. Taylor holds degrees in Early Childhood Education and Middle Grades Language Arts and Social Science. Additionally, she has her gifted endorsement, holds a national STEM certification, and is a gold level Cobb Distinguished STEM Educator. She also has the privilege of serving on code.org’s Hour of Code and CSEdWeek (Computer Science Education Week) Review Committee with a select group of educators from across the country. She and her husband have lived in East Cobb for over thirty years. They have three awesome children who are products of the Cobb County school system! In her spare time she enjoys reading, going to the movies, and spending time with her family and friends.
Quote: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new!” – Albert Einstein
Quote: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new!” – Albert Einstein
McLane Gibson - Speech
Hi families! My name is McLane Gibson, and I am so excited for another year as a speech-language pathologist at Mountain View Elementary. I am a small-town Georgia native who attended the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) and earned my Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2016. I graduated from Valdosta State University with my Master of Education degree in Communication Disorders in 2018. I am so looking forward to helping each of my students feel safe and supported in order to grow and achieve in the classroom. Helping children find their voice and learn how best to express themselves is my passion. We are going to have such a wonderful year growing to become better communicators and working towards our communication goals!
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn
Anna Hale - Speech
Hi there! My name is Anna Leah Edison, and I have been working as a speech-language pathologist in Cobb since 2021. In 2019, I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Auburn University (war eagle!). In 2021, I earned my Master of Science in Communication Disorders from the University of Mississippi. I moved to Atlanta after graduation and have been loving it here ever since. This past May, I married my husband, Conner, and we are currently in the process of renovating our first home here in East Cobb.
I am so excited to begin the school year at MVES and get to know all my kiddos. Communication is an integral part in every aspect of our lives and my goal is to help my students reach and exceed their goals in speech. I can’t wait to see the growth and progress over the next year!
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill
I am so excited to begin the school year at MVES and get to know all my kiddos. Communication is an integral part in every aspect of our lives and my goal is to help my students reach and exceed their goals in speech. I can’t wait to see the growth and progress over the next year!
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill
JoAnn Cushman - ELL
My name is JoAnn Cushman and I’m the ELL teacher. I began teaching at Mountain View in 2002! Boy does time fly! I earned my Master's degree from Kennesaw State, my Specialist in Instructional Technology from West Georgia, and have my certification to work with English Language Learners. I am married and have two amazing daughters. I am very excited to work with such amazing students, parents, and staff this school year!
It doesn't matter how great your shoes are if you don't accomplish anything in them.”
It doesn't matter how great your shoes are if you don't accomplish anything in them.”