|
|
Gayle E Bates is the owner and founder of "Piano Keys For Christ". Gayle was born in Detroit Michigan in 1956 where she began taking piano lessons at the age of six years old and playing by ear by the age of eight.
God gave Gayle the vision for "Piano Keys for Christ Piano Lessons in October, 2008, and for this she thanks Him everyday. Her motto is, " I would like to share the gift and talent that God has anointed me with.
|
|
|
Dr. Ondra Dismukes is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Morehouse College and Owner of OWrites, LLC. She is an Alumnus of the University System of Georgia. Dr. Dismukes is an experienced English Instructor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry instructing both Dual Enrollment and traditional College Students. Dr. Dismukes received her Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Georgia, her Masters in English from Auburn University, and her Doctorate of Philosophy in English Language and Literature/Letters from the University of Georgia.
|
Camille Dorsey is a lifelong caretaker and educator. For as long as she can remember, she's been babysitting and caring for the children of family members, friends and neighbors. Camille graduated with a B.S.E. in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University. Camille has served as a Pre-K and 1st Grade Teacher, Homeschool Educator, Math and English Tutor for K - 12th grades, School Room Parent, Children's Ministry Leader/Teacher and Girl Scout Troop Co-Leader. In addition to these roles, she was the owner-operator of Kids' Summit Parents' Day Out. She has been married to her husband for 20 years and loves spending time with her family and friends... especially outdoors! Camille aspires to see children learn and grow. Her belief is that young children learn best in child-centered environments where they can engage in educational hands-on activities.
|
|
Nicole is a wife, home education advocate, mother of four children, and former STEM/ robotics coach. She is focused on providing family support to achieve academic and developmental goals. She also serves her community as Georgia Ambassador and/or Volunteer Lobbyist for the Home Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).
|
|
|
Nicole Hardin is a violinist, arranger, and educator who has performed and arranged for artists like Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, and John Legend. A 2005 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Music (B.M. in Music Education), she began her career as a music teacher before transitioning into the music industry. She is the CEO of Strings Chick Music Company and The Black Exchange, blending classical, soul, gospel, and more.
|
|
|
Teresa Hatten is a graduate of Fisk University with a BA degree in Applied Mathematics. She worked in corporate for 26 years in Management including Engineering, Planning and Analysis, Human Performance Technology, Course Development and Instruction. She began learning sign language in the 1980's after seeing it expressed during church worship services. After completing ASL skills training courses in the Sign Language Interpreter Program at Georgia Perimeter College (now, Georgia State University), she transferred to Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Services and received a degree in Mortuary Science. Teresa is an ordained Minister; Served as an Assistant Pastor in Louisville, KY, Associate Minister in Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA. She served as Assistant Librarian at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD) for 4 years. Teresa completed Advanced Certification via continuing education courses for American Sign Language at the University of Georgia. She and her husband Jiendesha "JD" Hatten have been married 44 years. They have two children, three grandchildren and a great-grandson.
|
|
|
Kristi Helfen holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy from Georgia State University and serves as the President of the Georgia Music Teachers Association.
She has taught Applied Piano at Oxford College of Emory University, as well as private
students of all ages in her studio.
|
|
|
Hello, I’m Mercedes! I was born in Panama and am a native Spanish speaker who also speaks English. I hold a degree in psychology and worked for nearly 20 years as a family therapist, specializing in children and parents. For over 15 years, I also taught Spanish as a second language to children ages 4 and up.
Now retired, my husband and I recently moved from California to Georgia to be closer to our daughter, son-in-law, and our three grandchildren, whom I teach Spanish, social emotional learning, and gardening as part of their homeschool. I’m excited and grateful to God to begin this new chapter teaching bilingual classes for children here at DCHE. I look forward to meeting you soon!
|
|
|
Kyle J. Howard is a historical theologian and trauma-informed Christian counselor with training in both theology and pastoral care. He holds an Associate’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies, a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Counseling, and a Master’s degree in Historical Theology. His scholarship centers on how faith is cultivated across cultures, time periods, and social contexts. He explores how lived experience, power structures, and cultural frameworks shape the way people come to know God and embody their beliefs. His work exists at the intersection of faith, history, and sociology, asking how these forces continually inform and transform one another. In addition to his work with individuals and communities, Kyle has taught and lectured in a wide range of public spaces, including conferences, seminaries, and churches. Whether serving locally or speaking more broadly, his approach remains rooted in careful study and deep care, with the goal of helping others engage faith in ways that are thoughtful, honest, and grounded in hope.
|
|
|
Vy (pronounced “Vee”) is married to her high school sweetheart, Kyle J. Howard, and have four children, ranging from a teenager to a toddler. She graduated as Valedictorian of Tucker High School and attended Emory University before becoming a Stay-At-Home mom. She has been homeschooling for eleven years. She loves education and her goal in homeschooling is to help her children thrive in all the ways God created them to. Both she and her husband believe in the power of a robust education that engages both the heart and the mind. She also loves to read, cook, and garden.
|
|
|
Dr. Leah D Killings, most known as Dr. Happy, has more than 25 years of experience in leadership, administration and teaching. She has been teaching and training on many platforms for a variety of subjects in elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, retail and in ministry. Dr. Happy is a licensed and ordained minister and counselor with Bachelor Degrees in Marketing and Education, Master Degrees in Leadership & Missions and Divinity and a Doctor Degree in Divinity.
Outside of the organized classroom she loves to share her passion and gifts for the arts through painting, drawing, photography, and acting. She ministers weekly on an online radio show, performs in an acting company and hosts mobile art on canvas for many profit and non-profit organizations and businesses.
Dr. Happy has two beautiful daughters and more than 50 indoor plants that she calls her babies. Her God given gift is to encourage, educate and empower on every platform HE provides.
|
|
|
Rodney Lewis is a Chess Coach with Championship Chess for over 9 years. First, as a coach; and, now as a coach and affiliate. He has 10 area programs and runs dual meets between his schools. He has a well-established free chess club that meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at the East Atlanta Library. He enjoys improving his game and he works with his students at many area tournaments. Rodney has a BBA in Marketing from Bernard M. Baruch College and a Masters in Marketing Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. He has been married to his “gorgeous and wonderful” wife Lenore for 21 years and has raised four young men: two sons and two nephews, all but one has graduated college.
|
|
|
Angela Paul attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech, where she earned a master's degree in chemical engineering. Mrs Paul is a veteran in the home education community. She has homeschooled all of her and her husband, Jim’s, four children. The Paul’s first decided to homeschool back in 1984, the year that the current law was passed in Georgia. Their interest in homeschooling grew out of the love they had for young people and education. From starting and leading a local homeschool association and establishing and coaching athletic programs, both Jim and Angela have been very active in the homeschooling community in a variety of ways. Excerpt From The Atlanta Journal Constitution: "In 1993, she offered her first math and science classes to a handful of high schoolers. Since then, she has taught hundreds of home-schooled students and assisted many with getting in to some of the best colleges in the country." Click here to read the entire article
|
|
|
Hello! I’m Cristina — a homeschool mom of three and wife to one. Over the past four years, I’ve discovered a deep love for teaching my own children and am now thrilled to share that love of lifelong learning with students at DCHE!
|
|
|
DCHE DirectorCoretta Ponder is a 23-year veteran homeschool teacher, and mother of 5 children ranging from college to first grade. She enjoys teaching children of all ages with a hands-on, creative approach to learning. Her primary focus is engaging young learners while encouraging them to engage with the subject matter. Within her homeschool community she coached First Lego League (FLL) Robotics teams, Science Olympiad teams, served as a First Robotics Team mentor, and headed Literature and Doll Crafting clubs, being at times affectionately known as the Doll Lady. She graduated from Georgia State University with a BS in Journalism and a Minor in Marketing, in addition to homeschooling and being a mother, Coretta's interests include politics, real estate, investing, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, she also remains active in her church as the lead middle-school teacher, a Marriage Enrichment Ministry Leader, and has been involved in evangelism and outreach. Married for 24 years to the love of her life Akintunde Ponder, a Logistics Manager for a Federal contractor, the two share a passion for God, family and all things Star Trek.
|
|
|
Katrina Roman is a mother to two boys and is entering her third year of homeschooling. She grew up in Miami, Florida, where she learned Spanish from her Cuban grandparents. She attended the University of Georgia, where she earned both her Bachelors in Music Performance on the double bass and a Masters in Music Education. She performed professionally in the Athens Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra Augusta. She taught orchestra and guitar in Gwinnett County Public Schools for several years. She left the public school system after she became a mother. In her spare time, she runs a small poultry farm in Loganville.
|
|
|
Grazonté believes that reading is a vehicle to understanding yourself and the world around you, and grammar gives you a first-class seat on that journey. As a Home Educator, she exhibits this philosophy to her students while her vision and patience allow her to fulfill the roles of teacher, mentor, and motivator with compassion. She wears many hats and has several years of professional experience in leadership, management, training, and administration from satisfying careers as a Certified Internal Auditor, Human Resources Professional Consultant, and Entrepreneur. She is a proud alumna of Howard University (Business Administration), and currently co-operates family business By Faith Consulting & Services as an Editor. She is a long-time, active member of New Life Church (Decatur) and her other favorite interests include traveling (especially world schooling!), volunteering, and watching Jeopardy! on any given day with her family. Class scripture: "Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge." - Proverbs 18:15
|
|
|
Lisa Shaw is an accomplished certified language professional with over 20 years of experience in teaching middle and high school students. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English, Lisa has served as a Foreign Language Department Chair in Cobb County schools, Adjunct Teacher for Cobb County School District's Virtual Academy (CVA) and as a Spanish/English interpreter for parents. Mrs. Shaw has a wealth of experience instructing both adults and children. She is certified in teaching Spanish K-12, dual language immersion, ESOL, Health and PE, educational leadership, and gifted education.
At the collegiate level, Lisa served as Director of Instruction for the University of North Georgia’s Cultural Understanding and Language Program in Ukraine, teaching English to students. In addition, she’s served as a mentor teacher for the Kennesaw State University’s TELL program.
Lisa Shaw has earned of Bachelors of Arts in both Spanish and Health and Society through the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York as well as a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Curriculum at the same university.
Out of her passion for language and love of learning, she founded My Other Tongue Language School in 2020, where she primarily shares the love and experience of learning language via online virtual settings. She is been married to her hubby Gerry Shaw for over 24 years and is the proud mommy of Mr. Liam Shaw.
 
|
|
|
Michelle Shaw received her B.A. in Economics from Harvard College in 1985 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. She practiced law in Massachusetts for six years before she chose to focus on homeschooling her five children. Four of her children have graduated from college and the last one is currently attending college. Michelle has taught teenagers in various capacities for over 20 years. She has taught at Eastside/LAC for eight years and serves as President Emeritus of Dekalb Christian Home Educators. She is married to Dr. Alan Shaw, a tenured Professor in Computer Science at Kennesaw State University and the pastor of Christ First Community Church in Stone Mountain.
|
|
|
Dekalb County 4-H Homeschool Club is a youth development organization which focuses on agriculture, STEM, civic engagement and healthy living. 4-H is free to join and is open to all youth in K-12th grade who live or attend Dekalb Christian Home Educators. You can become a member of DeKalb County 4-H at any time during the year. Current programs are not restricted to current members. Just simply complete a 4-H Enrollment Form to join and then sign up for the 4-H events you'd like to attend! Mical St. Clair is the 4-H Agent and Nia Reese is the 4-H Program Specialist for Dekalb County, GA.
|
|
|
Jessica Taylor has been teaching in various settings for 20 years. She received her B.A. in History from Hiram College, continued History and Education coursework at Case Western Reserve University, and has completed the Director's Training for the State of Georgia. She works with ESL students during the summer and has completed the TESOL course through The Global Leadership Academy to teach English as a Second Language. She currently offers tutoring & school break camps through her business, Thrive Preparatory Academy. She loves all things that pertain to History, but thoroughly enjoys teaching all subjects! She and her husband have the awesome privilege of homeschooling their 3 children. She and her family are devoted followers of Christ at The Faith Church of Atlanta.
|
|
|
Meet Andrew, a dedicated and energetic teenage student leader who teaches a fun and engaging math games class for 3rd to 5th graders. With a natural talent for leadership and a passion for making learning exciting, Andrew creates a welcoming environment where students feel confident exploring math through interactive games and team challenges. Whether it's solving puzzles, playing math bingo, or racing through multiplication relays, Andrew keeps the class lively and inclusive, making sure every child participates and feels supported. Combining strong math skills with patience and enthusiasm, Andrew inspires younger students to see math not just as a subject, but as an adventure.
|
|
