Terri Novacek, Executive Director of Dehesa Charter School, has worked in education nearly thirty years in a variety of settings and with all grade levels. The impact of a personalized approach to education became evident to her when she resigned from teaching after ten years in the classroom to run her own tutoring business and home-school her own children. As a school administrator, she is passionate about cultivating a learning community where the teacher serves as a "guide by the side" rather than "sage on the stage" to empower students to take the lead in their learning.