“LEARN Academy teams with both the school and parents so that a student can achieve success at school, home, and in the community.”
-Dan Campbell, M.Ed

“I’ve played on a lot of teams and coached a lot of teams, so I know what it’s like to overcome challenges to be my best, but also how to help others be their best,” said Dan Campbell, Vice President of Behavior Programs in Southern California and a former Division I student-athlete who played in the College World Series. “I draw on both experiences to help a student who hasn’t been successful in traditional academic settings be successful.”

With more than 30 years of service in education, including overseeing high school special education for the Torrance Unified School District, Dan works closely with school districts to help students meet their educational needs in the least restrictive environment. LEARN Academy enables student to advance through an academic- and behaviorally-oriented level system to achieve their personal and IEP-based goals.

In so doing, the organization offers a unique complement of education, mental health and behavioral services that help a student to develop the functional and interpersonal skills required to succeed.

“LEARN Academy teams with both the school and parents so that a student can achieve success at school, home, and in the community,” Dan explains. “We provide a stimulating, supportive, academically challenging and therapeutic program for students struggling in the public school arena.”

Dan holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California Santa Barbara and Master’s Degrees in Education from Azusa Pacific University. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys exercising and any outside activities.

“Every child is unique, so every program should be unique.”
– Kari Nahgahgwon, Ph.D., BCBA-D

“I recognized early on in my undergraduate studies that I wanted to pursue a career in special education,” said Kari Nahgahgwon, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Vice President of Behavior Programs in Arizona. “Marrying psychology and education to positively impact the life of a child with special needs appealed to me right away.”

A nationally certified school psychologist and board certified behavior analyst, Dr. Nahgahgwon has devoted the last 25 years to enhancing the lives of students, not only at school, but also in their home and community environments. She collaborates with school districts nationwide to develop proprietary programming for students with a range of exceptional needs, such as autism, as well as developmental, emotional and specific learning disabilities.

The key to helping a student acquire new skills is recognize them for their unique qualities and needs, Dr. Nahgahgwon explains. “An early mentor of mine, Ronnie Detrich, a pioneer in the use of Applied Behavioral Analysis in educational and clinic settings, emphasized the importance of thinking out of the box,” she said. “Every child is unique, so every program should be unique. I’ve found that to be true throughout my career.”

Dr. Nahgahgwon earned a Bachelors, Masters, and Education Specialist degree from Western Michigan University, as well as a Ph.D in School Psychology from the University of Arizona. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys the outdoors and quality time spent with friends and family.

“Our team’s consistent dedication and deep commitment to finding success for every student in our care results in the changed lives of our students and their families. This is my why.”
-Karen Zieder M.Ed

Karen Zieder is currently serving a Sr. Executive Director of School Success in Arizona. Karen is an alum of both Arizona State University where she received her degree in Special Education and Grand Canyon University earning her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

Prior to joining the Desert Choice family, Karen spent 6 years working in the public-school system as a special educator in specialized classrooms serving students with emotional, behavioral challenges. It was during this service when Karen was introduced to the co- founders of Desert Choice Schools. Throughout her seventeen-year journey with Desert Choice Schools, Karen served as a special educator, site administrator, regional director, and currently, Executive Director.

Karen’s passion to serve students with significant needs was ignited at a very young age thanks to a family in her neighborhood who modeled inclusion before its time. These early experiences shaped her belief that we have a duty to one another as persons-first, and exceptionalities present us all with the opportunity to grow and learn about ourselves and one another.

Karen’s desire to be an agent of change in children’s lives has been and continues to be the driving force in her current role with Desert Choice Schools.

Outside of the workday, Karen plays her violin in a volunteer community orchestra, bowls, puzzles and enjoys spending as much time as possible with her four grandchildren.

“Every partnership we have with a school or district begins with trust.”
– Lara LaZear, M.S, CCC-SLP

“I’ll never forget Corey. He had this huge smile, but the symptoms of his cerebral palsy made it difficult for him to verbalize what mattered to him,” said Lara LaZear, Vice President of Related Services. “Not long after we began working together, he achieved some remarkable breakthroughs. You could see the joy in his face.”

A speech-language pathologist who is a member of ASHA, ArSHA, and CSHA, Lara has devoted the last 25 years to helping children with special needs achieve positive outcomes. She partners with schools and districts to develop and implement comprehensive programs grounded in evidence based practices.

In so doing, Lara helps them improve student success and meet their goals by providing special and general education resources ranging from highly trained professionals to research-based intervention plans to program design, consultation and professional development. In addition to speech-language therapy, LEARN Academy provides resources in occupational and physical therapy, counseling, school psychology as well as specially designed instruction provided by special education professionals.

Trust is a key performance metric for Lara and her colleagues. “It’s important that our clients know who they’re calling when they pick up the phone, that we’ll be honest about our ability to solve a problem and that we’ll never fail to invest the resources required to achieve success,” she said. “Every partnership we have with a school or district begins with trust.”

Lara earned a B.S. degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Arizona University and a M.S. degree in Communication Disorders from Arizona State University. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys being a mom to her three boys.

“Each person’s struggles are different just as their gifts are different.”
– Marybeth Jones, M.Ed

“I always knew I wanted to work with children. In particular, my heart is with children who struggle because they have a special need or have simply fallen behind,” said Marybeth Jones, LEARN Academy Vice President of Academic Services. “I don’t want that struggle to prevent a child from being all they can be, so seeing that lightbulb go off is hugely fulfilling for me.”

Marybeth has more than 25 years of experience teaching both children and adults, in addition to operating large-scale supplemental education programs. She has conducted quality audits for academic improvement programs throughout the U.S., while leading workshops at the Illinois School Age Conference and the National AfterSchool Association’s National Conference.

LEARN Academy provides provides programs through a variety of funding sources to public, private, and charter schools for pre-K to grade 12 students both onsite and virtually. It creates a research-based academic program for each student based on their academic proficiency and challenges, while continually monitoring and reporting on all key performance metrics.

The organization also provides a variety or academic and enrichment programs, as well as comprehensive professional development offerings for teachers and administrators.

A common denominator to a child’s success is recognizing their unique qualities. “Each person’s struggles are different just as their gifts are different,” Marybeth said. “An effective academic program needs to take those differences into account for a child to help them find their confidence and to achieve more lightbulb moments.”

“Lightbulb moments are hugely fulfilling for me because they’re hugely fulfilling for a child,” she added.

Marybeth earned a B.S. in Education from Illinois State University and an MS in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University. Outside of the classroom, she maximizes time with family and friends, travels as much as possible, stays active because it’s hard not to be and tries to keep her garden and houseplants alive.

“Our job is to help each student leave us, to go on to be their best self.”
– Tamila Sayar

Tamila Sayar was drawn to special education because of the opportunity it provides her to make a difference. She wanted to help students and their families both in and out of the classroom.

“The classroom is essential, but comparatively easy,” she says. “A person with emotional and neurological differences typically needs help in many aspects of their life. Our job is to help each student leave us, to go on to be their best self.”

After graduating from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in education, Tamila founded the Creative Learning Center, now part of LEARN Academy. The center began by creating custom academic and behavioral programs using applied behavior analysis (ABA) for children in schools and homes across the San Francisco Bay Area. Tamila now serves as LEARN Academy’s vice president for behavior programs in Northern California.

Tamila talks about her experience working with a student named Max to illustrate her point about helping each person realize their full potential: “The system completely failed him. When he first came to us, he would run away,” she says. “He did it so often, I noticed what an exceptional runner he was. Through a personalized inclusion plan, however, he emerged as a confident, poised and amazing young man. Max can now achieve whatever he desires, including qualifying for this year’s Boston Marathon.”

It is LEARN Academy’s commitment to make a difference in the life of each student that led Tamila to merge her company with the leader in providing evidence-based educational and intervention resources nationwide.

“I had other suitors, but LEARN Academy’s philosophy aligns ideally with mine,” she says. “It has a lot of heart and never deviates from the mission of helping children and their families.”

Outside of the classroom, Tamila enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, going to concerts, playing pickleball, spending weekends at the beach, and traveling abroad. 

“A lot of people focus on what a student with learning differences can’t do, but I focus on what they can do.”
– Rick Weathers, M.S.

When working with schools to develop and implement behavior programs, Rick Weathers starts with a student’s strengths. “A lot of people focus on what a student with learning differences can’t do, but I focus on what they can do,” he said. “Every student has capacities and strengths, so my job as an educator is to help them appreciate the value of their individual assets. People perform to what they know.”

A nationally certified school psychologist who co-founded Desert Choice Schools, Rick has over 25 years of experience in evaluating, treating, and programming for children with an array of disabilities. In various leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, he has also honed an expertise in service delivery, school finance, facilities, and student transportation. Rick currently serves as Vice President of Behavior Programs and Business Development for LEARN Academy. 

Rick’s passion for working with students with learning differences stems from his childhood experiences with teachers, coaches, and counselors – whom he regards as the most influential people in his early life. His emphasis on the strengths of each student aligns with LEARN Academy’s values, especially uniqueness and accountability. “Margins take a back seat to helping each student be their best. There’s no excuse not to do what’s in the best interests of a student.”

Rick earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminal justice and his master’s in educational psychology from Northern Arizona University. Outside the classroom, he enjoys outdoor activities such as golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, and maintaining his ranch in Southern Colorado. More importantly, he enjoys raising his two amazing daughters and helping them understand the importance of helping others.

“In an IEP meeting, one mother told me: ‘finally, someone was saying something that gave me hope for my child.”
-Don Scheeler, President of LEARN Academy

“Our success is the result of our child-first mission,” said Don Scheeler, President of LEARN Academy, the nation’s leading provider of special education services to schools and school districts. “It’s because we focus on the growth of the student, not the growth of the company, that we continue to grow. We hold ourselves accountable for each child in our care.”

LEARN Academy collaborates with school personnel, teachers and parents nationwide to develop, implement and measure individualized, data-informed educational and intervention plans based on a student’s objectives. The organization also help schools clarify and fulfill their funding and organizational needs.

Don, whose mother was a teacher and board of education member, appreciates the challenges confronting many schools and districts. “Special education hasn’t gotten the funds and the focus that it requires. Our job is to provide schools with the evidence-based educational and intervention resources they need for any and all developmental domains,” he said.

For example, LEARN Academy partnered with Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second largest school district, to pilot a tele-practice program involving 109 special education students. After the program’s first year, 18 of the students were reintegrated to general education. More than a decade later, over a thousand of the district’s students have benefitted from the program.

“We came to the table with commitment and expertise, as well as a data-driven approach, to address their particular needs,” Don said of the Los Angeles Unified partnership. “In an IEP meeting, one mother told me: ‘finally, someone was saying something that gave me hope for my child.’”

Don earned a B.S. in finance from the University of Maryland and a MAS from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Outside of the classroom, Don serves as Chairman of the University System of Maryland Foundation.

“Our story is about discovering an unmet need.’”
-Michael Maloney, Founder and CEO of LEARN Behavioral

Michael Maloney is the founder and CEO of LEARN Behavioral. He grew up in Massachusetts helping his mom, a public school teacher, decorate her classroom bulletin boards.

Later, when he worked in education himself, he discovered something important. Kids with learning differences weren’t getting the individualized attention and support they needed. These kids had a broad spectrum of needs. The main need was a tailored approach. They were over-challenged, under-challenged, or left out completely.

From there, the seeds of LEARN Behavioral began to germinate and sprout.

Michael founded LEARN It Systems, the predecessor of LEARN Behavioral, in 2007. Since it started, the organization has helped more than 100,000 children find success.

“Every action, every decision, every effort we make daily across our organization is focused on one very deliberate and incredibly important goal: to find success for every child in our care,” Michael said.  

Before LEARN, Michael led the establishment of the Catapult Learning’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) supplemental services programs in more than 50 school districts nationwide. Prior to his education work, he worked at the Smithsonian Institution. There, he produced more than 150 education-focused recordings. They earned six Grammy nominations and won three Grammy awards.

Michael is passionate about education, and that’s what has shaped his career. He lives in Baltimore with his wife and three children. He holds a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America.