Our Team
Jamie Williams is Sherwood's newest Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten teacher, joining us in the 2026-2027 school year. Jamie entered the education field as a Special Education Paraprofessional and Substitute Teacher with some experience as well as a teacher of English overseas. She was fortunate to learn under the expert tutelage of master Montessori teacher Teresa Shippen and comes to the practice with a strong desire to serve the students and community she loves.
Marlo Knox Marlo Knox teaches one of two lower elementary (1/2/3) classrooms. Marlo Knox has more than 32 years of teaching experience and has been with Sherwood since 2013. She has earned a Liberal Arts degree with an emphasis in Sociology, a Masters in the Art of Teaching, a Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic certificate for teaching in Spanish in California and a Montessori Lower Elementary diploma. She considers her religious freedom, her role as mother, and her family to be her passion and inspiration.
Elia De La Cerda has been part of the Sherwood community since 2017 as our most frequent substitute teacher in all grade levels! We are so pleased that she has taken the steps to become a full time lead classroom teacher. Elia has experience as an After School Program Site Coordinator and a Special Education Paraeducator as well. She has subbed in many schools in the Chico area, and her skills as a bilingual educator in English and Spanish are sought after. Elia leads one of our two lower elementary (1/2/3) classrooms.
Stephanie Berry Stephanie joined the Sherwood Montessori team as our 4th and 5th grade teacher in the 2026-2027 school year. Education and working with children has always been a big part of her life. Before becoming a classroom teacher, she spent many years as both a ballet dancer and ballet instructor. Teaching dance taught Stephanie the importance of patience, creativity, discipline, and helping children develop confidence in themselves, lessons that continue to guide her teaching every day.
Stacy Gertz is our Middle School teacher, and our Reading Specialist. She has a Master’s Degree in Literacy, and has been working with reading remediation for decades. She has been a middle school teacher in both South Florida and Northern California. She also subbed for many years in New York (where she was born and raised) while owning and operating two restaurants on Long Island. Stacy also scores the Common Core state exams for many years in ElA, Math and Science.
Leslie Carey is the Education Specialist. She is in charge of running the Learning Center, is a case carrier for students with an IEP, and also teaches Learning Center English Language Arts groups. Before Leslie started teaching, she was a Substitute Teacher and Substitute Paraprofessional for ages TK-12th for both general and special education. Leslie has received two teaching credentials, Mild/Moderate Education Specialist and Multiple Subject, from California State University, Chico. Before joining Sherwood, she taught first grade, and K-2nd Moderate/Severe Special Education. When she’s not teaching, you can catch her traveling with her husband, spending time with family, or reading a good book in nature. Our Administrative Staff
Michelle Yezbick is our School Director. She taught in Montessori classrooms for thirteen years before becoming Sherwood's first Director when the school opened in 2010. Michelle received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her Master of Arts in Language and Literacy Development from San Francisco State University. Michelle's sons, Ari and George, attended Sherwood Montessori, which was great motivation to come to work each day with the goal of creating a space where authentic Montessori education can thrive. Both boys are grown now and still maintain friendships with many of the kids they made at Sherwood. In her time off, she enjoys camping with her family and exploring the natural world.
Heather Fisher is our Administrative Assistant. She has been with Sherwood Montessori since it's inception and has enjoyed watching it grow into a exemplary Montessori charter school. Heather received her Bachelor of Science degree from Humboldt State University. She has lived in various states before settling in Chico. Her passion for Montessori started when her oldest daughter attended a Montessori pre-school in Minnesota. Prior to Sherwood Montessori, Heather served as the Director of a small Montessori elementary school. All four of her daughters attended Sherwood and attributed their success to the teachers and friends they had at the school.
