Would you like to teach at Veritas Classical School?
We still need a sixth grade English teacher!
Please reach out soon for more information!
We still need a sixth grade English teacher!
Please reach out soon for more information!
Each Veritas staff member is a believer in Jesus Christ and active in a local church. Our teachers have a four year college degree in education or a related field. Many of our teachers have previous classroom experience in a traditional school setting, and many are homeschool parents themselves.
Click below to learn more about our teachers and staff!
Click below to learn more about our teachers and staff!
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Mrs. Denise Burgess
Director After eighteen years of homeschooling, Denise's children have all finished high school. Before Denise started her family, she taught in public school for eight years and private school in Medellin, Colombia for two years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University in Michigan and a Master of Education from Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego, California. While her children were growing up, the family lived in Cambodia for ten years. Denise taught at Veritas Chattanooga for four years before moving to Nashville for her husband's job. The Lord led her to start a Veritas school here in Nolensville in 2018. Denise loves all things teaching and learning. It is her desire to come alongside the next generation of homeschoolers, to encourage and assist them in the challenging and rewarding task of homeschooling. |
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Mrs. Donna Richardson
Lower School Assistant Donna recently retired from the Rutherford County school system after working within the special education program for 25 years. Donna and her husband Randall have been married for 45 years and live in Arrington. Their granddaughter, Sarah attended Veritas and was Veritas Nashville's first graduate in 2025! Donna is a member of Stones River Baptist Church in Smyrna. She enjoys visiting antique stores, cooking, and spending time with family. |
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Mrs. Kumi Rannin
Upper School Assistant Kumi grew up in the city of Hitachi, Japan located an hour north of Tokyo. She graduated from Ibaracki Tanki Daigaku College with a Kindergarten Teacher's License. She has worked as a preschool teacher, a social worker in an adult mentally handicapped facility and was the personal assistant to the Chancellor of Ibaracki Christian University. Kumi has two adult children and a mother living in Japan. She moved to the US after marrying her husband, Bruce, and has lived here for sixteen years. They have two children attending Veritas. Kumi enjoys teaching and performing hula dancing, cooking, gardening and raising chickens. |
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Sandi Hearn
Upper School Assistant Sandi Hearn is the mother of four children, all of whom attend Veritas. They live in Nolensville and have been homeschooling for 7 years now. They love being able to learn, explore, and discover together. Sandi has a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Music Business from Belmont University. She has taught music to children in some capacity most of her adult life, and currently serves on her church’s worship team every week. For hobbies, Sandi loves to read, travel, hike, kayak, listen to live music, and have the occasional pajama day (back to her love of reading). She can’t wait to meet you all this year! Sandi is grateful to be a part of the Veritas community! |
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Mrs. Aubrey Kuppler
Kindergarten (Tuesday and Thursday) Aubrey obtained a B.S. in Middle Childhood Education from Miami University followed by a Masters in Educational Administration from University of Texas-Arlington while teaching in Texas. A final move to Tennessee brought Aubrey to the Nashville area where she obtained a Masters in Urban Education from Vanderbilt with a focus on literacy while teaching in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Currently, she is training to receive a certification as a Certified Academic Language Therapist to better help students overcome the challenges dyslexic students experience when learning to read. In her spare time, Aubrey can be found camped out in a chair with a cup of coffee and a good book, with interruptions allowed for walks, yoga, talking with friends, and sampling her husband’s cooking (laundry can always wait). Seeing her children run around the house and neighborhood with their friends brings her great joy, and she looks forward to enriching the foundational experience of Veritas students! |
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Mrs. Jennifer Sisk
First Grade Humanities, Science, Art, and Math Jennifer, a Rutherford County native, received her Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Family Studies from Middle Tennessee State University. She and her husband Brandon, have a daughter, Lela. She began homeschooling Lela in eighth grade out of extracurricular necessity and continued through Lela's graduation. Jennifer considers it one of the best decisions they ever made for her family. Growing up in a family of public school teachers, she began her training from a young age as a built-in teacher assistant. She has many teaching experiences including: private child care, after-school programs, camp group leader, preschool teacher, elementary educational assistant, elementary youth ministry, and substitute teaching. She is excited to continue to serve through Veritas Classical School. Jennifer and her family currently attend Third Baptist Church.In her spare time, you may find Jennifer reading a good book on the family farm with her bare feet in the grass and sun on her face; exploring a trail with the family dog, Cowboy, or spending time with her friends at Morning Glory Orchard in Nolensville. |
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Mrs. Beth Chandler
Second Grade Humanities, Science, Art, and Math Beth graduated from Freed-Hardeman University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She worked as a News Anchor for Good Morning West Tennessee in Jackson, Tennessee. She met her husband during that time and began working with him in finance. They moved to Nashville in 2015 and Beth realized her passion in teaching while homeschooling their two children, Kate and Owen. The Chandlers now live in Thompsons Station and enjoy being active at church, attending as many MLB games as they can, and traveling to new places. Beth is looking forward to a great school year with second grade at Veritas! |
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Mrs. Janelle Chala
Second Grade Humanities, Science, Art, and Third Grade Math Janelle has a BA in Education and a MA in Educational Policy and Management with an emphasis in Early Primary Literacy from the University of Oregon. She has over 14 years of experience teaching children in a variety of settings including public, private, homeschool, and even a home based Pre-Kindergarten school. Janelle loves working with children and encouraging their growth and journey with Christ. Janelle is excited to be teaching with Veritas where her three children will also be attending. You can find her enjoying nature, hiking, playing games with her family, and cuddling her two golden retrievers. |
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Mrs. Dani Su Bickley
Third Grade Humanities, Science and Art Dani Su holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Georgia Tech and Master of Science in Higher Education from Florida State University. She has worked in many different roles for non-profits, such as planning conferences, and has enjoyed taking on the challenges of wearing multiple hats. After moving to Tennessee, she stepped into the role of homeschooling and fell in love with education in the home! She is a proud wife and mother to two beautiful daughters, and a joyful rescue dog. She loves to laugh and find new adventures, all the while learning about God and His masterful creation, and sharing in it with future generations. |
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Mrs. Crystal Hoffman
Fourth Grade Humanities, Science, Art, and Math Crystal Hoffman is a dedicated mom, wife and teacher with over 15 years of experience in education. She attended Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Special and Elementary Education. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Saginaw Valley State University (Michigan). Crystal is wife to Adam and mom to four children, whom she adores and truly enjoys spending time with. Their family has been living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for the past six years and plans on nurturing and expanding the roots they’ve planted here. Crystal and her family attend Lifepoint Church – Riverdale in Murfreesboro. Outside of teaching, Crystal enjoys “glamping”, reading, and exploring new places. |
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Mrs. Christy Jones
Spanish - First through Fourth Grade Christy is originally from Nashville, although many of her growing up years were spent in Michigan. After graduating from Wheaton College with a BA in History and a secondary education certification, she moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras where she taught for three years in the International School before moving to Zacatecas, Mexico. Christy joined her future husband, Doug, working with a small mission organization called Christ for Children International for the next 15 years. It was there in Mexico, that Christy fell in love with homeschooling her own three children, and has been doing it ever since. Over the past ten years, Christy has taught Spanish to students of all ages in various homeschool tutorials, and is very excited to continue sharing her love and passion for language and culture with the children at Veritas. Doug and Christy are currently attending Southpointe in Nolensville, after pastoring a small, multi-cultural church up in Nashville for the last 10 years. Christy enjoys hiking and the outdoors, reading a good book, drinking coffee with friends, and spending time with her husband and children playing games or watching a good movie. |
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Mrs. Sommer Whisnant
Fifth Grade Humanities Sommer attended the University of South Carolina, received a degree in Psychology and later went on to receive a Masters of Social Work. Sommer started her career at the Department of Social Services with foster children, followed by a career in mental health for children and adolescents. She worked closely with young children through Head Start and elementary schools, and has spent significant time in specialized reading development. Sommer is married to Brian and is mom to Jack, Hadley and Caroline. They attend the Village Church in Nolensville and stay very busy with the children’s activities and events in the community |
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Mrs. Heidi Davidhizar
Sixth Grade Humanities Heidi attended Youngstown State University in Ohio, majoring in Physical and Health Education for 2 years before enlisting in the United States Air Force. She served as a linguist in the Air Force for 4 years and following her enlistment attended McDaniel College in Maryland where she received a degree in Social Work. She later attended the University of Southern California and received a Masters of Social Work. Her career has included work in mental health for adults, children, adolescents, and families as well as substance abuse recovery with adults. Heidi and her husband, Brian, along with their three boys Ezra, Asher, and Roman, attend the Church at West Franklin. |
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Mrs. Karen Edwards
Seventh/ Eighth Grade English Karen attended Texas A&M University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. She went on to teach 7th and 8th grade English, history, and reading for 13 years mainly in the Dallas area. After becoming a mom, she took a step back from teaching to stay home with her daughter and son, Stella and Zander. The family moved from Texas to Seattle to San Diego before finally settling in Tennessee. She is a very active volunteer in PTO and sings at church. Her son, Zander, attends Veritas. Karen, her husband, Michael, and their children attend the Church at Nolensville. |
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Mr. Wayne Wilson
Seventh/ Eighth Grade History, Bible, and Logic Mr. Wayne Wilson was born in Murfreesboro and grew up in the Lascassas area. He has lived in Murfreesboro for the past 20 years. Wayne received his B.S. in Social Sciences with an emphasis in history at MTSU. After teaching for 36 years in public schools in Rutherford and Williamson counties, he retired from public school in May of 2021. Wayne is married and has four sons and six grandchildren. He enjoys sharing his love of history with Veritas students. |
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Mrs. Elizabeth Kea
High School English After graduating from the University of Georgia with a BA in English Literature, Elizabeth worked as an editor in book publishing for nine years. She has homeschooled her children for the last twelve years. Elizabeth enjoys introducing great books to the next generation of readers and helping them discover how to interpret, analyze, and appreciate all literary genres. She has taught high school literature and writing for seven years and is thrilled to be part of Veritas. When she doesn’t have her nose in a book, Elizabeth loves spending time with her family--hiking, traveling, playing sports, rummaging in antique stores, and serving in their church, LifePoint Riverdale. |
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Mrs. Kim Kirby
High School Bible and History Kim Kirby graduated from Lipscomb University with a BA in English, minoring in History and Psychology. From there, she received an MA in English from the College of Charleston. She has taught college English at both Charleston Southern University and Lipscomb University, but her greatest love is homeschooling. In addition to teaching her own children for more than ten years, she has also taught writing classes in Classical Conversations Essentials program. Kim served with her husband, Greg, in youth ministry for twelve years and continues to enjoy teaching children and teens in her local church. She also enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, traveling, and overanalyzing movies. |
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Mrs. Rachel Boyd
Fifth/ Sixth Grade Science and Sixth Grade Math Rachel graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Florida. After teaching 3rd and 4th grade in the public schools, Rachel took a break from teaching to raise her three boys, Drew, Josh and Jake. During that time, she tutored a variety of subjects both private and for the school system, as well as performed homeschool evaluations in Florida. After almost 18 years outside of a classroom, Rachel began teaching in homeschool tutorials. Rachel is married to Paul, who pastors Redeemer Church Murfreesboro, and she loves anything outdoors, especially hiking, camping, kayaking, and gardening. |
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Mrs. Elizabeth Orr
Seventh/ Eighth Grade Science Upon graduating from Union University with a degree in Elementary Education, Elizabeth obtained her Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Memphis. She taught five years in the Jackson-Madison County school system in Jackson, Tennessee and was an adjunct professor at Union University. After years of being a stay-at-home mom, she returned to the classroom where she taught nine years at the University School of Jackson teaching fourth grade and seventh grade biology. Before moving to Murfreesboro two years ago, she taught seventh grade science at Faith Home School Tutorial. She and her husband, Greg, have two married children and three grandchildren. Elizabeth loves traveling, watching old movies, women's Bible studies, and spending time with her family. |
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Mr. Bruce Rannin
High School Biology Bruce received a B.S. in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry from Eastern Illinois University followed by a Doctor of Dental Medicine from Southern Illinois University, School of Dental Medicine. Bruce then joined the United States Navy and served as a Dental Officer for 36 years. His favorite duty station was the two years he spent in Edzell, Scotland where he learned to play the bagpipes. After retiring from active duty he was employed as a civilian contract dentist at the Navy’s Recruit In-processing Clinic at Great Lakes Illinois before moving to Tennessee. He is married to Kumi Rannin and their two children, Makoty and Myako, attend Veritas. Bruce enjoys bicycling, tending his blueberry garden, and leading Bible studies at Nolan Hills Church of Christ. |
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Mrs. Erin Baliad
High School Chemistry Erin was born in Toronto, Canada and upon getting married moved to Michigan with her husband. She received a bachelor’s of science in nursing at University of Windsor and then went on to receive a master’s of science in nursing at Wayne State University. She has worked as a nurse practitioner in multiple clinical settings and for the past eight years, has enjoyed homeschooling her three children. In Michigan, she has loved teaching science in their homeschool co-op and has taught communication and life skill classes in a ministry school. Erin and her family are looking forward to joining the other Veritas students and teachers as they transition their lives from Michigan to Tennessee. |
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Mrs. Sharon Ness
Fifth Grade Math Sharon Ness wanted to be a teacher before she began kindergarten herself! She never doubted her calling to be a teacher and graduated from MTSU with a degree in Education, specializing in middle school education. She is state certified and has taught various grade levels and subject matter over the years. Her favorite age group to teach is middle school, and her favorite subject to teach is math! She has a true passion for helping students develop confidence in themselves, and she sees this need especially evident during the middle school years. She is both creative and organized! These strengths help her students feel at home in her classroom and give them the confidence to try new things. She is married and has three children. Her youngest is a student at Veritas. She is active in her church and enjoys walking, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. |
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Mrs. Kelsey Tomes
Seventh Grade Math Kelsey started her work in education as a math tutor at the age of fifteen. She graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and continued her schooling by receiving a Masters in Education with a teaching credential in K-8 Subjects as well as Secondary Mathematics. When Kelsey and her family moved to Nolensville, she switched from teaching 7-8th grade Mathematics in a public school and started a tutoring company, Tutoring Rocks. Kelsey and her husband, Chris, started a new church in Nolensville called Cross + Crown. They have been working in ministry together since they met at 18 years old. The Tomes have FOUR daughters, and their two oldest daughters will be attending Veritas. Kelsey loves being a mom and still getting to work in education. She loves middle schoolers and thinks they are so fun! |
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Mrs. Abigail Walters
High School Algebra 2 Abigail graduated from Anderson University in South Carolina with a B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education. Upon graduation she worked in MNPS (Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools) for 6 years. While in MNPS, she taught Integrated Math 1 and 2, Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus, and participated in a college mentorship program for first generation college students. Throughout her time in public education, she discovered her passion for creating engaging, hands-on lessons that show students the beauty of mathematics. Abigail has three daughters-Frankie (6), Retta (4), and Mills (3). After her third daughter was born, she left the classroom to stay at home and focus on homeschooling her oldest. Frankie will be attending Veritas as a second grader this year. Along with her husband, Joel, Abigail enjoys doing anything outdoors as a family-biking, hiking, and all types of exploring. |
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Mrs. Rebekah Smidt
Spanish-Grades 5-High School Bekah graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a B.S. in Spanish Education and Communication Studies. Her love of language and culture began as a young girl when she lived in Brazil for four years, and grew as she spent a college semester in Latin America. After graduation, her husband, Ben, was offered a job overseas and they lived for almost three years in Brussels, Belgium. Bekah has taught Spanish in various immersive settings from birth to high school. Ben, Bekah and their children - Isaiah, Brooklyn, Joseph, and Noelle - enjoy visiting new places, playing board games, and reading together. |