Administration

Stacy Penson holds a Master of Science Degree in Education with a specialization in Progressive Leadership from Bank Street Graduate School of Education. She holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida and completed her Certificate in School Management and Leadership, a joint program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School.

She started her tenure at the Innovative School in 1999, first as a Pre-K teacher, later as the Curriculum Coordinator for the Foundation Level and most recently as the Director of the Elementary Level. Prior to being at Innovative School, Stacy was a second-grade teacher for ten years at various public and private schools in Miami and California.

Stacy’s Professional Development and Trainings include the National Jewish Learning Initiative, the Early Childhood Director, Seminar Series, Developing Intentional Curriculum in The Reggio Approach, The Jack and Harriet Rosenfeld Foundation Project in Jewish Education at the University of Miami, Connecting with Reggio Emilia’s Values and Principles NAREA, Study Tour of “The Wonder of Learning”, Conscious Discipline Training, Transformational Social-Emotional Learning and Classroom Management, and attending four Reggio Emilia Study Tours in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Her passion is helping children learn to read and she enjoys sharing a love of literacy with children. She is uniquely qualified for this task in that she is trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, which is designed to help struggling readers.

Her hobbies include reading and exercising. She enjoys spending time with her husband John, and daughters Marley, Delila, and Ruby. She believes that every child has a voice and commits herself to being “in the moment” with them. She believes that education around the world is at a crossroads and is committed to creating change and education reform.

Julie joined Innovative School in the summer of 2025 but has been involved in the advent and growth of the elementary level since its inception in 2018. Julie served as co-chair of the Education Committee as a long-standing member of the temple’s Board of Trustees and given her background knowledge and experience, has helped advocate for and guide policy decisions for the school. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Monmouth University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Indiana University. In 2002, she began teaching at Winston Preparatory School, the first high school in New York City devoted specifically to students with learning differences. When she moved to Miami Beach in 2007, she became certified by the state of Florida to teach K-6 and later English 5-9. Julie taught at North Beach Elementary School, and after several years in the classroom she became the school’s reading coach, supporting school administrators, teachers and students in their respective approaches to achieving literacy success. She continued to serve in this capacity at Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School, and all the while has held various leadership roles within the community, including at Temple Beth Sholom, the City of Miami Beach and countless PTA’s. She is raising her 3 grown children, Gavin, Owen and Emme, with her husband, Elliot, who lovingly encourage her always to take risks and grow personally and professionally.

Jen Katz Burk is an Early Childhood and Dance Educator in both Miami and the New York Metro Area. She is the founder of “Empowered Parenthood” and the “Holistic Parenthood Collective” - two parent support organizations. She also facilitates online support groups - Virtual Villages - for new and working moms. Jen is currently the Director of Early Childhood at the Innovative School on Miami Beach. She had previously taught at the 92Y Nursery School, provided professional development workshops on Early Childhood Dance at local and national conferences and held an adjunct position at Queens College teaching in the Early Childhood Education Masters' program. She is a graduate of the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) at 92Y where she was on faculty for many years teaching “Early Childhood Dance” at the New York City department of education. Jen has received travel grants to study the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Learning in Italy and to do research on Early Childhood Education in Israel. Her curriculum writing credits include WonderDance as well as the Early Childhood Appendix in the NYC Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance. She is also working on her first children's book. Jen earned a BA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Maryland, and a MA in Dance Education from NYU. She serves on the TDPS Advisory Board of Visitors at the University of Maryland and occasionally performs in NYC with Claire Porter’s PORTABLES. Jen approaches her daily life with curiosity, creativity, empathy and understanding and believes that knowledge is built collaboratively. She is the proud Mom of Zoey and Jack both of whom inspire her work (for better or worse) and fill her days with magic and adventure.

Emma is a New York City native who moved to Miami in 2019. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Photography. At The Innovative School, you can usually find her behind the camera capturing special moments, managing school communications, and sharing updates on the school’s Instagram. In her free time, she enjoys yoga and pilates classes, biking and paddleboarding, caring for her plants, and exploring all that Miami has to offer.

A native Floridian Kimberly Hyde started at Temple Beth Sholom in 2016. The middle of three generations at Temple Beth Sholom Kimberly is an administrative assistant for jLAB, The Innovative School, and Supplemental Education. Kimberly has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Florida International University. She loves spending her weekends with her son James, who can be found playing and learning at Temple Beth Sholom.

Dalia was born in Argentina and came to Miami in 2003 with her husband Ariel. She has been an Early Childhood teacher since 1992. She started working at our Temple in 2003 as part of different programs. She was a teacher in in our Foundation level for 11 years before taking over the role of Director of Supplementary Programs. Dalia also taught Hebrew in Rabbi Leon Kronish School for Living Judaism program. Dalia holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has two beautiful children Matias and Melanie Nudel that are former Innovative School students.

Shannon Koonin is the founder and owner of Koonin Education Services, LLC, an education services company that provides academic assessment, intervention and consulting services. Shannon is trained in multiple reading programs, and holds a bachelor's degree in Education from McGill University, and a dual master's degree in General and Special Education, from Touro College. Shannon grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and moved to Miami Beach in 2004. As a former elementary teacher in both public and private school, and an undergrad Education professor, and mentor, Shannon supports our educators with high level practices, implementation of curriculum, unique learner situations and effective parent communication. As an administrator, Shannon oversees internal assessments to identify learners who may need additional support, or enrichment, and supports teachers, learners and families with the development and follow through of Individualized Learning Plans. Shannon also manages our federal grant money and partnerships, and meets with potential new learners and families, in conjunction with the admissions team.

Liset holds a degree in fine arts which facilitates her extensive familiarity with materials. She also has previous careers in Theater Set/Costume design and Graphic Art Director in the corporate world. This blend of art related pursuits contribute to her keen sense of Environment Development as applied to the Early Childhood Setting. As an Early Childhood Educator, her creative nature manifested in dramatic curriculum-related transformations in the classroom. Liset was born in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente but spent most of her childhood and early adulthood in New York; however, she also lived in Madrid, Spain, and Venezuela. Sharing life with her two children Ibel and Ulysses is her biggest reward and connecting with children and their families by assisting them with the enhancement of their awareness of our responsibilities to earth, God, and love.

Giuliana Sierralta is a distinguished professional with a strong academic foundation and extensive experience in early childhood education. A native of Peru, she graduated summa cum laude from Kaplan University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a specialization in Child Development. She also holds the Child Development Associate Credential and has recently completed the National Director's Credential.

With 12 years of experience as an educator in early childhood settings, Giuliana has demonstrated a deep commitment to fostering developmental growth and well-being in children.

Giuliana is an avid traveler, passionate about exploring new cultures. This global perspective enriches her work, providing her with a broad understanding of the diverse needs and backgrounds of children, which in turn informs her approach to education and development. As a dedicated educator and mother, she is committed to creating inclusive, nurturing environments that support the holistic development of every child.

Rachel was born in Australia and grew up in a suburb of Rochester, New York. She received her BA in Psychology and MSW from Boston University. After graduating, she worked as a geriatric social worker in Boston and then in the admissions department at the Miami Jewish Home and Hospital in Miami.
In 1999, she became the manager of a busy orthopaedic surgery practice on Miami Beach where she worked for 24 years.

Temple Beth Sholom has always been her second home and she was so excited to have the opportunity to come work in the admission department in 2023.

Rachel is the proud mother of three children, Jordan, Hannah and Max, who attended the Foundation School and participated in all the amazing youth programing offered by Temple Beth Sholom.
In her free time Rachel loves reading, spending time with her three pugs, working on social justice issues and traveling all over the world.