First Faculty of The Northwest School

Lisa Blodgett

received a BA from the University of Washington. Having just received her WA State teaching certificate, she was working in a restaurant frequented by Northwest cofounders. Learning that she spoke Spanish, the cofounders recruited her to teach Spanish at the school. Lisa participated in approximately twenty-six international trips. She took students to Mexico in 1980s and started the popular Seville, Spain, program around 1991-1992, running that trip between 1991-2000. Together with Humanities teacher Daniel Sparler, she organized trips to Cuba (2001-2002), and her first of many El Salvador trips took place circa 1998-1999.

In honor of our 40th Anniversary we pay tribute to the teachers who encouraged the passions and changed the lives of hundreds of students. When the doors to The Northwest School opened in September 1980, 41 founding faculty members greeted the students. Here is a small sampling of who was there.

Mark Gilstrap

received a BFA in Painting and Drawing from University of Utah, and then exhibited his work widely throughout the West. He was commissioned to create a large mural and covers for a Black History text series, among many other projects. He created and led many art workshops and worked in the Arts in Education Office with the Seattle Public Schools. He was artist in residence at Briarcliff School in Magnolia. Mark initially met Ellen Taussig when they collaborated on the Seattle Public Schools Arts in Education program. Ellen recruited him to teach at Northwest around 1978.

Gwen Jackson

(d. 2002) started her career working at independent schools in Lumberville, PA. When she moved to Seattle, she was a co-developer of the 4-4-4 Plan, which helped to desegregate Seattle Public Schools. She also worked as a liaison between the Office of Desegregation and the schools. After leaving the public school system, she was hired by Northwest School and later worked at The Bush School as a school counselor.

What Makes a Great Faculty

“The very first action we took once we decided to start a school was to reach out to great teachers we knew and invite them to join us. Some came from other parts of the country to do so. As we hired new teachers, once we were convinced that they had expertise in their subject matter, we looked for passion, both for their subject area and about teaching. We also looked for their desire to be part of a collaborative community.”

– Cofounder Ellen Taussig

“For me, “great faculty” has always meant people who know enough to challenge kids, care enough to support kids in meeting challenges, and who have a great sense of humor, take kids seriously, and don’t take themselves too seriously.

When we wrote the school’s philosophy statement, there was no question that the first sentence needed to be:

“Excellence in education is determined by the quality of the faculty.” This was written before the school opened, and some years before the Mission

Statement was crafted. This assertion was simply based on our experience in a variety of schools. No single educational philosophy or curriculum or schedule or architectural design or anything else mattered as much to the quality of the educational experience as the inherent quality of the faculty.

So, hire and maintain a great faculty. Then worry about keeping the lights on.”

– Cofounder Mark Terry

Nancy Becker • Community Liaison Robert E. Beissel • Chair, Foreign Languages Marilyn D. Bennett • Chair, Theater Arts Lisa Blodgett • Spanish Larry Broder • Chair, Science Buzz Brusletten • Chair, Music

Jennifer Cassel

Hanni Crissey • Associate Director, Middle School Cass Dahlstrom • Word Processor Betsy W. Geist • Commons Coordinator Mark Gilstrap • Chair, Art Barbara Green • Middle School Strings Robin Hannibal • Office Manager Gwen Jackson • Registrar Jeff Jacobsen • Chair, Math Steve Kinzie • Middle School Latin Roger Klark • Librarian Faedra (Leah) Kosh • Art Markus Lefkovits • Consultant, Learning Disabilities Diane LeSourd • German Karla Lieberman • Ceramics Mac McGaw • Assistant Environmental Coordinator Rosalie MacMahon • Middle School English Justin Marshall • Receptionist Ken Mostow • Business Manager Gary Mozel • Middle School Science/Social Studies Melinda Mueller • Middle School Science/Humanities Lindy Newell • Counselor Chris O’Leary • Middle School Math Nancy Pollack • Chair, Humanities Paul D. Raymond • Director Pete Remington • Environmental Coordinator Sandy Schwartz • Chamber Music Floyd Standifer • Associate Director, Arts Steve Stevens • Chorus Lisa Stickelman • Ballet Martha Straley • Math Ellen Taussig • Associate Director, Humanities Mark Terry • Associate Director, Environment Pat VerEllen • Middle School Science Cheryl Wise • Chair, Dance

Leah Kosh

received her BFA and MFA from Tyler School of Arts of Temple University, Philadelphia. She moved to Seattle in 1979 and taught drawing and painting at The Northwest School. Leah is a practicing artist and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington. Her artwork includes painting and collage.

Roger Klark

(1944-2002) was the first librarian at Northwest and worked in this role for ten years. A graduate of both Olympic College and the University of Washington, he served in the army from 1962 to 1965, stationed in Japan. After leaving Northwest, Roger worked at many bookstores in the Seattle area.

Karla Lieberman

(1952-2010) taught students at Northwest for twenty-eight years. She created and ran the ceramics program until her retirement from the school in 2008. A graduate of the Evergreen State College, Karla was an accomplished glass and ceramic artist. Her sculptures have been curated by several museums across the country.

Floyd Standifer

(1929-2007) was a jazz musician who sang, played tenor saxophone and trumpet, and was the band leader of the Floyd Standifer Quartet. He was instrumental in creating the jazz music scene in Seattle. In 1946 he started studying at the University of Washington, aiming to major in physics, but then began to play jazz with other young musicians such as Quincy Jones and Ray Charles. Floyd is included in the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame and the City of Seattle proclaimed May 9, 1996, and October 20, 2000, “Floyd Standifer Day.” He taught at Cornish Institute, Olympic Community College, and at jazz and stage band clinics throughout North America.

Ellen Taussig

received her MAT (English) from Yale University and was awarded a Fulbright/DAAD Grant, English Teaching, in Berlin, Germany. She was a teacher and administrator at the Oakwood and Newbridge Schools in Los Angeles, the Overlake School in Redmond, at Seattle and Bellevue public schools. She is a former Education Coordinator for the Seattle Symphony and was a founding board member of the Pacific Rim Camp for the Arts. She was a Klingenstein Fellow in 1997, a member of the State Commission on High School Graduation Requirements, and a Governor appointee on the state Higher Education Facilities Authority. Ellen was recognized as a Changemaker in Global Washington. She retired from Northwest School in 2011.

Mark Terry

received his BA in Anthropology from the University of Washington, and MAT (Science Education) from Cornell University. Mark taught in the Project Open Future program, at the Oakwood School in California, at the Overlake School in Redmond, and in public schools in New York and Oregon. In 1971, he wrote Teaching for Survival, a book strongly advocating all schools teach environmental education. In 1976, he was commissioned to write the first environmental education guidelines for Washington State. He is a member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and is a leader in the national effort to defend and strengthen the teaching of evolution in the nation’s public schools. He was recognized for this work as the 2011 recipient of the Evolution Education Award of the American Institute of Biological Sciences/ National Biology Teachers Association. Mark retired from Northwest School in 2015.

Paul Raymond

(1932-2007) received both his BA and MA in History from the University of Oregon and pursued post-graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley. Paul was the History Department Chair at the Midland School and at the Oakwood School in California, where he founded Project Open Future, one of the first summer programs for inner city youth. He was head of the Upper School at the Newbridge School in Beverly Hills and at the Overlake School in Redmond. At Northwest, Paul taught Humanities and was director of the Humanities Department. He retired in 2007.

The Northwest School’s First Graduation

On a June evening in 1981, students, faculty, and parents gathered in the Upper Hall to celebrate the school’s first graduating class. Ten seniors processed down the center of the hallway to receive their diplomas presented by Board President Elizabeth McEachern. Theater teacher Marilyn Bennett was chosen by the students to be the keynote speaker. A particularly special element of the ceremony was the music. Jazz musician and faculty member Floyd Standifer, a giant in the Seattle jazz scene, played the processional. Renowned jazz and blues singer and board member Ernestine Anderson, accompanied by her jazz trio, performed several songs, including “Summertime,” “My Shining Hour,” “What a Difference a Day Makes,” and Teach Me Tonight.” As a thank you and parting gift, the senior class presented the school with an engraved silver platter.