Administration

Alexandra Elliot, PhD, Director/Founder - Reading Specialist

Dr. Alexandra Elliot is a certified teacher, certified reading specialist, and certified special education teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience.  In addition to being a reading/dyslexia specialist, she has taught general education, special education, and gifted/talented education.  She has a Master of Science degree in Education (Reading Specialist), and a second Master of Science degree in Special Education .  In addition, she has a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a Concentration in Neuropsychology.  Her areas of expertise are dyslexia intervention (Orton Gillingham), dysgraphia intervention,  dyscalculia, gifted/talented (2e), and executive functioning.  She has presented her research on reading interventions and working memory at the International Literacy Association, National Academy of Neuropsychology, and other national conferences. While offering private dyslexia and special education services to children in Austin, she saw a need for a school that could better meet children's needs.  Bridges Academy Austin is designed to meet children's needs in a supportive environment in which students thrive at any level.

Mallory McKeever, M.Ed., Assistant Director - Reading  Specialist

Mrs. McKeever is a certified teacher, certified reading specialist, and administrator.  She holds two Master of Education (M.Ed.) degrees, including an M.Ed. in Reading from the University of Texas at Tyler and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University.  Additionally, she received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English with a concentration in Multicultural Literature and a minor in History from the University of Texas at Arlington.   Mrs. McKeever has been with Bridges Academy Austin since the school opened. She has experience teaching English language arts and social studies. In addition, Mrs. McKeever provides 1:1 dyslexia therapy.  Whether working with students above level or below level, Mrs. McKeever differentiates instruction to ensure all students’ needs are met.  She has also assisted in curriculum design and district professional development. Additionally, she has served as a Mentor Teacher and earned Teacher of the Month on several occasions. Mrs. McKeever believes the learning process should be fun and creates engaging and relevant lessons with each individual student in mind. She offers support and guidance as she helps her students become lifelong learners, readers, and critical thinkers.

Faculty

Jill Ralian, M.S. - Primary Teacher

Mrs. Ralian is a certified teacher with expertise in evidence-based reading instruction. She also has a certification in English as a Second Language (ESL). She received her Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders from University of Texas at Austin and holds a Master of Science from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mrs. Ralian has experience teaching kindergarten through third grade and middle school. Creating safe, enriching, and differentiated classrooms is essential to Mrs. Ralian in order for students to grow and become confident leaders, lifelong learners and critical thinkers. Before teaching, Mrs. Ralian worked with non-profit organizations providing services to homeless Veterans and children and adults with special needs. When she is not working, Mrs. Ralian stays busy with her husband, three teenage children, and pets. She is an active volunteer for her teenagers' robotics program and New Hope Animal Rescue. In addition to teaching primary students at Bridges Academy Austin, she teaches an American Sign Language (ASL) elective for secondary students, and she is one of the FTC robotics team coaches.

Ms. Barbour - Elementary Teacher & Dyslexia Specialist

Ms. Barbour is a certified teacher with 26 years of teaching experience at the elementary and middle school levels. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas State University with specialization in Reading and certification in ESL. She taught self-contained classrooms grades 2-8 several years before she was selected and trained to be the Dyslexia Contact/Reading Intervention teacher for her school. She worked the last twelve years with dyslexic students in small groups. She enjoys reading and writing with her students and loves seeing their growth over time. In her time away from school she is active in the community and enjoys time with her two mini-Aussie fur babies at home.

Mrs. Stothard - Primary Support Teacher

Mrs. Stothard is a certified teacher in core subjects for early childhood through eighth grade. She attended Kansas State University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education accompanied by a minor in Special Education. Before coming to Texas, Mrs. Stothard spent the past 18 years of her career working in preschool through eighth grade classrooms. Mrs. Stothard strongly upholds that all children and their prospective classroom communities are unique and important. She believes that her role as an educator is to provide a stable, uplifting, and welcoming space to aid in enabling each student’s academic and personal development. 

Shuhaira Shah, M.A. - Elementary Support Teacher

Ms. Shah holds a Master of Arts degree in English Literature and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in English. She also earned her Certificate of Educational Studies in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, with merit. She has 12 years of international teaching experience in elementary and high schools across the Middle East and Asia. She has been an English language arts teacher, an English department chair, and inclusion teacher. Mrs. Shah is a committed educator dedicated to shaping young minds.

Mrs. Gibson - English Language Arts and Government

Mrs. Gibson is a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience in education. She earned her teaching certificate and Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Sam Houston State University.  Mrs. Gibson has experience teaching advanced placement English, special education inclusion, and reading intervention in Leander ISD and Willis ISD.  In addition, Mrs. Gibson has developed English language arts teaching materials for major educational publishers. She has a strength in differentiating instruction for a variety of learners.

Priya Nirupma, M.A., M.S. - Science and Art

Mrs. Nirupma brings a unique blend of experiences to the classroom. Her educational journey started with a Master's Degree in Plant Biology from Magadh University, in addition to a Diploma in Computer Science. Later, she earned an M.A. in Multimedia from California State University East Bay. Additionally, she earned Early Childhood Education Certifications, and she was the founder and director of her own preschool. Further, she has taken advanced fine art courses at Las Positas College, and she taught art courses in her studio. Mrs. Nirupma has 13 years of teaching experience. She also has held roles roles in web design, quality assurance, and business analysis. Mrs. Nirupma specializes in teaching chemistry, physics, biology, and art.

Mr. Maberry - Social Studies & Math

Mr. Maberry earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Teaching Assistant in chemistry courses. He facilitated discussions amongst hundreds of students at UT. In addition, he was a Student Athlete Tutor for STEM courses. Prior to teaching, he worked in an accounting firm, where he performed audits and tax returns with oversight from managers. He also has experience running his own business. During the pandemic, he developed a passion for history, and he spent time delving deeply into social studies and geopolitics. In his time off, he enjoys lifting weights, reading books, watching sports, and spending time with his loved ones.

Nicole Caldwell, PhD - Social Skills

Dr. Caldwell has a PhD in special education and has worked with students from ages preschool through high school since 2005. She has been a teacher at Bridges Academy Austin since the school opened.  After teaching core classes full-time at Bridges Academy Austin, she moved into teaching middle/high school social skills after school. Dr. Caldwell also teaches graduate courses for future special education teachers and has presented at various conferences.  Dr. Caldwell loves making learning fun and meaningful through hands-on activities and project-based learning, where students can be creative and develop collaborative problem-solving skills. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, reading, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Elena Killough, M.A.

Mrs. Killough is a talented teacher with certifications in Elementary Education (Core Subjects) and English as a Second Language. She has over 25 years of teaching experience as a reading teacher, ESL specialist, and art specialist. She has taught at Bridges Academy Austin since the school opened.  She has taught art, ESL, and core classes.  At this point, she is stepping into a support position.

Mrs. Kjar 

Mrs. Kjar (AKA "Mrs. Care") earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and she earned her master’s degree from St. Edward’s University. She has over 15 years of teaching experience in early childhood education and Spanish. She is a kind and patient teacher who brings out the best in children. She has been with Bridges Academy Austin in as a primary teacher, Spanish I teacher, support teacher, and substitute since the school opened. Students love her. 

Additional teachers and staff include specialists, elective teachers, and administrative staff.  The qualifications of our faculty and staff are exceptionally high.