Laura Pereira
Art Specialist
Laura has been the art specialist at FSMN since 2008. Before taking on the art specialist position full time, Laura also spent three years as a part-time teaching assistant in kindergarten.
She has a B.A. in Art History from Lawrence University, and an M.Ed. in Art Education from the University of Minnesota. Laura is a licensed Minnesota K-12 art teacher.
Prior to working at FSMN, Laura taught in a variety of educational settings with students ranging in age from pre-school to adults, in urban, rural, and suburban schools. She has also worked as the Curriculum Specialist at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and as a contract artist for several local arts organizations.
In addition to teaching art, Laura is also a practicing artist, specializing in mixed media painting, collage, and materials re-use. She also enjoys walking in the woods, gardening, and travelling with her husband and two children, both of whom are Friends School of Minnesota alumni.
“One thing, among many, that I love about FSMN is the creativity of all the staff. I feel lucky to have found a home where people work together and have a true sense of integrity. I delight in sharing my own artistic process with these amazing children and hope that they will find as much joy in making art as I have.”
Linda Mockler
Physical Education Specialist
Linda has taught at FSMN since 1995. She has a B.S. in Health Fitness from Springfield College.
Marshall Anderson
Kindergarten Teacher
Marshall has taught Kindergarten at Friends School of Minnesota since 1998. He has a B.A. in Native American Studies from Bethel College and an elementary education degree from Augsburg College.
Marshall is also an FSMN alumni parent. He loves running, coaching, writing, and being outdoors.
“I love teaching at Friends School of Minnesota because it is a place that honors children in all aspects of their development. There is a strong sense of community. Children are known and encouraged every step of the way. It is a place of great creativity and of joy.”
Max Meier
Teaching Assistant, Athletic Director, and Summer Camp Coordinator.
Max has been with Friends School of Minnesota since 2017. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in philosophy (a field he came to after he studied lots of science and math).
Max grew up in Wisconsin (Go Pack Go!) playing lots of soccer and hiding out on the roof teaching himself guitar.
He spent a year with the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute (MOI), a tutoring and creative writing non-profit in disguise, as the Tutor Training and Evaluation Coordinator through AmeriCorps VISTA. This position only confirmed his suspicions that teaching was the direction he wanted to go in.
He is thrilled to work and coach soccer at FSMN. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with my partner and his cat. He enjoys reading plenty of poetry, and jamming with his band.
Mike Benson
Middle School Humanities Teacher
Prior to coming to Minnesota, Mike taught at The Wilkinson School, a small progressive, independent school in the San Francisco Bay Area. He taught there for 12 years.
After choosing to be home with his pre-school children for a year, Mike joined Friends School of Minnesota in 2019. He is excited to work in a school that shares his values and can build upon his teaching experience and fun, creative approach.
Paula Overby
Technology Director
Paula has been with FSMN since 2019.
In addition to over 30 years experience in technology, Paula brings a lifetime of social justice work and activism to the Friends School.
Paula is the author of “The Transgender Myth”, a mental health counselor, domestic violence advocate, and US Senate candidate.
Sara Wayne
Assistant Head of School
Sara has served as the Assistant Head of School since July of 2018. She joined the FSMN community as the Spanish specialist in 2012. She also served as FSMN’s librarian for two years and a middle school advisor for three years.
Sara earned a B.A. in Spanish from Trinity College, Connecticut with a minor in Latin American Studies. She earned an M.A. in Hispanic literature from Indiana University. She attended Middlebury College’s Spanish Language Summer Institute. She has taught Spanish for over twenty years to all levels from pre-school to grade 12, including eight years at The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in Chicago, IL. She is deeply rooted in the practices and philosophy of progressive education.
Sara lives in Edina with her two children. She enjoys musical theater, golf, cycling, travel, international studies, spiritual studies and embracing nature in every way possible. Sara has sung soprano in various productions and choirs throughout her life.
“Friends School of Minnesota is a unique place where a child’s creativity, curiosity and growth all have a place to sing out, be heard and seen every day. It is a place where a teacher’s passion and innovation breathe deeply into the work done in the classroom and in the outdoor experiential learning settings that FSMN creates with such commitment and intentionality. I am proud to be a part of a Quaker, progressive learning community where children are held at the center in all that we do.”
Shana Copeland
First and Second Grade Teacher
Shana has been the Prairie classroom teacher since 2020. Shana has 14 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
Find Contact InfoShana has been the Prairie classroom teacher since 2020. Shana has 14 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
Shane Zack
Enrollment Director
Shane has worked at FSMN since 2004. Shane has held many positions throughout his tenure at Friends School of Minnesota, both inside and outside the classroom. He is very familiar with the school community and the academic program from kindergarten all the way through 8th grade.
He has a B.A. in Philosophy and Classics from Hamline University.
Shane is also a mandolin player and plays locally in King Wilkie’s Dream a bluegrass band. You can check his band out at http://www.kwdream.com.
Steve Moe
Community Connections Coordinator
Steve has been the staff coordinator of the Plant Sale, in charge of select facilities functions, community outreach and transportation since 2018. He began teaching middle school science in 1998. He has a B.A. in science from Earlham College and an M.S. in botany from Iowa State University.
Previously, Steve worked as a field biologist and an environmental consultant in North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, Alaska, and Canada. He has also worked as both an ornithologist and a botanist and loves sharing those interests with students. Who else could get groups of middle schoolers up at 6 a.m. to go birdwatching?
Steve believes hands-on education is best and he is passionate about environmental education. He loves getting middle school students outdoors as much as he can.
“I love working at FSMN because progressive education supports learning in the real world. We get the kids out on lots of field trips so they can experience science first-hand.”
Travis Bell
Front Office Manager
Travis has been at FSMN since 2017.
He came to FSMN from Galtier elementary school where he held a library position.
Originally from Florida, he moved to Minnesota with his husband, Alex. He has an AA in computer animation from Miami Dade College and a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Studies with a Minor in Sociology from Florida Atlantic University. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts.
