Unique Students. Unique School.
Get to Know Us
Teachers and Board Members
Learn more about the people that make our community great.
Meet the Team
Our highly trained staff come from diverse teaching backgrounds and have unique interests.
Amy Thomas
Head of School
Amy has worked in education for 29 years in a variety of roles, starting her career teaching high school literacy to students with emotional disabilities. In addition to that role, she has worked as a learning specialist, classroom teacher, instructional coach, and most recently as a literacy consultant for the Colorado Department of Education. Amy is a national trainer for thinkSRSD, an evidence-based framework for literacy that is used at VSA. Additionally, she is a Certified CERI OG tutor, as well as a local LETRS trainer.
Learning about best practices and research within literacy and collaborating about it with fellow teachers, is one of her favorite things to do. She believes that every child can become a reader and writer when high quality teachers use evidenced-based instruction. Promoting this concept is her top priority.
Michelle Gasser
Teacher, Academic Director
Michelle received her Doctorate of Pharmacy before transitioning to teaching in 2015. She became passionate about dyslexia because of the struggles her two dyslexic children have had to face. By watching her children grow with positive support and Orton-Gillingham instruction, she became inspired to help other children with dyslexia. Having taken multiple OG courses in the past 8 years, Michelle has a deep knowledge of Orton Gillingham practices. She integrates this knowledge into her English Language Arts classes, as well as when she coaches our other teachers and tutors.
Josie Osberg
Teacher, OG Tutor
Ms. Josie is in her 5th year of teaching. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado. Prior to working at VSA, she worked in Early Childhood special education in Jefferson County public schools. As much as she loved teaching the youngest learners, she enjoys using her skills and focus on students with dyslexia. Her passion lies with teaching literacy to the youngest students at VSA. She works both as a English Language Arts teacher, as well as a tutor. She is very excited to continue working with VSA families and staff!
Emily Kemp
Teacher, OG Tutor
Emily is a longtime member of the Evergreen mountain community. She is a native Coloradan and continues to enjoy living the mountain life. Emily graduated from Metro State University with a Bachelors’s degree in Behavioral Science & Elementary Education. Her passion for helping children succeed led her into the education field where she found her niche in literacy intervention. She hopes to create a fun & exciting learning environment for her students so they can develop a life long love of learning. Emily serves as an OG tutor as well. Emily excited to be a part of the VSA family.
Garrett Grigsby
Teacher
Garrett is an experienced and dedicated educator known for his passion for teaching and fostering a positive learning environment. Garrett graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Post Baccalaureate in Elementary Education. With an expertise in elementary and middle school mathematics, Garrett has inspired and motivated countless students on their educational journey. Garrett consistently demonstrates his commitment to academic excellence and student success through his dynamic teaching style, innovative approaches, and personalized instruction. Garrett effectively collaborates with students, parents, and colleagues to create a supportive learning community, emphasizing character development and instilling positive values in his students.
Aubrey Rule
OG Tutor
Aubrey is a longtime resident of Indian Hills, and a lifetime resident of Colorado. She taught 3rd grade in Denver for 7 years, before discovering Orton-Gillingham through Rocky Mountain Dyslexia Camp in 2016. Since then she has been taking every opportunity to further her education using this method, and has been exclusively tutoring using OG methods since 2020. Aubrey is a CERI Certified OG tutor and leads our tutors with her expertise in practice. She is a lifelong learner passionate about helping kids succeed!
Colleen Cox
OG Tutor
Ms. Colleen grew up in Michigan and earned a Bachelor’s degree in textiles with a minor in advertising from Central Michigan University. Having one son with ADHD and one son with Autism, sparked her passion for working with children who learn differently.
Through years of working with many special education interventionists, she developed a love and respect for behavior therapy. In an effort to utilize her skills to help other children with Autism, she achieved her RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) certification and has had the opportunity to work with and learn from many great kids! Her thirst for knowledge, love for reading and helping children access reading, led her to pursue Orton Gillingham (OG). She has a deep knowledge of OG and is beginning her certification in Y-OG.
Meet our Board of Directors
Becky Kalahiki
Board President
Becky Kalahiki joined the Vertical Skills Academy (VSA) family from the Cayman Islands. As a proud mother of a dyslexic son and wife to a dyslexic husband, she and her family relocated to Evergreen, Colorado, drawn by VSA’s mission to empower students.
A Colorado native, Becky has lived and worked on all seven continents, volunteering globally to support others. She serves on the VSA Board, mentors female professionals in the Caribbean, and participates in the Gender Equality Cayman initiative. Currently, she works as a Senior Advisor in Growth Strategy & Transformation for a global company, bringing extensive experience from over 100 countries.
Marnie Steffe
Board Member at Large
Marnie joined Vertical Skills Academy as a former parent of a dyslexic student. Originally from New York, her family moved to Colorado to find the support their daughter needed, including VSA’s small school structure, 1:1 tutoring, and safe learning environment.
Marnie works as a Director of Market Research for a personal care company, helping teams understand consumer behavior and decisions. She brings her expertise in strategy, branding, and research to the VSA board, aiming to help the school connect with more families and support others in avoiding the challenges her family faced.
Dr. Brian Wolff
Board Member at Large
Dr. Brian Wolff is the founder and Director of Wolff Child Psychology, established in 2011 to provide families with evidence-based therapy and comprehensive evaluations of children’s neurodevelopmental functioning.
Since its inception, Dr. Wolff has supported VSA, consulting with its founders and valuing its mission to assist children with dyslexia through targeted intervention. He is committed to contributing to VSA’s growth and making a positive impact on students and their communities.
Dr. Wolff earned a B.A. from Yale University and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver, along with post-doctoral training at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Denver.
Remy Fromm
Board Member at Large
Remy Fromm joined the VSA board in spring of 2024. He, his wife, Bronwyn, and 5 kids have been a resident of Evergreen, CO for 5 years. Upon moving to Evergreen they realized their daughter struggled with dyslexia and Bronwyn came across VSA as a great solution. They currently have 3 children at VSA who are flourishing thanks to the great curriculum.
Remy has been employed by the Boston Beer Company for the past 18 years, currently serving as a Sr. Division Director. Remy holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and an MBA from Denver University. He is also involved in the Evergreen Cougar Football Booster Club.
Jeanne Goddaire
Board Treasurer
Sarabeth Keating
Board Vice President
Andrew Owen
Board Member at Large
Advisors
Kara Osberg
Founder and Advisor
Kara is the co-founder and advisor of Vertical Skills Academy. She is an entrepreneurial collaborative problem-solver with a passion for supporting others as they parent or educate the dyslexic children in their lives. As a highly trained Orton-Gillingham interventionist and seasoned advocate with nearly twenty years of personal and professional experience with students, families, and academic programs, Kara also provides mentorship, academic coaching, and tutoring.