Middle School Teacher
Speaking & Publications
Jessica Jensen has been home educating her two daughters since 2009 when a family crisis demanded that she do so. Always a voracious researcher, Jessica identified the ideas of classical and Charlotte Mason educational philosophy as ideals and formatted her homeschool around those ideas.
Throughout her years as a home educator Jessica has taught a variety of classes, with a focus on the humanities, in local homeschool cooperatives. In 2019, Jessica co-founded Sola Gratia Fellowship, a Christian classical liberal arts homeschool community. She is a co-director of Sola Gratia Fellowship and leads in the areas of vision, upper school academics and continuing education for parents and mentors.
Jessica graduated from the University of Idaho where she majored in architecture and minored in art. She worked for several years in the field of architecture before looking into the eyes of her firstborn and dreaming new dreams.
Jessica, a Protestant Christian, practices in the Lutheran tradition and finds that her love of liturgy and hymns grows along with the gray hairs on her head. She enjoys participating in creation through the visual and fiber arts, writing, and singing in choirs when she gets an opportunity. A west coast native, Jessica grew up split between the city streets of tech-booming Seattle and the wilds of an Alaskan rainforest. She currently resides in Eastern Washington with her family. She loves rainy days, British Literature, and endless cups of chai tea.
Mrs. Jensen serves as the teacher for the Middle School Program.
April Branch lives in North Carolina with her four children. She has been a home educator since 2008. Ms. Branch holds an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. Ms. Branch discovered a love for debate after studying political science and serving as a delegate in the Harvard World Model United Nations college debate conference. She then went on to work in the law before deciding to stay home to educate her children.
As a classical education teacher, April’s experience includes teaching elementary, middle school, and high school students. She has taught Literature, Composition including Lost Tools of Writing Level I and II, History, Science, Algebra, Formal Logic, Philosophy, Nature Study, 1st and 2nd Year Latin, Debate, and has served as a Mock Trial Coach for several years. Her most fulfilling part of teaching is watching students find joy in learning and to blossom in their thinking and rhetorical skills.
“Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of truth, the light by which men can only be made free.” Frederick Douglass.
Ms. Branch serves as one of our middle school teachers. She teaches one of the writing courses as well as assistant literature, history, and oratory teacher for the Middle School program.
High School Teacher
Programs Director
Speaking & Publications
Jennifer Dow is a classical teacher, speaker, and writer. Jennifer has completed the CiRCE Apprenticeship as a CiRCE certified Classical Teacher and has taught humanities, logic, rhetoric, and the fine arts since 2009. She is the founder of the Paideia Fellowship, an organization devoted to helping teachers and leaders, at home and school, teach the classical liberal arts.
Jennifer’s published works can be seen at Paideia Fellowship, the CiRCE Institute, Scholé Groups, and Afterthoughts. Jennifer was a contributing author for The Lost Tools of Writing Level 1, published by The CiRCE Institute. In addition to co-hosting The Classical Homeschool Podcast, she has been featured on Your Morning Basket Podcast with Pam Barnhill and The Commons with Brian Phillips.
Jennifer has spoken at over a dozen events across the nation on how to teach and encounter the classical liberal arts. Currently, Jennifer is writing her first book about the journey of classical learning and teaching, serving as the Director of the Paideia Fellowship, and researching how parents, leaders, and teachers can provide an authentic classical education to all.
Jennifer, an Orthodox Christian, lives in North Carolina with her three children and enjoys spoken word poetry, trying her hand at fancy cuisine, collecting more books than she’ll ever read, and the occasional Netflix binge.
Ms. Dow serves as our Programs Director and as one of the High School teachers. She teaches Lost Tools of Writing Level 2, Logic II, and leads the history and literature portions of the high school class.
High School Teacher
Speaking & Publications
Angela Burke is a homeschooling mother, an enthusiastic teacher, and a lifelong lover of stories. She holds a B.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Washington and is currently pursuing the Master of Humanities degree at the University of Dallas. She lives in a moss and fern covered corner of Washington State with her three children and her husband. She loves friendships and flowers, and devotes time to growing both. She will not end a conversation if you bring up classical education, the incarnation, or your favorite book.
Mrs. Burke serves as one of our high school teachers. She teaches the Lost Tools of Writing Level 1, Logic I, as well as assistant literature and history teacher for the High School program.