Laura Grammer serves as the Head of School of The Oaks Academy Middle School, a highly successful independent school serving a diverse student body in the urban core of Indianapolis. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership and spent many years teaching in the Chicago Public Schools.
After moving back to Indianapolis with her family, Laura was selected as Indianapolis Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2000. Through her 29 year career in education, she has enjoyed leading the hiring and professional development of faculty and inspiring others to think deeply about how students are motivated to lead mature and virtuous lives. Laura has also served as a board member and chair of the education committee for the Indianapolis Classical Schools, a nationally recognized charter school network in Indianapolis.
Jennifer Houdek serves as the Director of Academics for The Oaks Academy. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from Pace University and a certificate of advanced study in school leadership and administration from National Louis University.
A Teach For America New York alumna, Jennifer has experience teaching and leading in traditional public, charter and independent schools.
Jessica Klage was a founding teacher when The Oaks Academy, Brookside campus launched in 2012. She has over 16 years of teaching experience and now serves as the Director of K-2 at the Brookside campus. Jessica holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Indiana University and is certified in Orton-Gillingham from Marian University.
Jessica has taught in a variety of settings, including both public and private schools, as well as Early Childhood Education centers. Her passion for early education is rooted in the belief that the earliest school years shape a child’s confidence, curiosity, and lifelong love of learning.
