Meet Our Team
Meredith McNerney
President and Lead Trainer
Meredith McNerney is a former principal, speaker, trainer, and teacher. She formerly served as the principal of a Title 1 school to nearly 900 students in Montgomery County, Maryland. Eighty-five percent of her students qualified for free meals, and 78% speak English as their second language. Before taking over the school in 2016, Gaithersburg Elementary was the lowest-performing school among 134 elementary schools in the district. Under her leadership, her school ranked as a 4-star school, according to the Maryland School Report Card, most notably due to student achievement and growth data.
As a Certified Trauma Support Specialist, she works with schools and businesses across the country to teach others how to provide trauma-informed care in schools. Meredith serves as an adjunct professor at Shepherd University, where she teaches two courses on Creating a Trauma-Informed School Culture and Climate.
She is currently a doctoral student studying educator wellness at Northeastern University.
Chavaughn Jones-Black
Professional Learning Consultant
Chavaughn is an English teacher, restorative justice coach and adjunct professor. She has taught at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate level for over twenty years. She completed her bachelor’s degree in English Education and her master’s degree in Reading Education, and is a certified reading specialist. She coaches staff on ways to incorporate mindfulness and restorative practices in the classroom to support students academic, social, and emotional growth. She provides training to parents on topics such as: Understanding the Adolescent Brain along with strategies for emotional regulation and mental health.
Daphne McKay
Director of Professional Development
Daphne is a former staff development teacher and now works with schools across the country to help them implement trauma-informed practices. As the Director of Professional Development she leads in person workshops and supports school teams during 1:1 coaching sessions. Additionally, she uses research to design workshops and trainings to foster deeper relationships between caregivers / parents and children. She designs workshops on topics such as: Your Child’s Brain: Understanding and Supporting Healthy Development; Healthy Living for Children, Teens, and Families, Stress versus Anxiety: What’s the Difference? What Can Help?, Connecting and Communicating With Your Child–Why a Strong Bond Matters and How to Achieve It.
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Tor Constantino
Digital Platform Manager
Tor Constantino is a former journalist, entrepreneur, business consultant, and a current financial communications executive and business writer. Since 2017, he has also written about cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and crypto's potential to revolutionize finance. His writing has appeared in outlets including Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fortune, CEOWorld, and Yahoo! He serves as the manager of our digital platform which is a Net-flix style option to PD focused on emotional regulation strategies for adults and children.
Botya Toso
Researcher
Batya currently works as a trauma specialist in a large high school in Maryland. She is a certified trauma specialist and leads research efforts at Calmer Schools to ensure trainings are aligned to current, research-based practices. Batya discovered her passion for children with trauma when she began working with the Child Advocacy Center of Frederick County. She has coached and mentored students with trauma for over ten years. As a former special educator, she is able to offer practical solutions to educators working in a variety of settings to ensure students are at the center of decision making.