Mrs. Shannon Gerbershagen, Administrator

Prior to joining forces with Rise and Shine to create a kindergarten program in 2013, and then teaching kindergarten the past five school years, Mrs. G served for nine years as a third and fourth grade teacher, and worked as a Literacy Specialist for the Reading First Grant in Youngstown City Schools. Mrs. G holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, is a certified teacher through the State of Ohio, and earned a Reading Endorsement for her experience as a Literacy Specialist on a K–3 reading initiative. Mrs. G sees Kindergarten as the foundation for a child’s academic future, and loves the opportunity to help children gain the confidence and knowledge they need to begin their educational journey. 

Mrs. Ashlee Menear, Teacher

Mrs. Ashlee Menear was born and raised in Brunswick and went to area schools for elementary and high school. She lives locally with her husband and two children, who both attended Rise and Shine for preschool and kindergar-
ten. She loved watching her own children learn and grow in the program, and is excited to have that same joy with her own class of kids. Mrs. Menear graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Childhood Education with specialization in mathematics, language arts and reading. She also has a Master’s Degree from Walden University in K-12 Classroom Technology. Mrs. Menear has classroom experience from teaching middle school mathematics
and language arts for four years. While her children were young she took a break from teaching and worked part-time at a local church as the assistant for youth and children’s ministries and taught Sunday school for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade, which she still does today. Mrs. Menear was excited to return to teaching in 2017, and especially loves being a part of kindergartners’ early learning, helping
them to recognize their strengths and build upon them. 

Mrs. Doreen McBride (Teacher’s Aide)
After working in the banking and insurance industries for 15 years, Mrs. McBride became a stay-at-home mom to her two boys. When her youngest son attended his first year of Rise & Shine she began substituting in the classroom. She has just celebrated her 10-year anniversary with Rise & Shine and is state certified as a teacher’s aide. She looks forward to helping with the education of kindergartners in her third year in the kindergarten program.