PAUL MARTONE has taught in middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities for the past eleven years. He is a published writer of fiction with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon, a Master of Arts degree in English (Distinction) from the State University of New York at Albany, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. For five years, Paul taught courses in Creative Writing, Literature, and Rhetoric & Composition in Oregon universities. In 2005, he was awarded the Walter and Nancy Kidd Fellowship from the University Oregon, a position offered to one Graduate Teaching Fellow each year. In 2007, Paul was hired as a full-time instructor at Oregon State University where he taught a variety of undergraduate courses. Paul joined Northwest Academy in 2008 and spearheaded the school’s Challenge Program through which juniors and seniors earn 200-level college credit in English and Writing at Portland State University. 

DOUG CORNETT has experience in teaching English and Composition at the high school and university levels. He completed his B.A. in English from Skidmore College, where he was awarded the Denise Marcil Prize for Fiction, and went on to earn his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Portland State University. Prior to moving west in 2007, he worked in the publishing industry in Manhattan, New York, as both an Executive Assistant with The Penguin Group and as a Literary Scout. He is an award-winning newspaper writer, and his fiction and poetry have appeared in various literary magazines. A member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Doug's particular areas of academic interest include world mythology, American History and Literature, and fiction writing.

BRIAN CHRISTOPHER is a professional writer, screenwriter, playwright, songwriter, musician, teacher, editor and publisher. His short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous literary magazines and anthologies, and he has three published collections of poetry: Skin, Angels in Exile, and The Detective Poems. He is the founder, editor and publisher of Quiet Lion Press, which has released books for numerous local and national writers since its inception in 1991. A professional songwriter and musician he plays guitar, bass, piano and drums. He teaches classes in writing, playwriting, songwriting, acting and improvisation, both privately and in numerous area schools. He has taught extensively for Saturday Academy, Community of Writers, and the Literary Arts/Writers in the Schools program. He is currently on the faculty of PSU, Marylhurst University, Portland Community College, and the Northwest Academy.

JADA PIERCE, (University of Oregon), BA (Purdue University), has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels for the past eight years. She entered education through Teach for America, teaching English and Social Studies at Booker T. Washington Middle School in Baltimore, MD, for three years. During this time she also completed coursework at Johns Hopkins to become certified in secondary education. She moved west in 2003 to complete her MFA in poetry writing at the U of O, where she taught Introduction to Poetry Writing, Poetry Workshops, and Composition 101 and 102. The past three years she has taught tenth and twelfth grade English and journalism at Jesuit High School here in Portland. Currently, when she’s not teaching English and Humanities in both the middle and high schools at NWA, she can be found writing or performing music with her rock-n-roll band, Chores.

SHARON WEIR, M.Ed. (Portland State University), BA (University of Oregon), joined Northwest Academy in 2005 and has taught all levels of Social Studies & Learning Lab at the middle school. Sharon brings an inquiry-based approach to the classroom where she primarily teaches Ancient Civilizations, Project Citizen, and Learning Lab. With a joint background in Social Studies and Art History, she strongly believes in fostering student creativity and historic inquiry, and inspiring young people to think critically and actively shape the future. Outside the classroom, Sharon has been known to race down Mt. Tabor in a PDX Adult Soapbox Derby car (“Best Art Car” - 2009), hound local fabric stores in search of something for her newest creation and explore the city with her two young children, Elliot and Maisie. 

JULIE ELLINGTON, has taught at University, Middle, and/or High school levels for the past ten years in the U.S. and abroad. She has been with NWA for 6 years, where she teaches Exploratory English, EH I, World History, and French. Her academic and professional credentials are in Sociolinguistics, Rhetoric and Composition, Literary Theory, Language Acquisition, and World Literature, which she earned at various institutions, including OSU, PSU, Université de Poitiers, La Sorbonne, and The University of Tunis. When she is not in the classroom or grading papers, Julie can be found writing or tending to the animals and food on her urban organic farm.