Rhonda represents the rare unity of passion, caring and logical decision-making that has led her to create this community where children learn and thrive, and educators are happy and excel in their work.

With a bachelor's degree in history, philosophy, and theology and a master’s in childhood development, Rhonda is regarded as a leading expert in early childhood care and education.  In 2011, the Governor appointed her as the only person in private business to the Texas State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. She is also a writer and speaker, having presented multiple times at the World Forum on Early Care and Education, and at the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s National Conference.

Her love of learning keeps growing stronger and she finds, as she interacts with them, some of her best teachers are the Stepping Stone children. She has taken what she has learned and made Stepping Stone Schools Central Texas’s largest privately-owned and most respected private preschool. Many of the programs she has developed are on the leading edge of the early care and education field nationally:

• Trademarked curriculum for all age levels,
  Platinum Leadership For Life^TM
• Teacher training program, including ongoing continuing education
• Platinum Leadership Education Program^TM
• VerifiED^TM Quality Assurance system

Rhonda is or has been a board member of the following organizations:

• Board Member & former Chairwoman, Early Childhood Council, City of Austin since 1992
• Advisory Board Member, Maryknoll Lay Missioners since 2014
• Board Member, Early Care & Education Consortium since 2005
• Former Board Member, Fund for Childcare
• Former Board Member, Jeremiah Project
• Former Board Member, BBVA Bank
• Former Board Member, Capitol Area Work Force Board
• Former Board Member, Texas Child Care Institute
  (Appointed by Governor Abbott)

Stepping Stone School was recently featured on the cover of the national publication, ChildCare Exchange - January/February 2017 issue. Click here to download the article.

Working in tandem with Rhonda is her husband, Bill Paver, who supports and augments the Stepping Stone School curriculum and vision. Dr. Paver holds a Ph.D. in education and educational administration. He is an author and has spoken nationally and internationally on matters pertaining to education and administration of educational entities.

Rhonda and Bill have five grown children. They also enjoy their eleven grandchildren, all of whom attend or have attended Stepping Stone School.

Christopher J. Lemons, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. His research focuses on improving academic outcomes for children and adolescents with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities. His recent research has focused on developing and evaluating reading interventions for individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Chris’ research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Exceptional Children, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, and Remedial and Special Education. Lemons has been awarded funding to support his research from the Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, both within the U.S. Department of Education. He is an Associate Editor for the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He chairs the Executive Committee for the Pacific Coast Research Conference. Lemons is also Co-Director of the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention and a Senior Advisor for the National Center on Intensive Intervention.

Lemons is a recipient of the Pueschel-Tjossem Research Award from the National Down Syndrome Congress. In 2016, Chris received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers, from President Obama.

Dr. Lemons began his career with Stepping Stone School as a School Age Teacher at our Northcross campus twenty years ago while a student at the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor Degree of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor Degree of Science in Applied Learning & Development and a Master of Arts degree in Special Education. Lemons also holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Human Development (Special Education) degree from the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

Educational Advisory Boards are generally found in higher-level education institutions. Stepping Stone School distinguishes from other preschools in their commitment to upholding the best education standards.

Our board members are national experts who counsel and offer research-based recommendations on educator development programs, curriculum enhancements and other state-of-the-art improvements designed to maximize the quality of Stepping Stone School.

Christopher J. Lemons, Ph.D.
Stanford Assistant Professor

Dr. Sandra Briley is an acclaimed educator and consultant in early childhood education. In addition to serving as an adjunct faculty member at Texas State University in the field of family and consumer sciences, Dr. Briley is the founding director for the University of Texas Child Development Center.

Her passion for education is reflected in her extensive work with organizations such as the National Association for Child Care Professionals. Her commitment to serving children of all ages is illustrated by her history of esteemed positions on numerous local and national prestigious consulting projects.

Dr. Briley earned her bachelor’s in child development at the University of Texas at Austin, where she also received a Ph.D. in early childhood education. She earned her master’s in early childhood education from the University of Texas in San Antonio.

Dr. Joyce Juntune is a nationally renowned consultant, trainer, professor and lecturer. An instructional associate professor at Texas A&M University, she teaches graduate-level courses in her expert areas of intelligence, child and adolescent development, educational psychology, giftedness and creativity.

She has served as the executive director of the National Association for Gifted Children, the American Creativity Association, and the Institute for Applied Creativity at Texas A&M University.

A widely published author of 25 journal articles and books, Dr. Juntune is also a keynote speaker and educational pioneer who has presented 30 papers at numerous conferences and conventions, reflecting her extensive research in areas such as creative thinking and gifted education. Over the course of her career, Dr. Juntune has been invited to appear on leading television programs such as The Phil Donahue Show and The Today Show. She has also been honored with a variety of awards, including the Texas A&M University Distinguished Award in Teaching.

Dr. Juntune earned her master’s in curriculum instruction from St. Cloud University and her Ph.D. in educational psychology from Texas A&M University.

Dr. Dennis Romig is the nationally recognized CEO of Side by Side, Inc., a multidisciplinary performance improvement consulting and training firm. Through Side by Side, Dr. Romig has shared his leadership and consulting knowledge with companies such as Vastar Resources, Inc., Texas Instruments and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). With an expert understanding of strategic planning, team empowerment and organizational development, Dr. Romig knows what it takes to achieve success.

A top-ranking keynote speaker and award-winning writer, Dr. Romig has penned 30 journal articles and research reports for publications such as Excellence Magazine, Professional Psychology and Future Fab International. He is also a widely published book author whose highly praised works include Side by Side Leadership: Achieving Outstanding Results Together, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller.

Dr. Romig received his Ph.D. in educational psychology and management from the University of Texas, where he also earned his master’s in counseling psychology.

Shannon Moody is the executive director of the Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit that empowers single mothers to break the cycle of poverty and create a fulfilling life for themselves and their children. A successful nonprofit professional with more than 20 years of experience, Shannon has honed her expertise through roles in a variety of key areas, such as nonprofit management, development, marketing, communications and special events.

Shannon’s ongoing support of education and nonprofit success is evident in her rich history of community leadership. In addition to her position on the Stepping Stone School Educational Advisory Board, Shannon is the former president of Marathon Kids, where she is a current member of the board of directors.

Shannon’s commitment to education is illustrated by her service to schools such as Good Shepherd Episcopal School, where she volunteered and filled the role of school photographer, and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, where she is a current volunteer and former advisory board member. Shannon has also served on the boards of directors for leading organizations such as SafePlace, Planned Parenthood of Austin, Heritage Society of Austin and the Austin Children’s Museum.

As one of Austin’s leading pediatricians for more than 30 years, Dr. Dan Terwelp has a vibrant history of sharing his zest for medicine with the pediatric community and serving the children of Central Texas.

After nearly 20 years as a member of a pediatric group in Austin, Dr. Terwelp began his own practice in 1998. An expert in children’s developmental issues, he has served as chief of pediatrics at Brackenridge Children’s Hospital and St. David’s Medical Center, as well as president of both the Austin Pediatric Society and the Central Texas Pediatric Physicians Alliance.

Dr. Terwelp received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1975. He completed his three years of internship and residency training in pediatrics at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver, where he remained a fourth year as chief resident for 70 interns and residents, and joined the teaching faculty.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Terwelp honors his commitment to children’s health through his volunteer work at Caritas Medical Clinic, where he has seen pediatric patients for more than 20 years. He is a continuous supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, and he has served as a board member for both Caritas and the Brackenridge Foundation.

Dr. Giles teaches courses in the graduate Elementary and Early Childhood Education programs, as well as the undergraduate Early Childhood Studies program at the University of Alabama. She has over 30 years teaching experience ranging from pre-kindergarten through higher education and has spoken and published widely on numerous topics related to early education, literacy and teacher preparation. She is the author of A Young Writer's World: Creating Classrooms Where Authors Abound (2020, Exchange Press)

Dr. Giles attended the University of Texas at Austin where she obtained her Masters in Education with her major concentration in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education. She then attended the University of Southern Mississippi where she was awarded her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

The past twenty years in higher education has confirmed Dr. Giles’ belief first instilled as a novice early childhood teacher long ago, that teaching is a challenging and demanding profession requiring tremendous dedication on the teacher’s part in order to be done well. Dr. Giles believes that successfully engaging students in meaningful learning opportunities incorporating the present standards, reflecting the most current research, and modeling the latest techniques requires thorough planning, advanced preparation, flexibility in delivery, and thoughtful reflection resulting in future modifications.

Dr. Giles’ philosophy of learning is best summarized by Frederick Froebel, the “Father of Kindergarten,” in his 1897 publication The Education of Man “[T]o learn a thing in life and through doing is much more developing, cultivating, and strengthening, than to learn it merely through verbal communication of ideas.” As a result, Dr. Giles attempts to initiate stimulating dialogue and lively discussion related to course topics, incorporating cooperative learning into her lessons, and forcing students to use available resources, from Internet sites to personal experiences, as they search for possible solutions to complex issues.