Director & Founder
STEM Curriculum and Instructional Lead

Randie Piscitello is the Founder and Director of The Academic Orchard, where she also leads STEM curriculum and instruction. She holds a B.S. in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin, is a Texas-certified Life Science teacher, and earned her Montessori adolescent diploma from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).

With over eight years of experience in adolescent education across startups in both public and private Montessori settings, Randie integrates rigorous STEM learning with Montessori principles, emphasizing independence, critical thinking, and real-world application. Randie’s founding vision for The Academic Orchard is to create a learning community where adolescents can grow into capable, self-directed individuals, grounded in scientific literacy, empowered by practical skills, and guided by a strong sense of purpose.

Humanities Curriculum and Instructional Lead

Beth Sharkey brings extensive classroom and curriculum experience to her role at The Academic Orchard. With a career beginning in educational publishing, Beth has written and edited nationally-distributed content for organizations such as Sesame Street and Mystery Science. She has since held roles developing adolescent programs and curriculum, and she has taught in middle and high school classrooms. Beth holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of California, Irvine, and a credential in secondary English. She is thrilled by the opportunities a Montessori program offers to help adolescents take ownership of their education and discover their personal values.

Upper Elementary Lead Guide

Hannah Whitney is new to The Academic Orchard team this year! She discovered her love for teaching through an early career as a Naturalist, using forests, fields and streams as her classroom. She also has experience teaching pre-AP fifth grade science and social studies in a public setting. Hannah has been teaching at a public Montessori school for the past four years, and has loved leading garden clubs and parent volunteer groups. Hannah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, with a Biology emphasis from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She also has a Texas public teaching certificate (EC-6), including an English as a Second Language credential. Hannah is passionate about the principles of Montessori education and earned her credentials from the American Montessori Society (AMS). Hannah is grounded in her mission to help give students the tools they need to find purpose and joy through cosmic education. She is beyond excited to bring her own experience and creativity to the curriculum.