Janet Stein

Janet Stein has lived in Point Washington for 40 years with her husband Tom. She has three children and four grandchildren. Janet received her bachelor’s degree at Mills College, California in Dance and Psychology, her master’s degree from Florida State University in Special Education and she continued at the University of West Florida studying Curriculum and Instruction for her Specialist Degree. Janet taught grades k-6 for 15 years at Bay, Butler Elementary and was the lead teacher at The Seaside Neighborhood School. She also taught 5th grade History/Language Arts at Bluewater Elementary for five years. During her years in the classroom, she received the district and county SED Above and Beyond award, Teacher of the Year and Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching.  At Bay Elementary she presented a classroom town project to the Florida’s Governor’s Commission. As a teacher Janet Stein excelled in diagnostic-prescriptive teaching, interdisciplinary teaching, community problem based learning and critical thinking skills. 

After her years in the classroom Janet worked in administration as an ESE curriculum specialist in Walton County and then created Bay Middle School, a deregulated school at the Bay Elementary School site. After her Bay Charter School application was approved by Governor Bush and turned down by the Walton County School Board Janet decided to move to Okaloosa County to become the principal of Elliott Point Elementary School. During her tenure at Elliott Point the school was awarded an A for ten consecutive years: a record for Okaloosa County Title One schools.  In 2010 she received the Department of Education Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding leadership. Janet has a passion for teaching and learning. She knows how to implement instruction that meets the needs of all students, instruction that is relevant and engaging. Her dream has always been to start her own school.  The Nature School Cooperative is the culmination of her life-long love  for student learning and student engagement. It is her life’s work, dream, and vision that drives her passion for the creation of The Nature School Cooperative.