The Team

Maria Plancarte

Maria’s Profile Maria Plancarte was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She graduate from the University of Utah. She began teaching in 2015 at Rose Park Elementary where she is the lead teacher in an Early Childhood/Kindergarten Montessori classroom. Maria comes from a family of five and has a very cute dog named Nala. She enjoys doing many things, among them are hiking, and trying new foods. Maria also attended Rose Park Elementary, and was very excited when she received the opportunity to teach at the same school she attended. As a Montessori teacher, she has learned many things about a child’s abilities and interest to learn. Thanks to the Get REAL! Project, the wonderful Montessori Method was brought to Rose Park, which allowed countless learning/hands on opportunities for the students. She is thankful to be a part of the partnership between the University of Utah and Rose Park, and is looking forward to a fabulous year in her beautiful Montessori classroom.

Jessica Domenick

Jessica Kornilakis has lived in New Jersey, Illinois, and California, but Utah is her favorite place to call home. She lives with her husband John, their dog Bill, and their rabbit Snowball. Snowball is a free range rabbit and comes to school with Jessica every day. Her students love him. When she is not at work, Jessica loves to cook, read, exercise, play board games and spend time outside with her family.

In 2011, Jessica received a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Westminster College. She then taught first grade for five years at Rose Park Elementary. Jessica loves being a part of the Rose Park Elementary community. She values building lasting relationships with her students and their families. In 2016 she went back to Westminster College to earn her Early Childhood Montessori Credential. She has been one of the lead Early Childhood Montessori teachers, at Rose Park Elementary, since the fall of 2016.

Jessica is so grateful that the Get REALl! project brought Montessori education to Rose Park Elementary; the first public Montessori program in Salt Lake City. She appreciates the Montessori philosophy and method because it supports the natural development of children. Additionally, Jessica is interested in and passionate about using the Peace and Cultural components of the Montessori Curriculum because they provide an excellent platform to address issues of Social Justice in her diverse classroom.

Mary D. Burbank

Mary D. Burbank is the Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Director of the Urban Institute for Teacher Education in the College of Education at the University of Utah. She holds the rank of Clinical Professor where she has been a faculty member since 1994.

In addition to her work with secondary preservice teachers, her teaching, research, and service interests include the identification of pathways to higher education for under-represented students and families. She has worked in collaboration with Colleges, Departments, Districts, and Community Stakeholders for over 20 years.

Gail S. Williamsen

Executive Director - Elizabeth Academy

Gail Williamsen, along with her husband Thom, founded the Elizabeth Academy in 2008. Gail was born and raised in Salt Lake City and attended public schools, graduating from Highland High School. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Utah in English and her Master's Degree in Education from Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

Lizzie Dalton

Lizzie Dalton earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Special Education from the University of Utah. She is the co-founder of Elizabeth Academy, where she served for 10 years, helping to build an inclusive educational environment for children with diverse learning needs.

Currently, she works at the University of Utah as the Program Coordinator for the TIES program, now in her third year. She also serves as an advisor for the LEAP program, supporting the Elizabeth Academy Post-Secondary Program for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Outside of her professional life, she finds joy in spending time with her husband, four daughters, and their dog. Together, they love hiking, running, reading, and exploring the outdoors.