About Us
Central Focus:
The Atlantis Education System is built by and made for families to maintain family relationships while empowering a love of learning and lifelong educational pursuits for our children.
Meet the Teacher:
Deanna Achtelstetter
Known as Ms. A
In 2009, Deanna took the road less traveled and left a career in pharmaceutical sales to work as a kindergarten teaching assistant. From kindergarten she progressed to teach science and math to middle school students with a primary focus in math. As she progressed to work in middle school as a math teacher for 7 years, she saw first hand how our education system is failing our best and brightest students. All students need a diversified learning approach and targeted one on one teacher attention. Overtime, she saw students who are eager to work in more challenging math classes told they have no opportunity to do so due to school system cutbacks from overcrowding. These and other experiences fueled her desire, drive and dedication to see the Atlantis Education Model succeed. With the Atlantis Education Model student can individually pace their progress based on their strengths and receive teacher support to do so. If a student needs multiple approaches to learn a subject, Atlantis will work with the student until a methodology is attained for the student to learn. Ms. A became a dedicated student and family advocate and Atlantis is empowering her to be the amazing, passionate and energetic teacher she wants to be.
Head of The School:
CJ Leach MS NCC LPC
CJ is a driven parent and mental health professional who believes that knowledge is power and cultivating self sufficient learners will lead to empowered citizens in the future. His oldest son August will be the first student of the Atlantis Education System, which means that CJ will always be personally invested in the Atlantis Education System and always working to refine the system to make it better.
Personally, CJ is a strong supporter of science and innovation, spending time building 3D printers and CNC machines. He loves nature and also has hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail and hikes with his children August and Athena multiple times a week. He is a strong supporter of families and social relationship with an advanced degree in Mental Health Counseling and gets together with his extended family weekly.
Work background, CJ is a Senior Data Quality Analyst at SAS Institute Inc in Cary, NC having worked with SAS since 2005. He also owns three companies that he manages. Counseling Professionals PLLC is where he practices in the evening and weekends focusing on learning disabilities, time management, and career counseling. Counseling Professionals PLLC sports three offices and a team of professionals dedicated to community support. Acheron a resource referral company for life management, and Property Management Professionals LLC. CJ also has a medical background as an EMT-B and Phelbotomist in his undergraduate years at Appalachian State University.
Board of Trustees:
The Atlantis Education System offers an Open Board and all offices are run by representative committees of volunteers to those committees. This means Parents, Teachers, and Staff have the right to vote and present the business interests of the school and establish it's initial curriculum and can veto future curriculum that does not represent the values and objectives of the Atlantis Education System.
Atlantis Committee:
The Atlantis Committee is made up of the major stakeholders around the Atlantis Education System. The comprise of Volunteers, Staff, Students, Teachers, Parents, Local Businesses, and Community Organizations that all work to shape curriculum and educational opportunities for the students of our school to be prepared for life, employment, and involved citizens. The committee is a representative system that is open to interested parties to join and become members of the Atlantis Committee.
Legal Structure and Purpose:
Atlantis Education System is a non-profit corporation as defined in NCGS 55A-1-40(4) and shall operate exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code. Atlantis Education System's purpose is to provide education and support to children 5 to 18-years-old and their families. Our programs and curricula are meant to install a love of learning in children to help them become contributing members of society and provide a continuity of support and care that maximizes their learning potential and social engagement. We accept children regardless of their background, social and cultural diversity, and beliefs to provide equal opportunity for all. We work with local business for occupational awareness of our students and provide parenting classes and support for greater societal stability starting with families. We treat our students as contributing individuals in the curriculum and seek to collaborate with all interested parties for the betterment of the community and the future. In line with our values, we work to provide internships to age appropriate students with work shadowing or volunteer opportunities to build a bridge between education and occupations as our learners grow and evolve into strong societal contributors.