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Smart Diehl Academy
Our Team

Meet Our Staff

Get to know the exceptional educators behind our program. Dedicated, passionate, and committed to nurturing your child's growth and fostering a love for learning.

Ashley Martinez

Ashley Martinez

Teacher

Hi! My name is Ashley Martinez, and I am so excited to be part of the Smart Diehl Academy family. One of the things I enjoy most about working with children is having the opportunity to watch them learn, grow, discover their strengths, and become more confident in themselves. My background is in finance and business, but my love for learning and education has led me to continue expanding my knowledge in teaching methods, educational strategies, and ways to better support children in the classroom. I also have personal experience with homeschooling, which has given me a special appreciation for the fact that every child learns differently and brings their own unique abilities to the classroom. I believe learning should be an experience that encourages curiosity, creativity, confidence, and a lifelong desire to grow. I am always looking for opportunities to continue learning myself so that I can better encourage and support the students around me. Outside of the classroom, I love spending time with my family, creating special memories, and discovering new places together. I am grateful to be part of SDA and look forward to a marvelous year filled with learning, growth, new experiences, and wonderful memories with our students!

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Jayme

Jayme

Founder & Executive Director

Ukulele LessonLiteracy+1 more

Jayme Diehl is the Founder and Executive Director of Smart Diehl Academy and an educator who believes the learner should always come before the lesson. Before founding SDA, Jayme spent eight years in public education as an elementary classroom teacher and K–5 Instructional Coach and MTSS leader. Her experiences working with learners, teachers, and families shaped a simple belief: children thrive when they are known, challenged, supported, and given more than one way to learn. In 2023, that belief became Smart Diehl Academy. What began with just five learners has grown into a thriving educational community built around strong relationships, meaningful academics, curiosity, creativity, and individualized learning. Jayme leads SDA’s educational vision, program development, and continued growth while staying closely connected to the learners, families, and teachers who make the community what it is. Her philosophy is simple: see the learner before the lesson, meet them where they are, and if the first way doesn’t work—find another way. And yes, she also teaches ukulele. 💛

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Miss Lula

Miss Lula

WildRoots Teacher

Waldorf Early Childhood TrainingServ Safe Certification+4 more

Hailing from Pennsylvania, I recently relocated to Charlotte to be closer to family and to join Smart Diehl Academy. I was a professional chef for 20 years before taking on a position at a Waldorf School in Pennsylvania where I ran an organic farm to table lunch program that worked in tandem with the schools gardening program. Food, cooking and food education are huge passions of mine and I am beyond excited to incorporate the nature aspect of Wild Roots into those. I myself am a parent of 2 boys that are also equally excited to be joining the Smart Diehl Family! I am a big lover of all things nature and outside and am looking forward to bringing new ideas and new ways to love learning all about our outside world.

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Mrs. Connie

Mrs. Connie

Preschool Educator & Homeschool Teacher

All

Hello everyone!! My name is Connie Mullis My husband and I both were born and raised in Union County, where we still reside with our son Jackson (15). We absolutely love our "zoo" of animals: two dogs Loki and Doby, cat Liam, our hognose snake Korra, 2 ball pythons Diego and Inara, and leopard gecko Maki. I am a huge nature enthusiast and love to explore the woods and creeks with my son, being near water, kayaking/canoeing, and fishing. I also enjoy working in the garden, playing soccer, and spending time with all our family. We love pinball/arcade games, playing games together, going to reptile shows and comic cons. Music is a big part of our lives and we each enjoy an eclectic rainbow of music types. We also have a banjo, a Merlin guitar, and a keyboard that we enjoy attempting to play. My love of learning, teaching, and creative thinking is deeply rooted in family having many relatives that put their heart and soul into the lives of children and the communities around them. My teaching journey began at Stallings UMC, where I served as a preschool teacher from 2017 up until the pandemic when the preschool had to make the tough decision to temporarily shut its doors. It was a time where we all were trying to figure out what life needed to look like going forward and since we were already doing remote school, we took that as a perfect time to transition to a full-time homeschooling family. We are so grateful to have made the jump for our son who is in his 9th grade year at Cedar Lane Academy, our homeschool. The opportunities we have now to advocate for our child, make curriculum choices for his needs and interests, and the tremendous community of families and friends has provided such an awesome learning opportunity. Smart Diehl Academy is our second home, second family, and a treasured place where we both have thrived, grown, and learned so much through shared experiences. Teaching and working with all ages of kiddos, both at the Academy, and with the WildRoots Nature program, has been an absolute joy for me. We truly celebrate Jayme, Smart Diehl Academy, and the WildRoots program for opening so many opportunities, welcoming all learning styles, and helping so many kiddos find their love of learning.

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Ms. Julie

Ms. Julie

Teacher

I'm excited to join the family of SDA. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, I've called Charlotte home since 1995. I have 3 grown children and a precious 6 month old grandson. I've worked in education for 38 years; I have a master's degree in special education and am a certified Orton-Gillingham educator. I've taught and tutored all grades between kindergarten and sixth. I strongly believe in meeting students where they are and providing a safe environment where all children can feel confident and successful. In my spare time, I teach group fitness classes such as indoor cycling, yoga, and weight training. I love to go hiking at Crowder's Mountain or walking on the Greenway. I have a 13 year old dog named Beau who is my best buddy. I've always got my Kindle with a book on hand to read and an audiobook to listen to in the car. My favorite place to be is on the beach watching the waves roll in.

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Ms. Melissa

Ms. Melissa

TK/Kinder & Spanish Teacher

Special EducationTeaching English Language Learners+3 more

I have proudly been serving the Smart Diehl Academy community since 2023. I am a passionate educator dedicated to fostering a love of literacy, language development, and lifelong learning in every student. I graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. I went on to earn my Master’s degree in Teaching English Language Learners from Syracuse University in 2014. After moving to Charlotte, I began my career with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where I served for seven years as a Multilingual Learner Teacher at Windsor Park Elementary School. I later worked in the CMS Central Office as a Resource Teacher within the Learning & Language Acquisition Department, supporting Title I schools, coaching educators, and leading districtwide family literacy initiatives. At Smart Diehl Academy, I bring my expertise in language acquisition and literacy instruction to create an engaging, supportive learning environment. I intentionally incorporate movement-based learning strategies to help students stay engaged and make meaningful connections. I value strong partnerships with families and look forward to continuing to inspire confident, lifelong learners.

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Ms. Rachel

Ms. Rachel

Homeschool & Early Childhood Educator

Mrs. Rachel has thirty years’ worth of experience working with children in some form or fashion. She began homeschooling in 2010 and graduated her first child, who received a full-ride scholarship to his desired university, in May of 2023. She has been employed in the public school system in Head Start’s early childhood program, in both after-school and homeschool programs, and as a private and group tutor. In one of those homeschool programs, she served as a lower school coordinator and also created an entire explorational/nature-based enrichment program for preschool through lower elementary school. Additionally, she has served in children’s ministry both as a volunteer and as a member of the leadership team. To utilize her fondness for grammar and proofreading, Mrs. Rachel is also certified in medical transcription and editing but strongly prefers to share that fondness for all things grammar-related by teaching in a classroom setting. She is passionate about helping to inspire a life-long love for learning and reading in her students and is a firm believer that education should be fun, which is why including plenty of hands-on activities in all of her classes is a must. Most importantly to her, it’s been Mrs. Rachel’s lifelong mission to build children up, to help them see how smart and capable they are, and to spread the importance of kindness and compassion. I am a superhero geek and a dog lover!

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Ms. Victoria

Ms. Victoria

Assistant Teacher

First Aid/CPR,Early Childhood Education+8 more

Hi, families! I’m Mrs. Tori and I’m so excited to be your child’s teacher this year! I have 9 years of experience teaching Pre-K in Mecklenburg County and with Bright Beginnings, and I absolutely love creating a classroom where children feel happy, loved, curious, and excited to learn. I especially love story time, art, hands-on activities, and all the fun little moments that spark conversation, creativity, problem-solving, and discovery! I believe some of the best learning happens when children are having fun, asking questions, and exploring together. 🎨📚🧩 I’m originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and when I’m not teaching, I love spending time with my wonderful husband, Martell, and our two boys, Dominic and Carmell. ❤️ I can’t wait to get to know each of your little ones, make lots of memories, and have an amazing year filled with learning, laughter, creativity, and FUN! Let’s make this the best year yet! 🌟

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