Our Consultants
All Green Tree Partnerships consultants have extensive experience working with students whose complex special needs challenge schools’ standard practices. Our team has in-depth knowledge of a broad range of innovative, data-driven educational approaches that have helped numerous “stuck” students make behavioral, social, and academic progress. As practitioners, we are well aware that each school is a unique and complex system; as consultants, we strive to understand and respect the unique culture of each school we enter. We also are sensitive to the needs of adult learners and take care to design professional development experiences that engage participants and provide them with valuable insights and practical tools.
Thomas Latus, Ed.D.
Manager of Green Tree Partnerships, Dr. Latus has 30 years of experience working on behalf of students with serious emotional and behavioral problems, much of it at Walker Home & School in Needham, MA where he was school principal and later director of the agency’s school consultation program. Dr. Latus has taught graduate courses for teachers and administrators at Penn State/Harrisburg, Wheelock College, and Lesley University. He has a doctorate in teaching and learning from Harvard University, a master’s degree in special education from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. Dr. Latus has provided consultation and training in over 150 schools. Currently Dr. Latus is completing a book that examines a recent year he spent as a head teacher in a classroom for middle school students with serious mental health disabilities.
Herman Axelrod, Ph.D.
Since 2000, Dr. Axelrod has been the Executive Director of Green Tree School where he has spearheaded efforts to broaden and deepen the school’s array of services. For 40 years, Dr. Axelrod has worked in special education as a teacher and administrator, much of it within the Philadelphia School District. His doctorate and master’s degrees in education of exceptional children are from Penn State University. He also studied special education at the University of Michigan and has a bachelor’s degree in education from Temple University. Dr. Axelrod is active as a board member of several organizations focused on children and youth, including The United Cerebral Palsy Association and Pennsylvania Children’s Behavioral Health Task Force.
Eric Mitchell, Ph.D.
Green Tree School’s staff psychologist focusing on students with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), Dr. Mitchell has worked with children with disabilities and their families since his high school years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, has completed graduate studies in cultural competence at Rutgers University, and received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, where he held a post-doctoral position specializing in ASD. Experienced as a psychologist, educator, evaluator, consultant, and administrator in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Mitchell has published articles on ASD, and has designed and implemented programs specializing in ASD. He has affiliations with Alternative Choices, Philadelphia Mental Health Center, and the University of Pennsylvania's W.E.B. DuBois Research Collective.
Lin Hammerman, M.M.Ed., CMT
As Director of Green Tree School’s Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services since 2000, Ms. Hammerman oversees wraparound services that support students with ASD in schools, homes, and communities. Trained as a music educator and therapist with a bachelor’s degree from Westchester University and master’s degree from Temple University, Ms. Hammerman has worked for 25 years with individuals with mental health disabilities as a therapist, supervisor, consultant, and administrator. In designing and managing Green Tree’s BHRS program, Ms. Hammerman has focused on creating high quality, individualized services. “We move treatment along” is her program’s underlying commitment.
Francine Marteski, Ed.D.
As a consultant with Green Tree Partnerships, Dr. Francine Marteski offers over 30 years of experience in advocating for educational reform, including maintaining special needs students in their home districts. Dr. Marteski has provided leadership for districts in managing change by working with principals, child study teams and directors, other school leaders, as well as teachers to foster the use of educationally sound best practices in an inclusive environment while promoting the development of positive approaches to negative behaviors. Dr. Marteski has taught graduate and undergraduate courses for pre-service teachers, practicing teachers and administrators at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ. She has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, and master's degrees in the psychology of reading and educational leadership from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Presently, Dr. Marteski is teaching for Fairleigh Dickinson University's Community College Partnership Program in the teacher education program as well as the educational leadership program.
Green Tree Partnerships’ Network
Through its extensive professional collaborations in the Philadelphia area, Green Tree Partnerships has access to the instructional services of a number of highly skilled and experienced educators, clinicians, and researchers. We can provide trainers and speakers with expertise in the following areas:
- Interactive technologies in the classroom
- Social skills and anti-bullying interventions
- Building alliances with families
- Specialized curriculum development
- Specialized program design and implementation
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