Our Story
Once upon a time, there was a teacher whose passion was guiding children on their learning journeys.  She thrilled in the day-to-day of young learners discovering their talents.  She delighted when young minds pondered the marvels of life and the world around them.  One day, she realized things had changed - she no longer fit the world of traditional education she had served tirelessly. Rather, she wanted something different for her students.  She yearned for a place where learners were valued wherever they were on their journey, not judged for it...for a place that measured success by mastery not success by test scores...for a place where joyful learning inspired students to want to be lifelong learners...for a place that reflected the needs of the 21st century and cultivated the skills of global citizens. 
​And so, she opened the doors of Acton Academy Marietta.
Our Team
Georgette Dobkin
Founder, Educational Architect, ES & MS Guide

Georgette always knew her calling was to work with children.  With a Master of Science in Teaching degree from Fordham University, Georgette taught for almost two decades in public and private schools in New York, Maryland, Florida and Georgia. During her tenure in traditional education, she served in many leadership roles, founded two non-profit foundations for her children's elementary and high schools, and created and ran the English for Speakers of Other Languages program for an area elementary school.  Georgette is a native New Yorker, but she and her husband have lived for the past 20 years in Marietta, where they raised their two children.  She is thrilled that her Hero's Journey has led her to the creation of Acton Academy Marietta and considers herself to be one if its fortunate students.
Toni Samuelu
Lead Nest Guide
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Toni Samuelu is passionate about family, music, and all things learning and nature!  She is a wife and mother of three and believes, without a doubt, that Acton Academy is the very best learning/training environment for today's children, including her own!  Like Albert Einstein, Toni feels that "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."  She is excited to be part of a team that is committed to provide an environment that inspires curiosity, character and growth for little Heroes!  Toni has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a Mathematics Endorsement from the University of Georgia, a Master's degree from Kennesaw State University, an Early Childhood Gifted Endorsement, a Tinkergarten Leader Certification, and STEM teacher training.  She has over 13 years of formal teaching experience, and her favorite parts of the day are playing outside and singing and dancing with the children!
Kathy Fraley
Nest Guide

Kathy grew up in Delaware in a happy family of five children.  Her father was in education for his entire career and, through his influence, Kathy found her passion for education.  After graduating from the University of Delaware with a B.S. in Elementary Education, Kathy began her career as a teacher outside of Philadelphia, PA.  After starting a family, Kathy continued in a preschool as a 4-year-old program teacher and director.  Once her three children were in school, Kathy began her 26-year teaching career in Cobb County as a second grade teacher.  She and Georgette met at Murdock Elementary where they taught together on the same team.  Now retired, Kathy is very excited to be a part-time member of the Acton Team.

​​Jamie Ashley
Art Guide, Administrative Support

​Jamie is formally trained as an artist and an art educator. She's worked as an art teacher in both public and private schools. She's worked as a professional artist and for a season she was involved in relief and development work that took her all over southeast Asia. Now as a guide for the Acton Marietta art studio, she is excited to work in all the different aged studios to support the Eagles' creative pursuits.  She is a Georgia native and is thrilled to have an Acton school here for her children to attend.
Advisors
Laura Sandefer
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Laura is co-founder and head of school of Acton Academy (Austin). Raised by a science teacher and minister, Laura lived on both coasts and in between as a child and then landed at Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science.
After working in London and New York City in the aviation insurance business, Laura yearned to follow her heart into the world of teaching. She went back to Vanderbilt's renowned Peabody College and received her Master of Education. This led her to work in arts education at the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Laura later married Jeff Sandefer and has two sons and a stepdaughter. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to cofound Acton Academy (Austin).
Her greatest hero is her beloved late mother, who was a master teacher as none other. Her wisest mentor is her father, who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious."
Jeff Sandefer

Jeff is an entrepreneur and a Socratic teacher. As an entrepreneur, he began by starting his first company at age 16 and most recently sold Sandefer Capital, an energy investment firm with several billion dollars in assets.
As a teacher, he co-founded the Acton School of Business, a school dedicated to America’s next generation of principled entrepreneurs and famous for its 100-hour work weeks. The Princeton Review has consistently ranked Acton’s teachers, students, and program among the best in the country. While at the University of Texas, Jeff’s students voted him the school’s Most Outstanding Teacher five times, and he was named by Businessweek as one of the top entrepreneurship professors in America. He also co-founded Acton Academy (Austin), where he is a middle school lead guide.
Jeff has been a longtime board member of National Review, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, The Philanthropy Roundtable, and the Harvard Business School and is one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.