About Us

Teaching Better Together is co-hosted by Terry Schmalz, retired principal, and a 40-year educator and founder of New Emerson Elementary—a Mesa County Valley School District magnet school established in 1995. Her school was a Colorado Performance School for over a decade and has earned the distinguished Colorado John Irwin Award as many times. She was also the first recipient of the D51 Superintendent’s Star Coin for her outstanding service. Beyond education, Terry has climbed all 58 of Colorado’s 14ers, co-hosts the podcast Peak Adventures with her husband Mark, co-owns Trail Life Restaurant, and helped launch Starfish International, a nonprofit building schools in Africa and beyond.

Miranda Bailey began her teaching teaching in 1999 and has taught every grade level since. With a background in Journalism and Theatre from the University of New Mexico, she began as a newspaper reporter before being invited to teach high school English and journalism, where she coached state award-winning students. She earned a fellowship from the Association of Newspaper Editors, was named Teacher of the Year in Pampa, Texas in 2010, and received a 2024 D51 Foundation White Iced Award for her contributions in education. After earning her master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction, she created D51’s first elementary library and makerspace program, and has since co-founded Stages of History, bringing immersive history education for elementary and secondary students on Colorado’s Western Slope.