Our dedicated and experienced faculty members specialize in working with students with complex learning disabilities. They employ research-based strategies and innovative teaching methods to create a supportive and engaging learning environment where students thrive.
Administrative Team
Sally L. Sover, Ed.D.
Executive Director
In addition to a doctorate in education, Dr. Sover brings more than 30 years of practical field experience to her role as the Cove’s Executive Director. Prior to accepting her current post, Dr. Sover held several academic and administrative positions in School District 300, including district literary supervisor, district curriculum and instruction leader, literacy teacher leader, general education and special education teacher. In addition to her work with Cove, Dr. Sover has also served as an adjunct faculty member of Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois.
Nationally, Dr. Sover serves on the Education Committee of the LDA (Learning Disability Association of America) and is on the Nomination Committee of the Sam Kirk Award which recognizes excellence in educators with-in the learning disabilities field.
State-wide, Dr. Sover is the President of IAPSEC (Illinois Association of Private Special Education Centers) which is an association that supports all students in the private special education sector within the state.
Regina Aniolowski
K-12 Principal
Regina Aniolowski has Master's Degrees in Special Education, Behavior Intervention and Educational Leadership. She is currently completing her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. She has worked at Cove since 2008 and held positions as an LBS1 Special Education Teacher, Case Manager, and Behavior Intervention Specialist prior to becoming an administrator in 2017. As Principal she is responsible for academic programs, school improvement planning, day-to-day operations, and extracurricular activities.
Alex Laube
College and Career Principal
Alex Laube has Master's Degrees in Special Education and Educational Leadership. He has worked at Cove for 13 years and held positions as an LBS1 Special Education Teacher, Case Manager, and Math Coordinator prior to becoming an administrator. As College and Career Principal, he is responsible for transition programming and The Cove Career Center.
Megan Clancy
Clinical Director
Megan Clancy received her Bachelor’s Degree from Miami University in Ohio, her Master’s Degree in Education from National Louis University, and her Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology from National Louis University. Additionally, she has worked as the Operations and Program Director at Lake of the Woods & Greenwood Family of Camps. Most recently, she has served as the Intervention Specialist and School Psychologist at North Shore Academy.
Abigail Hansell
Director of Special Education
Abigail Hansell received her Master’s of Science in Speech/Language Pathology from Northwestern. She worked in the ESY program at Cove and was eager to return to the Cove Community. Most recently, she worked as the Special Education Coordinator in the Palatine School District and has received her endorsement as a Director of Special Education. Before becoming a coordinator, Abigail gained experience as a speech language pathologist in both public schools and private practice.
Mark Ditthardt
District Liaison
Mark Ditthardt has a masters degree in social work with additional certifications and endorsements as a School Administrator and Director of Special Education. For the last 26 years he has worked with the Winnetka Public schools, serving first as a school social worker then as the Director of Student Services for the district. As the director of Student Services he had responsibility for the development of all aspects of the District’s special education services and related services to students with a variety of disabilities. He has also served as the liaison to all of the schools outside of the District in which the District had placed students.
Rob Allen
K-12 Assistant Principal
Rob Allen received his Master’s Degree in Special Education from DePaul University and his Master’s Degree in Principal Administration from Concordia University. He completed his internship at Cove teaching 4th grade ESY while studying at DePaul. He has worked as a teacher in Evanston, is passionate about reading, and is a Wilson certified instructor. Additionally, he has been an Assistant Principal in Morton Grove and at North Shore Academy.
Jan Morgan, Ed.D
Clinical Consultant
Dr. Jan Morgan has more than 25 years of experience in the field of special education; as a special education classroom teacher, a school psychologist and several administrative roles including associate superintendent for District 214 and assistant superintendent Wauconda District 118. She received a doctorate in educational administration from Northern Illinois University. In addition to her role at The Cove School, Dr. Morgan serves as an adjunct faculty member at both Northern Illinois University and Northwestern University.
Jo Ann Hoeppner, Ph.D.
Clinical Consultant
Dr. Hoeppner is a neuropsychologist who has worked as a consultant with The Cove School since 1995. Dr. Hoeppner holds a PLD in Perception and Cognition from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, and a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology at Rush Presbyterian St Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.
She joined Evanston Northwestern Hospital in 1973, and was Director of the Evaluation Center between the years of 1992 – 2006. She has held a private practice since 2006. Her special interests lie in seizure disorders and learning disabilities.
Stacy Post
Director of Finance & Administration
For over 15 years, Stacy has led Cove’s finance, facilities and administration efforts, providing oversight and accountability while building long-lasting partnerships for the school. She believes that Cove School has the power to transform lives and works closely with Cove families, board members and leadership to ensure that the organization's goals are met. Prior to joining the Cove team, Stacy worked for Northwestern Memorial Hospital as a Senior Internal Auditor, for Accenture HR Services as a Financial Management Manager and in the Finance Department at Ketchum Public Relations. Stacy has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University.
Alexandra Argentar
Director of Advancement
Alexandra has been a part of the Cove community for nearly twenty years, always passionate about the transformational impact a Cove education can have on students, families and communities. As Director of Advancement, she works to connect Cove stakeholders with one another and to the important work of the school. Previously, Alexandra served as the Associate Director of the Midwest Region of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Assistant Director of the Women’s Division of the Jewish United Fund and Development Director of Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute. She has a Bachelor's Degree degree in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Academic Advisory Board
Doris Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Johnson is the Jo Ann and Peter Dolle Professor Emeritus in Learning Disabilities at Northwestern University where she has spent most of her career. She has long been interested in the relationships between oral language and higher levels of learning including reading, written language, and mathematics, as well as learning disabilities across the life span. Professor Johnson continues to teach courses at Northwestern and coordinates the Adult LD clinic. For the past three years, she has participated in an early literacy project with Head Start children in the Chicago Public Schools. She has enjoyed working with people from Cove School over the years and is pleased to be a member of the Advisory Board.
Jo Ann Hoeppner, Ph.D.
Dr. Hoeppner is a neuropsychologist who has worked as a consultant with The Cove School since 1995. Dr. Hoeppner holds a PLD in Perception and Cognition from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, and a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology at Rush Presbyterian St Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.
She joined Evanston Northwestern Hospital in 1973, and was Director of the Evaluation Center between the years of 1992 – 2006. She has held a private practice since 2006. Her special interests lie in seizure disorders and learning disabilities.
Pearl Rieger, MA.
Pearl Rieger is well known throughout the community as a psycho-educational diagnostician who was one of the founders of the Rush Neurobehavioral Center. In her private practice, Ms. Rieger has worked extensively with students, families, and other educators to better understand the challenges facing children with special needs. For the past five years, she has trained Post Doctorate Fellows.
Warren D. Rosen, Ph.D.
Dr. Rosen specializes in understanding the interplay between neurocognitive, emotional and social features in children and adolescents with a variety of neurological diagnoses, including learning disabilities, attention deficits, seizure disorders, and neurosocial disorders. Drawing from theories of neuropsychology, family systems, and socioemotional development, his private practice centers on diagnostic assessment and therapy. Dr. Rosen obtained his clinical psychology doctorate from Georgia State University, and he completed his internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital and Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston. He is an assistant professor at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics, and he has taught at the University of Texas, University of Houston, Institute for Clinical Social Work, and Loyola University. Dr. Rosen is a member of the academic advisory board of the Hyde Park Day School, and of Men for Shalom {Peace} in the Community and Home (MenSCH), a grass roots organization of men educating adolescent and adult males about domestic and interpersonal violence and intimidation.