EXCEPTIONALISTS/SUPPORT STAFF

Nancy Wicker - MTSS/Interventionist

My name is Nancy Wicker, and I am a graduate of Meredith College. I Earned My Bs in Child Development, and I am Certified K-6. This is my 25th year teaching in the public school system and my 18th year here at Mangum. I am beyond thrilled to be the MTSS coordinator here at Mangum. I am married to a wonderful guy named Kevin. I have two terrific children. Michael is the owner of All-star Contracting and Libby is a sophomore at UNC-CH. I love Dps and Mangum has my heart.

Beverly DeLuca - Reading Intervention

After teaching at Mangum for 18 years, I still love the excitement of teaching children. My past experience at the Hospital School, Home Bound Services, Psychiatric Unit, Reading Recovery, 2nd grade teacher and literacy instructor has been an incredible teaching journey. With a B.S. from Appalachian, teacher certification from NCCU and Reading Recovery certification from UNC-W, I continue to love new learning and growing as an educator. My hobbies are reading, biking and hiking! I have loved living in the Bahama community for 32 years. The staff and parents at Mangum are incredibly supportive and wonderful! The students continue to be the best part of my day!

Sandra  Goodwin - AIG

A Mangum Elementary "family member" since 1997, I live in Rougemont with my husband, Mike, and our yellow lab, Chips (the Wonder Dog). We have two married adult children, Meredith and Micah, both Mangum alumni!

I am a University of Georgia graduate holding both a Bachelor's of Science and Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. My blood? They are red AND black.

I love dogs - UGA "dawgs", my dog, your dog, a stranger's dog ....OK, I am a dog fanatic! Besides "unleashed" love of canines and working with kids, I also love hanging out with my family, watching football and baseball, playing pickleball, baking, spending time outside, running (OK, it's more like a slow jog anymore), and my favorite pastime - hanging out with my two preschool grandsons! God has blessed me tenfold!

This year I am teaching math as part of the fourth and fifth grade teams and hanging out with K, 1st and 2nd grades doing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Math) explorations and enrichment. I am also the AIG specialist, formerly known as the AIG (Academically Intellectually Gifted) facilitator. My job includes supporting classroom teachers in increasing the rigor of their teaching, screening students for AIG identification, and being a liaison between school and home/community.

My classroom is filled with high expectations and rigorous thinking. I want my kids to Notice and Wonder! I want them to explain Why they do what they do! I want them to defend their thinking! 

Habits of Mind and Talk Moves allow us to continually strive to become better students and people and respectfully and actively communicate with each other. 

Amy Beebe – Instructional Coach/AIG Teacher

Hello there! I’m Ms. Beebe, Mangum’s instructional coach and Advanced Academics teacher. I have two teens, Carsen who is finishing middle school and Calyx who is in college. This is my 16th year teaching and my 8th year teaching at Mangum. I completed my bachelor's degree in Education at Radford University in Virginia and my AIG licensure at Duke University. My hobbies include gardening, arts and crafts, when I’m not busy at school or with my family. I love being part of the Bahama community and look forward to a great school year!

Shelby Kennedy - Exceptional Children (EC)

Hi Mangum Family! Most of you know me...I've been working at Mangum since the 2005 school year and have absolutely loved every minute! This community has watched me pass many personal milestones...I've had two beautiful boys (both at Mangum this year!) and have been married to the love of my life. Mangum has been a place of constant consistency, focus and growth, both for me and my students. I love and thank you all for that. I'm so excited about the coming year!

Alexandra Armor- Counselor

I have been the school counselor at Mangum since 2016 and have loved every minute of it. Every year is a new adventure, and it brings me so much joy to serve this community. I went to UNC-Chapel Hill for both my undergraduate (B.A. in Psychology) and graduate degrees (M.Ed. in Counseling)- I guess I couldn't get enough of the Tarheel life. I live in Hillsborough with my husband Thomas (who works at UNC) and my sweet son Max. When I am not living my best life counseling our fantastic students at Mangum, I can be found tackling DIY projects in my house, knitting hilariously chunky sweaters, working in the garden, and snacking on custard at my favorite spot Whit's in Hillsborough. 

Kim Hawkes - Occupational Therapist (OT) 

Lindsey Williams - Exceptional Children (EC)

Hi, I’m Lindsey Williams and I have been part of the Mangum family since 2022. The Mangum school community is truly amazing and there is no other school like it in the area! I am currently a special education teacher, but I have spent a majority of my 20 years in Durham Public Schools as a classroom teacher in grades 3, 4, & 5. I am proud to say that I am a National Board Certified teacher and I am also licensed to teach AIG. I grew up in Durham and currently live in Rougemont with my husband and 2 sons. I enjoy traveling with my family in our camper during my free time.

Diane Kelly - Exceptional Children (EC)

My name is Diane Kelly and I have been a school psychologist with Durham Public Schools since January 1999. I have served many schools in Durham over the years, but I have been at Mangum since August 2014 and at Hillandale Elementary since August 2003.I am mom to 2 wonderful daughters, Betsy – a 2021 Appalachian State grade, and Katie- a senior at NC State. I also have 2 fur-kitties, Jasmine and Leo.   My girls are both DPS alum (Easley, Carrington, and Riverside) and had many, many friends at Mangum. I was born and raised in Lexington, NC but moved to Chapel Hill in 1989 for college (Go Heels!) and never moved back. After graduation, I worked at IBM for a year and decided that “big business” was not for me and I applied to grad school at Appalachian State University (Go Neers!).  After grad school, I worked in Granville County Schools for 2 ½ years before applying with DPS. I keep busy with my girls, friends and local extended family.  To make some travel money and stay off of Amazon, I have worked a variety of part-time jobs: Event staff at DPAC (7/18-12/21) and Pharmacy Tech at CVS (7/18-now).  I love the students, families, and staff at Mangum!

Jill Blalock- English as a Second Language (ESL)

My name is Jill Blalock and I have been the ESL teacher at Mangum and Little River since 2021.  I attended Penn State University for my undergraduate degree- Elementary Education and The University of Virginia for my master’s in Educational Administration. I began my teaching career in Northern Virginia as a 1st and 2nd grade teacher and then moved to ESL. I have been teaching ESL for the past 17 years.  I am National Board Certified in English as a New Language and also serve as a mentor to other teachers pursuing their certification.

I live in Bahama with my husband, Phil, our two children (recent Mangum graduates), and our three dogs. I enjoy spending time outdoors watching my kids in their various activities and at the lake.

Paige Lenczden - Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)

I joined the Mangum team as the SLP when I moved to NC in 2022. I feel so fortunate to serve this school! The community is incredibly welcoming, and the students bring a smile to my face every day. 

I am originally from Florida, where I earned my BA in Linguistics and BS in Psychology from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and then my Master's in Speech-Language Pathology from USF in Tampa. While in Tampa I provided speech-language therapy in Hillsborough County Public Schools, the 7^th largest district in the country. This has allowed me to appreciate Mangum's smaller family community all the more!

I have thoroughly enjoyed making Durham my home, be it going to a show at DPAC, watching the Bulls, or spending a sunny afternoon at Duke Gardens or Jordan Lake. I look forward to another year of supporting Mangum students in their communication skills! 

Nancy Wicker-MTSS & Interventionist

My name is Nancy Wicker, and I am a Graduate of Meredith College. I Earned My Bs in Child Development and I am Certified K-6. This is my 25th year teaching in the public school system and my 18th year here at Mangum. I am beyond thrilled to be teaching Kindergarten, Here at Mangum. I am married to a wonderful guy named Kevin. I Have Two Terrific Children. Michael is the owner of All-star Contracting  and Libby Is a sophomore at UNC-CH. I love DPS and Mangum has my heart.

Katina Braswell - Social Worker

My name is Katina Braswell and I am the School Social Worker for Eno Valley and Mangum Elementary Schools. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from East Carolina University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work Practice from Virginia Commonwealth University. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified School Social Worker (CSSW) in the State of NC. I have several years of mental health experience working with various target populations. I have worked for Durham Public Schools since 2010. I believe in teaching and modeling the behavior that we want to see in our students.
“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” – Chinese Proverb