Our Team

Meet Kristen Baker, lead teacher and the co-founder of The Mate School! Ms. Baker is a licensed teacher with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado in Boulder. 

She taught kindergarten for 14 years before opening The Mate School is 2020. With over 2 decades of classroom teaching experience, she is trained in a variety of literacy, writing, and math curriculums and loves to use a combination of these techniques as well as her own experience to reach all learners. 

Ms. Baker has won numerous teaching awards for her creative teaching style and ability to meet kids and families where they are at. She is also a National Geographic certified teacher who strives to inspire awe and encourage students and their families to be world changers. 

When she is not teaching, Ms. Baker loves to travel and has even taken 2 sabbaticals to travel around the world making educational videos for kids. She also teaches Pilates and loves to wakeboard, read, spend time with her family, and learn from people who are making a positive impact on the world.

Robyn King comes to The Mate School after a rewarding 20-year career in nursing and 8 years working in a veterinary clinic. 

Throughout her three children’s school years, she volunteered extensively in their elementary classrooms, where she discovered how much she enjoyed helping young learners grow and succeed. Those experiences inspired her to become a Teaching Assistant, where she strives to create a caring, encouraging, and positive classroom environment. 

She believes every child can thrive when they feel supported, valued, and excited to learn. 

Outside of school, Robyn enjoys sewing, knitting, and just about every kind of crafting. She also loves spending time with her family and her busy household of three dogs and five cats, who always keep life interesting!

Lynette Loew was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of British parents. She grew up on a 25 acre hobby farm with chickens, sheep and lots of tractors. She graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Electrical Engineering, and Northeastern University with an MS in Electrical Engineering. 

She married the man of her dreams and moved to Australia, where she spent 3 years working for the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Radiophysics. There, she designed antennas and even got to work on the Parkes Radiotelescope (which played a crucial role in receiving live television images of the Apollo 11 moon landing). She then moved to Boulder County, where she worked briefly for the Department of Commerce (ITS) before leaving to raise and homeschool her four children (K-12) - three of whom became engineers. 

Lynette tutors math & science and is a long-time professional fitness instructor; she loves to encourage children to enjoy math, science and PE. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cross country skiing, snorkeling and long cycling trips with her now-retired husband.

Lynn Kuske, the creator of 4-group Math™ brings her innovative math method to The Mate School, where she inspires students to develop confidence, understanding, and a genuine love of mathematics.

She began developing 4-group Math™ in 2001 while working in the Bellevue School District in Washington, creating an approach that helps learners of all abilities succeed in math.

For more than 25 years, Lynn has dedicated her career to helping young people grow and thrive as an educator, parent educator, and coach. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Family and Child Development from the University of Washington and a Master of Education from Antioch University Seattle.

Passionate about making math accessible and engaging, Lynn is committed to helping every student discover that they are capable of mathematical success. She is married to Brian and is a proud grandmother. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, biking, and playing pickleball.

Michael Thomas has been the Mate School mascot and beloved member of the family since the school started. He is known to cause squeals of delight out of kids who love to pet him and give him snacks.

He is also known to disrupt the class with his cuteness and squeaks! He considers all of The Mate School students his best friends and loves the attention they give to him. When he is not at school, Michael Thomas can be found, snacking, rearranging the “furniture” in his home, and more snacking.