Meet our team

Debbie has worked in the early childhood education field for over 32 years. She began her career in a toddler classroom and later moved into management as a Center Director. She quickly became a Regional Manager overseeing six early learning centers in Cleveland, Ohio. Today, she helps support operations in Cleveland and Columbus. Debbie is excited to join the Franklin community and bring an educational early learning experience to the families in the area.

Mr. Hackett is the Office Manager at Franklin Learning Academy. He grew up in Gainesville, Florida, and went to school at Colgate University where he studied psychology and sociology. He has worked as a youth soccer referee, a summer camp counselor at Camp Crystal Lake, and as a programming manager at Exploration Schools Incorporated. In all of his roles, Mr. Hackett has enjoyed challenging himself with all of the chaos and unpredictability that working with little ones throws at him, and is excited to use his skills here at FLA. Mr. Hackett loves watching and playing sports, especially basketball and soccer. He also loves to travel and spend time with his pets.

Mrs. Copen started her career in education as an Intervention Specialist teaching Grades 1-8. She received her bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Akron in 1998 and her Master’s in Administration PreK-12 in 2011. After an Internship in 2012, Mrs. Copen became the principal of a K-4 school in Norton, Ohio. During this time, she also became a Certified Speaker through the UpsideDown Organization in Baltimore. She develops and delivers professional development programs on brain-based learning for educators and parents. In 2013 Mrs. Copen won “Teacher of the Year,” and in 2017 she earned the “Momentum Award” from the state of Ohio due to all of her scholars passing their state achievement tests and being the leader of her school. Mrs. Copen loves leading her school communities and she is very excited to see the growth of her students and staff.