Faculty & Staff
Duncan Collins
Head of School
Duncan grew up in Hope, AR. He met his wife Krystal in high school, and they were married in 2015. God has graciously given them two sons. Duncan attended Ouachita Baptist University where he obtained his B.A. in Political Science. After being called to ministry in college, he attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. There he obtained his M.Div. and Th.M. before completing his Ph.D. in Old Testament. Duncan and Krystal returned to Arkansas in 2019, and he was called to pastor Gravel Hill Baptist Church in Benton where he still serves as Teaching Pastor. Christian education is Duncan’s primary love, and he believes it is the key piece that is missing in modern discipleship. He is convinced that PCA is able to assist parents in the calling of Deuteronomy 6 to form children into intelligent, virtuous disciples of Christ.
Renee Reed
Kindergarten Teacher
Born and raised in Indiana, Renée met her husband Tim while earning her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Tennessee. The Reeds were married in 1982 and have resided in Little Rock since 1989. They have three children and three grandchildren. Mrs. Reed taught second grade in Knoxville, TN, and also homeschooled her own children before coming to PCA. God has given Renée a heart for children, and she enjoys the distinctly Christian and classical curriculum at Pinnacle Classical Academy.
Kim was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida where she met her husband Brandon while earning her B.S. in Early Childhood Education at the Florida State College at Jacksonville. Kim and Brandon were married in 2014 and moved to Texas. Kim taught kindergarten in Florida and then in Texas at private-Christian schools for a few years. She and her husband now have 4 kids and moved to Arkansas for her husband’s job as a worship pastor at Christ Community Church. She is now excited to be back in the classroom teaching at PCA, where her 3 oldest kids are attending. She has a heart for teaching students and watching them grow in their love for learning and for the Lord.
Kim Hochstetler
1st Grade Teacher
Teresa Ingram
2nd Grade Teacher
A lifelong Arkansas resident, Teresa has been married to her husband Mark for over 30 years. The Ingrams are parents to six children and two grandchildren. Teresa homeschooled her children using classical methods until deciding to return to school to finish her degree in education. Teresa received a BSE from Henderson State University in 2013. Since that time, she has taught preschool, kindergarten, third and fourth grades in public and private schools. Teresa and Mark enjoy serving Christ at their local church in Alexander.
Carrie is originally from Memphis, where she met and married her husband Ken. They have three children – Will, Emma, and Drew. Carrie earned her B.S and M.S. degrees in special education from the University of Memphis. She taught for 4 years in the inner city of Memphis and one year in the suburbs of Allentown, PA. For the next several years, she enjoyed her time at home with her children. During her years at home, she worked as a developmental therapist for Tennessee Early Intervention System providing specialized teaching to children with special needs as well as teaching part-time at Special Kids and Families. She also worked part-time as a private tutor for several years at Little Rock Christian Academy. Mrs. Knecht feels blessed every day to be on staff at PCA where she can be a part of such a wonderful community of teachers, parents, and students.
4th Grade & Upper School Teacher
Carrie Knecht
3rd/4th Grade Teacher
Justin Hilliard
Justin grew up in southern Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma where he met his wife Valerie and earned a BA in Ethics and Religion. The two have been married for over 20 years and have three children. After sensing a call to ministry, he received his MA in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC, and served as a pastor in North Texas for about ten years while simultaneously home-schooling his three children. It was during this time that he came to deeply appreciate the classical method of education. That combination of Christian ministry and classical teaching has sparked a passion for education that recognizes just how vital it is for us to rightly train up our children in the way that God would have them to go (Proverbs 22:6).
5th/6th Grade Teacher
Katelyn Lape
Katelyn grew up in Arkansas, where she was homeschooled with a strong classical influence. In the Fall of 2018, Katelyn began attending Faulkner University in Montgomery Alabama. During her time at Faulkner, Katelyn worked as an English tutor and treasured her time in Great Books, a classical honors program. After earning a B.S. in English, Katelyn returned to Arkansas, where she enjoys working with the youth of her church. Katelyn attributes a classical education for her love of learning and is thrilled and honored to work at PCA.
Mary Peery
Academic Dean
In many ways Mary views PCA as a child that God has given her the privilege of nurturing. Her greatest desire is to see students leave Pinnacle with a vibrant and growing relationship with Christ. As a teacher, she has also always desired for her students to love learning and, through that love, to be constantly seeking God’s Truth in all that crosses their paths. She graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Music then received her Pharm.D. degree from the University of Florida. She and her husband Dave met and were married in Richmond, Virginia. After their first child, Jacob, was born, Mary transitioned from practicing pharmacy to being a mother. She classically homeschooled her children for eight years and has loved the opportunity to teach in a classroom environment since PCA’s doors opened in 2010.
Jake Hilburn
Upper School Teacher
Jake grew up in Harrison, Arkansas and is married with four children. He attended Ouachita Baptist University. He then went to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and received a Masters of Divinity degree and has lived in Little Rock a little over a decade serving Pinnacle Classical Academy and his church. He loves the heart and culture of Pinnacle Classical Academy and hopes to teach a group of young men and women to think, speak, and live out of the wisdom that God in Christ gives through his Word and through the lessons and principles learned through the great books of Western civilization.
Laurel is a native of Little Rock. She was privileged to join Pinnacle Classical Academy as a student in 2010, its first year as a school, and to be in its first graduating class. Beginning in 2018, she attended Bryan College, where she completed a B.A. in English with a focus in Literature and a B.A. in Liberal Arts with a focus in the Humanities in 2022. She now has the honor of returning to Pinnacle as an upper school teacher in 2022 while working on an M.A. in Management and Leadership. Having been incredibly blessed by PCA as a student—by the classical model, the mission and vision of PCA, and the dedication and care of the teachers here—it has been an honor and a joy for her to work with the school once again as a faculty member.
Laurel McLaughlin
Upper School Teacher
Kim Fox
Math Teacher
Kim grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. She and her husband married 34 years ago and moved to Little Rock shortly thereafter. They have five children (ranging from 29-16 years of age) and six grandchildren (all under 6 years old). She earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She homeschooled all of her children until high school and is currently homeschooling her youngest son during his high school years. Her desire is to help students succeed in and even find a love for math.
Pre-K Teacher
Jennifer Gibson
Jennifer is a native of North Little Rock, Arkansas. She graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in 1999, and then moved to Texas to attend seminary where she met her husband Mark. She completed her M.A. degrees in Christian Education and Ministry-Based Evangelism in 2003. In the years following graduation, a friend introduced her to Christian classical education. Jennifer accepted a position teaching kindergarten at Covenant Classical School where she taught for three years until her oldest child was born in 2007. In 2014, her family moved home to Arkansas to help with the family business. At that time, her oldest entered first grade at PCA. Jennifer’s appreciation and passion for Christian classical education has grown over the years as all four of her children currently attend PCA. She is especially grateful to be a part of preparing four and five year olds to enter kindergarten at PCA. Her heart’s desire is to foster students’ love of learning about their Creator and His world.
Amy Pendergist
Administrative Assistant
Amy grew up in a small town in north central Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor's of Interior Design and a minor in Art History. She met her husband Bill while finishing her degree, and they were married in 2007. Amy has served in her home as a stay-at-home mom while operating a small Interior Design business on the side. With all four of their children now at PCA, Amy decided to set into a full-time position as both administrative assistant and art teacher for two classes. Amy's desire is to continue to see the students flourish not only in their love for education, but more importantly in love for their Savior.
Brandon Hochstetler
Music Teacher
Brandon is originally from Nashville, Tennessee. He and his wife Kim were married in 2014 and have four children. He attended Trinity Baptist College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he received a bachelor's and master’s degree in Church Music. He currently serves as the worship pastor at Christ Community Church. His desire is to point others to Jesus and enjoys doing that through music.