Citlaxochitl Venzor-Enrique teaches first grade at Encanto Elementary. She teaches in the Dual Language Program, which means that she teaches 50 percent of the class in Spanish and teacher Amanda Herscovici teaches 50 percent in English. 

Maestra Xochitl teaches reading and writing in... Read more

Peggy Whiting has been teaching at Scott Libby Elementary for over 30 years. When she was young, Whiting says she knew she wanted to be a teacher and to have a big family. She found her career and also an extended family at Scott Libby.

Whiting has a large family outside of school—she and... Read more

Karen Golden is a longtime elementary school librarian. She is also a longtime adviser for Bear Essential News’ Young Reporters Program. For the last seven years, she has been working with students at Arizona Desert Elementary.

Golden first started as an adviser for Bear... Read more

Shannon Yturraspe is a special education teacher at Coyote Ridge Elementary. Yturraspe has been a teacher for four years and has worked at the school for over 10 years. She was an educational assistant in the autism program, then decided to get her teaching degree. 

“When the time came... Read more

James A. Weaver D.D.S., M.S. • Laura Robinson-Rabe D.M.D., M.S. • Kyle Rabe D.D.S., M.S.

Dr. JAW Orthodontists and Bear Essential News would like to congratulate the outstanding educators recognized as... Read more

Patrick Brennan brings his love of music and sports into the classroom and shares these interests with his students. Brennan teaches fifth grade at White Elementary.  

Brennan feels that music, sports, technology and other extracurricular activities can spark students who might not be... Read more

Joanne Grove has been teaching at Tanque Verde Elementary for 25 years. She will be retiring at the end of this school year.  

Grove started in a part-time job with the district and worked as a substitute before she began teaching full time. This year, she co-teaches a fifth-grade class... Read more

Kristin Breinlinger has been teaching for 14 years. The Long Island native taught for four years in New York before moving to Arizona. She teaches third grade at Sycamore Elementary.  

Breinlinger was inspired to become a teacher because of a history teacher at her middle school. “At... Read more

Elizabeth Valenzuela has been teaching for five years, three at Wheeler Elementary. She teaches the fifth-grade GATE class. 

Valenzuela is originally from Sonora, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was 10 years old. She recalls, “I didn’t really like school when I was in... Read more

Paul Pierce teaches fifth grade at Acacia Elementary. He previously taught third grade and fifth grade at Desert Willow Elementary. 

He says he really enjoyed teaching third grade, but he also feels that fifth grade is a good fit for him. As one of only a few male teachers, it lets him “... Read more