Heather Brekke teaches first grade at Basha Elementary. She started working at the school in 2003 after beginning her career in her home state of South Dakota. Brekke left Arizona in 2016 and taught in Florida for two years. When she moved back to the Valley she also returned to Basha Elementary... Read more

Sharon Granger has been teaching for 22 years— seven of those at Towne Meadows Elementary. She teaches fourth grade, which she loves.

Granger says that fourth-graders are a perfect blend of innocence and independence. “They love school, they love you. Everything is exciting,” explains... Read more

Graham Dawkins teaches sixth grade at Tarwater Elementary. He has been at Tarwater for three years and has been teaching for eight years since he changed career paths.

“Teaching is a second career,” explains Dawkins, who previously worked in restaurant management. Dawkins says he wishes... Read more

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