Record staff turnover leads to wave of new teachers

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: Before I was here I was at the South City campus, and this is my thirty-first year in education. So I was at South City for four years, I was an honors math teacher, as well as an instructional teacher. Q: What is something that you want people to know about you? A: What I want people to know about me is that I’m very good teacher. ...

Q: What classes do you teach? A: English I, English ll, English l honors, and American Literature. Q: What would you say is your favorite class to teach? A: I’ve taught English l before and I’ve taught English ll, but I’ve never taught American Literature and we’re reading the ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ which if you know anything about that it’s pretty crazy. I think it’s going to be a pretty i...

Q: What were you doing before you start working GCAA? A: I worked at Normandy middle school, I was the seventh grade counselor. Q: What’s your long term goal for the students? A: To graduate and get an amazing job. Q: What are you looking forward to at GCAA? A: Getting to know all the students. I want to go to all the performances....

Q: How long have you been teaching? A: This is actually my very first year. Q: Where did you go to college? What did you major and minor in? A: MIZZOU. I majored in secondary English education. So, my degree was in high school education. I had a minor in English and I had a certificate of multicultural studies, and then I went back and I took an exam so I could teach middle school English...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: I was a music choir teacher at University City this would be my sixth year teaching. Q: What is something that you want people to know about you? A: I have been singing for twenty years so therefore, I really love my job and singing and inspiring people to sing more. Q:What’s your long-term goal for your students or class? ...

Q: How long have you been in your field and what inspired you to do what you do? A: Hello, my name is Ashley Olson, head of the school GCAA I have been in education for 12 years going on 13 years, I was actually an theater artist living in New York and found more satisfaction in and comfort personally when I was in the class during my day job. Q: What is something that you want people to know...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? “I taught at CPA where I taught ACT math and public speaking and poetry I was also the A+ coordinator and the AP coordinator.” Q: How was that experience different than GCAA? “There [at CPA] I was teaching 11th and 12th graders and I think they're easier to work with, they’re more motivated...8th grader’s don’t have the big ...

What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? “I was working as a mental health therapist for adolescents...and recommending them for additional treatment.” What is something you want people to know about you? “That I have a passion for teaching and that I am concerned about the teacher’s futures.” What is your long term goal for your students or class? “To have...

Q: What were you working as before GCAA? A: “I was the assistant principal at Confluence South City School.” Q: What is something you want people to know about you? A: “I am very passionate in student education, I believe that education can provide choices and options in life, and no one should ever give up on their dreams.” Q: What is your long-term goal for your students or c...

Q: What did you do before you came to GCAA? A: I was a child, youth, and family therapist. Q: What does that entail? A: Working with the students that need more one on one as opposed to the solution focused of a school counsellor. So I would have met with students regularly. So say you came in and you were dealing with anxiety or grief or suicidal ideation, we could meet once a week, we c...

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the school? A: “Making sure all our girls get along, thats what im trying to accomplish take out all the who where what, who like who, who’s hair is what, all that. Don't need it we come to school to learn, so as much as I can, everytime I see a situation when it comes to girls arguing over hair whoever what I would like to change that. I would like to tal...

Q: What were you doing before you started working here? A: I have about a little over a decade of experience in nonprofit arts administration. I spent many years with Shakespeare St. Louis, growing their education programs, so I’ve been teaching after school, or short time workshops, summer camps, that kind of thing. I’ve also worked with pretty much every theatre company in the area, as an aud...

Q: What were you doing before you started working here? A: I worked for Confluence Academy Old North, we serve grades pre-k through sixth grade. And prior to that I came from a school called Kipp. Q: What is something that you want people to know about you? A: I like to spread joy and humor wherever I go. Deep down inside, I really want to be this comedian, and so one day I’m going to b...

Q: What does a resource educator do? A: I do some pull out and individual work with kids who have special needs or have different learning styles and learn differently but what confluence really likes us to do and the vast majority of what I do is pushing them, and I push them through all kinds of classes throughout the day and assist all students in those classes. Especially pushing them in like bio...

Q: What do you teach? A: I teach biology, animal behavior, and physics. Q: How many years have you been teaching? A: 25 years. Q: What is your favorite thing about being a teacher? A: I love children--I love students. I love teaching students, watching them learn and grow. Q: Where did you go to college? What was your major? A: I went to Southern Illinois University. My major was biological sci...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: “I have been teaching music at the college level, and I still do, but I’ve split my time now to the point where I’m teaching half time here and half time at Lindenwood University.  I have to be super organized to stay on top of it, because it's a totally different environment and the scheduling works differently here with the block ...

Q: What subject do you teach? A: I teach seventh grade science. Technically, it’s physical science, but we do get into some other topics, as well, that aren’t strictly physical science, like body systems… My other class is engineering. Q: How many years have you been teaching? A: This is my first year teaching. Q: Where did you go to college and what was your major? A: Lindenwood...

What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? “I originally got into music because I was a rock musician, so when I was 14 or 15 I started playing in bands and that was my first musical experience. I did that for a living most of the time until I started teaching. When I went to college I joined the choir there...there was a new choir director at the college one year and he took me un...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: “I was a stay at home mom. I liked being a stay at home mom, but I felt like I was ready to get out and do something else, because my kids are both grown and graduated...I had gotten my music education degree before I got married, and I just never used it, so my daughter was a student at GCAA, until last year, when she graduated, a...

Q: What does a Process Coordinator do? A: In special education, we are compelled to follow state laws, and federal laws, because special education really deals with the rights of the disabled student. In order to be confident that we are following the laws appropriately, we have multiple checks throughout the special education process. I am in charge of the intake for special education. For instanc...

Q: What were you working as before GCAA? A: “I was teaching middle school at Normandy - 7th and 8th grade” Q: What is something you want people to know about you? A: “I am in the Army, and I have a podcast.” Q: What is your long-term goal for your students or class? A: “To go to the next grade, in the next part of US History, and be able to handle it and know more than what they’re ex...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: “Before I worked at GCAA, I was teaching at St. Louis public schools; middle school math. Before I was teaching I worked for direct TV for a long time, I was a supervisor over about 200 people. I’m an entrepreneur as well, I own my own mobile car detailing company. I was a singer and a rapper, and I went to school in Tennessee for ...

Q: What classes do you teach? A: I teach English II, which are sophomores, and I teach Graphic Novel and Writers Workshop. Q: What would you say is your favorite class to teach? A: To teach I would say it’s my sophomores. What we get to do in there in terms of curriculum is really exciting. We get to do some dystopian fiction. The title of that course is ‘Social Justice and the Human Conditi...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: “Massage therapy. This is my first year as an official teacher. I’ve just had my teaching certificate for one year. But I’ve taught abroad as an english teacher on two occasions. So years ago I had taught in Taiwan for one year as an english teacher and I taught in Japan as an english teacher. And I also worked as a teacher assista...

Q: What’s your job at GCAA? A: “I am a special educations teacher, but I like to refer to myself as a ‘learning strategist.’” Q: What were you working as before GCAA? A: “I taught in the Normandy school district as an english teacher.” Q: What is something you want people to know about you? A: “Probably my career is my hobby.” Q: What is your long-term goal for ...

Q: What were you doing before working security here? A: “Well I call this the kid business, I've been in the kid business for 28 years. I've been a juvenile detention officer, I've been a juvenile corrections officer, I've been a juvenile probation officer, for twelve years. I've been a counselor for the family unit surrounding the kids, I've been a psychologist, probably not officially but I've...

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA? A: Before working for Grand Center Arts Academy, I worked one year for KIPP Victory Academy teaching kindergarten through fourth grade art. I also taught for six years at Queen of All Saints School where I taught kindergarten through eighth grade art, as well as two Project Lead the Way courses: Design and Modeling, and Automation and Robotics...