Teaching Staff-
Animas High School has a staff of 10:
Head of School Michael Ackerman hails most recently from Prescott, Ariz., where he was chief executive officer of Learn Outdoors, an educational nonprofit.
Director of Student Services Jake Lauer has a master’s degree in teaching from Smith College of Northampton, Mass., and experience as an Outward Bound instructor.
Humanities teachers John and Lori Fisher, a husband-and-wife team, were hired from High Tech High in San Diego.
Cathy Cullicott and Colleen Dunning will teach math and science.
Jeff Digiacomo will coordinate exceptional student services.
Math specialist Carla Rossi has taught at Durango and Montrose high schools.
Digital arts teacher Roxanne McKnight is a Fort Lewis College graduate.
Spanish and digital media teacher John Sheedy is a Durango native and a documentary filmmaker.
•2 Humanities, 2 Math/Science, 1 Math Specialist, 1 Digital Arts/Art, 1 Spanish/Digital Media
• All core instructors are certified in teaching area
• All instructors are highly qualified in teaching area
• 6 of the 7 have graduate degrees
• 7 of 7 have post-graduate training/licensure/additional ed
• 4 of the 8 graduated with distinction/cum laude
Admin Staff
• Head of School
• Director of Student Services
• Coordinator of Exceptional Student Services
Animas High School Teaching Staff
We are filled with excitement for the upcoming school year. The team of educators we’ve pulled together at AHS are a very impressive lot. When hiring staff, it is important to find the right blend of experience coupled with the ability to positively impact and inspire our students. Every teacher that is beginning with Animas High has impressed me with their skills sets and talents. I also tried to find the right blend of personalities for our staff. AHS teachers work in teams and it was very important to develop the right chemistry amongst our teachers. I feel the collection of educators at AHS is top notch and parents/students should be very excited for all the great things to come.
There was a strong call for our teachers to be experienced; we have long time teachers who are seasoned classroom veterans. There also has been great success in our model school (High Tech High in San Diego) with employing professionals who decided to make the switch to teaching; I’m excited to work with these folks who were inspired to teach and to share what they’ve experienced in “the real world” But Overall, we have an assembled team of teachers that believe in Animas High. They believe in the school’s academic model and experiential methodologies. They recognize the importance of best practices and continually seek to improve themselves and their teaching. They will assist in cultivating our culture of excellence and inspire our students towards great success!
Staff must not only be certified/highly qualified in their subject areas, they must be renaissance educators. Teaching class is only one of their responsibilities. We’ve hired teachers who can also facilitate a wide array of Student Interest Groups (electives) coach sports and work as student advisors. Teaching at AHS goes far beyond the four walls of the classroom and we have succeeded in identifying staff that have many amazing talents and interests to offer our students.
Quick Overview of How We Have Organized our Depts.-
Humanities Dept.– Both teachers are certified in both Language Arts and Social Studies. Both are seasoned teachers and both have advanced degrees. Our Humanities team is coming straight from HTH and will also act as team leads and mentors for staff in the model. Also included in this team is Director of Student Services. In addition to handling all of the school and student body’s scheduling and logistical needs, our DSS will also be facilitating communications– the school newspaper and AHS radio program.
Math/Sci. Dept.– “Bridging the gender gap in math and the sciences is an investment in our country's future. Educators and organizations everywhere are making that investment by introducing female students to fascinating career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” At Animas High, we are honored to have an all-female Math/Science team to foster mastery and inspire all of our students. All of our Math/Sci teachers are certified in CO. We heard loud and clear from the community that math has always been an area of weakness for students in Southwestern CO (and across the entire US). Throughout this process, parents have echoed the call for a program that builds a strong foundation of mathematical skills. At AHS, we’ve taken additional steps to address this need by adding a third teacher to the mix. Working in teams, our math specialist will play a key role in classroom differentiation, skill remediation and can offer our advanced mathematics students the opportunity to pursue highly complex material and AP prep. The entire Math/Science department has advanced degrees/post-graduate trainings/licensure and extremely strong professional backgrounds.
• Digital Arts/Graphic Design/Traditional Art- We have hired an amazing teacher that is a computer whiz! In addition to having mastered both PC and Mac environments, our Art teacher is an accomplished professional photographer, painter and mixed media artist. She has her CO Secondary Licensure in Art K-12 and will also act as our campus curator, facilitating the display of student work and giving life to the walls, display cases and ceilings of Animas High.
Spanish– Our Spanish teacher is one of a kind. Highly Qualified with advanced degrees in both Spanish and Art, John also is a successful filmmaker with international acclaim. In addition to teaching Spanish, this teacher also will be teaching Digital Media electives (filmmaking/photography) and spearheading our outreach to the Hispanic community. At AHS our want is to have our student body reflect the diversity found within our region. Interesting to note, the college education gap between White and Hispanic students is larger in Colorado (36%) than any other state and is twice the national average. We believe Animas High School can bridge that gap and address these disparities in our community. We are lucky to have such an inspirational educator whose work has and will continue to inspire young adults throughout the world.
Our Team
Jake Lauer– AHS Director of Student Services/Registrar
• MA in teaching from Smith College–
w/ Concentrations in US & World History
• BA in Journalism and Technical Communication from CSU
w/ a minor in Spanish
• Credentialed in CO, CA and MA
Relevant Experience: Big Bro./Sister Case Manager, Academic Tutor, Social Studies Teacher, History Teacher, SPED teacher, ELL Coordinator, Naturalist, High School Sports Coach, Outward Bound Instructor, Reporter
Relevant Skills:
Proficient communicator, Excellent Computer Skills, Strong Writer, Spanish
Did you know Jake lived in Washington DC and wrote for the Scripps Howard News Service covering US government and politics for the wire?
Catherine Cullicott– AHS Math/Science Teacher
• MS in Geology from University of Washington
• BA in Geology from Princeton University-cum laude
• CO Secondary Teaching License in Science
• CO State Licensing Test- Highly Qualified in Mathematics
Relevant Experience: Accomplished High School and College Instructor having taught all levels of Science and Math including Pre-Algebra/Algebra and Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Physics, Geology, Physical Science, Earth Science and Outdoor Education
Relevant Skills: Accomplished teacher. Excellent organizational and communication skills, Published scientist and researcher, Wilderness First Responder
Did You Know that Cathy is a 3rd degree black belt in Aikido and instructs classes in the martial arts? She also has coached volleyball for many years.
Colleen Dunning– AHS Math/Science Teacher
• BS in Environmental and Forest Biology with a focus in
Wildlife from NY State University
• AAS in Natural Resources Conservation from Finger Lakes
• Teaching Licensure Program, Colorado State University
• CO Secondary Teaching License in General Science
Relevant Experience: High school teacher, tutor and substitute teaching experience, Wildlife Technician, Field Based Scientific Researcher.
Relevant Skills: Dynamic and Impactful Educator, Advanced computer skills, highly organized and excellent communicator. Professional Scientist and Ecologist with work in tracking, radio telemetry, DNA sampling and GPS mapping. Advanced applications for mathematics in research and field settings.
Did you know that Colleen was a crew leader for the US Forest Service tracking bears in the Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project? She maintains a terrific online blog at www.engageinbiology.blogspot.com
Colleen Dunning grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Before transferring to a four year University, Colleen earned her Associates Degree in Natural Resource Conservation. During this time she also earned Educator status at Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center in Henrietta, NY where she provided educational programs for girl scout, boy scout and school groups. Colleen attended the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse where she graduated Cum Laude with her Bachelor’s in Science in 2004. While earning her degree, she worked on an entomology related graduate study, completed an independent research project, and volunteered for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in North Carolina. After her graduation, Colleen worked for the U.S. Forest Service on the Great Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Research Project in Montana, where she hiked extensively throughout southern Montana and collected DNA samples. Colleen moved to Colorado with her husband in 2005. Since then she has worked as a wildlife technician for Boulder County Parks and Open Space, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Through her various volunteer and work experiences, Colleen has had the opportunity to provide educational programs for kids, young adults and seniors. Colleen found these opportunities to be challenging and rewarding, and this led her to pursue a career in education. In 2007 Colleen return to college and earned her Colorado Teaching License with an endorsement in Science from Colorado State University. During this time, Colleen volunteered with the Environmentor program at CSU and worked with a high school senior to complete an environmental research project. She also worked as a tutor for the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at Wellington Junior High School where she helped seventh and eighth grade students develop the skills necessary to advocate for their own success. Colleen fulfilled her student teaching requirement at Durango High School. Here, she taught three sections of Conceptual Chemistry and several sections of sophomore Biology. After completion of her teaching licensure program, Colleen worked as a substitute teacher for all content areas and all grade levels for both the 9-R and 10-R School Districts.
While Colleen has focused on Biology in her schooling and career, she is highly qualified in all science content and has outstanding references to back-up her quality as an educator. Colleen Dunning is eager to begin work with Animas High School and work with students to complete meaningful community based projects that will help them apply their knowledge of Physics and Algebra.
Carla Rossi– Mathmatics Specialist
• MA in Educational Technology– Northern Colorado University– graduated with distinction
• CO Secondary Mathematics Certification—Mesa State College
• BS Mathematics and Computer Science with a minor in computer technology– Indiana State University– graduated cum laude
Carla Rossi grew up in southern Indiana. She graduated magna cum laude from Indiana State University in 1982 with a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science and a minor in Computer Technology. She began her career in Software Engineering, gaining experience working on military communications systems for Lockheed Austin Division, supervising the semiconductor product engineering software support group for Motorola, writing and enhancing electrical engineering and physics software applications for Motorola, writing pipeline simulation software for Scientific Software-Intercomp, and serving as the Network Security Administrator for Compaq Computer Corporation.
Carla married her husband, Alex in 1984 in Austin, Texas. They had five children in a period of seven years, and Carla quit work to home-school them. Carla has always loved learning and wanted to impart the ability to study and a love of learning to her children. When her sons were middle-school age, they all went to a private school. Carla was hired to run the computer lab, teach technology and honors pre-calculus, trigonometry and calculus. She rediscovered her passion for mathematics and realized that she loved teaching all students.
Carla obtained her teaching certification, and has taught high school math for both Montrose High School and Durango High School. She was honored by her community in Montrose by being named a finalist for Teacher of the Year in 2005, where she and her sons implemented a school-wide math tutoring program which continues to this day. Over 20 honors students volunteered daily to tutor in her classroom, where any student needing tutoring was welcome. Many students have benefited from the program. She has taught all levels of math from pre-algebra through AP Statistics. Carla earned her M.A. degree in Instructional Technology from The University of Northern Colorado, graduating with distinction.
Carla’s three oldest children will be in college during the upcoming academic school year. Her oldest son, Anthony, a National Merit Scholar, will be a senior at Texas A&M University majoring in Electrical Engineering. Her second son, Phillip, a National Hispanic Scholar, will be a junior at Texas A&M University majoring in Petroleum Engineering. Her oldest daughter, Allie, will be entering the University of Houston and is planning to major in Architecture. All three are on academic scholarship. Carla’s daughter, Hannah, will be a junior at Durango High School. Her youngest, Becca, is looking forward to being a student at Animas High School.
Carla enjoys teaching, and feels at home in the classroom. She values all students, and believes all students can learn and deserve the opportunity to learn. She continues to study and take on-line classes in mathematics and technology-related topics. She constantly strives to be a better teacher, and enjoys developing relationships with students and their parents so that they may work together to help each student find success. She is looking forward to serving the parents and students of Animas High School.
Lori Fisher– AHS Humanities
• MA in Education from Stanford University
• BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from UC Berkley
• CA Secondary Licensing in Social Science and English
Relevant Experience– High Tech High Humanities Teacher (2006-present) Accomplished teacher and mentor
Relevant Skills– Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong understanding of HTH model. Extensive Social Justice work and skills working with low-income, disadvantaged youth
Did you know Lori is an avid SCUBA diver whose passions for the ocean have taken her and her students around the world on diving expeditions?
Lori Fisher joined the High Tech High educational community in 2007 and currently teaches 10th grade humanities at High Tech High Media Arts. She will be teaching 9th grade humanities for Animas High School.
Lori earned a bachelors degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters in Education from Stanford University's STEP Program.
Berkeley and Stanford have given me an amazing education, a passion for politics and peace, and a deep belief in the global connections between individuals and societies. Contrary to popular predictions by naysayers, I had no problem at all finding a job with my obscure degree in Peace and Conflict Studies. I worked as a State Coalition Organizer (read grant writer and lobbyist) at YouthBuild USA before deciding to pursue graduate work in education as it became my passion.
Lori naturally brings a global perspective to the design of her humanities projects - including courses in Identity, Globalization and Politics - from study abroad in Chile and work in Thailand where she obtained her SCUBA certification as a dive master. She is leading San Diego 10th graders to Thailand in March during their spring break.
Lori and her husband, John Fisher, who is also a High Tech High teacher, will both play an important role in Animas High’s emergence as a “high tech high” school.
I look forward to working with your new head of school, Michael Ackerman, bringing my expertise and experience with project design to a new context. In addition to my experience with a diverse array of students learning through project-based education, I also bring Animas High my experience mentoring teachers who may be new to this model. John and I are looking forward to moving to Durango!
John Fisher– AHS Humanities
• MA in Composition from San Francisco State University
• BA in Philosophy from UC Santa Cruz
• Reading and Writing Teaching Certificates from San Francisco State
University
• CA Secondary Licensure in English and Social Science
Relevant Experience– High Teach High Humanities Teacher (2008– Present) Instructor and Tutor at the High School and College levels. Composition and Writing Mentor
Relevant Skills– Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong understanding of the HTH model.
Did you know that John was the tour manager for the rock and roll band Dreg and former college writing professor?
John Fisher attained a BA in Philosophy from UC Santa Cruz in 2001, and an MA in Composition and Reading from San Francisco State in 2005, for which he won the departmental distinction award.John was passionately teaching writing to college students before joining the High Tech High faculty on the San Diego campus last fall. Immersed with his students at High Tech High, he is also currently finishing his secondary teaching credential in both English and History from the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. Watch video and learn more about this exciting new program here.
Project based learning is an exciting way to prepare students to excel in a college environment. Writing for real audiences in real contexts changes everything. Having your work on public display creates incentives to reflect and refine like no other context, and that helps to create not only beautiful student work, but beautiful teaching. John brings his varied passions to his students, and enjoys learning from them as much as he enjoys teaching them. Under the larger scope of "the Humanities" John gets his students excited about the connections between past and present - the larger historical trends and what's happening around them today. In teaching the relevance of ancient philosophy to their daily lives, he encourages them to express those relationships as "sentence ninjas."John looks forward to the magnificent four season opportunities for exploring the natural world of Southwest Colorado with his wife and co-teacher, Lori Fisher. Between studies and teaching, John has lived and studied in a Hindu ashram in India, worked on a reforestation project in Costa Rica, learned to scuba dive in Bali, and has been a tour manager for the band Dredg.
Roxanne E. McKnight– Digital Arts and AHS Curator
• BA in Art Education with a minor in Adolescent Psychology, Fort Lewis– graduated Cum Lade
Relevant Experience: Teacher, substitute and Mentor throughout CO. Professional Photographer and Artist. Experience designing multi-cultural learning opportunities for students
Relevant Skills: Accomplished photographer and mixed media artist, acclaimed exhibitions. Expert computer skills in both Mac and PC environments. Community connections and local artist resources
Did you know that Roxy is an acclaimed local artist with works and exhibitions found throughout Durango? She also loves to sing and dance!
John Sheedy– AHS Spanish and Digital Arts
• MA in Education from Prescott College
• Additional majors in Spanish/Art from Fort Lewis
College
• BA in Social Documentary Photography from
Prescott College
Relevant Experience: High school and College Instructor teaching Spanish, Art and Photography. Accomplished film maker and photographer who has one international awards and recognition for his documentaries; The Commute, 2003 El Inmigrante, 2005 and the Tijuana Project 2009. John also has done a tremendous amount of work with local and national media outlets including Ouzel Motion Pictures in Mexico and Al Gore’s Current TV. John has traveled the world teaching and working with Middle/High school and College Students.
Relevant Skills: Bilingual instruction, Strong commitment to service learning, Artist, Photographer and Videographer, Sustainable construction, Digital Editing
Did You Know that John is a Durango native who built his own straw bale house in town? His sustainable construction efforts have also resulted in a second, naturally built home in Mexico and together with missionaries, teachers and students, John also has spearheaded construction of a kindergarten and health clinic in Nicaragua
”To find an instructor of John’s caliber, with his ability to impact students, expand their view of the world we live in and foster in them a life long love of learning is a tremendous asset for Animas High School. Raised in Durango, John is a great example and inspiration for the young adults in our community,” says Head of School Michael Ackerman. Animas High School students will benefit from John’s experiences working with children in Mexico and Nicaragua as well as from his film making expertise. Currently John is in the post-production stages of The Tijuana Project, a documentary film about the children who live in the Tijuana garbage dump and the hope of their school (www.tijuanaproject.org). John is using his positive experiences working with the kids in Tijuana to help create a school and community center at a dump community in Nicaragua. John, with his soon to be wife Sandra, a native from Alamos, Sonora Mexico, will be based out of Durango for these projects and will be teaching Spanish and filmmaking for Animas High School in Durango.
Mr. Sheedy graduated from Prescott College in1996 with a degree in Social Documentary Photography. He earned a degree in Spanish from Fort Lewis College in 2000 and a Masters degree in Education from Prescott College, Tucson in 2005. John has taught high school and post-secondary Spanish, Mexican Culture, and Film Making. He is passionate about social issues and is a renowned documentary film maker. He co-directed the award-winning documentary El Inmigrante (www.elinmigrantemovie.com), screened in over 50 film festivals around the world and picked up for distribution.
Michael Ackerman-AHS Head of School
After a national search for its first Head of School, the Animas High Board has selected Michael Ackerman of Prescott, Arizona, from an impressive field of candidates.
“Michael stood out for many reasons. For such a young man, Michael brings a remarkable breadth of experience in educational leadership and business acumen,” said Jim Judge, professor emeritus at Fort Lewis College. “We told him he’d have to hit the ground running and he’s doing exactly that. He is a ball of fire - exactly what’s needed in developing a school as ambitious and ‘out of the box’ as Animas High School will be.”
Michael’s “can do” approach has been forged in the trenches of both public and private education. After earning his Bachelor of Arts from Prescott College, Ackerman was pursuing graduate studies at the University of New Hampshire when he was recruited by the Conway New Hampshire School District to restructure an alternative high school program. Instead of revamping, Michael recommended the creation of an entirely new program which he designed and implemented - The Tributaries Alternative Education Program.
Michael next joined a small group of talented educators in the creation of a college prep boarding school adjacent to the White Mountains National Forest. Wearing the hats of administrator and curriculum designer, he developed a marketing and enrollment plan and oversaw the creation of the four season outdoor adventure program for The Oliverian School, designed for “Bright Students with Lots of Potential.”
Michael returned to Arizona’s sunshine when offered a chance to be Director of Programs at Learn Outdoors in Prescott specializing in experiential education. Quickly rising to be CEO of this entrepreneurial non-profit, Michael developed a business plan based on public and private business partnerships to ensure that schools are able to provide students with outdoor Project Based Learning programs they would otherwise forego because of staff limitations.
All of this adds up to Michael being a perfect fit for our school and our community. We know that he and his wife are a wonderful match for all that Durango has to offer. Michael relaxes by playing in a jazz band and looks forward to sharing his love of music with AHS students. His passion for snowboarding has taken him across North America’s mountains as a professional ski patroller, avalanche educator, sponsored backcountry rider and off-piste guide. His adventure writing and photography have appeared in publications nationwide.
