Our Staff

Staff Resources (staff only)

For email, add @a2schools.org
Tracy Anderson Journalism, English Language Arts, Yearbook, Forum email: andersont		Tracy has been teaching high school since 1997. She is the adviser for The Communicator online and print editions, which are student-run publications that have won numerous state and national awards. She also teaches Intro to Literature, Poetry, Modern Readings, Journalism I, Advanced Journalism, and Forum. Tracy loves to spend time with her family, bake cookies, and travel. She co-authored two books that are published by Heinemann: They Still Can't Spell? and Purposeful Writing. Neither of them have been made into movies. Her right arm is significantly stronger than her left, thanks to all of the papers she grades.
Katia Angelova Teaching Assistant email: angelovae		I am a firm believer in the unique inner beauty of every human being, and I am passionate about helping those who most need it to appreciate who they are and find their strength and confidence. Adventure, rock climbing, reading, learning, dancing, and connecting and sharing precious time with friends and family are amongst my passions. I am grateful to be part of the amazing, loving, and dedicated Community High School team!
LaMar Ashford Teaching Assistant email: ashfordl
Bo Bagherpour Teaching Assistant email: bagherpourb
Patricia Ball CHS Building Substitute Teacher email: ballp
Jefferson Bilsborrow Secretary to the Dean email: bilsborrow
Traci Blancke School Social Worker email: blancket		I am the social worker at CHS. It’s exciting to be a Zebra! I am originally from Iowa, and have since lived, studied, and worked in different parts of the country and world. Most recently, I landed in Michigan where I live with my husband, Mike, and two 15 year old cats, Micio and Joni. I found the social work profession while teaching high school English and English as a Second Language, and have been a social worker ever since (about 10 years). I am a vegetarian who enjoys swimming, hiking, and visiting local coffee shops with friends.
Becky Brent Health & Wellness, Forum, Community Resource email: brentr		I began teaching students about Health in 2000, with a B.S. in School Health Studies from Western Michigan University, and an M.A. in Quality Schools from Graceland University. I marvel at the interconnectivity of the mind, the body, and the spirit, and look forward to sharing this space with students at Community this year. I am learning and growing every day, personally and professionally, and respect my students' capacity to do the same. When I'm taking a break from teaching, you can usually find me outside with family and friends.
Mary Margaret Cornish English Language Consultant
Steve Coron Visual Arts, Photography, Forum email: coron Visual Arts Department		I have had the distinct privilege of teaching at Community since 2003, and have served as a teacher in the Ann Arbor schools since 1989. I previously taught kindergarten and preschool for the University of Michigan. I currently teach classes in photography, drawing and painting, open studio, Italian Art and Culture, and Advanced Art/Portfolio Development. I have a wonderful Forum group that makes me smile and laugh every day! I am a practicing artist, currently working on a body of photographic pieces based on how humans interact with landscape. I am a native of the Upper Peninsula, and presently live in Ypsilanti with my wife Karie and two children, Philip and Julia, and our German Shepherd sisters.
Philip Daher CHS Building Substitute Teacher email: daherp
Kevin Davis Community Assistant email: davisk
Dianne Down Finance, Math Support email: down		I have finally found my dream school… Community! I have been in the classroom since 1981 and have seen many changes in education. I love working with our wonderful, respectful young people. Teaching mathematics to these students has been a dream come true! I know that our future will be in competent hands.
Dianne Dudley Personal Fitness, A2 Virtual, Forum email: dudleyd		I love teaching Fitness and Forum at Community High School. I appreciate using the community as an extended classroom. My students enjoy some of our class activities at the Arboretum, Argo Pond Loop, Wheeler Park, and the cascades.
Gretchen Eby Counseling Office Secretary email: ebyg Counseling Website		Gretchen has been the Counseling Office Secretary since 2015 and feels fortunate to be working at such a fantastic school. She has three sons who all are CHS graduates. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with family and friends, travel, run, knit, sew, and read.
Sean Eldon English Language Arts, Forum email: eldon
John Field CHS Building Substitute Teacher email: fieldj_sub
Leah Followell School Psychologist email: followelll
Emma Hamstra English Language Arts, Forum email: hamstrae		Emma is a lifelong townie, with brief stops in Washington, D.C., and Dallas, TX. She is a proud product of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, by way of Burns Park, Tappan, and Pioneer. She graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in English and Women’s and Gender Studies, and from Eastern Michigan University with an M.A. in Teaching. Her academic interests include feminist literary criticism, comic books, confessional poetry, pop culture, spoken word, rap music, and the avant-garde. In her free time, she is the assistant coach for the multi-state champions Huron women’s field hockey team, practices yoga, bakes, and hangs out with her dog, T.S. Eliot.
Marci Harris French email: harrism		I teach French I, French II, and French IV at Community, and I am the K-12 District Curriculum Coordinator for World Languages in AAPS. I graduated from the University of Michigan over 30 years ago, moved to Chicago, and started teaching French in West Aurora Schools. I moved back to Michigan a few years later, after immersing myself in the French language at Université Laval. I spent the next 22 years teaching French at Slauson Middle School, earning my Master's Degree in French at EMU, and traveling to Quebec and France when I could.
Sarah Hechler History, Forum email: hechlers		I grew up in Mount Rainier, MD, just outside of Washington, D.C. After graduating in 2008, I went to Kenyon College, where I majored in American Studies, with a concentration in Environmental Studies, and minored in Italian. After college I worked as a travel agent for six years, specializing in arranging trips for clients to the South Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, and Hawaii. I moved with my now-husband to Ann Arbor in the fall of 2014. I attended U of M 2016-2017 for my Master of Arts in Educational Studies, during which time I did my student teaching at Community. I taught U.S. History, World History, and Economics for two years at Skyline, and also taught a CR course at CHS on the History of the Pacific Islands. I live in Ypsi with my husband, Jeff, and our cat, Fermata. In my spare time, I pursue a number of hobbies: gardening, going for long walks and hikes, sewing (especially vintage patterns), playing board games, and going to the movies. I love the arts, and at the moment am enjoying watercolor painting and learning the accordion. I love theatre, especially musicals. I'm so excited for this year!
Joslyn Hunscher-Young History, Spanish, Forum, Community Resource, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator email: hunscheryoungj		As a graduate of CHS who was given the mock award of "Most Likely to Teach at CHS" from the Communicator staff her senior year, Joslyn was excited to rejoin the Rainbow Zebra family amidst the tumultuous start of the 2020-2021 academic year. Passionate about critical thinking, active inquiry, and thoughtful communication, she is excited to teach, learn, and engage with students, staff, families, and community members to make the world more just and better for us all. And if she can do that while gardening, trying new recipes, exploring nature, and/or doing mind puzzles, then all the better.
Janelle Johnson Community Resource, Forum email: johnsonja		I was born and raised in Ann Arbor and I am a former Pioneer. I have been teaching in AAPS for 11 years and I absolutely love it! My first degree is in advertising and, after a short nine months, I decided to go back to college to become a teacher. It was one of the best decisions I made!
Angela Keene CHS Building Substitute Teacher email: keenea		I graduated first from Washtenaw Community College with a degree in Photographic Technology, then continued at Eastern Michigan University, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a concentration in Photography. I have worked mainly in the field of photography: operating my own small business, managing a local school photography business, and working as a wedding photographer (which I still do). I began substitute teaching mainly in art classes within the Ann Arbor Public Schools; as a building sub at Community for the past few years, I have been able to work in many different departments and classrooms. My favorite thing about working at CHS is the true sense of a caring community. My hobbies include almost anything outdoors in nature: kayaking, hiking, biking, yoga, and of course photographing nature.
Courtney Kiley Ecology, Foundations of Science (FOS), Forum email: kileyc Foundations of Science (FOS) website		Born and raised in Ann Arbor, I always wanted to go to Community. That didn't quite pan out in high school, so I feel fortunate to have been hired to teach science and be a Forum leader at CHS. I love working with such inspiring colleagues and students! Outside school, I love biking, hiking, and spending time with my family.
Brett Kilgore Economics, Math, Forum email: kilgorer		I serve in two departments here at Community: Social Studies and Math. I love teaching economics and geometry, and have an absolute blast as a Forum leader. Prior to teaching at Community, I lived in quite a few places, including Utah, Ohio, Washington, and even Australia for a summer. Now, though, I am thankful to call Ann Arbor home. As U of M grads, my wife and I love this town and are grateful to raise our son and daughter here.
George Lancaster Engineering, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Programming email: lancasterg		This is my sixth year teaching at Community and 19th year as a teacher. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I spent the next ten years as a design and project engineer of automotive safety products, primarily steering wheels and airbags. I then returned to school to earn a teaching certificate. I love sharing my experience in engineering, math, physics, and computer science with everyone at Community High.
Laurel Landrum Spanish, Forum email: landruml		I have been teaching Spanish in AAPS since 2006 and have been lucky to be at Community since then. I have a BA from the University of Michigan in Psychology, a BS in Spanish and Education from Eastern Michigan University, and an MA in Language Learning from Wayne State University. I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, attending Newport (remember?), Wines, Forsythe, and Pioneer. It is a privilege to raise my two daughters, Sabine and Laida, in the same great community where I grew up. I enjoy geeking out with teacher friends about language acquisition and curriculum design, but I'll only bore you with that if you ask. I love to travel, garden, and spend time with family and friends.
Craig Levin Math email: levin		Craig has been teaching math at Community since 1999. He works diligently to support all his students through their trials and tribulations throughout their math career. Originally from Chicago where he taught for CPS a few years, he loves Community and has made solid roots here in treetown with his wife, Gabrielle, and girls, Ariana and Skye.
Krystie Linton Special Education Teacher Consultant email: lintonk ILC Information		Can't Live Without: music, sunshine, Lake Michigan, family & friends, chocolate, road trips, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, witty magnets, reruns of General Hospital from the 1990s Unpopular Opinions: Coffee should never be iced; You never grow too old for sledding or playgrounds; Social media platforms are fairly boring Obscure Skills: Wicked awkward mom dance moves; Ability to quickly change song lyrics to match the situation or mood; Capacity to misplace cell phone in seconds Most Likely To: Adopt another senior dog from the Huron Valley Humane Society; Get lost in Ann Arbor; Shelve and organize items in store while shopping; Laugh like a cartoon villain; Love teaching for another 20 years!
Maneesha Mankad Math, Forum email: mankadm		I have been teaching at Community High School since 2014. I am excited about being part of a professional community that values personal relationships and invests in the academic, emotional, and social growth of our students. I am passionate about making mathematics education relevant and equitable for all students. I love theater, music, dance, and reading, and I love spending time with my family.
Ruben Mauricio Special Education Teacher Consultant email: mauricior
Marcy McCormick Foundations of Science (FOS) email: mccormick Class website Foundations of Science (FOS) website		Marcy has been teaching science for 17 years; this is her 8th year teaching at Community. She couldn't be happier being a Rainbow Zebra! She has taught FOS 1, FOS 2, and FOS 3, and loves the Foundations of Science curriculum. She feels very lucky that she gets to work every day with such an incredible group of students and colleagues. When Marcy isn't teaching, she enjoys being outdoors, staying active playing Ultimate Frisbee on a club team, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Sue McDonald Special Education Teacher Consultant email:
Kelly McGuire Speech Language Pathologist email: mcguirek
Amy McLoughlin Counselor email: mclough Counseling Website		I am super FIRED UP to be a zebra. I have been a counselor with AAPS for 11 years (Skyline for 9 years and 1 year at Pioneer). I live in A2 with my ridiculously brilliant wife, Callie, and our two dogs, Jojo and Pearl.
Danelle Mosher French, Community Resource, Forum email: mosher		I've been teaching French and Forum and monitoring CRs at CHS since 1994, and I am very happy to be here. In addition to teaching French, I run the Community Resource department, lead Forum, and advise Service Club. I have three children and a husband who is a teacher in the district as well. Outside of teaching, I love to travel, knit, read, garden, and spend time with my family.
Carol Neylon Teaching Assistan email: neylon
Jen Niner American Sign Language (ASL) email: postj		I love teaching American Sign Language (ASL) and am very excited to be teaching at Community. ASL is my first language—both my parents are deaf. I love being able to share my knowledge of ASL with my students. I have been in Ann Arbor Public Schools for 10 years and have been teaching ASL online for the past 5 years. I got married in the summer of 2016 and had a name change (it used to be Post). I enjoy vacations, especially going camping with our new camper.
Matthew Petersen Personal Fitness, Forum email: petersenm
Beth Portincasa Visual Arts email: portincasa Visual Arts Department		I was born and raised in Ann Arbor and graduated from EMU with a Bachelor of Art Education, and then received a Master's degree in Sculpture. My first professional teaching job was at West Village Academy in Dearborn, then I taught at Belleville High School, Ecorse Community High School, and Onsted High School before coming back home to Ann Arbor Public Schools in 2012. This year I will be splitting between Community and Pathways, allowing me to provide a positive impact on a variety of young students in this community. I love to spend my extra time with my husband, Joel, and my two girls, Gwenlyn and Cora. Things I like to watch grow: my students, my garden, and Monarch butterflies.
Luciana Qu Math email: qul
Katie Richardson Special Education Teacher Consultant email: richardk ILC Information		I have been working in Ann Arbor Public Schools for many years. I feel so grateful to work with such an amazing staff and wonderful students! I encourage a home and school connection. I pride myself in my ability to form meaningful connections with students and their families, to foster student growth. I am committed to supporting students' needs and helping them gain access to the core curriculum.
Chloë Root Government, Gender Studies, Model UN, U.S. History, Mock Trial, Forum email: rootc		This is my 13th year teaching in AAPS and I am so lucky to be here. This is my 12th year teaching at Community, but we go way back. Our previous adventures together include my being a high school student, a student teacher, and a part-time teacher. I teach U.S. History, Government, Model UN, Gender Studies, Mock Trial (8-time State Champs!), and my beloved and entertaining Forum. I am also lucky enough to be the staff advisor for the Queer Straight Alliance (QSA). I believe Community is one of the best high schools in the world, and even the toughest days here are marked by the kindness, creativity, and hilarity of the students and staff. After graduating from Community, I attended Brown University, where I received my Bachelor's degree in US History and Gender Studies, and Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan, where I got my Master's degree in Secondary Social Studies Education. I live with my sweet dog, Riolu, and am grateful to have my family in town.
Katy Sanderson Records Clerk, Scheduling, and CR Secretary email: sandersk		Katy is the Office Administrator in the Community Resource Office, the Records Clerk for enrollments and graduated student transcripts, and the Building Scheduler for PowerSchool. She has been at Community since 2008, originally working in the Main Office as the Attendance/Book Depository secretary. She loves working with the great kids and staff at Community and enjoys being in downtown Ann Arbor every day. She looks forward to kayaking every summer with her husband in northern Michigan, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest.
Jeri Schneider School Librarian, Website Manager email: schneidj Library website		Jeri's love affair with libraries began in 1986 when, while studying history, she became a clerk/driver of the bookmobile for the Ann Arbor Public Library. Since then, she has earned a Bachelor's in history, a Master's in the Science of Information, and teaching certification from U of M. She manages the library, promotes reading, helps troubleshoot technology issues, teaches information and research skills, and manages the school website. Away from work, Jeri enjoys hanging out with friends and family, reading, running, biking, canoeing, and cooking and baking delicious vegan food. Her current favorite quote is: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." (Maya Angelou)
Saad Selim CHS Building Substitute Teacher email: selims_sub		I graduated from Baghdad University of Technology, BSC in Control and Systems Engineering. I worked in the aviation field, reservation computer systems, and Avionics Engineering. I am happy and honored to work with such a great community of teachers and students.
Katelyn Shelley Occupational Therapist email: shelleyk
Ryan Silvester History, Forum email: silvesterr		This is my second year at Community High School! I am teaching U.S. History and World History, both of which are absolute passions of mine. I grew up in Ann Arbor and attended Huron High School. That said, I am glad to get the opportunity to be a Rainbow Zebra!
Meghan Stelzer School Nurse email: stelzerm
Elizabeth Stern Foundations of Science (FOS), Forensics email: stern Foundations of Science (FOS) website		Liz has worked at Community her entire career. She loves teaching science, with fabulous colleagues, to engaging students.
Michael Strugala Teaching Assistant email: strugalam		Michael's background experience entails working for several parks and recreation departments, nonprofits, and school districts (Redford, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor) in the metro-Detroit area. He graduated from Western Michigan University, where he double-majored in Political Science and Communications, with a minor in Criminal Justice. He earned a graduate degree from Eastern Michigan University in Geography, with emphasis on Environmental and Transportation Planning issues. He thoroughly enjoyed his college experience and was involved in extracurricular activities. One piece of advice he would like to give seniors: Get out and participate in a student group/campus organization in college! Make it fun! In his free time, you can catch him outdoors camping, hiking, kayaking, exploring, volunteering, reading a wide range of literature, and playing board games with friends. He is excited to be here at Community working with a versatile staff and engaged students!
Carl Taylor Daytime Custodian
Kim Tehranipour Teaching Assistant email: tehranik
Jonathan Thomas-Palmer Foundations of Science (FOS) email: thomaspalmerj		Non-matching-sock wearing proud father of two daughters. Part-time high school physics teacher and owner of Flipping Physics^®, a one-employee business dedicated to providing the world with free, entertaining, educational physics videos which anyone can use to learn physics, and teachers can use to flip their students’ learning. Devoted husband of substance abuse prevention social worker and incredible wife. Maker and wearer of tie-dyes.
Mike Vial English Language Arts, Intro. to Acting, Forum email: vialm	photo credit: Anne Glista	Mike's teaching career may remind one of Tolkien's famous line in The Lord of the Rings: "Not all who wander are lost." He has taught in multiple Michigan districts since graduating from Western Michigan University in 2003. However, teaching at Community has been his dream job since he moved to Ann Arbor with his wife--writer and editor Natalie Burg. In 2011, Mike took a break from teaching to be a touring musician, releasing four records and various singles of his own songwriting, and performing over 1,300 gigs across the country. After the road became tiresome, he returned to the classroom in 2017 at Farmington Public Schools, enjoying Harrison High School during its last two years before closure. He continues to tour in the summer, typically playing once a year at the Ark in Ann Arbor. Mike started teaching at Community in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which correlates with the Greek mythology conflicts he shares and universal themes that guide our lives. Mike currently teaches English Language Arts and hosts the Forum Book Challenge.
Jack Wagner Jazz email: wagnerj Community High Jazz website		Jack feels so fortunate to be the Jazz Program Director at Community which, to him, is a dream job! Jack has been at CHS since 2008. Jazz performance and pedagogy are his passions, so teaching jazz combos all day to dedicated students is a real delight. The CHS Jazz students are getting hands on experience, playing frequent gigs and concerts; they also get to work with Grammy winners and world-class musicians during CHS Jazz Guest Artist Series master classes, a program Jack began in 2008. Jack loves jazz history and sharing what he knows in this field, and he loves playing his saxophone. Jack recently wrote the jazz and improvisation textbook The Straight Ahead Toolshed: 55 Tools for the Beginning Jazz Musician. Jack lives happily with his wife, Jaimie, and their two children, Natalie and Zachary. They are extremely fun. Jack also likes to run, SCUBA dive, tinker around the house, hike, and camp in the mountains.
Christia West Foundations of Science (FOS) email: westch Foundations of Science (FOS) website		Teaching is my passion, and I've been fortunate to be a part of the CHS community since 2014. What I enjoy most is getting to know my students through Forum, coaching Team 5708 (Go Zebrotics!), and FOS classes. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time on (and in) the water. I love living in Michigan, and there are still places here I would like to explore in my kayak, or on my bike. My more sedate hobbies include reading, knitting, and playing board games
Jessika Whiteside English Language Arts, Forum email: whitesidej		Jessika spent over a decade teaching English and Spanish in Romulus, Michigan, before she joined the CHS staff in 2020. (Yes, in the middle of the pandemic!) As a first generation American, she grew up on Long Island and in Waterford, Michigan, but fell in love with Ann Arbor as an undergrad. She loves to travel and go on adventures with her three sons who are 11, 7, and 3. She adores coffee, the color cerulean, and driving. You can always find her reading or thinking about books (check out her StoryGraph). Jessika lives in Canton with her kids, husband, three parakeets, and puppy, Ginny.
Brian Williams Counselor email: willia18 Counseling Website		This is my 12th year with AAPS and 6th year at Community High School. When I am not busy counseling our Rainbow Zebras, my home team is renovating a 140 year old farmhouse out in Chelsea. On my off nights, I will pick up my sticks and play some drums with a couple of bands in the Ann Arbor area.
Emily Wilson-Tobin Community Ensemble Theatre (CET) Program Director email:		Emily was born and raised in Ann Arbor. She spent her undergrad years studying theatre and French at Wesleyan University in Connecticut before working for several years in the Metro DC area. Pursuing an MFA in Applied Drama/Theatre for the Young at Eastern Michigan University brought her home and, after graduating and a brief stint working for the CRLT Theatre Program at U of M, she spent over a decade as theatre director at Greenhills School (also her alma mater). Emily directed for CET just after finishing grad school and is delighted to be back working in a program and a school that she has admired for many years. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, two children, and too many pets. In addition to her love for theatre, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, watching scary movies, and visiting the Leelanau Peninsula.
Olivia Wylie Spanish email: wylieo
Michelle Yager Math, Community Resource, Forum email: yagerm

Community High School

Ann Arbor Public Schools

Our Staff

Tracy Anderson

Katia Angelova

LaMar Ashford

Bo Bagherpour

Patricia Ball

Jefferson Bilsborrow

Traci Blancke

Becky Brent

Mary Margaret Cornish

Steve Coron

Philip Daher

Kevin Davis

Dianne Down

Dianne Dudley

Gretchen Eby

Sean Eldon

John Field

Leah Followell

Emma Hamstra

Marci Harris

Sarah Hechler

Joslyn Hunscher-Young

Janelle Johnson

Angela Keene

Courtney Kiley

Brett Kilgore

George Lancaster

Laurel Landrum

Craig Levin

Krystie Linton

Maneesha Mankad

Ruben Mauricio

Marcy McCormick

Sue McDonald

Kelly McGuire

Amy McLoughlin

Danelle Mosher

Carol Neylon

Jen Niner

Matthew Petersen

Beth Portincasa

Luciana Qu

Katie Richardson

Chloë Root

Katy Sanderson

Jeri Schneider

Saad Selim

Katelyn Shelley

Ryan Silvester

Meghan Stelzer

Elizabeth Stern

Michael Strugala

Carl Taylor

Kim Tehranipour

Jonathan Thomas-Palmer

Mike Vial

Jack Wagner

Christia West

Jessika Whiteside

Brian Williams

Emily Wilson-Tobin

Olivia Wylie

Michelle Yager

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