Meet our Staff
Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy teachers and staff members are highly trained, with a variety of diverse backgrounds. Click on the name of a teacher or staff member below to learn more about them!
Administration
+ Judy Bauernschmidt, Director of Student Online Learning
Phone: 303-982-6534ubauerns@jeffco.k12.co.us
Ms. Bauernschmidt has been an educator for over twenty-three years. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Earth Science with an endorsement in secondary education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1989. She taught science for seven years and then earned her Master's degree in Education Administration and Supervision in 1997. She has served as a dean of students, assistant principal, principal, and central administrator for the past fifteen years.
Ms. Bauernschmidt started in online education when she joined K12/Colorado Virtual Academy in 2002. During her years at COVA she was an online teacher, principal, and director. She implemented an online middle school model at COVA which became a model for other online middle schools. In her role as Director of Secondary Education she continually sought to improve academic and community support. She has worked with schools and school districts such as Douglas County School District, Jones University, San Juan BOCES, etc offering consulting services in the development of quality online programs to students. Judy was hired by Jeffco Public Schools in 2009 and continues to lead the work in K12 online and blended education. She currently serves on Colorado Department of Education's Online Advisory Committee. Judy has two sons, ages 11 and 14, who have been students of online education services in blended learning environments.
Phone: 303-982-5056bhohman@jeffco.k12.co.us
Bernard Hohman has been an educator for over twenty years. He earned his Bachelor's degree in English Language Arts with endorsements in Speech, Journalism and English in 1992 and his Master's Degree in Education Administration and Supervision in 2006. He started his career in his home state of Ohio teaching English, Speech, Journalism, and Reading for nine years while also coaching varsity girls' basketball, varsity track and directing a few high school plays along the way. He moved to Colorado in 2001 to teach English and Journalism at Rangeview High School in Aurora before moving into administration in 2005 in Jefferson County Public Schools at Evergreen High School. The past two years he was principal of Chatfield Senior High School. This is his first year with Jeffco's Virtual Academy.
Teachers
+ Erik Bailey - Social Studies
Phone: 720-951-1377ebailey@jeffco.k12.co.us
Erik Bailey teaches Social Studies for the Virtual Academy. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington State University and a Master of Arts in Education Administration. He has taught a variety of different social studies subjects for the past ten years including: American History, World History, American Government, Geography, and Economics. He taught in Southern California at Santa Fe High School and Beverly Hills High School before moving to Colorado in the Summer of 2004. Since moving to Colorado, Mr. Bailey has taught within Jeffco Public Schools. His experience with Jeffco Public Schools includes 5 years teaching for JeffcoNet Academy and 1 year with the Virtual Academy.
Phone: 303-859-0118wbishop@jeffco.k12.co.us
Wendy Bishop is an Instructional Coach and Instructional Technologist teacher for Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy. After receiving a B.A. in Communication studies with an emphasis in Not-For-Profit Public Relations and Journalism, Wendy Bishop decided she wanted to teach and went back to school to earn a Master's degree in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. She started her career in 1994 teaching English in Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. Technology has always been a driving factor in all of Mrs. Bishop's classes. She most recently taught English for Arvada West High School and JeffcoNet before coming to the Virtual Academy. She has a strong commitment to virtual learning and believes that students benefit greatly from having an online learning experience in high school. Wendy is a huge fan of the Colorado Rockies and the Running Rebels of UNLV! Mrs. Bishop enjoys spending time with her family and traveling when she is not working.
Phone: 720-663-9451kboehm@jeffco.k12.co.us
This is Sra. Boehm's 13th year teaching and her 10th year teaching in Jefferson County. Although she has been an adjunct Spanish teacher with Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy for the past two years, this is her first year teaching full-time online. She attended the University of Colorado, Boulder where she earned a B.S. in Kinesiology and CU-Denver where she earned an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction. She has traveled extensively which spurred the change to Spanish. Although she studied Spanish formally after her undergraduate studies, she truly learned the language, and some of its associated culture, by living in a small community in southern Costa Rica for 20 months. She still visits there regularly with her daughter.
Phone: 720-432-7114tccole@jeffco.k12.co.us
Tricia Cole has been teaching math for 9 years, since graduating from DePaul University in Chicago. She brings with her experience in the brick and mortar setting as well as teaching in virtual settings before joining Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy. Tricia has experience teaching both at the middle school and high school level. She enjoys working with numbers and sharing her passion with students. Teaching online gives Tricia great opportunity to use modern day technology. She is always exploring new ways to present material, and continues to take classes to stay on top of emerging technology to take to her classroom and share with her students. Tricia's experience with online education has been rewarding and she looks forward to her career with Jeffco's 21st Virtual Academy. When Tricia is not teaching, she loves to take advantage of this great place we call home and spends lots of time hiking, biking, running and camping.
Phone: 720-652-9874kdoyle@jeffco.k12.co.us
Karina Doyle teaches Social Studies for Jeffco's 21st Century Online Academy. After growing up in a suburb of Chicago she earned her B.A. with majors in Psychology and Athletic Training from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. She earned her Masters degree in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Comparative Religions from Arizona State University. She spent several years working as an athletic trainer in physical therapy clinics and high schools in the Phoenix area before returning to school for her secondary teaching credentials. She has been teaching high school Social Studies for 13 years, including five years teaching online. Ms. Doyle's passion for Social Studies and safe schools extends beyond the classroom, through her work with the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, PFLAG of Boulder County, and the St. Vrain Safe Schools Coalition.
Phone: 303-670-6721berholtz@jeffco.k12.co.us
Brandy Erholtz is a special education teacher and grew up in the "Icebox of the Nation" (I. Falls, MN). She attended the University of MN-Duluth and earned undergraduate degrees in health education and exercise science with minors in coaching and psychology. She went back to school and earned a degree in special education with emphases in learning and behavioral disorders and eventually a Master's degree from St. Mary's University in teaching and learning. Most recently, she completed a career and technical education licensure. In her eleven years of teaching special education, she has taught in a variety of places and settings encompassing all grade levels K-12 and most subject areas, including a self-contained behavioral classroom! Love of the mountains and an outdoor lifestyle brought her and her husband to Colorado in 2006. Mrs. Erholtz is a competitive mountain and snowshoe runner. She has represented the U.S. three times at the World Mountain Running Championships. She is a vegetarian and loves chocolate! In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking and reading. Mrs. Erholtz and her husband spend their summers traveling, hiking, and camping, usually with their two dogs. Mrs. Erholtz is looking forward to another ground-breaking year with the Virtual Academy!
Phone: 720-982-4156jgood@jeffco.k12.co.us
Jane Good started her career in 1990 teaching Science at Northglenn Junior High after earning a Bachelors degree in Biology from Metro State. Since then she has also taught at Horizon High School in Thornton, at Colorado Virtual Academy, and completed a Master's degree in education. She originally considered teaching as a career when she could not narrow her interest in science enough to fit most job descriptions! Teaching has allowed her to share her enthusiasm for biology, earth science and chemistry. She has been committed to helping students grow as learners by seeking options in education. She found early in her career that a "one size fits all" approach to education is ineffective and a great disservice to most students. She is excited to have the opportunity to work with students in the environment provided by Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy.
Mari Hobkirk teaches Video Game Design at Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy. Too old to be labeled a 'Digital Native', she considers herself a 'Digital Resident'. Mari uses the face-to-face and online environments to teach both students and adults how to use technology in their world.
Mari has been a teacher in Jeffco for 20 years, teaching at three area high schools (Green Mountain, Jefferson, and Wheat Ridge). She also spent a year teaching internationally in Melbourne, Australia. She has also taught professional development classes since 2008 in Jeffco.
At the high school level she has taught many subjects; Biology, Earth Science, Algebra 1, Computer Science, AP Computer Science, Web Design, Keyboarding , and Video Game Design. Classes involving technology are by far the ones she enjoys most.
When Mari is not teaching she enjoys many outdoor activities here in Colorado such as; cycling, hiking, and snowshoeing. She also enjoys traveling with her husband to US and international destinations.
Melinda Howard teaches Digital Photography and Middle School Art through the Virtual Academy. She also teaches Photography, Advanced Photography, Graphic Design, and Art classes at Columbine High School. The 2011-12 school year is her 9th year teaching in the classroom, and 2nd year teaching virtually, and she enjoys it more with each passing year.
Mrs. Howard grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan and went to Western Michigan University to study Art and Photography. She has lived in Colorado since 2002 and earned a Master's degree in Education from the University of Denver. She has worked as a professional photographer doing weddings, senior portraits, and children photography.
Mrs. Howard has a baby boy, Benjamin, born in March 2011. Her husband, Daniel, is a Sales Engineer with an A/V company and they have two dogs.
Phone: 303-219-0592kkipp@jeffco.k12.co.us
Kristin Kipp has been an English teacher for the last nine years and joined Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy in 2009. Ms. Kipp is the 2011 National Online Teacher of the Year for K-12 education. In the past she has taught eighth through eleventh grades, both virtually and in a face to face classroom. Before coming to Jeffco's Virtual Academy, she served as an instructional coach and teacher at Evergreen High School. She has a Masters of Education in Secondary Education with a graduate minor in English from the University of North Texas.
While American literature is Ms. Kipp's passion, she enjoys reading all sorts of books, fiction and non-fiction. She became an English teacher because she absolutely loves to read and debate new ideas. She especially loves teaching online because it opens up so many new opportunities as well as giving students additional flexibility in their education. Ms. Kipp loves learning about new web 2.0 tools and incorporating them into her classroom. She lives in Evergreen with her husband and three children.
Phone: 720-318-4758mleadfor@jeffco.k12.co.us
Meghan Leadford currently teaches Economics, Geography and Government with the Virtual Academy. A Jefferson County graduate, Mrs. Leadford attended Golden High School then moved to Kentucky and earned a Bachelors degree in History from the University of Kentucky. After moving back to Colorado, Mrs. Leadford attended the University of Colorado at Denver to complete her teacher licensure and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction. She taught social studies at Aurora Central HS, Gateway HS, and Ralston Valley HS before joining the Virtual Academy in the fall of 2010. Mrs. Leadford enjoys teaching Social Studies courses because she views the content as a challenge for students to become informed citizens that analyze the world around them. Meghan is excited to work with the students and staff at the Virtual Academy and is looking forward to exploring all the opportunities available with online education.
Phone: 303-870-4205jneely@jeffco.k12.co.us
Jason Neely received his B.A. in Mathematics in 1997 from Western State College. In 2005, he received his M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from American Intercontinental University. Mr. Neely has been teaching math for 14 years. The last two years have been online at Jeffco's 21st Century Virtual Academy. He has been a Jeffco teacher for nine years and has taught math classes at all levels including: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Integrated Algebra Geometry, Pre IB 9th grade, Algebra 2, Trigonometry, Math Analysis, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus AB.
Phone: 303-982-6335lporter@jeffco.k12.co.us
After earning Bachelor of Arts in English, Russian and Russian Studies from St. Olaf College, Lisa Porter was simultaneously teaching Russian to students at three different high schools through interactive television. Twenty years later, learning in the virtual environment has changed significantly!
After the Cold War ended, the demand for learning Russian dwindled, so Ms. Porter accepted a job to teach English at D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School where she taught eighth through twelfth grades in a traditional face to face setting. Seven years later, after receiving a Masters in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University, she opened The Manning School's library, eventually to return to D'Evelyn as the Teacher Librarian. Helping students find and evaluate information and use technology is her passion.
Ms. Porter dedicates her extra time to spending time with their her two children and supporting them in their many activities, as well as coaching the D'Evelyn Cross Country and Track & Field teams.
Phone: 720-352-6477jswearn@jeffco.k12.co.us
Mrs. Swearingen has a B.S. in Exercise Physiology, a M.A. in Secondary Science and is highly qualified in science and physical education. She has taught high school or middle level science for 10 years and recently earned the honor of being named a National Board Certified Teacher, a rigorous process where teachers analyze their teaching craft. She has also worked as an adjunct instructor with the Community College of Aurora for 2 years now; teaching Anatomy and Physiology and College Level Biology. She is new to online education, but has incorporated web 2.0 and 21st Century Technology skills into her courses for so many years that the transition has been easy. She really enjoys teaching science because students are naturally curious about nature and how our world works! It is her goal to make all of her students critical thinkers about science, society and human impacts.
Mrs. S also teaches outdoor recreation and as an outdoor enthusiast loves cycling, snowshoeing, snowboarding, camping and hiking. She grew up camping with her family and is now creating memories with her children (ages 6 and 7) as she engages them in all the sports her husband and her enjoy.
Phone: 303-718-7784mtaylorw@jeffco.k12.co.us
Marcee Taylor-Westwood serves as one of J21VA's English teachers. She has taught at the middle and high school level for the last 18 years in both the traditional and online educational environments. Her major areas of research and instruction regard issues related to struggling readers and writers. She began her career at Standley Lake High School where she taught English, creative writing, journalism and yearbook. In 1998, she transitioned to the online educational environment where, at Colorado Virtual Academy, she worked as the English department lead and middle school English teacher. She is now in her third year with J21VA. Recently, Ms. Taylor completed her graduate work with honors at Colorado University where she received her Master's degree in Teaching Writing with a minor emphasis in Literature and English as a Second Language.
Counselors
+ Suzanne Jimenez
Phone: 720-234-8266syoungji@jeffco.k12.co.us
Suzanne Jimenez has been a counselor for 11 years. Prior to the Virtual Academy, she was a counselor at Columbine High School. Mrs. Jimenez was with the Virtual Academy during its inaugural year and is happy to be back, now as a full-time counselor. Mrs. Jimenez received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then a M.A. in Counseling with an emphasis in school counseling, from the University of Colorado-Denver. Mrs. Jimenez moved to Colorado in for graduate school and loved Colorado so much she decided to stay. She lives in Littleton with her husband and enjoys hiking, biking, and writing.
Counselor Susan Julian has been an educator for over 35 years. She earned her B.A. in Home Economics and French at Otterbein College. She completed a M.A. in Family and Child Education from the Ohio State University, and a M.A. in Educational Counseling from the University of Phoenix. As a high school teacher with over 25 years of experience, she has been a Jeffco counselor for the past 10 years. A designer in fabric and fiber, a faithful Foothills Rec. Center member, and an extreme gardener, Susan still finds fulfillment in working with students - face to face or virtually!
Phone: 303-982-0125mmwilson@jeffco.k12.co.us
Marya Wilson is a part-time high school counselor at Jefferson County's 21st Century Virtual Academy. She was born and raised in Williamsburg, Virginia but has lived in Colorado since 2004. She received her Bachelor of Science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She received her Masters in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2006. She worked at Columbine High School as a counselor from 2006 to 2010. She took a break to stay home with her son from April 2010 to December 2011, and is pleased to be back helping students meet their goals and achieve their dreams. She lives in Lakewood with her husband, Brian and their son, Landon. She enjoys reading, hiking, traveling and doing arts and crafts with her son.
Phone: 720-472-0926jrwooldr@jeffco.k12.co.us
Jamie Wooldridge is a counselor at Virtual Academy. She has received a B.A. in Communications and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a M.S. in School Counseling from the University of Phoenix. Prior to counseling, Ms. Wooldridge worked in sports and media with the Denver Broncos, Kroenke Sports, 850 KOA, and Clear Channel Colorado. A native of Colorado, Ms. Wooldridge loves to be outdoors hiking, swimming, snowboarding, and gardening, and spending time with her two little boys and husband. Helping students find their true potential, achieve successes in school, and happiness in life is one of her true passions and brings her much joy.
Community Liaisons
+ Jennifer Harr
Phone: 720-898-0593jharr@jeffco.k12.co.us
Community Liaison Mrs. Harr has been involved with online education for the past six years. She has spent the last two years in the community and connection role at the high school level. She plans community events, coordinates field trips, and manages the multiple clubs offered at Jeffco Virtual Academy. Prior to moving to high school online education, Mrs. Harr spent four years teaching with the community colleges online. She has a Master's degree in nursing with a heath education focus. Mrs. Harr began her teaching with the Community College of Denver nursing program. Mrs. Harr has taught pharmacology, nursing fundamentals, nursing assessment, and medical terminology classes online.
Phone: 720-420-9223kswindel@jeffco.k12.co.us
Kelly Swindell is a Community Liaison for Jeffco's Virtual Academy. She joined the Virtual Academy in 2010 as the registrar. Prior to joining, Ms. Swindell was a K-12 substitute teacher for three years in Jeffco and served as the Curriculum Assistant for Jeffco's Outdoor Education Lab Schools. Before entering the education field, Ms. Swindell applied her passion for writing, graphic design and business operations to positions in Corporate Communications and Marketing. She earned a B.A. in Journalism/Public Relations from Colorado State University. Ms. Swindell is a Colorado native and Jefferson County graduate from Pomona High School.
Adjunct Teachers
+ Ji Liu - Chinese
Phone: 720-272-0095jiliu@jeffco.k12.co.us
Ji Liu was born in Harbin, China and lived there until she graduated from college, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering. She went to Tokyo afterwards, and lived in Japan for nearly 10 years. She received her first Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering there and taught Chinese at the college for 5 years. Liu moved to the U.S. 12 years ago, and received her second Master's degree in Computer Science. She worked as a software engineer for 7 years before teaching in public schools. Liu is a full time Chinese teacher at Cimarron Middle School at Douglas County, and taught at Cherry Creek and Jefferson County before that. She is very excited to teach online and believes that with her experience and help, her students will have a wonderful year.
Phone: 303-941-0374hmccann@jeffco.k12.co.us
Holly McCann currently teachers English Language Arts with the Virtual Academy. She has experience teaching in the traditional classroom as well as the online environment. In the spring of 2011, Holly received her Master of Liberal Studies degree with a specialty in creative writing from the University of Denver. Holly has a passion for creative writing and is working to publish her poetry collections. Effective student writing strategies that promote curiosity, excellence, and fulfilled personal expression are the focus of Holly's teaching philosophy. Holly has worked with all levels of secondary learners ranging from grades 9-12, including various literature courses, composition, journalism, and creative writing. Her experience teaching online since 2008 has shown her how invaluable online education opportunities are for a twenty-first century learner. She resides in Golden with her husband and two cats.
Craig Westwood is in his first year at J21VA serving as an adjunct music teacher. He currently teaches full time at Cherry Creek West Middle School as the Band Director. Prior to taking the position at West, Mr. Westwood was Director of Bands at Wheat Ridge High School for 9 years. He holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education from CCU and a Masters Degree in Conducting from Southern Oregon University. He is an active performer in the Denver/Boulder area as a percussionist, primarily playing drumset. Craig has performed with a variety of artists including Bo Diddley, Brian Wilson, "Pinetop" Perkins, Big Bill Morganfield, Don Lanphere, and The Boulder Philharmonic. He is a member of the Colorado Bandmasters Association and Phi Beta Mu. A native of Colorado, Mr. Westwood grew up in Littleton and graduated from Columbine High School.