Meet our Teachers

Teachers at the Nevada Virtual Academy are among the best in the state for virtual education. They consider themselves your partners in your children's education and are available every school day to help you and your children through any challenges you may face. Here are a few of the teachers you'll get to know at the Nevada Virtual Academy.

Charity Barczyszyn began her teaching career in 2000. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Education and specialization in Child Development from San Diego State University. She then went on to earn her cross-cultural teaching credential and master’s degree in Education from National University. She had a wonderful experience her first year with NVVA and is excited about a growing future with this wonderful school.

Stacey Beane taught for nine years in brick-and-mortar schools and believes that education is preparation for life. She firmly believes that technology is a strong influence on the learning process of youngsters, and thus should be used as an educational tool to promote moral and ethical research and communication. Her personal education philosophy affects instructional practices where students need strong emphasis on character education. Students need to focus on moral foundations in order to make good decisions. Students need to be taught how to use their time wisely by being exposed to various forms of information through technology, literature, one another, and real-life experiences.

Kim Beig grew up in Nebraska, and she comes to us with 30 years of experience as a Special Education teacher. Kim received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary and Special Education at Huron University in South Dakota. After teaching special education for two years in De Smet, South Dakota, Kim left there to continue her teaching career in rural Nevada. She taught special education for 28 years in Jackpot before retiring from Elko County School District in August of 2008. Kim joined Nevada Virtual Academy in February of 2009. She is excited to be a part of this ever changing and growing virtual world of education, and looks forward to having a fantastic year working with students, parents, and staff at Nevada Virtual Academy.

Amy Cousins began teaching with Nevada Virtual Academy in the fall of 2008. She obtained an associate's degree from Brigham Young University of Idaho before moving to Colorado to complete her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with an emphasis in physical education at Adams State College.

Leslie Dalton received a Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and a Master of Technology degree from Lesley University. She spent one semester in New Zealand completing student-teaching requirements. She has a total of 13 years teaching grades 1-8. Leslie is looking forward to the virtual experience, both as a teacher and as a parent implementing this program with her daughter.

Kathie Del Valle graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She taught special education for a year, and then taught kindergarten and first grade in a private school for two years. She also worked as a director of two different childcare facilities for many years. Kathie is looking forward to working with all of her NVVA families and helping children succeed throughout the year.

Amanda Engel is very excited to be a part of the Nevada Virtual Academy team. She was raised in Las Vegas and received her Bachelor of Science in Education from UNLV. Working with students and teaching them to live up to their greatest potential is a lifelong passion of Mrs. Engel’s. Just as she encourages all of her students to be life-long learners, she plans to soon start working toward her master’s degree in Education. Mrs. Engel looks forward to helping all of the wonderful families and anxiously waits to meet them.

Callie Frank is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and an Associate of Science degree in psychology from Snow College. Callie taught fifth grade in the Clark County School District for two years before joining the Nevada Virtual Academy in the fall of 2008. She is excited to be a part of this new and exciting approach to learning and looks forward to a wonderful year.

Joy Findley, who joined NVVA in 2008, spent fifteen years in the computer industry working as a senior marketing executive with companies such as Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems, Xerox, and Motorola integrating automated product design systems, before returning to graduate school. This experience has provided her with a wealth of computer technology knowledge. She completed half of her MBA at the University of Phoenix in 2004 then received her Graduate Teaching Certificate at Sierra Nevada College. She holds a BS from UNR where she was published for her research in neuroscience. She taught graduate and undergraduate students at UNR, in addition to K8 public school student with Washoe County School District since 2001. In 2005, she earned certification in Online Education from California State University, Hayward. In 2008, Ms. Findley completed a Master of Science degree in Education, specializing in Online Teaching and Learning. Ms. Findley is a Nevada State Writing exam scorer and a trained GT ALM instructor with endorsements in Language Arts and Computer Sciences.

Amy Frost graduated from Utah State University with her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Spanish. She studied for one summer at El Tech de Monterey in Mexico. Mrs. Frosttaught in elementary schools for three years before coming to Nevada Virtual Academy. She received an endorsement for English as a Second Language teaching from the University of Utah. Mrs. Frost is excited to be living in Nevada and working in a school that fosters a love of education. The curriculum has so much to offer and she loves learning along with the students in this new high-tech environment!

Christine Gillette comes to Nevada Virtual Academy with more than 32 years of experience in education, many as either a Special Education teacher or administrator. Her previous teaching and administrative positions allowed her to be personally involved with students with special needs from ages 3 through 22. Chris is thrilled to be involved in the growing world of virtual education and the opportunity it provides for children and their parents to work together.

Kathleen Hill is dedicated to seeing students think, learn, explore and grow. Her mission is explore, experience, and express wonder: the wonder of learning, the wonder of family, the wonder of the great outdoors, and the wonder of reading. Mrs. Hill is highly qualified in middle school math, science and social studies. She has experience teaching in the small group setting in many subjects, from beginning reading to preparing for the SAT and ACT, with an emphasis in the fields of math and science. Mrs. Hill is very interested in improving education and helping kids learn by having fun.

Kellie Jones grew up in Alaska where she received a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. After working as a teacher’s assistant in a private pre-K/K Montessori school and a fourth grade classroom, Kellie left Alaska to pursue a teaching career in rural Nevada. She taught fifth grade in Dayton for two years before moving to Incline Village at Lake Tahoe. She was drawn to Nevada Virtual Academy because of its immersion in ever-growing technology that crosses geographic boundaries and connects students and educators across the state.

Kelli Roberts is a new Special Education teacher for Nevada Virtual Academy. She previously taught at High-Tech Institute for four years. Before the High-Tech Institute, she taught for the Clark County School District for five years. Her favorite subjects to teach are Pre-Algebra and Algebra.

Denise M. Robinson earned her teaching license and master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She taught in the Clark County School District for five years, teaching first and second grades, and then taught half-day kindergarten for another five years. Denise is looking forward to a wonderful experience at NVVA and working with all of the families and their children.

Kandace Smith grew up in Utah where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in ESL Education from Dixie State College. She moved to Las Vegas in 2006 and previously taught third grade in the Clark County School District. She is thrilled with the opportunity to work at Nevada Virtual Academy and has had wonderful experiences working with NVVA families and their children. She looks forward to another great year.

Debra Sullivan began her education career with Clark County School District in 1990 after graduating from the University of Iowa. She has taught first through eighth grades, so she has a wide variety of experience. She also has traveled to many countries including: Russia, China, Italy, Germany, and England. She is a teacher consultant with Geographic Alliance in Nevada and National Geographic Society, won the Nevada Social Studies Teacher of the Year award. She is the coach for the NVVA School Geographic Bee. Debra really enjoys being able to teach students in one-on-one or small group settings, and getting to know her students and families much better than when she was teaching in brick-and-mortar schools. Her motto about education is that all students are capable of succeeding.

Lacey Thompson was born and raised in Northern Nevada. She attended the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY on a full-ride basketball scholarship, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. Basketball allowed her to travel to many places and earn numerous prestigious awards, including Academic All-American. Lacey taught for four years in a multi-grade classroom, teaching as many as seven grades at once. She is in the process of earning an online master's degree in curriculum and instruction in reading, and has a 4.0 GPA. Lacey looks forward to working with K12 and her new students.

Carrie Yates is originally from Michigan, where she attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in education, with endorsements in language arts, social studies, and early childhood education. She is currently completing her master’s degree at the University of Phoenix. Carrie moved to Las Vegas in 2006 to teach for Clark County School District where she taught kindergarten and third grade. She truly enjoys working with NVVA families and looks forward to a great year.

Leia Brown