Trust our Experienced Educators

Teachers at the Wisconsin 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.

Sandra Alvarado, MS/HS Social Studies/History Teacher
Sandra Alvarado is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She is certified in broad field social studies, history, and psychology. She comes to WIVA with experience in teaching U.S. history, world history, “basic” (remedial) history, contemporary world issues, general psychology as well as Advanced Placement psychology. Sandra is passionate about family, serving others and teaching. She also firmly believes in virtual education and is very excited about the opportunity to teach WIVA students.

Carrie Cherney, MS/HS Math Teacher
Carrie Cherney will be teaching high school math for WIVA. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in mathematics, with a minor in education. Carrie has taught at the middle school level for a year in the brick-and-mortar setting, followed by two years teaching high school. She really looks forward to making connections with each student and watching them grow as a student and a young adult.

Kathy Hennings, K-8 Teacher
Kathy Hennings has been an elementary teacher since 2003 with the Wisconsin Virtual Academy. The emphasis on individualized education and the relationships formed with students and their families has been key in her choice to teach in this setting. Previously, she taught for 17 years in the Cedarburg School District, and worked in varying capacities for 12 years in the Maple Dale-Indian Hill School District. Her experience spans the primary grades through upper elementary, as well special education and academic support programs. She loves being a part of this unique approach to education!

Colleen Kluber, Special Education Teacher
Colleen Kluber has been a special education teacher for 15 years. During her first nine years, she was a special education teacher, department chairperson, and diagnostician for Milwaukee Public Schools. She then continued her career in the South Milwaukee Public Schools as a K-12 special education curriculum coordinator and special educator for the next six years. She recently completed her master’s degree in educational administration from Marian University in Fond du Lac. She is also very interested in technology and has earned a Desktop Support Technician certification from Microsoft. Colleen believes that students need essential tools to succeed in life after their school years. She is energized by the task of finding innovative ways to teach students these essential tools for success.

Nichole Lowery, MS/HS Science Teacher
Nichole Lowery graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in secondary education in 2000. Upon graduation, she moved to Chicago where she began her teaching career. For the past nine years, Ms. Lowery has been teaching environmental science, honors biology, and A.P. Biology. In 2007, Ms. Lowery achieved her National Board Certification in the teaching of Adolescent and Young Adult Science across all disciplines. Ms. Lowery is excited to begin this year with the Wisconsin Virtual Academy and hopes to pass on her love of science to all her students.

Kathy McGovern, K-8 Teacher
Kathleen has been in the field of education for 15 years. She received her Bachelor of Science in early childhood and elementary education from Alverno College in 1992. Since then she has worked mainly in private schools teaching a variety of grade levels. She has several years of experience teaching kindergarten as well as teaching fifth grade. She also has experience teaching middle school social studies. In 1999, she received her master’s degree in administrative leadership from UW-Milwaukee, along with a Wisconsin principal license. While she has never held the role of principal, she was the curriculum coordinator for a small school system for a year before going back into the classroom. Kathleen has a passion for online learning and is very excited to be here at WIVA. She looks forward to getting to know all of her students and their families during the school year.

Miriam Mueller-Owens, K-8 Teacher
Miriam Mueller-Owens is a new K-8 teacher with WIVA and has 10 years of teaching experience. Miriam began teaching kindergarten in southern Louisiana. After three years of teaching there, she and moved to Madison where she earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. In Madison she taught a variety of grade levels, from first through fifth. Miriam looks forward to a great year of working with WIVA.

Desi Nault, MS/HS Language Arts Teacher
Desirae Nault graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in English education and went on to teach eighth grade language arts at Northland Pines Middle School in Eagle River, WI. Although she loved Northern Wisconsin, she and her family relocated to the Arizona desert in the summer of 2006, where she taught for a short time with the Chandler Unified School District. Wanting to experience a new frontier in education, she joined the K¹² team with the Arizona Virtual Academy in January of 2008 as the seventh grade English B teacher. In May of 2008 she was given the opportunity to join the AZVA high school team and loved the accountability and rigor of the program. Now Mrs. Nault is headed back to the arctic winters of Wisconsin where she will join the exceptional team of teachers at Wisconsin Virtual Academy. Mrs. Nault’s favorite part of being a teacher is getting to help students achieve that “a-ha” moment as they come to understand the world around them!