Bay Begins School Year With New Faces in the Classroom

In Whitefish Bay, the new school year saw higher enrollment, new facilities and 15 new teachers.

The new teachers hired brought the median teacher age down slightly, but Human Resources Director Mark Kapocius said the new teachers hired have valuable work experience under their belt already.

"Despite a number of late hires, we were able to secure high-caliber employees in that group who come with significant work experience," he said at a Wednesday night School Board meeting.

The names and backgrounds of the new teachers — as well as other staffing changes — are listed below:

Senior kindergarten teacher Jaclyn Beck is replacing Julie Ryan, who found a new position closer to her family in Green Bay. Beck has completed several long-term substitute assignments in the Elmbrook School District since graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in December 2010.

Junior kindergarten teacher Ann Hackbarth is replacing Julie Bauer, who took a position at another school. Hackbarth completed her student teaching in Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls, and she has taught summer school in Menomonee Falls, as well. Hackbarth spent several years in New York City after earning her bachelor of arts degree in theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2005.

Danielle Santori will replace Holly Adams, who moved out of state, as a second-grade teacher. Santori has served the district as a paraprofessional and long-term substitute at both Richards and Cumberland schools. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Santori taught in Tennessee. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.

Vince Kalt will replace Nathan Joynt, who is now an as a fifth-grade teacher. Kalt taught fourth grade at Jefferson Elementary School in Wauwatosa during the 2010-11 school year. Kalt completed his student teaching at Richards.  He is a 2002 graduate of Drake University and he spent several years working in advertising and marketing.

Cumberland's new first-grade teacher Margo Miller replaces Amy Norman, who resigned after five years of teaching at Cumberland to move to England. Previously, Miller has served as a paraprofessional at Richards and held several long-term substitute positions at both Cumberland and Richards. Miller is a 2009 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Special education teacher Marissa McCallum replaced Justine Kinnaird, who moved for family reasons. McCallum has served as a special education teacher in Wauwatosa for the past three years.  Prior to her teaching experience, McCallum served as a job coach in Elmbrook.

Kaila Devenport, a kindergarten teacher at Cumberland for two years, has resigned to teach closer to her family’s home.

Counselor Melissa Rank was laid off as a result of school budget cuts. She returned to work in Sheboygan, where she worked previously.

Susan Rymer retired after an eight-year teaching career at Richards School.

Elizabeth Schultz is on a one-year contract to teach social studies for a teacher on long-term disability. Previously she served as a long-term substitute at the Middle School for the entire 2010-11 school year.  During the 2009-10 school year, Schultz did her student teaching at the Middle School. Schultz is a 2002 graduate of the University of Delaware, with additional coursework completed at Concordia University.

A new language arts teacher, Angela Gemignani, is replacing Jodi Schmidt, who moved into a different role at the middle school. Gemignani has significant experience teaching English and language arts in Milwaukee Public Schools and most recently at St. Mary’s in Hales Corners.

Science teacher Julia Erdman-Radobicky is replacing Steve Marshall, who retired. She has taught biology, chemistry and earth science at Wilmot Union High School over the past seven years.

Steve Farnsworth is replacing special education teacher Andy Jensen, who has moved to a similar position at Brookfield Central High School. Farnsworth has been a special education teacher in the Port Washington-Saukville School District for 32 years. He holds his undergraduate degree from UW-Whitewater and his master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University.

Karen Grube will take a new part-time speech and language pathologist position at the high school. Grube is a veteran speech and language pathologist who has worked for the district for the past two school years on an hourly basis. Many of the students who she will serve are students she has worked with over those two years. She also has more than 33 years of experience working for the Cudahy School District.

Jennifer Grossmayer is replacing English teacher Karen Jost. Grossmayer is a 2011 graduate of Marquette University. Her most recent student teaching experience has been at Messmer High School. In addition to her student teaching experience, Grossmayer has served as a writing tutor at both the high school and college level.

Shelli Hughes will take over a new cognitive disability teaching position at the high school. Prior to joining Bay, she held a similar position at New Berlin Eisenhower. Before that, she was a learning support teacher in Elmbrook and a special education teacher in Milwaukee.

Sallie Nelson will replace Tom Medved as a part-time art teacher at the high school. Nelson holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a master’s degree from Savannah College of Art & Design. She has served as a long-term subsitute for several school districts in Waukesha County in addition to her student teaching experience in Greenfield.

Ashley Pletzer is replacing Liz Siegel as a physical education and health teacher. She has been a physical education and health teacher in Milwaukee at Marshall High School, where she served as department chairman. Pletzer is a 2008 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.