News

• 06 Jul 2023

Annabelle was born and raised in Taos.  She graduated from Seattle University with a BA in English and Technical Writing before starting work in the outdoor industry.  She worked in conservation and farming before falling into a position as an outdoor educator, at which point she knew she needed to become a teacher.  Through outdoor education she’s been able to work with students of all ages from all over the country and world.  Annabelle is licensed in primary education and special education k-12.  She spent a couple of years teaching special education in Albuquerque but is now excited to be home in Taos. […]

• 01 Mar 2021

Nola Whetstone was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, MI. She studied at both Oakland University and the University of Michigan. Nola has degrees in English, anthropology, and education. She has certification in both elementary and middle school education. Before working in education, Nola was an anthropologist in a museum. Nola moved out West ten years ago to teach on the Navajo Nation. She has been a teacher for seventeen years working in 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grades. Nola has taught in three states: Michigan, Arizona, and New Mexico. She has experience in both private and public school […]

• 12 Aug 2019

  Michelle Barsano was born and raised in Taos, NM. She continues to love living here with her two teenage sons. She worked at Taos Charter School as an Educational Assistant for six years while completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Northern New Mexico College. She feels grateful for the opportunity to teach at TISA, the place that inspired her to begin a career in education. When she is not teaching, she enjoys hiking with her dog, eating delicious foods, and traveling with her kids.   Contact me at: michelle@tisataos.org    

• 26 Oct 2017

Jafer Martin is from Phoenix and has degrees from ASU, a BA in Linguistics and an M.Ed in Education. He has been teaching for 10 years in English and Mathematics. He has taught both middle school, high school and gifted. He has two daughters that live in Washington and Minnesota.   Contact me at jef@tisataos.org  

• 01 Jun 2016

Ms. Roe has been teaching for 28 years, with 25 in public education. She holds a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, and an Ed Specialist’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and has taught K-8th grades. She is a certified Music teacher, and also has a TESOL endorsement. A musician and actor, Ms. Roe is thrilled to use infuse her teaching with love of the arts and love of learning! Contact me at: roe@tisataos.org  

• 01 Jun 2016

Going into his sixth year as an elementary and middle school teacher, Mr. Coleman got his teaching license from the Santa Fe Community College. He is bilingual in Spanish and TESOL-certified and before moving to Taos taught grades 3, 5, and 6 at a public dual-language school in Santa Fe. Mr. Coleman got his Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics from Hunter College in New York City. Before becoming a teacher, he worked as an editor for a global online news service. That job gave him the opportunity to travel the world, and he visited and lived in several cities and countries, […]

• 11 Jan 2016

Gina Gargone is pleased to be part of the TISA family as the middle school science teacher. In previous years Gina worked with TISA teaching theater to grades K-8. Gina has always had a love for the outdoors and the natural world. She has a bachelor’s in theater with a background in Marine Biology and Botany. Gina brings her extreme enthusiasm, love of the scientific method (experiment and document!), and her understanding of the importance of integrating the arts with all learning disciplines into the classroom with her every day. Parents and students alike are encouraged to reach out to her at gina@tisataos.org.   Contact me at: gina@tisataos.org  

• 17 Dec 2015

Raised in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon, Sally earned a BA in Education from Prescott College, graduated with honors from the University of Northern Colorado with a MA in Special Education, & acquired Level III NM teaching licenses in K-8 elementary educcation & preK-12 special education, with endorsements in TESOL/gifted education. Sally spent time as a SPED teacher with Questa HS, worked in an Appalachian school facility for adjudicated teens, served as an English teacher in China, volunteered in England, led elephants/cooked on jungle treks in Thailand, operated a home-based pottery business, and spent countless hours astride a horse, working […]

• 17 Dec 2015

Ms. Jazz is a new member of our TISA family this year. This will be the fourth year teaching Kindergarten for Ms. Jazz, and she is so excited to be teaching at TISA! Ms. Jazz has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico and currently qualifies to move into a Level II Reading Endorsed K-8 Teaching License with New Mexico. Ms. Jazz is proud to be born and raised New Mexican, as she come from the Albuquerque area and a family dating back generations from the southern part of New Mexico. For Ms. Jazz, living […]