Paideia’s teachers and staff are all faithful Christians, living lives transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ and subscribing to our Statement of Faith. Here is the list of our teachers and staff for the 2022-2023 school year.
2022-2023 BOARD MEMBERS
Job Cacka, Matt Dau, David Spears, Kate Singleton, Mike True
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
DAVID SPEARS served in the military for six years and then gained his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from George Fox University. David is a permanent board member at Paideia and serves as disciplinary principal and head of school. He and his wife Rose have four boys and a passion for advancing Christian education in the Portland metro area. (Head of School)
ROSE SPEARS graduated from New Saint Andrews College with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Culture. She has been teaching secondary-level classes using Classical curriculum and pedagogy for seventeen years, first at King’s Academy and Schole Academy, and now at Paideia. Rose also oversees academics and admissions at Paideia. She and husband David have four boys enrolled at Paideia. In her spare time, Rose writes historical fiction. (Director of Academics and Admissions; Aesthetics & Art History)
BRENDA KULBE received her diploma in Office Administration – Executive from Niagara College in Ontario, Canada. She worked for 12 years before taking time off to move to the States, get married, and raise her family. She enjoys paper crafts, painting, and amateur photography. She is an invaluable asset to our teachers as she coordinates volunteer scheduling, parent communications, and all things office-related. (Executive Assistant)
KATEE CORPRON has a BS in Nutrition and Food Sciences from Utah State University. She and her husband, Trent, have four children whom she homeschooled until they came to Paideia. She is passionate about classical education and taught in Classical Conversations for several years. She loves to read, hike, and go on walks with her husband. Her favorite book is Jane Eyre. (Administrative Assistant)
ALI TERTIN hails from northern Minnesota where she taught middle school and coached for 8 years before moving to Oregon in 2007. She is a mother of two, the wife of a pastor, and a compassionate friend to all, having served for years in youth ministry, women’s ministries, and the Classical Conversations home school co-op in Portland. Ali is always inviting students, parents, and neighbors into the way of life that belongs to Christ alone. (Administrative Assistant, Geometry, Algebra 2)
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
AMY HAYES has taught in a variety of educational settings for the past 20 years including homeschooling her own children, grandchildren and the children of friends, running a one-room-school classroom in her home, tutoring foreign students, Barton dyslexia tutoring, and doing teacher training in phonics curricula. She and her husband Doug raised his five children from a previous marriage and now delight in their many grandchildren – several of whom attend Paideia. When not teaching, Amy loves being in her kitchen, creating a welcoming home and garden, photographing babies, all things books, and the worship and life of her church community. (Kindergarten Teacher)
JAYNA HEATH graduated from Northwest University with a B.A. in Elementary Education, including endorsements in ESL and English. She is a native Oregonian who returned home after living in Washington, DC and Louisville, KY with her husband and growing family. Kurt and Jayna have four children. (First Grade Teacher)
SHARON TRUE graduated from Central Washington University with a B.A. in Education, Special Ed. major/minor in Elementary Ed., then attained a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from City University. She taught elementary for 15 years in Vancouver, WA, and high school English in Poland, then married a “True” musician and had three children, whom she homeschooled until she found Paideia, where all of her three children either attend or are alumni. Signing for the deaf, traveling, and mentoring youth have been interests of hers since her late teens. Recently she just returned to biking, (with her sons when she can keep up with them) as well as thoroughly enjoying listening to live piano, bass guitar or marimba at her house played by her children and husband. Because it was done for her, she considers it an honor to pass on truth to the next generation, as there is no greater joy than taking the hand of a child and placing it in the gentle, kind hand of Jesus for all of life! (Second Grade Teacher)
BETH ANNE CACKA graduated from Hyles-Anderson college with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade for several years before marriage and becoming a mom of two boys. She loves art, history, music, animals, baking, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her family in our beautiful state. Previously, she taught elementary art at Paideia and assisted in a variety of elementary subjects as a teacher’s aide. (Third Grade Teacher)
LISA POINDEXTER continues as fourth grade teacher at Paideia this year. Mother to six and grandmother to one, she has provided instruction for many years in a homeschool setting and through Classical Conversations. Previously, she taught third grade for several years at Paideia. (Fourth Grade Teacher)
CAITY GENTLE holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Bible and Christian Ministry from New Hope Christian College and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Northwest Christian University and has seven years’ experience in education. She and her husband, Rob, have twins who are going into ninth grade. Caity loves being a wife and a mom, cooking, playing games, smiling and being happy, and coffee! (Fifth Grade Teacher)
SARAH BILLINGS holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Oklahoma Baptist University, where she met her husband, Davey. She has 8 years of experience in education. Outside of the classroom she is the Children’s Director for Woodstock Community Church, a church plant in Portland. In her free time you can find her playing board games with Davey and friends, reading, painting, cross-stitching, baking, and cuddling with her dog. (Sixth Grade Teacher)
ALICE BARNARD graduated from Trinity Western University with a B.A. in Geography, minor in English. She loves to garden, crochet, and read, read, read. Whenever possible, she visits art museums and studies art history. Previous to teaching at Paideia, she tutored Foundations and Essentials classes for Classical Conversations. She is married to Gary who keeps bees for fun, and they have four children ranging from secondary through college age. (Sixth Grade Teacher; College Advisor & Testing Coordinator)
BROOKE BUBNA is excited to be sharing the joy of music with Paideia elementary this year. She earned a Bachelor of Music in composition from Willamette University and a Bible certificate from Ecola. Brooke’s teaching experience includes two years of elementary classroom music, multiple music camps and over a decade teaching private piano lessons. She sang professionally with Portland Dickens Carolers for a number of years, and more recently, can be found playing fiddle for English Country Dance bands. Brooke and her husband Nate have four children. (Elementary Music Teacher)
JUDI BRADLEY was born to missionary parents in Zaire, Africa (now the DRC) and lived there until she was 6 years old, moving to Portland for the remainder of her childhood. In high school and college she took as many art classes as she could until she started having children. With her husband Kevin, she has nine children and has homeschooled for 20 years. Her youngest three attend Paideia where she loves the balance of school and still getting to be a part of their education in the afternoon. Judi recently returned to school herself and is slowly working toward her A.A. In her free time, she loves to sew, create art, cook, garden, thrift store shop. The thing she most looks forward to is the return of Jesus! (Elementary Art Teacher)
LILLIAN COLLVER graduated with a B.A. in History, Minor Literature from Western Oregon University and is pursuing a Master of Studies in Classical Christian Studies through New Saint Andrews College. In her spare time, she bakes, reads, makes borscht, knits, and practices Filipino Martial Arts. Lillian is excited to join the parents and teachers at Paideia in the mission to teach children about God and His world. (Elementary Latin Teacher; Secondary 7th-History; Teacher’s Aide)
CAITLIN CUMMINGS is the mother of four girls currently attending Paideia. In the distant past she worked for the Clackamas ESD with kids with special needs and in a language school connecting with the Muslim refugee population of Portland. In more recent years she has worked to create henna patterns to share Bible stories, learned about developing healthy airway and facial structure in children and taken classes to bring emotional healing to herself and others. She loves dancing, reading a variety of books (especially picture books), being outside, and sharing poetry and good words with her children. (Kindergarten Teacher’s Aide)
JULIA SAGER has two boys at Paideia this year and has been an active volunteer for the past three years. In her spare time, Julia enjoys painting, sewing, spending time with her four children, listening to sermons, and sharing a cup of coffee with friends. Julia’s greatest love is Jesus, followed closely by the hope of seeing all four of her children pursue Jesus and growing in their faith and walk with Him. (Elementary Teacher’s Aide)
BETHANY TUTTLE is excited to join Paideia as an elementary teacher’s assistant. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho, she spent ten years in project administration before staying home to raise her children, and truly enjoys using her administrative skill set to assist others in accomplishing their goals. Bethany and her husband, Steven, have two children who attend Paideia, and the Tuttles love being part of the school family. In her free time, Bethany is most often found with her family in their backyard, in her garden or sewing room, or trying a new recipe in the kitchen. (Elementary Teacher’s Aide)
MORGAN GOLDBERG started her love and practice of theater at a young age, starring in school and community theater productions. She majored in theater in college and continued performing, writing and directing on and off campus. Post-college, she became a professional circus artist and children’s movement arts educator. Her one-woman educational clown show for children toured the region. She produced and performed in full length circus theater and did many artist residencies and children’s shows at schools. She spent last year teaching and directing at Paideia, producing The Impossible Story and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. She is excited to continue her work guiding children in how to glorify God through the wonderful art of theater! (Elementary & Secondary Theater Teacher)
SECONDARY TEACHERS
SARAH ASHWORTH has a B.A. in Studio Art from University of California, Davis, a Master of Architecture from University of Oregon and is a licensed architect in California and Oregon. She and her family love hiking, camping, and playing on the beach. Sarah’s interests mostly fall into the theme of making—from gardening, cooking, sewing, and drawing to interior design and architecture. (Chemistry, Physics, PreAlgebra, Algebra 2, PreCalculus, Calculus)
DAVEY BILLINGS is an avid lover of languages, particularly ancient languages. He earned a B.A. in Biblical Languages and Linguistics from Oklahoma Baptist University (where he also met his wife, Sarah), and an M.A. in Biblical Languages and Linguistics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina. He is a J.R.R. Tolkien enthusiast, and other favorites are To Kill A Mockingbird, Jurassic Park, and The Kite Runner. When he’s not reading, Davey’s favorite pastime is playing board games and card games with friends and family. (Latin 1 & 2, Greek 1 & 2, 7th Lit & Language Arts)
RACHEL COGBILL is the wife of a pastor and mother to three at Paideia. She earned a B.A. in Business Finance (minor in Spanish) from Texas Christian University and a Master’s in Education with emphasis in teaching reading from Dallas Baptist University. She taught at the elementary level for five years before “retiring” to stay home with her kids and this is her fourth year teaching secondary Spanish at Paideia. (Spanish 1, Spanish 2)
AGATA COOMBS was born and raised in Poland. She graduated from Pomeranian Pedagogical Academy in Slupsk, Poland with a Master’s degree in Biology. She moved to the United States in 2006 after marrying her husband, Bert. They are raising three children who are all attending Paideia. In her free time Agata enjoys cooking, fermenting, experimenting in the kitchen and long hikes with her family. (Math Lab)
JULIE EDMONDS studied Early Childhood Education at Edmonds Community College after high school. She also attended Calvary Chapel Bible College in California. She’s been married to her high school sweetheart for 40 years and they have 7 sons together and 19 grandchildren. She has taught history classes in several home school cooperatives, and for 4 years directed the Classical Conversations of Happy Valley’s Foundations and Essentials Programs. (9th Bible)
JOSEPH FORSTER graduated from George Fox University in 2009 with a B.A. in Music. He plays a variety of musical instruments and has taught music in many contexts, including giving private lessons and directing church and university choir groups. He is currently the Chief Musician at Reformation Covenant Church and owns Sterling Piano Tuning. He lives in Oregon City with his wife Hannah and their soon-to-be five children and enjoys board games in his spare time. (Junior High & Senior High Music)
MATT HARTMAN has a B.S. in History and Philosophy from Portland State University and a Master of Theological Studies from Duke University. Born and raised in SW Washington, Matt enjoys being in the outdoors. He also enjoys reading books, listening to a range of music, watching movies, playing sports, and nerding out on theology. All of these things he loves more when he does them with his wife. (8th Literature & LA; 8th Global Studies; 10th/11th Great Books: Ancient, 12th Great Books: Modern)
CHELSI LACINE studied Biology at Chemeketa Community College and George Fox University. She is a pastor’s wife and mother to four children. Chelsi is passionate about inspiring young people in the wonder of God through the study of the Bible and his creation. (7th Bible, 7th/8th Science, Algebra 1, 9th/10th Health & Nutrition, 9th/10th Astronomy, House Coordinator)
CONNIE MEYERDIERK studied Elementary Ed. at Western Oregon State College and homeschooled her children for many years Connie helped to form a co-op in her early homeschooling days and taught a variety of subjects in the six years her family participated in it. One of Connie’s passions is nurturing a love for God and His Word. (8th Bible, 10th Bible)
DEVIN SMITH is a pastor at Reformation Covenant Church. Before that, he taught Latin and humanities for 10 years. He received his BA and M.Div from The Master’s University and Seminary. He and his wife, Amy, have four children: Aiden, Jonathan, Geneva, and Abigail. In his free time he enjoys hiking, golf, and dating his wife. (11th/12th Junior & Senior Thesis, 11th/12th Apologetics with C.S. Lewis)
ELSHA WINSOR graduated from the Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California with a degree in English and later received her teaching license and M.A. in Teaching from the same institution. She taught both middle and high school classes in California where she first encountered the value of classical education. She enjoys exploring coffee shops and book stores with her husband, Ryan, and three young children. (7th Logic, 8th Logic, 9th Great Books: American, 9th Logic/Rhetoric, 10th Rhetoric)