Teachers & 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. He is currently pursuing a Master’s from Gordon College in Classical Christian Leadership. David is a permanent board member at Paideia and serves as 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 twenty 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. (Secondary Principal; Junior Thesis)

LISA POINDEXTER is a former orthopedic RN and mother of six who has been at Paideia for the last eight years teaching at the elementary level and then serving as elementary principal. Prior to that, she tutored with Classical Conversations and homeschooled her six children, one of whom graduated from Paideia with the first graduating class of 2021. Lisa has a passion for helping newcomers at her church and at school feel welcome and make connections within the community. Her favorite thing about Paideia is the joy and freedom teachers have in proclaiming Christ as Lord and pointing to Him as the creator and sustainer of all things.  She enjoys traveling with her husband, having coffee with friends, and spending time with her five adorable grandchildren.  (Elementary Principal)

BRENDA KULBE graduated with her diploma in Executive Office Administration. She enjoys time hanging out in her craft room making shirts and tumblers. She loves to travel and visit her family back in Canada. She is an invaluable asset to our teachers as she coordinates volunteer scheduling, parent communications, and all things office-related. (Executive Assistant)

ALICE BARNARD Many years ago, Alice attended Trinity Western University to gain her Bachelor of Arts degree. Nowadays, she loves teaching elementary Latin, spending time with her husband and their four grown-up children, gardening, and reading. (Executive Assistant; 4th/5th Latin; Testing & Transcripts Coordinator)

KATEE CORPRON has a B.S. 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, and two of her sons are now alumni. 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 eight 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, PreAlgebra, Algebra 2)

AMY HAYES has been teaching for the past 25 years in a variety of educational settings including everything from homeschooling to early-learning and dyslexia intervention. As a classroom teacher, Amy began with the first multi-grade classroom at Paideia. Amy has been an avid book-lover from childhood and loves being the one to open reading for the first time to young students. When not teaching, she loves reading, baking, gardening, and being involved in church life. She and her husband Doug have been married for 26 years and greatly enjoy their 12 grandchildren, some of whom you might see arriving at Paideia in the little yellow “Grandfather Express” bus. (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 in curriculum and instruction from City University.  She taught elementary, special education, and was also a reading specialist in the Evergreen School District during her 15 years teaching in Vancouver, WA. All three of her children are graduates of Paideia and are very grateful for such an excellent and loving place to learn so much! Because it was done for her, she considers it an honor to pass the truth to the next generation. There is no greater joy than taking a child’s hand early on and placing it in the gentle hand of Jesus for all of life! (Second Grade Teacher)

BETH ANNE CACKA graduated from Hyles-Anderson College with a B.S. 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. Before teaching third grade, she taught elementary art at Paideia and assisted in a variety of elementary subjects as a teacher’s aide. (Third 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 eleven years’ experience in education. She and her husband, Rob, have twins who are in secondary. 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 eight 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)

BROOKE BUBNA is excited to share the joy of music with the Paideia community. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Willamette University. She also also holds a Bible certificate from Ecola and a certificate in Kodaly Method through New Saint Andrews College. Brooke’s teaching experience includes years of classroom music, private lessons and camps. 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, all who share in the joy of singing and playing instruments. (Elementary Music Teacher)

KERRI WALLEN is the elementary and junior high art teacher at Paideia and the founder and director of Grace Fine Arts. While teaching art at Masters School of Arts in 2013/14 she started GFA in her small town of Vernonia as an after school program. Her program further expanded to serve a large community of classical homeschooling families in the greater New Orleans area after moving there with her family. She is the mother of four beautiful children and grandma to a precious baby girl. (Elementary Art Teacher; Junior High Art Teacher)

BETHANY TUTTLE has enjoyed working as a teacher’s aide and getting to know the elementary students over the last few years at Paideia. She is looking forward to her new role teaching pre-algebra at the elementary campus. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture 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 this 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. (PreAlgebra)

JOANNA CASELLI earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Communications from the University of Alaska. She worked in publishing, marketing, and event planning before embarking on a career as a mother and homeschool teacher to her three children, who are all now enrolled in Paideia. She is a perpetual student, and loves just about any outdoor activity from farming to snowboarding. Over the years she has participated in many athletic activities (even rugby!), and is passionate about coaching the next generation to honor God through athletics. (Elementary Teacher’s Aide, Athletics Director)

CAITLIN CUMMINGS is the mother of four girls, three currently attending Paideia and one alumna. 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. (Elementary Teacher’s Aide)

STEFANIE STERN graduated from George Fox University with a B.A. in Organizational Communication. She worked for many years in higher education as an executive-style coach before switching gears to homeschool her four children, all of whom now attend Paideia. She loves a house full of music and dance parties, hosting a great meal for friends, learning a new handicraft, helping kiddos fall in love with Scripture and deepen their connections to God, and climbing the occasional mountain with her husband, Mike. (Library Assistant; Elementary Teacher’s Aide)

BONNIE VON WALD was graciously saved by Jesus at a young age and has been joyfully following him ever since. Bonnie is the proud wife of Mark and has been home with their delightful boys for the past 10 years; Ben (5^th grade) and Jon (1^st grade). When she is not spending time with her family or fellow church members, Bonnie can be found enjoying all things related to forests, books, coffee, and theology. Bonnie considers it a great joy to come alongside the staff and families at Paideia as they strive to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. (Elementary Teacher’s Aide)

ANA DAU received a Liberal Arts degree from the University of Idaho where she majored in Classical Studies. She and husband Matt live in Oregon City and have four children, three currently at Paideia and one alumnus. Ana loves being involved in Paideia and over the years has enjoyed the opportunities to serve as Art teacher, Latin teacher, and Theater Director. (Theater Director; Elementary Theater)

SARAH ASHWORTH has a B.A. in Studio Art from University of California, Davis, a Master of Architecture from University of Oregon and was 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, Advanced Mathematics, Calculus, Statistics)

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 loves to read a wide variety of fiction (his favorite author being Charles Dickens), and he loves playing board games in his downtime. (Greek 1 & 2, Spanish 1 & 2, House Coordinator, Secondary Theater)

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 five children and enjoys board games in his spare time. (Junior High & Senior High Music)

JILLIAN GATTEY graduated with honors from Wilson Hill Academy in 2023. Following her high school graduation, Jillian taught first and second grade at Mountain Scholars Latin Heritage School in her hometown of Mount Shasta, CA for the school years between 2023-2025. During this time, she met and married her husband, Sebastian, who is a student at OHSU, and they now make Portland their home. Jillian has a passion for classical Christian education and deeply desires to see the next generation instructed in the good, true, and beautiful. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, skiing, and cooking. (6th Latin, 7thLatin, 8th Latin; 9th Rhetoric, 10th Rhetoric)

JULIE GREENE earned her B.A. in Music Education from Azusa Pacific University. She enjoys playing and listening to all kinds of music.  Julie is married to a lawyer/musician and has four children, two attending Paideia at present, and one alumna.  Besides being a wife and mom, Julie also enjoys the outdoors, animals (especially her two cats) gardening, board/card games, and puzzles. (Piano Accompanist; Music TA)

ASHLEY LOCKHART is an Oregon native and received her BS in nutrition from Oregon State University. After college, she spent the next fifteen years staying home and homeschooling her four awesome kids, during which time she gained an appreciation for the classical model of education. She is thrilled that God has called her family to be a part of the Paideia community this year. Ashley enjoys gardening, cooking, going on adventures with her family, raising various livestock animals, and finding time to read from the stack of books on her night stand. (7th Literature, 8th Literature, 7th History, 8th History, 9th Health & Nutrition)

LELIA MANN has a B.A. in computer science from PSU. She was born in Romania and came to the US at the age of ten. She and her husband have six children, whom she homeschooled for fifteen years. She taught science classes for her homeschool co-op for many years. In her spare time she loves to read, travel, and go camping with family and friends. (Geometry)

ALISSA MULLEN has a passion for math and science and God’s created world. She and her husband Nathan have three children, all of whom are secondary students at Paideia. She loves to read, play games of all kinds, listen to podcasts (Haunted Cosmos is her fave!), and sing…if only life was a musical! (7th Science, 8th Science, Math Lab, Algebra 1, Astronomy, Biology)

JON ROBERTS attended George Fox University and Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He was a high school/middle school teacher for 16 years, and a coach for 25 years. He has been a pastor for the last 10 years. He loves buying and eventually reading books and has quite the collection. His wife’s name is Kati, and he has three children attending Paideia: Kyle, Olivia, and Lincoln. In his spare time (when he has it) he loves spending it with his family, which includes coaching all three kids in sports ranging from football to basketball to volleyball. He loves studying God’s Word; one of his favorite times is when he gets to start into a new book of the Bible that he has not studied in depth before and gets to see how God reveals Himself anew.   (7th Bible, 12th Apologetics/C.S. Lewis) 

LAUREN SHEARER has a B.S in Marketing from WGU, and is currently a grad student (MA Theology) at Reformed Theological Seminary. She spent two years in west Ukraine as an English tutor for an after-school center. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, reads widely, and takes early morning walks. (9th Bible, 10th Hermeneutics, 11th Church History)

JOSHUA WILDER was born and raised in Oregon. After High School, he joined YWAM and served as a short term missionary to Cambodia. Curiosity about differences between his home church and YWAM sparked his love of learning (especially theology and biblical studies) and he moved to Portland to enroll at Multnomah Bible College in 2005. He left for the east coast in 2014 for his MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he also had the opportunity to teach at a divinity school in India between semesters. There he caught a love for students and for teaching. Always learning and growing, Josh has served in campus ministries and in various staff roles at multiple churches, all with a passion to help shape his knowledge of God and his word and invite others into the same journey. Josh is married to Mackenzie and they have four beautiful children. (8th Bible, 10th/11th Great Books: Medieval, 12th Great Books: Modern)

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 four young children. (9th Great Books: American, 7th Logic, 8th Logic, 9th Logic, Senior Thesis)