CAN Teacher Leaders

NAEA is pleased to announce the Connected Arts Networks (CAN) Visual Art Teacher Leaders. This group of art educators will serve as NAEA’s first Professional Learning Community (PLC) in this nationwide project. The group is comprised of elementary, middle, and high school visual arts educators. After a year of teacher leadership training, each educator will lead their own PLC in the 2023-2024 school year.

NAEA Teacher Leaders (below)
EdTA Teacher Leaders
NAfME Teacher Leaders
NDEO Teacher Leaders

NAEA Teacher Leaders:

Amber Arnold

Fine Arts Instructional Coach, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Suwanee, GA

Janine Campbell

Visual Arts Teacher, Byron Center Public Schools, Byron Center, MI

Heather de Koning Foley

Visual Arts & Design Teacher, P.S. 132K The Conselyea School, Brooklyn, NY

Cassie Garrity

High School Art Teacher, Central DeWitt High School, DeWitt, IA

Leslie Grace

Arts Department Chair, Nebinger Elementary School; PAEA President (10/20-10/22) & Past-President (10/22-10/24), Philadelphia, PA

Matthew Grundler

6-8th Grade Art Techer, Plano Independent School District, Plano, TX

Rachael Harrison

Visual Arts Director, El Sol Science & Art Academy, Santa Ana, CA

Melissa Hronkin

Art Educator, Houghton Elementary School, Houghton, MI

Lidia Menniti

Middle School Visual Arts Model Teacher, M.S. 137Q America’s School of Heroes, Ozone Park, NY

Frank Juárez

Art Department Chair, Sheboygan North High School, Sheboygan, WI

Hilary Morefield

Visual/Media Arts Teacher, Ventura Unified School District, Ventura, CA

Tim Needles

Art and Media Teacher/Technology Integration Specialist, Smithtown School District, Smithtown, NY

Gayle Nicholls-Ali

CTE Teacher, La Cañada Unified High School / Arts, Media & Entertainment Sector, Altadena, CA

Kimberly Olson

Elementary Art Education Teacher, PK-2, Centre School, Hampton, NH

Ann Ossey

Visual Arts Teacher, Wauconda High School, District 118, Wauconda, IL

Chay L. Ross

VAPA Instructional Lead, Digital Media & Visual Arts Teacher, Alliance Cindy & Bill Simon Technology Academy High School, Los Angeles, CA

Raine Valentine

Middle School Art Educator, Baltimore County, MD

US Department of Education Logo
Program activities for this project are fully funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education Program for a total of five years.