Rockingham County Public Schools

Steve Bange, Broadway High School

Steve has taught at Broadway High School for 21 of his 24 years in education. He has taught Earth Science, Biology and created the Geology program for the school. Steve coached for 17 seasons of football, boys' basketball and girls' basketball combined. He lives with his wife, Lisa, in Harrisonburg, with his two children, Michael and Eric, and his step-daughters, Brandy and Patricia.

Bobbie Jo Kite, Elkton Elementary School

Bobbie Jo grew up in Penn Laird and attended the Rockingham County Public Schools kindergarten through twelfth grades. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from James Madison University where she majored in Philosophy and minored in Early Childhood Education. She received her Masters of Arts in Education from Eastern Mennonite University, with a specialization in Elementary Education Curriculum and Instruction. She has taught first grade for eight years. The first five years were at Mountain View Elementary School, and the past three years have been at Elkton Elementary School.

Chris Botkin, J. Frank Hillyard Middle School

Chris started teaching in January of 1991 at Elkton Middle School and stayed there until June 2000 when he moved to J. Frank Hillyard Middle School. During his career, he has taught US History, Civics, and World Studies to both 7th and 8th graders. While at Hillyard, he has served as YES Coordinator, coached girls basketball and JV baseball, testing coordinator, team leader, department chair, and attendance officer. Chris also worked as assistant principal for a year. Happily married for 13 years to Karen, he has 3 children - Ashley and Kyle who attend MVES and Laura who is 2.

Mike Long, Wilbur S. Pence Middle School

Mike has been teaching Agricultural Education at Wilbur S. Pence Middle School for seventeen years. He has taught for a total of nineteen years, the first two in Augusta County after graduating from VA Tech. He worked for Dominion Bank for seven years before moving into his current position.

Debbie Coffman, Linville-Edom Elementary School

Debbie is originally from Pennsylvania, where she began her teaching in 4th grade after graduating from Slippery Rock University (sometimes known as the Slimy Pebble.) She moved to Virginia and taught 2nd grade at Keezletown Elementary school for a year. She has been teaching Kindergarten at Linville-Edom Elementary School for the past 27 years.

Patsy Neese, Peak View Elementary School

Patsy is currently a second grade teacher at Peak View Elementary School. Her first teaching job, after graduating from JMU, was in Pendleton County, West Virginia. She was the only Kindergarten teacher in a small school that housed grades K-12 in one building. After two years in West Virginia and one year as a children's librarian at the former Rockingham Public Library, she was hired to teach second grade at Plains Elementary. She has worked in Rockingham County ever since. At various times during her career, Patsy has taught Kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. She was at Plains for fifteen years and at McGaheysville Elementary for one year. She has been in her current position at Peak View since it opened seven years ago.

Katherine Dameron, Ottobine Elementary School

Katherine is originally from Waynesboro, VA. She attended James Madison University then began her teaching career as Ottobine Elementary School’s Physical Education teacher in the fall of 2002.  This is her 6th year in Rockingham County. She plans to begin work towards a Master’s Degree this fall.

Mark Palmer, Spotswood High School

Mark teaches Alternative Education at Spotswood High School. He has taught at Spotswood for four years. He has taught a total of 24 years with positions at Fort Defiance, Broadway, and Dayton Learning Center. Mark also works in the Night School Program at Spotswood. He is also a Varsity Assistant Football coach at Spotswood.

Kim Dean, Turner Ashby High School

Kim has been teaching United States History and Government for ten years. The past five years she has been teaching at Turner Ashby High School where she is also the Student Council advisor. Previously, Kim was the social studies teacher for the Academic Tech Program at Massanutten Technical Center. This year, she received the History Teacher of the year award from the Massanutten Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Deborah Price, Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Debbie graduated from Bridgewater College and received her teaching certificate from JMU. She has taught in Rockingham County for 22 years. Debbie first taught at Plains Elementary in 5th grade for 5 years and has been teaching 4th grade at Pleasant Valley Elementary since 1991.

Penny Dolan, South River Elementary School

Penny began her teaching career with Rockingham County in 1994 as a Title I Reading teacher at Plains Elementary.  For the past 13 years she has taught first grade at South River.  Penny is originally from the Lewisburg, West Virginia area but has lived in the Shenandoah Valley for 21 years.  She has recently completed her NETS*T Certification.

Lisa Pullen, Montevideo Middle School

Lisa has had the opportunity of sharing music with middle school band
students for 20 years. She taught in the Page County school division for 16 years prior to joining the outstanding faculty and staff of Montevideo Middle School in the fall of 2004.

Cindy Evans, Elkton Middle School

This is Cindy’s second year at Elkton Middle School.  She is a Special Education Teacher and the Student Study Chair.  Cindy has been teaching for 28 years.  Her teaching experiences have included a variety of grades and environments in IL, DE, MD and VA.

Judy Rhodes, John C. Myers Elementary School

Judy is currently a second grade teacher/team leader at John C. Myers Elementary. She is a graduate of Broadway High School and James Madison University (Madison College). Judy has previously taught at Plains Elementary, grades 1, 2, and 3 for 26 years and grades 1 and 2 at JCMES for 10 years. She has been an advisor for SCA and has been the director of the Summer Elementary Leadership Camp for the Virginia Secondary Principals Association and was named Elementary Advisor of the Year. Earlier this year, she received WHSV-TV3's Golden Apple Award. Judy is also active in the PTA, serving as Reflections Chair and Talent Show Director. Judy is NETS*T certified.

Dawn Flory, John Wayland Elementary School

Dawn has taught for 28 years in Florida, Illinois, and the last 19 in Virginia at John Wayland.  Although she has taught in grades K, 1, and 2, most of the experiences have been in second grade. She enjoys teaching at John Wayland with the dedicated administration, faculty, and staff.

Sherry Ryman, Lacey Spring Elementary School

Sherry teaches Kindergarten at Lacey Spring Elementary.  She has been there for the last 9 years and has taught for a total of 13 years.  She previously taught Pre-K students in the Head Start Program.  She received her Masters Degree in Reading from Eastern Mennonite University in 2003.

Regina Griffin, Massanutten Technical Center

Regina is the Health Careers teacher at MTC. She is completing her 18th year there. Her career started by becoming an LPN for 7 years and then an RN for the last 22 years. She has graduated hundreds of Certified Nursing Assistants with CPR and first aid skills that have gone on to further their careers as LPN's, RN's, and a variety of other health career jobs serving our community.

Cary Schulte, Fulks Run Elementary School

Cary is the Special Education teacher at Fulks Run Elementary School. This is her third year of teaching. She completed undergraduate work at Eastern Mennonite College and James Madison University, and graduate studies at JMU.  Teaching is a second career for Cary.  She previously worked as school secretary at both Fulks Run Elementary and John C. Myers Elementary.

Marsha Hinkle, Plains Elementary School

Marsha has taught in Rockingham County for 11 years. All 11 years have been at Plains Elementary. She taught Kindergarten for 1 year and Pre-K for the last 10 years.

Nanette Shifflette, Mountain View Elementary School

(Her career, submitted in verse! ...)

Nanette Shifflette started teachin’ in ’78—
First grade in Page County and it was great!
Next went to Manassas Park Middle School
Designed a reading program that was kinda cool—
But missed little kids, and so you see—
Changed to Manassas Park Elementary.
Took a new position in ’84—
Title 1 reading on Plains’ bottom floor.
Stayed there for 11 years, then changed again—
Went to teach second at Mt. Clinton.
Third was the grade at Mountain View,
Terrific to teach at a brand new school!
Now she is teaching reading these days,
Twenty-nine years have flown away—
But she’s found a new challenge, too—
She’s learning about Autism at JMU!

Therese Warner, McGaheysville Elementary School

Therese graduated from JMU with a degree in Business Administration in 1989. She returned to JMU in 1990 and enrolled in the Elementary Education Master's Program. She has worked for Rockingham County for fourteen years where she began as a teaching assistant at Fulks Run Elementary in the prekindergarten program. She taught one year at Ottobine Elementary in kindergarten, three years at Plains Elementary as a first grade teacher and currently is completing her ninth year at McGaheysville Elementary as the prekindergarten teacher.