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Beyond Textbooks

Contact Us

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Justin Chesebrough

Director of Beyond Textbooks
Phone: 520-879-3964
If you'd like more information about Beyond Textbooks, please reach out to Justin to schedule a free overview. Additionally, please reach out to Justin to learn more about the BT Framework, for general BT related questions, to coordinate professional development, to schedule a Vail site visit, or for general BT navigation questions.
Bio:
Justin Chesebrough is in his 23rd year as an educator. As an administrator, he opened Ocotillo Ridge Elementary in 2006 and served in that capacity for five years. Prior to becoming an administrator, Justin was a classroom teacher in the Vail School District.

He taught 5th grade at Mesquite Elementary for three years and 3rd and 5th grades at Desert Willow Elementary for four years. Justin left education a few years ago and was working as an executive for Target.com in Tucson. His love for education and working with students, teachers and administrators brought him back to the education field. Justin received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University in 1998 and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 2002.

He is proud of serving as the principal of an Excelling school for five years, being selected as one of the “40 under 40” emerging leaders in the Tucson community in 2009, serving as the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) Pima County representative from 2009-2011 and serving as the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Arizona State representative from 2010-2011. Justin is married to Elizabeth, a PE teacher in the Vail School District and has two daughters, ages fourteen and sixteen.

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Megan Folkers

Assistant Director of Beyond Textbooks
Phone: 520-730-2900
Please reach out to Megan for assistance with BT logins, calendar customization, BT help desk, general BT implementation and website navigation, and any curriculum questions.
Bio:
Megan Folkers is in her 19th year in the Vail School District, and 20th year in education. She was raised in Prescott, Arizona by a family of educators who taught her the value and rewards of the education profession.

She began her teaching career in Prescott, teaching middle school, and then came to Vail where she taught third grade for five years at Sycamore Elementary. During that time, Megan received her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership with Principal certification from Northern Arizona University. She then became the Student Achievement Teacher at Sycamore, where she led and coached teachers on how to analyze curriculum and make data-driven decisions to help ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn successfully.

Megan has been acknowledged for her contributions to education on many occasions. In 2008, she was named Teacher of the Year at Vails Sycamore Elementary School, and in 2004 she was the recipient of the Yavapai County Outstanding First Year Teacher Award. Megan was selected as one of the “40 under 40” emerging leaders in the Tucson community in 2013. It is also noteworthy that Megan was a teacher in an Excelling school for seven years as recognized by the Arizona Department of Education. In October 2010, Megan joined the Beyond Textbooks team, and is now the Assistant Director for Beyond Textbooks, where she greatly enjoys interacting with other educators who share the same passion for helping students succeed and prepare for their futures. Megan is married to Kyle, a middle school STEAM teacher and they have two sons, Collin and Dillon.

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Brent Edwards

Assistant Director of Beyond Textbooks
Phone: 520-879-3966
Please reach out to Brent for assistance with general BT website navigation, 6-12 BT implementation, or suggested topics for our monthly webinars or round table discussions.
Bio:
Brent Edwards is in his 21st year as an educator, all with the Vail School District. The first half of his career was as a math specialist, teaching high school math to qualified middle schools. In 2009 he moved into administration and has helped lead two highly performing middle schools in Rincon Vista Middle School and Desert Sky Middle School.

He is a proud Wildcat, with undergrad and Master’s degrees from the University of Arizona, in Educational Leadership. Even when serving as an administrator he was focused on student achievement and growth, and maintains his passion for highly effective instruction. This passion led him to be published by the National Council of Teachers of Math in 2005, to be selected as a national Raytheon “Math Hero” in 2006, and to be an invited speaker at the National Middle School Association’s national conference in 2010.

Brent is married to Jenna, a cardiac Nurse Practitioner in Tucson, and has three children: Andrew, Isaac, and Audrey.

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Jennifer Estrada

Beyond Textbooks Coordinator
Phone: 520-879-3967
Please reach out to Jen for assistance with general BT website navigation, sharing resources, K-5 BT implementation, Daily Math Skills, Professional Learning Communities, or the BT Changes and Updates page.
Bio:
Jennifer Estrada began teaching in the Vail School District in 2006. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with Distinction in Technical Theatre from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.

After several years of working with various regional and touring theatre companies across the country, Jennifer settled in Tucson to work for the Arizona Theatre Company. During this time, she also began working on her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with Northern Arizona University. Over her years as a second grade, fourth grade, and Student Achievement Teacher at Ocotillo Ridge Elementary, Jennifer continued to be drawn to curriculum, effective teaching practices, and the “backstage” aspects of education. She is especially proud of being a three time Teacher of the Year nominee at an Excelling school. Being a part of the Beyond Textbooks team is an exciting opportunity to engage and collaborate with teachers on one common goal, academic success for all students.

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Chelsea Scopellite

Beyond Textbooks Coordinator
Phone: 520-879-3963
Please reach out to Chelsea for assistance with general BT implementation and website navigation, sharing resources, instructional Videos, and Daily Math Skills.
Bio:
Chelsea Scopellite is in her 22nd year in education and her 16th year in Vail. Chelsea was raised in Tucson, Arizona, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Arizona.

She began her career in California, where she was a Middle School Language Arts teacher for six years while earning her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Here, Chelsea served on numerous curriculum based committees and helped establish common formative and benchmark assessments for the district. Upon returning to Arizona, Chelsea taught at both Desert Sky and Rincon Vista Middle Schools, while continuing to grow in the areas of developing and implementing curriculum. She then served as the Student Achievement Teacher for Vail Academy and High School, a K-12 charter school within the Vail School District. She joined the Beyond Textbooks team in July of 2011, and deeply enjoys working with both teachers and administrators toward the common goal of increased student achievement. Chelsea has two children, Lilly and Zack.

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Kristin Salerno

Beyond Textbooks Coordinator
Phone: 520-879-2079
Please reach out to Kristin for assistance with general BT implementation, website navigation, sharing resources, and any other BT related questions.
Bio:
Kristin Salerno has been working in education for 14 years, with the last 10 years spent in Vail. She is originally from Tucson, Arizona, and has a strong appreciation for the community and the natural beauty of the desert that Tucson offers.

Kristin started her teaching career at La Paloma Academy, a partnered charter school, where she taught 4th grade. Later, she joined Cottonwood Elementary in the Vail Unified School District and continued to teach 4th grade. Over time, she developed an interest in leadership, coaching, and math curriculum, leading her to become the Advanced Math teacher and an instructional coach on campus. Kristin pursued her Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, with the goal of assisting both students and teachers in achieving academic success and growth. Kristin was proud to be named Cottonwood’s teacher of the year in 2020. She then moved to Cienega High School as the Student Achievement Teacher, embracing all the opportunities and new learning that high school had to offer.

Kristin became a member of the Beyond Textbooks team in July 2023. Her friendly nature, enthusiasm for curriculum, instructional leadership skills, and desire to prioritize student needs brought her to this role. She is thrilled to collaborate with all the partners in supporting students to reach their full academic potential.

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Alexa Kirshy

Executive Assistant
Phone: 520-879-3965
Please reach out to Alexa for assistance with Intergovernmental Agreements, invoices, financials, or if you need to get in touch with the Beyond Textbooks Director.
Bio:
Alexa Kirshy is the Executive Assistant for Beyond Textbooks. Prior to working for Beyond Textbooks, Alexa was the Executive Assistant for the VUSD Chief Administrative Officer and Business Support Services Department.

She loves being a part of the Vail community and helping others. Alexa is proud to be a part of the Beyond Textbooks team and to have the opportunity to contribute to something as important as education. Alexa has traveled to and lived in many places all over the world but now calls Vail home. Her family includes two boys and a Doberman; Apollo, Raury, and Bears.

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Kristin King

Beyond Textbooks Facilitator
Please reach out to Kristin for assistance with adding a resource to the BT Website or questions about a resource.
Bio:
Kristin King was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. After graduating from the University of Arizona South in 2005 and being honored with the Outstanding Graduating Senior award, Kristin began her career in The Vail School District.
She taught fifth grade at Old Vail Middle School for one year, then transferred to Desert Willow Elementary where she taught grades 4 and 5 for six years. During this time, Kristin enjoyed several different roles in addition to being a classroom teacher, such as grade level team leader, instructional facilitator, Child Study team member, writing benchmark scorer, and member of the District Formative Assessment Team. Kristin especially enjoyed roles related to curriculum. In 2012 Kristin stepped away from the full time classroom as she took on the role of motherhood, and began working at Cienega High School where she taught one section of an Early Childhood Development class for the JTED program. Kristin has enjoyed having the opportunity to work at all three levels of schools within the Vail School District. She was very excited to join the Beyond Textbooks team in 2013 and continue working in her area of passion, curriculum, as well as participate in an amazing collaborative effort to help educators succeed.

Physical Address: 13801 E. Benson Highway P.O. Box 800 Vail, AZ 85641

Phone: 520-879-3964

Fax: 520-879-2001

     

     

     

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