CHEATHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Fifth Grade Teacher
- Meet the Teacher
My name is Ms. Vanegas. I will be your child's seventh-grade math teacher.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governing Board
Dr. Torrence Watkins opened his private optometry office, Laveen Eye Care, in 2007 and moved into the Laveen community in 2013.
Since joining this community, he has developed mentoring programs, coached youth sports, and sponsored teams and fundraisers. He has also worked with the district to launch the School Connect - Parent University Project in which local organizations come together to educate parents on specific tools and resources to assist them in parenting. He is currently working on an anti-dyslexia program to help eradicate visual problems that affect children's performance at a crucial age.
Watkins was educated in the public school system outside of Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State) with a bachelors in pre-medicine biology before graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
Job Titles:
- Special Education Teacher
- Special Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governing Board
Jennifer Goetzke has lived in Laveen for 17 years and is a Laveen School District parent. She is an active volunteer at her daughter's school and is a coach for the Girls on the Run club.
Goetzke works in the human resources field and holds a SHRM-CP certification. She is a State of Arizona employee, currently assigned to the Department of Economic Security as the Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer.
Goetzke is passionate about volunteering, some of her favorite volunteer sites are with Christ Church of the Valley, St. Mary's Food Bank, and Feed My Starving Children. You can also find her at Scooptacular volunteering to check out the new ice cream flavors each month!
Born and raised in Denver, and then Michigan, she now calls Arizona her forever home with her husband, three children, and their pets.
Goetzke was appointed to the Board by the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent to fill a vacancy. Her term expires in December 2024.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governing Board
- President of the Governing Board
- Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations for the Paradise Valley Unified School District
Jill Barragan has served on the Laveen Elementary School District Governing Board since 2013. She served as Board Clerk in 2015 and 2020 and as Board President from 2017-2019. She was again elected as President in 2021 and 2022. Barragan was originally appointed to the board in 2013 by the Maricopa County Education Service Agency. She was reelected in 2014, 2018, and 2022 and now serves a four-year term.
Barragan became Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations for the Paradise Valley Unified School District in 2021. Prior to that, she was Avondale Elementary District's Executive Director of Business Services for over 10 years. She also worked for the Arizona Department of Education in the school finance division. Barragan began her career as an accountant for the Salvation Army.
She was also elected to the executive board of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) to serve a four-year term as Vice President, President-Elect, President and Immediate Past President respectively. Prior to this, she was elected as Treasurer of AASBO and served a two-year term from July 2014 - July 2016.
Barragan joined the EQUIP Leadership Team in April of 2017 to work on educating legislators and constituents on public education matters. She is a graduate of Arizona State University.
Welcome to Ms. Clifford's K-2 self-contained classroom. I am looking forward to working with your child this 2022/2023 school year. I hope this year will be filled with many opportunities to learn and have fun!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governing Board
- Member of the Laveen Governing Board
Linda Abegg is the newest member of the Laveen Governing Board, having won a four-year seat in the November 2022 election.
Abegg has lived in Laveen for over 15 years and is a Laveen School District parent. She has been active in her school's PTOs since 2014.
She has been a member of the Laveen Village Planning Committee for six years and currently serves as Chair. She also serves on the board of the Laveen District Insurance Trust.
Abegg earned her bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Brigham Young University and was a classroom teacher for three years, including in the Laveen School District.
Job Titles:
- Clerk
- Member of the Governing Board
- Secretary
Michele Anderson joined the Laveen Governing Board in 2015. She was elected as Board Clerk in 2017, 2021, 2024 and Board President in 2020.
Anderson has worked for the Avondale Elementary School District since 2001. She began her career as a classroom teacher teaching 4th and 5th grade as well as K-8 computers. In 2006, she became the district's Student Achievement Assessment Coordinator where she develops and coordinates district and state assessments and analyzes the data to make curriculum decisions. She trains other educators in a variety of areas including English as a Second Language, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), Common Core Standards, and AZELLA scoring. She is also a Certified Teacher Evaluator in the System of Teacher and Student Advancement.
She has a bachelor of science degree in education, with areas of specialization in elementary education and early childhood, from Oklahoma Baptist University. She also earned her master's degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in technology from the University of Phoenix.
Anderson has served as Secretary on the Arizona Assessment Collaborative, as a member of the Arizona Department of Education Solutions Team, and served on the Arizona Flute Society's board. She has won several awards including the Passion and Commitment for Educational Excellence Award from Avondale ESD, the Distinguished Service Award from Casas Adobes Early Childhood Development Center, and the Master of Boardmanship Award from the Arizona School Boards Association.
Anderson and her husband have two children who have attended Laveen schools throughout their childhood and now attend high school and college. Anderson is active in the Laveen Baptist Church as well as other community activities.
Job Titles:
- Teacher Bio
- Third Grade Teacher
My name is Ms. Demerson (but everyone calls me Ms. D). I am so excited to be joining Cheatham this year as the new technology teacher! Although new to the school, this is not my first "act" as an educator!