JAA Online Team

Middle & High School Teachers

Our staff are a dream team of educators trained in our model, who embody our core values. Our passionate mentors are experts in their academic disciplines who see the whole child first and teach to the heart of every child.

Kendra Brace

Kendra Brace

High School Science

Kendra Brace

Mrs. Brace has a love and passion for High School Chemistry and Physics and looks forward to guiding scholars through the wonder and beauty of both and helping scholars enjoy and appreciate the truth we can understand through them...

Cesar Castaneda

Cesar Castaneda

Middle School Latin & Grammar, High School Latin

Cesar Castaneda

Maren Christensen

Maren Christensen

High School Humanities and Scholar Government

Maren Christensen

Mary D'Amour

Mary D'Amour

High School Science and High School Electives

Mary D'Amour

Mrs. Mary D’Amour teaches biology to secondary scholars at JAA-Online. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Science from California State University, Sacramento, and her master’s degree in Teaching Science from Western Governors University in Utah...

Rafael DeFaria

Rafael DeFaria

Middle and High School Music

Rafael DeFaria

Mr. Raffa was drawn to John Adams Academy’s Vision and Mission of Restoring America’s Heritage by developing servant-leaders. Mr. DeFaria loves being part of the John Adams Academy online team preparing this new generation, under these values, for the future.

Ruel Haymond

Ruel Haymond

High School Spanish and Government / Economics

Ruel Haymond

Mr. Haymond holds a master’s degree in Education and Instructional Technology and is thrilled to be a part of the JAA family of schools that focuses on changing hearts and minds, inspiring a love of liberty, developing a self-governing citizenship—all through the greatest and most relevant books of all times.  

Peter Jensen

Peter Jensen

High School Humanities and High School Political Philosophy

Peter Jensen

Mr. Jensen has extensive experience with the classics and has a great love for reading deeply from those classics.

Lauren Johnson

Lauren Johnson

Middle School Science

Lauren Johnson

Mrs. Johnson has spent over 20 years inspiring middle and high school scholars to see the wonder of science and the beauty of learning. With degrees in secondary education from Commonwealth University and SNHU, she brings both expertise and heart to her classroom. She joined John Adams Academy Online for its mission to cultivate wisdom and virtue, and she loves connecting with families nationwide...

Heather Leamon

Heather Leamon

Elementary Science, Elementary & Secondary PE

Heather Leamon

Heather Leamon came to the John Adams Academy Online program by way of earning a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies K-8, a Master’s in Biology, and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instructional Design from Western Governors University. She is a passionate educator with over 15 years of classroom experience, devoted to classical education principles.

Juliette Lee

Middle School Math Teacher

Juliette Lee

Salvete, Scholarium!

I am Mrs. Juliette Lee, and I have been devoted to the art of teaching since 1996. My experience spans public, charter, and private schools, as well as homeschool co‑ops, and each community has enriched my life and prepared me for the remarkable scholars of John Adams Academy...

Ty McKeever

Ty McKeever

Middle School Science and High School Electives

Ty McKeever

I joined John Adams Academy in 2025-2026, and I am honored to be on a team committed to restoring America's heritage through classical leadership education. Before coming here, I taught Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Algebra I & II, and Geometry for five years at Orange Lutheran High School (a private Christian institution) and one year at Canyon High School (public)...

Jesse Meeks

Jesse Meeks

Assistant Director of Secondary, High School Electives

Jesse Meeks

Dr. Meeks is deeply passionate about education and can’t stop thinking about it! As the Secondary Principal of John Adams Academy Online, he loves collaborating with scholars and teachers in Middle School and High School, helping them thrive and achieve their full potential.

 

Jules Milius

Jules Milius

High School Art

Jules Milius

Ms. Milius is an experienced artist who is excited to teach your scholars drawing and observation techniques. “Every artist has thousands of bad drawings in them and the only way to get rid of them is to draw them out.” ~ Chuck Jones

Hannah Mitchell

Hannah Mitchell

Middle School Art

Hannah Mitchell

Coming from an artistic family, Hannah Mitchell was encouraged by her parents and given many opportunities to develop an appreciation for art and experiment with many mediums.

Shaun Morgan

Shaun Morgan

Program Wide Coordinator, Secondary Languages & Arts Lead, Secondary Electives Mentor

Shaun Morgan

Mr. Morgan deeply loves history, especially American history, personal finance, and is an avid reader. His favorite classic novel is Animal Farm, as he loves the beauty of the metaphor and the clarity of its message.

Matthew Musser

Matthew Musser

Middle School Math

Matthew Musser

I am very excited to be at John Adams Academy this year. I take my role as a teacher seriously, and I am committed to assisting you and the school community in supporting your scholar's academic success. Math is all around us: in nature, when shopping at the store, while listening to our favorite music, playing video games, participating in sports, and much more. We just need to take the time to discover it...

Meghan Muyanja

Meghan Muyanja

Director of Online Programming and High School Electives

Meghan Muyanja

Mrs. Muyanja is an avid reader of the classics and has experienced firsthand the transformation of the mind and heart that comes through the truth, goodness, and beauty embedded in the classics. 

Nathan Sadasivan

Nathan Sadasivan

High School Humanities and Latin

Nathan Sadasivan

The study of language has always been a guiding passion for Nathan, as he states, “Whenever I have any free time, I am usually reading something in English or Latin - or starting on something new.”

Shane Schulthies

Shane Schulthies

Secondary Science Department Lead, Secondary Humanities Mentor

Shane Schulthies

Shane Schulthies has an extensive background in academics. After earning a B.S. in Athletic Training, an M.S. in Physical Therapy, and a Ph.D. in Exercise Science, he spent 13 years teaching and conducting research in Athletic Training at Brigham Young University (BYU)...

Christopher Simon

Christopher Simon

Middle School Logic and High School Math and Electives

Christopher Simon

Emmanuel Simon

Emmanuel Simon

Secondary Math Department Lead, Secondary Math & Electives Mentor

Emmanuel Simon

Mr. Simon is a huge advocate for the online program because it allows parents to exercise their natural right to educate their child, while also providing helpful resources for parents to use.  

Stephanie Sorensen

Stephanie Sorensen

Middle School Humanities

Stephanie Sorensen

The joy of life is the joy of learning, and Stephanie Sorensen brings that infectious enthusiasm into the classroom. Her natural curiosity and sense of wonder infuse every aspect of her teaching, inspiring scholars to authentically question and explore the world around them...

Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle

Middle School Humanities

Susan Tuttle

Mrs. Tuttle joined JAA for the 2024-2025 school year as she could not pass up the opportunity to teach at a classically based school. Prior to this, she loved her eight years teaching 5th and 6th grade in her local Idaho school district.  

Alexandra Umlas

Alexandra Umlas

Secondary Humanities Department Lead, Senior Project, The Art of Reading

Alexandra Umlas

As a poet and an educator, Mrs. Umlas knows the power that is inherent in studying the classics and will guide scholars in a learning adventure that will encourage their development into servant leaders. 

Melody Van Tassell

High School Math

Melody Van Tassell