Mt. Pleasant High School

Veronica Arroyo received her B.A. in English and Single Subject Credential from San Jose State University. For the 2020-2021 school year, Ms. Arroyo is teaching three sections of English 2A and a section of ELD 3 [Language and Literature]. As a Mt. Pleasant alumni, she is honored to be able to return to the community that fostered her passion for education. Her goal as an educator is to instill a passion for learning in her students, help them express their voice and ideas through their writing, and equip them with the critical thinking skills that they will need as they prepare to take the next steps in their lives. As a means of developing their critical thinking, Ms. Arroyo strives to help her students relate to and understand the cultural relevance and timelessness of the themes they encounter in literature.

David Schwabe received his Bachelor's in English from San Jose State in 2012 and currently teaches English 1 and English 2. He is a firm believer that all students have the ability to succeed, and takes a student-centered approach to teaching that includes collaborative learning, integrating students' experiences and interests into the classroom, and creating a comfortable classroom environment where students' social-emotional needs can be supported. He aims to equip students with practical life skills, such as critical thinking and writing, as well as helping students better understand themselves and the world they live in through the power of fiction and storytelling.

Ms. Sisco received her B.A. in English Education from San Jose State University; she is currently teaching English and Creative Writing at Mt. Pleasant High School. Her professional interests include Middle/Old English, poetry, and grammar, and her recent project includes publishing her own poetry and anecdotes about teaching in her first books, Tempest and Unprecedented. In addition, she serves as the advisor for Literary Society and is a general advocate for creative writing. She recently completed her Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction through Western Governors University; she plans to use what she learned as she continues to collaborate with her colleagues and promote student achievement and confidence.

Unlike most of her colleagues, Lauri Wheeler started college at 36 as a single parent with three sons. Despite full-time work and school, she was West Valley College’s Valedictorian in 1999, graduating with a 4.0. GPA. She then received a B.A. in English from San Jose State University, and her M.A. in Education from the University of Phoenix. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.98 GPA, and her student teaching led her to ESUHSD. She has been with Mt. Pleasant High School for the past sixteen years and currently teaches ERWC and Genres of Composition. With a strong affinity for working with struggling teens, she meets her students right where they are, offering up life coping skills along with Common Core English. With a heartfelt belief in the concept that emotional healing is central to learning, Lauri provides a safe and loving environment that facilitates this healing for her students. Her professional interests focus on creative approaches to bridging the learning gaps that affect reading and writing skills, as well as how to develop and maintain connected classroom communities who support each other’s growth. In addition, she is a Safe School Ambassador and a Grizzly Academy Mentor.