Sedona-Oak Creek School District third-grade teacher Michelle Johnson will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Johnson was recognized by outgoing West Sedona School Principal Elizabeth Tavasci for her 26 years with the district, including 20 years at the Big Park Community School prior to its 2018 closure during the Governing Board meeting May 7.
“When Michelle Johnson and I first spoke of her retirement, she was sure to stress that she doesn’t like a lot of fanfare. She loves her job as a teacher, loves spending time with her students helping them learn and grow, and would much prefer to do so without a lot of time in the spotlight,” Tavasci said. “However, her colleagues, students and the families she serves would insist that she deserves to be recognized as an amazing teacher.”
Johnson was also recently recognized as one of the Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks’ Teachers of the Year, along with Barbra Robles of Sedona Red Rock High School and Rachael Ryan of Sedona Charter School, which is unaffiliated with SOCSD.
David Jolkovski/Larson Newspapers
“I plan to stay in Sedona,” Johnson said. “Our three grown children call Sedona home, so I feel lucky to retire in a place next to our kids and all the beauty Sedona has to offer. People might run into me on the hiking trails around Sedona. I’m looking forward to spending time taking long hikes, or working in my garden.”
Johnson plans to continue to spend her summers at the lake in Cumberland, Wis., where much of her family still resides, and credits the “Midwest family experience” with keeping her and her children close-knit.
“From a young age, my dad hoped I would attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” Johnson said. “He taught me the Badger hymn and fight song when I was about 10, and he would have me sing it loud and proud anytime Badger football was on TV. I made dad proud and graduated from UW-Madison in 1992, got married to my husband John and moved to Sedona, all in one week.”
On the other hand, Johnson said she won’t miss writing lesson plans for substitute teachers, head lice outbreaks and the end of summer vacation.
“The list of things that I am going to miss most about teaching [is] definitely my longer list,” Johnson told the board. “The first day of school, new school supplies, the fresh start to each school year … and the fresh start of every day. Being creative, building meaningful relationships with my students. My dear colleagues, who have become like family, the glorious first days of summer vacation, the joy and excitement about learning new things. Being a lifelong learner, inspiring the next generation, the wisdom that children have taught me, making an impact, witnessing special moments and seeing progress in my students.”
During her career at SOCSD, Johnson taught grades three through six as well as art and the gifted program.
“My son is a second-grader at West Sedona, and he has been talking about you for months, being so excited that there would be the possibility that he could be in your class next year,” SOCSD Governing Board member April Payne said during the meeting. “He was actually the one that told me [about your retirement] … and he was so disappointed … That’s the highest accolade that you can have. I don’t hear about a lot of teachers, but he really, really had a special place in his heart for you and talked about you a lot and I’m really sad that he’s going to miss you and I just really pray that your replacement can live up to your big shoes.”
“Students have been begging me to ‘please stay one more year.’ I find that so sweet,” Johnson said. “I anticipate a lot of hugs, and some tears too. This has been my life for a long time. I wanted to retire while I still love the profession. I definitely didn’t want to leave when I felt burnt out, or frustrated. I don’t feel that way at all. It’s been a joy teaching Sedona kids all these years.”
SOCSD Personnel Changes
During the meeting, the Governing Board approved Logan Haga from Flagstaff as Johnson’s successor and selected Alisa Steig of Santa Fe South Charter School of Norman, Okla., to be the new principal of WSS. Tavasci is leaving in advance of the anticipated birth of her first child in September.
“She’s done just a tremendous job at West [Sedona] in building a community and being very instruction-minded,” SOCSD Superintendent Tom Swaninger said. “We do have a strong person coming in to do what she can to pick up where you left off and build on your momentum … Alisa Steig, she has 10 years of administrative experience, she also is certified in early childhood education. She has her master’s in ed-leadership and she’s working through her second master’s in character education. She also is certified in mindful schools.”
Other personnel changes approved May 7 include Francoise Aronfeld as SRRHS assistant principal, Angela Reyes as a criminal justice teacher, Gerardo Gonzalez as a history teacher, Jennifer Ochoa as a speech language pathologist, Angelica Alcala as an algebra teacher, Gill Simons as an English teacher and Jennifer Constantineau as a continuing counselor.
