Ms. Chase has over 20 years of experience in education. She has held positions in the traditional public school setting from classroom teacher to grants and program director. During her 9 years with charter schools, Ms. Chase has helped build innovative curriculum and instructional programs and administered school implementation and growth both in California and other states. She is a strong supporter of charter schools and enjoys the opportunity to meet the needs of students and families exercising school choice, especially in the personalized learning model that AVLA offers. Ms. Chase lives in the Santa Clarita Valley with her husband and high school son; her eldest son is a Mustang at Cal Poly SLO.
“Remember, children watch examples better than they listen to preaching!”
Roy L. Smith
Erin Wade has been an educator for 17 years. She has taught both in the traditional school setting and is now in her 6th year with charter schools. She is a strong proponent of personalized learning and the opportunities it provides to students and families. As Interim Principal of AVLA, Ms. Wade’s goals are for the success of all students and as such, she is continuously involved in the development and implementation of curriculum in the homestudy environment to meet the diverse needs of our student population to ensure that success. She continues to strive for excellence in education as she pursues her Master’s in Education. Ms. Wade lives in the Santa Clarita Valley with her three children.
"Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted…"
Randy Pausch
What can be said about Andrew Plett that is neither boring nor inappropriate for the readers of this bio? Well, Mr. Plett has been with the organization for over two years, is currently the resource center coordinator for the Antelope Valley Learning Academy and Desert Sands Learning Academy, and has played on the school softball team for a few seasons.
What may be surprising to hear, is that he commutes from Boyle Heights (East L.A.) in order to work at this wonderful school. In addition to making a long commute and administrating, Mr. Plett is finishing coursework for his second master’s degree in Education Administration. The first is in Secondary Education.
On a personal note, Mr. Plett enjoys playing a variety of instruments including; drums, bass, keyboard, and trumpet. He is currently playing with a hip-hop/jazz/funk group that is scheduled to perform shows starting in the Spring of 2010. On the golf course, Mr. Plett can send the ball flying 300+ yards and sometimes they even land in the fairway. Although, he has been seen at multiple Dodgers’ games, he is a Cubs fan and hopes that they can make it to the playoffs again this year.
When asked what he wants to do when he grows up, Mr. Plett’s usual response is, “Since I’m not good looking enough to be a rock star, I guess I’ll find something else.”
Erin Wade- Interim Principal
