When Josalynn Agnew is not teaching 4th grade she is at home with her husband and two children.  In her spare time she enjoys reading, biking, dancing and crafts.

My name is Gina Breitsprecher.  I am a special education associate. I have worked at Monroe for 6 years.

I have worked with children of all ages and abilities. Each one has touched my heart dearly. I have two children of my own, a five-year-old and a one-year-old.  My favorite part about being a teacher is when you see a child’s lightbulb go on and they make the connection. It is so powerful!!!

I am in my second year teaching 2nd grade at Monroe.  I taught 3rd grade for 5 years, 6-7 grade for 8 years.  I earned my Masters of Education from Arizona State University.  My undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

I graduated from the University of Iowa. I have my Endorsements in Reading and Social Studies, and I’m currently working on my ESL Endorsement. This is my 2nd year teaching Kindergarten at Monroe!

I have been teaching 3rd thru 5th graders over the past 7 years and I am very excited to be back here at Monroe teaching 3rd grade.  I moved from California to Iowa 10 years ago and began this new adventure in teaching after a career working with children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities.  Education is my passion.  I believe all students will succeed and I look forward to teaching and learning from the students I serve each day.

I taught at Monroe  for 12 years as a Reading Recovery Teacher before returning to the classroom.  This will be my second year as a Kindergarten classroom teacher at Monroe.  I fell in love with this age group and am excited for another fun year of learning in Kindergarten!

My name is Elissa Gutierrez. I have been teaching in the Des Moines Public School District for the past 18 years. I have been at Monroe for the past 7 years. I currently teach Title-I In-Class Reading and Math for second grade. My job allows me to travel from room to room and collaborate  with a great group of teachers. I have two daughters that I spend a lot of my time with. I enjoy watching them play soccer, basketball, volleyball and dance!

I have taught several grades and many different kinds of students at the elementary level over my last 8 years with DMPS. I am married with a 2 year old son. I enjoy reading, being outside and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

I graduated from ISU and have been teaching special education for about 10 years. I have been married for 23 years and have 2 children. I enjoy playing golf, card games, and traveling.

Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great.

Hello! My name is Michelle Nelson and I am excited to be part of the Monroe family as Behavior Strategist! This is my thirteenth year teaching; my third year with Des Moines Public Schools. I graduated from Buena Vista University with a degree in elementary education and reading endorsement. Outside of school, I am a proud parent of two amazing college students (Alex/Grand View and Eddie/Luther). I look forward to going into classrooms throughout the day and working with Monroe’s wonderful students and staff and building relationships with Monroe’s families!

Mrs. Anne Parenza- I have been teaching for 15 years-7 years in parochial.  I am  starting my 8th year at Monroe-4 years in 3rd grade and starting my 4th year in 2nd grade. Over the summer I completed my Masters Degree.

This is Karen Perkins’ third year teaching English Language Learners in the Des Moines Public Schools. She taught English in China for one year and Vietnam for five years. Karen has a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages and Intercultural Studies. She likes working with all ages and enjoys learning from her students.

My name is Wayne Peterson. I have been teaching 4th Grade for 10 years, 9 of them have been at Monroe Elementary.  I love being involved with after school programs as well as integrating technology in my classroom to make learning fun and engaging.

My name is Lori Puffett.  I have been teaching Special Education at Des Moines Public Schools for 25 years.

My name is Carrie Spoelstra and I’m one of the Instructional Coaches at Monroe.  I graduated from both the University of Northern Iowa and Viterbo University.  I have taught at the elementary level in the Des Moines District for over 15 years.  I love working with our diverse group of students and staff at Monroe!

I have been teaching for nine years, seven of them at Monroe in 4th grade. After school I love playing softball and volleyball and spending time with my friends and family.