<title>Resource Specialist</title>

<quote>Always keep trying and practicing! Especially when things seem daunting and challenging.</quote>

<bio>Ms. Rios loves the diversity and flexibility of Elysian Heights. Her teaching style is a balance of old school expectations, paired with restorative justice practices. She enjoys collaborating with her students and loves both teaching them and learning from them.  If she were a crayon color, she would be purple because eggplant is her favorite veggie!</bio>

<title>Music Teacher / GATE Coordinator</title>

<quote>You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Always be your best self!</quote>

<bio>Ms. Tuthill has been a music teacher for over 10 years. She loves how creative the students are. They always come to music class with new and great ideas. She tries to incorporate all students interests and values into the music room. She wants her classroom to be a space for students to express themselves. If she could have any animal in her class, it would be a songbird of course!</bio>

<title>Visual Arts Teacher</title>

<quote>"Art should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination, and encourages people to go further." - Keith Haring</quote>

<bio>Rebecca Maurer has a BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia PA. She moved to Echo Park in 2001. Since then, she has explored various art careers such as costume design and jewelry design. She also loves painting, tapestry weaving, and puppet making. This is Rebecca's sixth year at Elysian Heights. "Our students continue to amaze me! I love seeing the passion in their artmaking. It's truly a magical thing."</bio>

<title>Theater Arts Teacher</title>

<quote>"Your story matters!"</quote>

<bio>Emily has been teaching theater at Elysian Heights since 2017. She is also the theater education coordinator at Sacred Fools Theater and a professional actor who has appeared in regional theaters all over the country, dozens of television shows, and on Broadway! She attended Northwestern University, and has degrees in Music, Mathematics, and Musical Theatre.</bio>

<title>Strings Specialist</title>

<quote>"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." -Plato</quote>

<bio>Tiffany Osborn started playing violin at the age of 3, and continued her studies through high school and college. In young adulthood, she performed nationally and internationally in indie rock bands. Now she has nearly 20 years of teaching experience and has dedicated her life to music education.</bio>

<title>LAUSD Instrumental Music Teacher</title>

<quote>"Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul." – Plato</quote>

<bio>Ms. K. is a Los Angeles-based music educator and freelance musician. Currently an itinerant elementary instrumental music teacher in LAUSD, Ms. K also directs the Wind Ensemble at Los Angeles Valley College and has previously been the director of band/orchestra programs at John Muir Middle School (Burbank) and Olive Middle School (Baldwin Park). Outside of school, Ms. K loves to teach music at summer music camps and perform as a freelance clarinetist/bass clarinetist.</bio>