Meet the Team
SCIENCE
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Ms. Bridgette Spencer is a part of the faculty that focuses in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and her specialty is in Gen. Chemistry here at VAPA. Throughout her five years being a part of the VAPA family, she has encouraged her students to think critically and inductively around them, and strives to make her students feel the same burning passion she felt herself as a student under STEM. Before her teaching career, Ms. Spencer was a MBRS-RISE undergraduate researcher focalizing in Organic Chemistry while working for the MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science and Achievement) Program at Pasadena City College, to encourage and ensure other first-generation college students (primarily for people of color) to get the same adequate resources they need to get degrees in the STEM field. When she is not teaching, Ms. Spencer can be found with her bearded dragon, Liz watching anime alongside her husband and son. |
MATH
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Mr. Alejandro Avalos teaches Algebra 1. Mr. Avalos is proud of his service as a US Marine and has been at VAPA since 2016. |
ENGLISH / LANGUAGE ARTS
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Ms. Elizabeth Fletcher, a member of the VAPA English faculty, is a lifelong learner, entrepreneurial enthusiast, and educator with a passion for service, innovation, and people. More than 15 years’ experience evaluating, designing, and implementing instruction for learners ages 3-63. Seven years’ experience in grassroots non-profit development and leadership, including financial management, marketing, customer service, and community engagement. Proven leader, award-winning instructor, success obsessed, family-oriented, all-around fun person, and loving mom. |
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Mr. Anthony Tamborino was born and raised in Stamford, CT and went to college at Syracuse University (where our current president, Joe Biden went to law school). He majored in English and Communications and then moved out to Los Angeles, where he worked in television doing post-production jobs on several TV series for the History Channel and TLC. However, he then remembered that one his dream jobs his whole childhood growing up had been to be a teacher, and he changed careers, getting his master's degree from the School of Education at UC - Irvine. Mr. Tamborino has been at VAPA since 2018 teaching - the ELD, 9th grade and ERWC English courses. He loves books and encourages everyone to pick up a good read when they have the time. In his spare time, he likes to hang out with his partner and two cats in their home, play his Nintendo Switch, go bowling, bake desserts, and hike the different mountains in Southern California. Go Legacy Tigers! |
Elizabeth Fletcher
Anthony TamborinoSOCIAL STUDIES
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Mr. Frank Turner is a Social Studies Teacher with over 30 years experience teaching at elementary, middle school and high schools grades 6-12 in mathematics, social studies, photography and special education. He gained administrative experience as an Assistant Principal at Santa Monica High School and Dean of Students in middle and high schools. He attended CSU Dominguez Hills and Pepperdine University earning Master Degrees in Education Administration and in Clinical Psychology. HIs interests are in real estate and yoga. |
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LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH
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Ms. Nora Prado is another one of VAPA's founding teachers and teaches all levels of Spanish language and literature including Spanish for Native Speakers, Advanced Placement Spanish Literature and Language in alternate years. Ms. Prado regularly integrates art and art history in to her lessons. |
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
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Mr. Bobby Owen teaches PE at Legacy VAPA and is the Assistant Athletic Director for the Legacy High School Complex which includes VAPA, STEAM, and ISLC High Schools. Mr. Owen graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a BA in Kinesiology after earning an A.S. in Criminal Justice. Mr. Owen is also a veteran of the United States Airforce. He joined the VAPA faculty in 2020. |
Bobby OwenCOUNSELING and SUPPORT STAFF
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Ms. Gorety Brown one of two school counselors at Legacy VAPA. She has her BA in Psychology and her Masters in School Counseling from California State University, Northridge. She has been working with all grade levels at various sites since 2013. |
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Ms. Griselda Solis is the 10th and 11th Grade counselor at VAPA as well as working with English Learners and PSAT. |
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Sara Holland |
Ms. Sara Holland is the Title 1 and EL Coordinator at VAPA after 11 years as an award-winning social studies and art teacher who has been with Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School since 2013, teaching both Social Studies and Art. Ms. Holland focuses on advocating for students and ensuring a social-justice curriculum at VAPA. She is particularly focused on ensuring VAPA students are globally aware critical-thinkers who are civically engaged beyond the classroom. With the VAPA community, she ensures that different populations are represented both academically and socially on campus. Ms. Holland continually uses a wide variety of electronic platforms and technologies to train fellow educators and to engage students as they learn. She has led the school in developing interdisciplinary-education curriculum, including creating and implementing the school’s first Humanities program. |
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Abraham Ruiz |
Mr. Abrham Ruiz is a Resource Specialist Program teacher at Legacy VAPA. He has been at VAPA several years and is in his first year as Department Chair. |
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Mr. John Stoffers is a Teacher Librarian who serves the High School Students at the Legacy Complex in South Gate, California. He has taught students from Kindergarten to College as well as business clients in private and public schools and institutes in Southern California and San Jose, Costa Rica. He has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Teacher's Credential from California State University, Northridge, and a Teacher Librarian Credential and master's degree in Library Science from California State University, Long Beach. Mr. Stoffers has visited more than 20 countries and wants to see more. He is also a musician. Check the library website |
Gorety Brown
John Stoffers