Meet the Teachers:
Mrs. Burton is originally from Abilene. She graduated from AHS in 1990 then attended De Pauw University her freshman year in college. Molly then transfered to Kansas State University and graduated from Kansas State University in 1994 with degrees in biology and pre-med. Molly worked in Kansas City at St. Luke’s hospital in physical therapy and on the renal unit. Burton’s plan was to work in medicine for a few years and then go to medical school, but she began substitute teaching and fell in love with the classroom.
Milly moved back to Abilene and once again headed to K-State to get my degree in secondary education. She met Mr. Burton on a blind date while living in Abilene and working on her education degree. She took her first job at Salina South High School in 1998 then spent four years at Abilene High School. In 2003 Burton made the move to Abilene Middle School to teach 7th grade science. In 2005 she received her masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University. In 2008 Molly decided to head back to Abilene High School to teach!
Mr. and Mrs. Burton have two children. Sydney, 8, is a third grader, and Samuel, 5, is in kindergarten. She also coaches freshmen girls’ basketball!
Mr. Tim Klein is our Special Education Teacher for the Abilene VIrtual School. Mr. Klein has been a Special Education teacher for USD 435 for 3 years. Originally from Rozel, Kansas, he graduated from Kansas State University with a BS in Vocational Education in 1984, has taught several other disciplines such as Math, Science, and Social Studies. He received his Masters in Special Education in 2006 from Kansas State University. His wife Norene have two young adults and enjoy teaching in Abilene.
Vicki was raised in Wellsville, Kansas and attended Wellsville High School. She went to college at Baker University in Baldwin City, KS and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education where she met her husband. They got married in 1991 and she started teaching at Pomona Elementary in Pomona, KS. Vicki taught Title 1 Reading, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 1/2 day Kindergarten and district wide Art, then was one of the pilot teachers in Kansas for all day Kindergarten. Chris and herself moved to Abilene in 1999 and she taught 1/2 day Kdg and 1/2 day Title 1 reading at Enterprise Elementary. Then completed a job share with Mary Zey as a 2nd grade teacher at McKinley. Mrs. Cooper then stayed home for 4 years, and had 4 children by this time: Thomas-now 14, John-12, Mark-8, and Sarah-6. Went back teaching in 2005 as the Freshmen English teacher at AHS. She’s earned her Professional License in 6-8 English/Language Arts; as well as, 9-12 English/Language Arts. Currently she is the Asst. Cheerleading Coach, a Board Member for the Kansas Association for Teachers of English, and various committees at the high school. Vicki has been married 18 years to Chris Cooper, who is the principal at Garfield Elementary.
Mrs. Geist is in her 13th year as a math teacher at Abilene High School
currently teaching Geometry, Algebra II and College Algebra (for concurrent credit) and is also the Head Coach of the girls basketball team. Her family includes husband, Jeff, and 3 daughters, Jessica, Courtney and Morgan.
Before Abilene, Janelle, taught a year at Dodge City Community College then proceeded on to Bazine High School for 6 years, and also taught all math courses.
-expectations of students - take good notes, be organized and spend the proper amount of time on the lessons, ask questions when needed, give themselves goals and work hard to meet them
Mr. Roth, an Oregon native, graduated from Bethel College in 1991 with a Bachelor's degree in History. He taught in Spearville for two years and at Abilene High School for 14 years, arriving in 1995. He earned his Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State in 2005. He is married to Deb, a kindergarten teacher at Kennedy elementary. They have three children, Madison, Jensen, and Ashton.
Denise Guy graduated from Marymount College in Salina with a Bachelor's degree in Math Education. Earned a master's degree from Fort Hays State University in Counseling in 1993 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum at Kansas State University in 2006. She taught math and computer studies for 12 years and then moved into a Technology Coordinator position. Within the past 8 years she has been Director of Student Learning for Abilene Public Schools. She is married to JT and they have 4 daughters, Katie, Kori, Kurstin, and Kendra.
