About Us

These certified and well trained teachers are experienced, child oriented professionals committed to growing expertise. All are highly qualified whose instructional expertise focuses on Reading and Writing instruction, Mathematics instruction, Special Education, and early childhood expertise.

*Please contact Alix Orton, Administrative Assistant, to view the resumes of the professional staff. They are on file for your convenience in the reception office.

Click here to read the 'NCLB Right to Know' letter to parents

Our Stories- See what parents and students are saying about our school

Our instructional staff reflects an emphasis on quality instruction:

Richard Valentine - Principal/Director
Sandra Cornejo - Intermediate Grades Teacher
Ashley Montano - Primary Grades Teacher
Willow Clark Hoaglund - Upper Grades Teacher
Special Education Specialists
Victoria Harris - Occupational Therapist
Pat Stephens - Speech/Language Pathologist
Alix Orton - Administrative Assistant & Receptionist
Special Services

Richard Valentine - Principal/Director

Visions Unlimited Academy Director, Richard Valentine is well known throughout Arizona and New Mexico as a school leader, school quality specialist, team builder and advocate for families and children. He believes it his mission to support personal and academic growth, achievement and fulfillment as people determine it for themselves and seeks to give students and their parents a boost in this direction. He has been involved with Visions Unlimited Academy since its inception and works to bring the humanity, precision and achievement he came to value as child in a close knit community to the life of the school.

Richard is the parent of one adult child, Meaghan Davenport, the step parent of four lively and entertaining younger children and remains close to his siblings and to multiple Valentine nieces and nephews scattered in Missouri, Texas and Kentucky. He likes to read, garden, travel, cook and write. He is the author of "The Washday Special", a Culinary Memoir and is still the aspiring author of that fabled great American novel. Click Here to e-mail Richard

back to top

Sandra Cornejo - Teacher Intermediate Grades

Ms. Sandra Cornejo teaches fourth and fifth grade. Ms. Cornejo is a graduate of Pima College and is Visions Unlimited Academy’s ‘oldest’ employee. She has worked at the school since she was 18 years of age as a paraprofessional, art and physical education teacher and now is as a regular classroom teacher. Ms. Cornejo has benefited from the continuation education program at the school and offers students well developed expertise in Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop and in art and use of technology in the classroom.

back to top

Ashley Montano – Primary Teacher

Ms. Ashley Montano is the primary teacher at Visions Unlimited Academy. Ms. Montano is a graduate from Prescott College where she received her teacher training and enters her duties here as a highly qualified teacher. She has considerable experience working with children in addition to her professional training . She having served students as a special education paraprofessional and in afterschool programs. This experience has allowed her to grow as a person and as an educator. Ms.Montano is committed to guiding students to meet their full academic and social potential.

Ms. Montano is committed to guiding students to meet their full academic and social potential. The parents of children in her room and those who are familiar with her work consider Ms. Montano a “life long learner.” She enjoys learning new skills and understandings to help her grow as an educator. Ms Montano maintains a structured and loving learning environment. She demonstrates a strong belief in the importance of modeling and teaching her students to protect our planet. In addition to working with her students, Ms. Montano loves to paint, draw and taking care of her many pets at home.

back to top

Willow Hoaglund - 6th, 7th and 8th Grades

"One who values variety" is a good description of Ms. Willow Hoaglund. She is a mother to a four year old; someone who likes people, a cross country coach, an avid reader, an experienced highly qualified teacher and artist. Ms. Hoaglund is both compassionate and popular with her students and parents

She taught at Visions Unlimited Academy the second half of last year and has taught ‘city kids’ in Minneapolis and in a Montessori Preschool before joining our staff. As upper grade teacher in a smaller school she has a challenge teaching the Arizona academic standards while providing for an authentic learning experience the school emphasizes. Ms. Hoaglund meets this challenge by using the workshop approach to reading and writing (Readers and Writers workshop) and relying heavily on Web quest and other internet based authentic projects instructional activities.

Willow is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with dual emphasis in Education and in Art. She grew up here  in northern Cochise County and has family nearby; she and husband Ross have one child.

back to top

Special Education

Several Special Education students profit from deep and supportive relationships with their highly qualified paraprofessionals: Joy Berryhill, Andrea Grogg, Duana Madsen, and Gretchen Zibart.

back to top

Victoria Harris - Occupational Therapist

Victoria Harris, OTR is an experienced occupational therapist specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents diagnosed with physical, mental, and neurological disabilities. These include autism, down's syndrome, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, and sensory processing disorders. Since graduating from Eastern Michigan University with her Bachelor in Occupational Therapy, Victoria has worked as a lead therapist and director in a variety of settings to include acute and long term rehabilitation, hand therapy, home health services, developmental disability services, and school settings. However, working with children is a particular passion for Ms. Harris. who believes that all children have a desire to learn and grow. Ms. Harris provides therapy to these students along with inservicing to the staff and family members(as needed) on sensory processing disorders and how it effects a child's ability to learn and participate in the school environment.

back to top

Pat Stephens - Speech/Language Pathologist

Mrs. Pat Stephens has been a speech/language pathologist for many years. She and her family live in Tucson, AZ, where they have lived for 35 years. She and her family moved here from Illinois, to be away from all the rain, sleet, snow, ice, and cold weather. Of course, they miss the change of seasons at times, but Tucson has been a great choice, and she has no desire to move to another area. She has a great husband, two grown daughters, a grown step-daughter, a grown step-son, six granddaughters, two grandsons, and my sister, who all live in Tucson.

Her other name is "Rascal," the Clown. She has been in the Clown Unit of the Ladies Oriental Shrine for about 30 years. The lady clowns do many services to help the Shrine Hospitals. Some of these are face painting, marching in parades, entertaining at birthday parties, and helping at numerous functions for groups who request their presence. Her favorite activity is face painting.

Mrs. Stephens has really enjoyed being the speech/language pathologist at Visions Unlimited Academy for the past year and a half. She received her Bachelor's Degree in speech and hearing sciences at Bradlley University in Peoria, Illinois and her Master's Degree in speech and hearing sciences in Greeley, Colorado at the University of Northern Colorado. She has worked mostly in public schools with children from the ages of preschool through high school, but she has also worked as a speech pathologist in a nursing home setting, and has been an assistant professor at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, when she returned to her undergraduate alma mater to work for a couple of years. Mrs. Stephens' real love is working in the public schools with teachers and students.

back to top

Alix Orton - Administrative Assistant & Receptionist

Alix Orton is the first person you will meet or hear when you walk into Visions Unlimited Academy. As Administrative Assistant her responsibilities are fast paced and varied. Luckily for us she comes with impressive credentials-she likes people, especially young ones. She has two children of her own at home and loves life with them and her husband Mr. Orton. She enjoys gardening, anything involving art, music and travel. While traveling, she enjoys experiencing not only the sights, but attempting to immerse herself in the people and culture. She has hopes of one day traveling to Alaska and Italy. She creates art in a variety of mediums including acrylic, watercolor, oil and charcoal; currently she has art hanging at the "Gallery of Dreams" in St. David.

She grew up in Northern Virginia and has lived in Arizona for almost twenty years and is active in the local arts community and in her church. She loves all kinds of music and a cheerful voice on regional radio for five years.

Alix is happy to help you get information about the school and is willing to answer your questions. She works tirelessly supporting the overall effectiveness of the school. Alix will be happy to talk to you, and accept any suggestions and/or email messages.

back to top

Special Services

We could not operate without the careful and even loving care of the facilities by Rocio Cornejo and Javier Macias.

back to top