Meet the Board

Position	Member	Term Exp.
President	Samantha Thompson	1/1/27
President Elect	Katie Salch	1/1/27
Past President	Eric Clapeck	1/1/27
Secretary	Kellie Burns	1/1/27
Treasurer	Dr. Amy Schlessman	Appointed
Board Member	Sarah Arsenault	1/1/30
Board Member	Cybill Jacob	1/1/28
Board Member	Sue Durkin	1/1/28
Board Member	Carolyn Erdelji	1/1/30
Board Member	Wayne Tucker	1/1/28

2026 Board Meeting Schedule

Fri. January 16, 2026 (10:00 am – 11:00 am)

President – Samantha Thompson

Samantha Thompson serves as the Administrator for Leadership and Accountability and as Student Choice High School’s representative to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. She brings more than 25 years of experience in education, with a strong focus on alternative education and school leadership. In her role, she supports and coaches principals across all Student Choice locations.

Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of Phoenix. She also completed the AASA School Superintendents Association program in partnership with the Center for Educational Leadership, National Principal Supervisor Academy, further strengthening her expertise in principal supervision and leadership development.

She has served as the President of the Alternative Education Consortium and as a committee member for the Certification Advisory Council for the Arizona Department of Education, contributing to statewide initiatives in educator preparation. Her professional background includes roles as a classroom teacher, ELL coordinator, instructional coach, Cognia evaluator, and principal.

She has presented at national and state conferences, including the National Alternative Education Association (NAEA) and the Arizona Charter Conference, and has led an exemplary model school recognized by NAEA. Her work has also contributed to an A+ school designation and has received the Westside Impact Teacher of the Year award.

Samantha’s leadership is guided by Maya Angelou’s words: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

President Elect -Katie Salch

Katie Salch is the Administrator for Mentoring and Community Partnerships. With over 20 years of experience working in education in Arizona, her ultimate goal is to create systems that break down barriers for students and support the dedicated staff of SCHS in doing the same.  Streamlining a student’s path through high school credits, graduation, and then ACTIVATING into their future is why she joined the Student Choice High School family in 2024. 

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University, a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University, and the Certificate of School Management and Leadership from Harvard University. 

Mrs. Salch’s educational philosophy lies in working with the whole student. This is done at SCHS through learning about the students, creating outrageously attainable goals, and setting a path that helps them grow to fulfill their goals during high school and post-graduation. Through strategic planning, a supportive community, and caring adults, students can accomplish anything.

Students are the bottom line.

Past President – Eric Clapeck

Eric Clapeck is dedicated to empowering at-risk youths. His educational career began in 2010, where his innovative approach to teaching Civics, Economics, Logic, and Law earned him significant accolades, including recognition as a Distinguished Educator by the Flinn Foundation and the Presidential Distinguished Teacher Award in 2018. He holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Philosophy, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and a Juris Doctorate.

Secretary – Kellie Burns

Dr. Kellie Burns serves as Superintendent of the Yavapai Accommodation School District and brings more than 20 years of experience in rural and alternative education. She is passionate about supporting at-risk youth and believes every student deserves a second chance, a strong support system, and high expectations. Since becoming Superintendent in 2016, she has focused on strengthening district operations, building meaningful community partnerships, and creating learning environments where students can grow academically and personally.

Before stepping into district leadership, Dr. Burns served as Dean of Students and as a classroom teacher across multiple grade levels — experiences that continue to shape her hands-on, student-centered leadership style. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University and remains deeply involved in educational leadership throughout Arizona. She serves in leadership roles with the Arizona Alternative Education Consortium, Arizona Correctional Educators Association, Arizona Rural Schools Association, and the Forest Fee Management Association. She also serves on the Arizona Alternative Technical Advisory Committee and the Yavapai County Education Foundation, and contributes as Education Coordinator for the Human Trafficking Summit Committee and as a judge for the Yavapai County Spelling Bee.

Treasurer – Dr. Amy Schlessman

Amy Schlessman, PhD, has dedicated her professional and much of her personal life to education and human services in both the public and private sectors. Dr. Schlessman’s research and professional interests include alternative school accountability, organizational development, and the development of creative and innovative intelligence in learners of all ages from diverse cultural backgrounds and socio-economic levels. Fortune 500 companies, as well as not-for-profit organizations, including schools and community collaboratives, have benefited from her contributions to their programs. Her publications and presentations illustrate a range from theory to practice. Amy’s recent research, policy analysis, and advocacy focus on alternative education. She serves as Chief Alternative Education Officer for ThrivePoint High Schools, a network of alternative charter high schools in partnership with Learning Matters Educational Group.

Dr. Schlessman’s peers have elected her to leadership positions internationally, nationally, and at the state level. She has served as President of an international education association, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL); Chair of Research and Evaluation with the American Educational Research Association; founding President, Arizona Alternative Education Consortium (AZ AEC); and then the National Alternative Education Association (NAEA) Board and Executive Board.  She is honored to return to the service of Arizona’s alternative education campuses as an AZ AEC Treasurer. NAEA has appointed Amy as At-Large Board Member focusing on Advocacy. 

Board Member – Sarah Arsenault

I am a dedicated leader in alternative education with over 12 years of experience in alternative education empowering students to overcome barriers and achieve their high school diplomas. I currently serve across Arizona, overseeing nine resource centers that prioritize meeting students’ basic needs while promoting academic and personal success. My passion for transforming lives by addressing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy drives my commitment to creating equitable pathways for at-risk and nontraditional learners. I believe in strong, collaborative leadership and bring a community-focused approach that emphasizes advocacy for data-driven innovation, student support, and workforce readiness. 

I am eager to help advance the vision of the Arizona Alternative Education Consortium by supporting initiatives that expand access, improve outcomes, and foster statewide collaboration among alternative education programs. By leveraging my experience and creative insight, I aim to contribute to the Consortium’s mission of strengthening alternative education across Arizona and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed. 

Board Member – Sue Durkin

E. Sue Durkin is an Arizona native and has served adult high school students for over twenty-five years as an instructor and, since 2001, an administrator at International Commerce Secondary Schools.  Sue earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and a Master of Arts in English from Northern Arizona University, a Post-baccalaureate Certification in Education from Ottawa University, and a Diploma in Humanities from Harrison Middleton University. In her capacity as administrator, she has simultaneously worked as principal, director of assessment, curriculum developer, and director of special populations. As a result of her many roles, she has become proficient in Arizona’s Academic Standards as well as state and national education policy. In the past five years, Sue has served on three different task forces with the Arizona Department of Education: Alternative Pathway to a High School Diploma; Adult Education English Standard Development; and Adult Education Social Studies Standards Development, and currently serves on the Alternative Accountability Technical Advisory Committee (AATAC).  Sue is highly invested in and dedicated to helping Arizona’s underserved adult population become college and career ready through the attainment of a high school diploma.

Board Member – Cybill Jacob

Cybill Jacob, M.Ed., has been in K-12 education for 27 years and is currently serving in her 10th year as principal of Peoria Flex Academy in the Peoria Unified School District. She earned her B.A. from Arizona State University and her master’s in educational leadership from Grand Canyon University. She began her career 27 years ago in junior high and moved to a comprehensive high school, where she taught students from remedial to honors level courses. Over her tenure, her yearbook/journalism students won various national awards in photography and publishing, which led to opportunities as a speaker/presenter at various journalism workshops and conventions in Arizona and Hawaii. She also served as an instructional coach for grades K-12, CTE, and adjunct faculty in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at ASU. As a result of her move to alternative education and seeing the great need for students to self-regulate, she spearheaded a mindfulness movement in her school, leading her to become a certified yoga instructor [CYT 200, KYTT] trained in trauma-informed and adolescent yoga. She currently teaches yoga classes in the West Valley as well as facilitates professional development workshops in mindfulness and yoga for the classroom. She has been awarded Teacher of the Year and Pride of Peoria, an award presented to the top one percent for contributions to their schools and district.

Board Member – Carolyn Erdelji

Carolyn Erdelji is the Administrator for Academic Services, bringing 29 years of dedicated experience across K-12 education. She has a diverse background as an educator and leader, having taught at the elementary and middle school levels and served as the principal of an alternative high school.

Throughout her professional career, Ms. Erdelji has designed and led training initiatives for both staff and parents in critical areas, including AI Integration and Training, Curriculum and Instructional Skills, Conscious Discipline, PBIS, Building Trauma-Sensitive Classrooms, and Self-Harm/Suicide Prevention. She extended this expertise as a presenter at the National Alternative Education Association Conference, where she spoke on the integration of AI in schools. Her commitment to systemic improvement is evident in her extensive committee work, which includes serving on school leadership teams, curriculum alignment groups, and the teacher mentor program.

Ms. Erdelji played a vital role in the institution’s success, notably serving as a lead editor and contributing to an A+ school designation, as well as working on school review teams with AdvancED (now Cognia). Her academic credentials include an M.Ed. in Educational Administration (Grand Canyon University, 2017) and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education (Northern Arizona University).

Board Member – Wayne Tucker

Wayne Tucker, M.Ed., is the Superintendent of PPEP TEC High School, a network of six alternative high school campuses stretching across Southern Arizona. The mission of PTHS is to provide innovative, high-quality educational opportunities to students whose needs have not been met by traditional schools and who are at risk of disengaging from the educational system. Wayne began his academic career as a biology student in his home state of Florida, but transferred to Bennington College in Vermont, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, concentrating in epistemology and cognitive systems. Some years later, he earned a Master of Secondary Education degree from the University of Arizona and has been devoted to the study of Alternative Education throughout his entire teaching career.