Rick Buening
Instructional personnel at the Academy at Sisters Oregon boarding school are selected for their commitment to individualized curriculum, educational excellence, innovation, and a willingness to motivate. All faculty are either licensed or have extensive experience in the areas they teach.
Rick is the Academic Director with our organization. He has worked in alternative education at the Learning Center for more than 20 years. Rick received his Bachelors Degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri and his Masters Degree in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He holds a Standard Oregon Teaching Certificate in Social Studies. Rick is a member of The National Council for the Social Studies and The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. He is past Chairperson for the Oregon Advisory Committee for the Northwest Accreditation Commission and is currently serving on that committee. As an educator, Rick is committed to alternative education and to the idea that “all students are capable of being confident, self-directed, lifelong learners”. Rick enjoys hiking, reading, home improvement projects and spending time with his two grandchildren. He has a special interest in the people and literature of the “beat generation”.
Connie Peters
Connie Peters grew up in Virginia and attended James Madison University where she studied business, computer programming, and French. She also developed a natural curiosity and love of history in Virginia, home to so many historical places and people. Connie has lived in Oregon since 1995 and recently earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from George Fox University. Along with teaching high school business classes and middle school math, Connie has been a substitute teacher in many classrooms throughout Central Oregon. She has also volunteered with groups including Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, SMART Reading, and many youth sports programs. Her interests include reading, sports and physical fitness, horses, and exploring interesting places here and beyond. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “All of life is a constant education.” Connie will enhance the lessons in our classroom community with the goal of cultural competence and an awareness of our connection to others throughout the world.
Annie Danaher
Annie was raised in Portland, Oregon where she attended the University of Portland, earning a B.A. with majors in English, French and Education and concentrations in History and Math. She has worked in the field of Education for 15 years teaching in a variety of programs including: all subjects in one room elementary school in the mountains of Western Montana, Community Learning courses for COCC, and a stint as a classroom teacher in a more traditional high school setting. She is drawn to alternative schools with smaller class sizes, which present the possibility of working one on one with students as the need arises. In her free time Annie enjoys hiking and exploring the natural treasures of Central Oregon, sculpting, gardening and cooking.
Theresa Beemer
Theresa has lived in Oregon since elementary school. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Oregon State University and a Master of Education from Portland State University. She also studied special education locally through Lewis and Clark College, with an emphasis on behavior disorders. Theresa taught middle school for several years outside of Portland before relocating back to Bend where she grew up. She substitute taught in public and private schools in Central Oregon prior to a stint as a contract specialist at an engineering firm. Her focus in science education is authentic learning and assessment, which is particularly suited to an alternative setting where the smaller class size allows for more individualized instruction. Theresa’s interests include spending time with her son and dog, reading anything she can get her hands on, yoga, Spanish, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Contact Rick Buening, Academic Director, for further information.
