Our Staff
Meet the incredible staff of educators at Pioneer School. All of our teachers hold current teaching credentials in the State of Washington.
Betty Burley-Wolf - Founder
Betty started Pioneer school in 1980 to challenge bright students and let them move at their own pace. Betty has a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education from Whitworth. She has taught kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades. She currently serves as Pioneer School’s director. She has two grown daughters who attended Pioneer—Rebecca who teaches middle school science in Bozeman Montana and Margaret who has her PHD in hydrology and works for the University of Idaho. Betty’s husband Gary is a retired chemistry college instructor. Betty enjoys snow skiing, paddleboarding and most of all spending time with her grandsons!
Tina Davis - Kindergarten Teacher
Tina joined the Pioneer staff in 2001. She has taught in a variety of capacities in grades ranging K-6 and has served as the school’s curriculum director, reading specialist, and as a summer school and classroom teacher. Tina has a Master of Curriculum and Development from the University of Idaho. She also hold an Idaho State Computer Competency Certificate from Boise State University. Tina really started her career when she was in pony-tails and her Kindergarten teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. “As I counted to 100 while licking my Tootsie Pop,” she recalls, “I quickly replied a Kindergarten Teacher!"
​
Tina has a great love for teaching and for children. “What I enjoy most about teaching is looking at the smiles, hearing the laughter, and watching the ‘Aha!’ moments on the students’ faces. Each day is filled with excitement and wonder, is ever changing, and never boring.” In her spare time, Tina enjoys writing, photography, and watching her pet bird chase her dog around the house. She is also an artist and a member of the Fellowship of the Royal Society for Arts.
Jennifer Henry - 1st Grade Teacher
Jennifer Stiritz is Pioneer’s 1st grade teacher and has taught at the school since 2020. She also taught physical education at Pioneer while her son attended the school. Jennifer has a Master’s Degree in teaching with an emphasis on elementary math. She enjoys pickleball and hiking with her dogs when she’s not busy teaching or preparing for her time in the classroom.
Angelica (Annie) Ginelli - 2nd Grade Teacher
Annie is Pioneer’s 2nd grade teacher and has been teaching at the school since 2019. She has a Master’s in Teaching with a science emphasis. When not busy at school she enjoys pickleball, kayaking, and yoga. Annie is a talented artist and plays the violin. She is building a house at Twin Lakes, Idaho, with her husband Wesley.
Amy Wartinger - 3rd Grade Teacher
Amy earned her teaching degree from the University of Idaho with an emphasis on biology and English. Her journey at Pioneer began when three of her own children attended the school. After they graduated from Pioneer, she was thrilled to stay on as a teacher. Since 2018, Amy has enjoyed teaching 2nd through 5th grade classes. As a parent and an educator, Amy holds a deep appreciation for the wonder of childhood. “It is a time of immense growth and discovery, and I believe it should be treated with the utmost care and respect,” she says. Amy passionately believes that fostering a love of learning during this time is fundamental. “When children are inspired and encouraged to be curious and excited about the world around them, they’re empowered to keep learning long after they leave the classroom.”
​
One of the many reasons Amy loves teaching at Pioneer School is the opportunity to help students discover and grow in a nurturing environment, while also helping build their confidence to rise to challenges. “I’m grateful to be able to encourage learning beyond the classroom as well with hands-on experiences that spark curiosity. This blend of classroom instruction and real-world exploration is what makes teaching and learning at Pioneer so dynamic and meaningful. Every day, I come to school excited to continue learning alongside my students and to help them grow into curious, thoughtful, and confident individuals!” When she’s not in the classroom, Amy loves spending time in nature, hiking, traveling, attending concerts, reading, and learning—especially about plants, animals, and insects.
Arliss Rothwell - 4th Grade Teacher
Arliss is originally from Glasgow, Montana before moving to Spokane in 1977 where she raised her three children who were all in the gifted program in the East Valley School District. Arliss has 25 years of teaching experience and her favorite subjects to teach include literature, cursive, phonics, conflict resolution, history/herstory, math, gardening, and Shakespeare plays for kids! Arliss retired to care for her aging parents and found she missed teaching and is delighted to be back at Pioneer doing what she loves. Arliss believes every child and every story matters.
Nicole Bronson - 5th Grade Teacher
Nicole began teaching at Pioneer in 2006 after a decade as a park ranger and environmental educator. She loves the outdoors and natural sciences, and at Pioneer she has been able to continue getting kids out in nature on learning expeditions as well as bringing the wild kingdoms back into the classroom. Nicole uses art as a vehicle to study every topic, and she enjoys bringing the artist out in her students. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in biology (botany and ecology) from The Evergreen State College and earned a Master’s in Teaching from Whitworth.
​
“It has been an exciting and joyful learning environment to work in! I love the small class-size, the community of families, and the spirit of creativity that Pioneer embodies. We work very hard and get the most out of everything we do. Our school is truly a place that promotes the ideal of a scholar and nourishment of the whole child.” Over the years, Nicole and Betty have taken 4th/5th grade classes on many multi-day, adventurous, and immersive learning excursions to bring topic studies to life. Under Nicole’s guidance, students have visited Mount St. Helens, the Washington Coast, the Washington State Capitol, Hells Gate State Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Ginkgo Petrified Forest, the Washington State History Museum, Point Defiance Zoo, Yellowstone National Park and other destinations.
​
Nicole has a daughter and son who both grew up and graduated from Pioneer. She is grateful that her own children had the unique and enriching opportunity to be Pioneer students for the first 10 years of their lives. “Pioneer School is an unmatched learning environment that sparks and nurtures curiosity and life-long learning in the young student!”
Support Staff
Leah Kliment
Teaching Assistant
Nidhi Sharma
Teaching Assistant