Stacey Cochran - Principal

Mrs. Cochran founded Center for Educational Excellence in 1997 and continues to demonstrate her passion for kids in her many hands-on roles. In addition to being the owner, she also serves as the principal and director of both Center for Educational Excellence and our private pre-school, Fit N’ Fun. She holds a B.S. in both physical education and special education from the University of Arizona. Prior to opening the doors of Center for Educational Excellence, Mrs. Cochran owned and operated a competitive gymnastics facility in Scottsdale for five years. She brings a special combination of experience and qualifications specifically targeted to serving the needs of children. Her devoted spirit and tireless dedication have helped to make Center for Educational Excellence a special place for countless children to learn and grow.

Over the past several years, Mrs. Cochran has been the recipient of numerous individual and school awards, all of which are a testament to her tremendous leadership and vision.

AZ LEADS Circle of Honor (2007) This distinguished group of Arizona administrators is made up of the top 2% principals in our state. Mrs.Cochran has been recognized by State Superintendent,Tom Horne, for her outstanding leadership with her teachers and exemplary achievement of her students.

Arizona Woman Million Dollar Club (2002- present) Awarded to business owners and philanthropists who have excelled in their respective fields, this honor is presented annually by Arizona Woman magazine.

Arizona Charter Schools Association School of Merit Certificate (2008) Center for Educational Excellence continues to be recognized by the charter association for our “excelling” or “A” status. An “excelling” status is the highest distinction a school can earn and is only given to those who meet the Arizona Department of Education’s stringent academic requirements.

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Ms. Nelson - Assistant Principal

Ms Nelson originally joined the CEE staff for the 2010-2011 school year and taught fourth and fifth grades. After working with rural schools in Southern Africa for three years to provide training, support, and resources to teachers and students, Ms. Nelson rejoined the CEE family for the 2014 school year as both the seventh & eighth grade Science Teacher, the Curriculum Support Coordinator and most recently the Special Education Director. Ms. Nelson received her undergrad in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and also has a Masters in Educational Leadership and Special Education Endorsement from Northern Arizona University. When she is not at CEE, Miss Nelson enjoys puzzles, cooking, traveling, reading, and hanging out with her nephew.

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Mrs. Kinneman - Kindergarten

Mrs. Kinneman has been a Kindergarten teacher at CEE since 2006. Born and raised in Minnesota, she received her Education degree from Ottawa University. She is very passionate about delivering creative lessons in hopes of instilling the same love of creativity in each of her students. Her hobbies include running and traveling with family.

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Mrs. Guerrero

Mrs. Guerrero ​joined the CEE staff in 2025. She previously taught Kindergarten. She is an Arizonian native, and grew up in Tempe. She got her bachelor's degree from Arizona State University, and has 2 graduate degrees from Grand Canyon University.  When she's not teaching she loves spending time with her family- husband, 3 boys and 2 dogs. She loves to read, cook, and enjoys going to Suns games. ​

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Ms. Tiger - First Grade

Ms. Tiger joined the CEE family for the 2022-2023 school year as a first grade teacher. She has previously taught kindergarten for 8 years. Ms. Tiger has dreamed of being a teacher since she was 16 years old while working with preschoolers. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2013. She loves engaging with students while pushing them to reach their goals. She also enjoys being a mommy to her amazing daughter Ryann. 

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Ms. Simerman - First Grade

Ms. Simerman joined the CEE staff at the start of the 2023-2024 school year! She was born and raised in Indiana. She received her degree from Ball State University before moving to Arizona. She has taught first and second grades previous to joining CEE. In her spare time Ms. Simerman enjoys hiking, reading, shopping, being with my loved ones, and anything involving my sweet Golden Retriever puppy, Fen!​

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Ms. Hauck - Second Grade

Ms. Hauck joined the CEE staff for the 2020-2021 school year! She was born in Rochester, New York, and moved to Arizona when she was 7, spending most of her time in Chandler. She also lived in Flagstaff for three years while she was studying at Northern Arizona University. Ms. Hauck graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in December of 2019. This is her first year as a teacher and she is very excited to begin that journey here at CEE! She strives to create a positive classroom environment where each student is able to reach their fullest potential. When she’s not at school, Ms. Hauck enjoys being outdoors and loves spending time with her friends and family.

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Mrs. Hampton - Second Grade

Mrs. Hampton joined the CEE family as a 2nd/3rd grade paraprofessional in 2020, while working on her Bachelor’s of Science in Early Childhood Education with The University of Phoenix. She has 10+ years of experience in the early childhood classroom setting. She grew up in Chandler where she met her husband who she shares three children with. In her spare time she enjoys coaching track & field, cooking, and crocheting. She strives to create an effective and engaging learning environment for her students.

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Ms. Shupp - Third Grade​

Ms. Shupp joined the staff in 2025 and is thrilled to be teaching 3rd grade at CEE! She previously taught third grade and also brings with her several years of experience as a teacher’s assistant and substitute teacher. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in December 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on Early Childhood Education. Ms. Shupp loves creating a classroom environment that is interactive, hands-on, and engaging for all types of learners. She is passionate about building strong relationships with her students and families and helping each child shine in their own unique way. Born and raised on her family's farm in Troy, Tennessee, Ms. Shupp has deep roots in both the South and the Southwest. She now lives in Gilbert with her fiancé Jon, their two dogs, two cats, and bearded dragon! In her free time, she enjoys traveling, baking, going to concerts, visiting Disney parks, and planning her upcoming wedding. With so much joy and growth ahead, Ms. Shupp is ready for a wonderful school year—and is already enchanted to meet the amazing students in her class!

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Mrs. Wilfred - Third Grade

Ms. Howalt is an Arizona native who grew up in the Mesa/Gilbert area. She received her undergrad degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and her graduate degree from Northern Arizona University with a concentration in reading instruction. In the 23 years that she's been an educator, she's taught kindergarten, first, second, and third grade.  In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, camping, and watching movies. 

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Mrs. John - Fourth Grade

Mrs. John joins the staff for the 2025-2026 school year and has been working in the educational field for the past seven years. She has a Masters degree in Human Development with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education. During this time, she has successfully integrated STEM, hands-on activities, and gamified lessons to enhance student learning. Mrs. John is passionate about understanding her students' interests and pushing them to reach their fullest potential. Beyond her role as an educator, she enjoys cooking for her family and cherishing time with her husband and two teenage daughters. She loves to solve puzzles and spend time with her daughters gardening and crocheting. ​

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Mrs. Mesa - Fourth Grade

Mrs. Mesa joined CEE for the 2025-2026 school year as a 4th grade teacher! She has previously taught a combination of elementary/junior high school, for fifteen years. I was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California and relocated to Arizona in 2014. I am grateful to be surrounded by a huge family here in AZ! I am a proud mother of two and absolutely love rescuing animals which include, two bunnies, a tarantula, a snake, two guinea pigs, a turtle, fish, four dogs and seven cats. They all keep me very busy and there is never a dull moment. I am looking forward to filling each year with new and exciting educational opportunities that will guide students' individual growth. I believe you can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach them to learn by creating curiosity, they will continue the learning process for the rest of their lives. Favorite quote: “If people did not do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.”

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Mrs. Beck - Fifth Grade​

Mrs. Beck joined the CEE staff for the 2024-2025 school year. She has taught preschool through high school, as well as Spanish. Born and raised in the Philippines, Mrs. Beck moved to the states to obtain her undergrad and graduate degrees from Arizona State University. ​

 

Ms. Sauriol - Fifth Grade

Ms. Sauriol is happy to be joining the CEE community and brings with her 30 years of classroom experience, a passion for hands-on learning, and a deep commitment to student success. With a heart for 5th grade and a reputation for creating vibrant, student-centered classrooms, she is excited to begin this new chapter at CEE. Ann grew up in Scottsdale and earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, completing her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in 2001. She spent most of her career teaching upper elementary grades at Bright Beginnings School in Chandler, focusing on building strong classroom communities rooted in creativity, structure, and meaningful learning. Ann especially enjoys teaching math and is skilled at helping students build confidence, develop problem-solving abilities, and understand the real-world value of mathematics. Ann lives in Chandler with her two sweet Labrador Retrievers, Stella and Daisy. Outside the classroom, she enjoys scuba diving and traveling with her fiancé, Chuck, as well as exploring new restaurants, decorating her home, listening to music, and spending quality time with friends—and her pups! Ms. Sauriol is eager to bring her energy, experience, and love of teaching to CEE and looks forward to a joyful and inspiring year with her students!​

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Ms. Matsch - Middle School

lMs. Matsch joined the CEE family in 2019. She has taught middle school ELA, Social Studies, and Science. She is passionate about teaching and helping students reach their full potential. She has over 27 years of teaching experience, including teaching infant brain development for Arizona’s Children's Association. She received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from ASU. She also has two sons, who are both in college. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga, reading, cleaning & organizing, and paddle boarding.​​​

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Ms. Stevens - Middle School

Ms. Stevens joined CEE for the 2024-2025 school year. She is an Arizona Native from Gilbert and grew up loving the outdoors and playing sports. She received her teaching degree from Ottawa University and has a deep passion for the world of books and literacy. She is a mom to three incredible children. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family. She loves the outdoors, finding new spots in Arizona and traveling. ​

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Ms. Pine - Resource

Ms. Pine joined CEE for the 2023-2024 school year and has been a special education teacher since 2004 . Ms. Pine received her K-12 Special Education degree from Grand Canyon University and is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all of her students. She works closely with parents, teachers, to develop individualized education plans (IEPs) that address the specific needs of each student. Her aim is to cultivate a favorable atmosphere in the classroom that empowers each student to realize their maximum capability. Ms Pine's hobbies include hiking and traveling. ​

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Mrs. Aurora - K-3 Spanish

Mrs. Aurora joined our Preschool and CEE Staff in 2006.  She has been teaching for sixteen years and holds degrees in Graphic Design and Industrial Design and has extensive training in early childhood development. Her childhood was spent in Mexico City, where she became bilingual. Mrs. Aurora instructs our K-3 Spanish program. She loves interacting with the students and presenting unique Spanish lessons. In her spare time she loves bike riding with her family.

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Señora Wingo - 4-8 Spanish

​Señora Wingo became a member of the CEE family in 2014. She has 3 children, all of whom attended CEE. Señora Wingo began learning Spanish in 5th grade, and started teaching in Spanish at an immersion school in Long Beach, CA., and recently took a sabbatical for a year in 2022 to live in Spain with her children. Señora Wingo was born in Chicago, IL,  She received her undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies and her graduate degree in bilingual education from Claremont University. Señora Wingo loves traveling, being active, biking, hiking, yoga, and going to the gym. She lives for coffee and conversations.

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Mr. Cruz - Music

Mr. Cruz is excited to share the music experience with all students and staff at CEE. Traveling often as a child, Mr. Cruz grounded himself in music. “If it wasn’t for music, a good 85% of my life wouldn’t have happened and I wouldn’t be the person I am today here in front of my students”.

Mr. Cruz has been playing the piano since he was 6 years old and gave his first public performance when he was 8 years old. Mr. Cruz also plays the accordion, saxophone, violin, percussion, and anything that looks like a piano keyboard. He attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for High School and received his degree in Piano Performance from Eastern Michigan University. Music led Mr. Cruz to attend other programs and performances in Italy, The Netherlands, London, and New York. Mr. Cruz has choir directed, vocal and instrumentally collaborated, music directed, and worked with all different age groups for the past 9 years in churches, music camps, theater groups, and schools.

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Coach Kelton - PE
Coach Kelton joined CEE in 2016 as our Physical Education teacher and intramural sports coach. Outside of CEE, Coach Kelton is an accomplished, certified tennis and pickleball pro. He has coached club soccer, Little League baseball and helped engineer a youth program for the City of Tempe. His favorite hobbies are snowboarding, surfing and computer design. He graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in English. Coach Kelton has been working with children in athletics for nearly 20 years and claims to enjoy the work more and more every day.  “I am incredibly honored to be a part of such an excellent school and to have the opportunity to make athletics FUN for so many good kids. I will do my best to guide CEE students up the path to the top of their fitness goals! I will also be focused on bringing more after school sports and activities to CEE.”

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Mrs. Crocker - Art

Biography Coming Soon!