MEET OUR FACULTY
Kay Johnson was the superintendent, principal, and a teacher (all at the same time!) at Flower Mound Elementary for 30 years. She holds degrees in Art, Music, and Elementary Administration with a concentration in Curriculum, and has many hours of post graduate work in curriculum from the University of Oklahoma. She is certified in K-8 education with special endorsements in music, art, language arts, and social sciences. Mrs. Johnson also holds an Oklahoma Elementary Principal's certificate and an Oklahoma Elementary Superintendent's Certificate.
A few of the things she has done: * was selected for the first Gifted & Talented program in the St. Louis, MO, school system in 1955.
* served as president of the Oklahoma Association of Gifted, Creative, and Talented.* worked with Senator Penny Williams for passage of the Oklahoma Law on Gifted/Talented.* presented workshops entitled A.B.R.A.I.N. (Applied Brain Research Alters Instructional Needs) in over 300 schools in Oklahoma and for the Nebraska Education Association.* was appointed by the governor to the Legislative Commission on Education.* was a member of the State Test Selection Committee.* was a Math Advisor for Teacher Certification Tests of Oklahoma.* served as Coordinator and a presenter for the Reading Improvement State Demonstration Site.* was Science Advisor for the 8th grade state criterion-referenced tests and P.A.S.S. skills.* is listed in Who's Who in American Education.* received the Governor's Commendation, the Representatives' Commendation, and the State Superintendents' Commendation in May of 1998. (The list continues - these are just some of the highlights!)
Mrs. Johnson has co-written (along with her daughter) the math program AMI that we currently use with 4th - 6th graders. She has led many LAAS teams to victory in various competitions, with her most distinguished being the eCybermission team who won the Southwest Regional Award for Innovation and Creativity, netting the students over $8000 in savings bonds.All who meet her know that her heart is invested heavily in the education of gifted students.
Kay F. Johnson
Founder, Co-Owner,
Principal, Teacher of
5th/6th Grade, High
School Art, Elementary Band,
Ballroom
Dancing, Tennis
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Jim Johnson
Co-owner; Teacher of Secondary Histories, Social Sciences, and HS Sciences,
Archery & Robotics Coach
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Mr. Johnson is a native of Lawton, president of A.B.R.A.I.N., Inc., (the parent company of Lawton Academy), and is married to the founder of the school. He has undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, and history. He completed coursework for a master's degree in history at Midwestern State University and received the Master of Social Work degree from the University of Oklahoma. He is a diplomat in clinical social work and has been in private practice for over 30 years. At the school, he teaches biology, chemistry, and geography each year and United States and World history in alternate years. He also teaches government, psychology, Oklahoma History, and economics as the schedule permits. Beginning in 2011, Mr. Johnson took on the extra-curricular roles of robotics coach and archery coach. He also plays the cello and has been active in the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony and the Lawton Civic Orchestra.Michelle Smith
Assistant Principal,
Teacher of Secondary Literature and English, Pk-12th Drama and Music, HS Physical Education, Robotics, and is the High School Activities Director
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Mrs. Smith has a degree in Elementary Education with a special endorsement in music, and she currently holds an Oklahoma Teaching Certificate. She has taught school in California, Texas, and Oklahoma, in private and public schools over the last twenty years. She even home schooled for three years. Mrs. Smith is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. She co-authored the math program mentioned above on her mother's bio. She is listed in Who's Who in American Education and has helped lead our LAAS robotics team to six state victories. She is married to COL JT Smith and has a son, Justin, at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (first valedictorian at Lawton Academy) and a daughter, Bria, in Lawton Academy high school. | ||||||
Mrs. Whitehorn is a recent graduate of Ashford University, graduating with a B.A. in Social Sciences with an emphasis in education and a Masters in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Whitehorn is currently pursuing certification as a Child and Parent Specialist through the Oklahoma Family Resource Coalition.Her previous classroom experiences include lead teacher for daycare, teacher's assistant in both private and public schools, and home school teacher/mom. She is married to 1SG(R) James Whitehorn and they have two daughters - Leah (a recent graduate) and Ariel (who still attends Lawton Academy high school).Kathy Parson
1st Grade Teacher, Secondary School Art Teacher, Teacher of Davis Strategies
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Mrs. Parson has been teaching at Lawton Academy for ten years. Her undergraduate degree is in Human Ecology with an Associates of Art degree in Early Childhood Education. She earned her Masters in Human Resources. She has received training in the Davis Program (a fantastic program designed for use with people with dyslexia) and is the Teacher of Davis Strategies within our school. Prior to teaching at Lawton Academy, Mrs. Parson home schooled her two children, Ben and Sarah. Ben graduated as the salutatorian of our first senior class. Mrs. Parson is married to Ervin Parson, who is currently serving as a police officer on Ft. Sill.
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Mrs. Karinshak graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and from East Central University with a Masters Degree in Education in School Counseling. She is married to LTC (Ret) Bryan Karinshak. Tami and Bryan have three sons. Kyle graduated from the prestigious Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in May of 2011 and is now attending OU. Joshua is a sophomore and Lucas is in eighth grade at LAAS.
Laurie Calton
3rd/4th Grade Teacher, Home Ec Teacher, Recorders Director, Cheer Sponsor
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Mrs. Calton attended the University of Maine and Cameron University. She became a certified Drug and Alcohol counselor in the state of Oklahoma and was one of the first to receive national certification in the state of Oklahoma. She worked with Comanche County Memorial Hospital's adolescent inpatient drug/alcohol unit for the duration of that program. She has worked with the county's juvenile services, and then was director of an adolescent halfway house before coming to LAAS. We tease Mrs. Calton that all of her previous experience gave her the "patience of Job" she possesses that makes her such a great 3rd/4th grade teacher, as they can become quite fun while expressing their independence! Mrs. Calton is married to Perry Calton, and they have one daughter, Allison, who attends Lawton Academy's high school.
Trecia A. Karinshak
Teacher of Secondary Math Classes, Physics, Secondary Band, Math Art, and Middle School PE and Middle School Contests
Middle School Activities Director, MathCounts and Future Cities Coach
Ms. Karinshak has been teaching mathematics to students of all ages since 1991. She has had myriad teaching assignments to include Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, Waynesville High School outside Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Watertown High School near Fort Drum, New York. In addition to teaching at the high school level, she has taught collegiate level courses for Jefferson Community College, Watertown, New York; City Colleges of Chicago, Bamberg, Germany; Central Texas College, Bamberg, Germany; University of Maryland in Europe; and Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.While serving as a clarinetist in the U.S. Army, Ms. Karinshak decided to start taking evening college courses. She hasn't stopped yet! Ms. Karinshak has earned the following degrees:* Associates degree in Secondary Education from Anne Arundel Community College* Bachelors of Science in Secondary Education with a major in Mathematics from Old Dominion University* Masters of Arts in Theoretical Mathematics from the State University of New York at Potsdam
Additionally, Ms. Karinshak has completed the preparatory coursework, qualifying examinations, and comprehensive examinations, and has successfully defended her dissertation proposal towards a Ph.D. in Statistics at Oklahoma State University.Ms. Karinshak is very passionate about teaching mathematics and is excited to be teaching at Lawton Academy. In the words of the immortal mathematician, Simeon Poisson, "Life is good for only two things, discovering mathematics and teaching mathematics." Well, maybe there is a little more to life... 
Maria Richards
Middle School Life/Physical Science Teacher
eCybermission Coach
After spending nine-and-a-half years in the Air Force as a Air Traffic Controller, Mrs. Richards moved to Lawton to continue as a civilian air traffic controller. She is currently completing a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages with a minor in Political Science. Mrs. Richards is married to Nick Richards of Richards Construction, Inc., and she has a son, Nick, and a daughter, Katy, who are both graduates of LAAS. Mrs. Richards loves learning so much that she volunteers as our 7th/8th grade physical science and life science teacher. The kids love her class!
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Mrs. Livingston graduated from Southern Nazarene University with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, a minor degree in French and a concentration in Education. She taught Elementary Spanish in the Mustang School District in Oklahoma City for three years before moving to Lawton with her husband. She accepted the high school Spanish I and II teaching position at Eisenhower High School, and taught for two years. Mrs. Livnigston then taught the "Methods of Teaching Foreign Language" class at Cameron University, and also served as the university's representative for first year language teachers in the southwest Oklahoma area for two years.
Having spent several years at home starting and raising a family, Mrs. Livingston has joined the LAAS teaching staff on a part time basis. She is married to Steve Livingston, LAAS cross-country coach and owner of A & G Auto Sales and CAR DOC Automotive. They have three children: Nathan, Caleb, and Hannah who are all students at LAAS.
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Mrs. Gebert has a degree in Art Education and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Reading and Writing. She married a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in April of 2011 and is a new resident of Lawton. She graduated from University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY in December of 2010. Mrs. Gebert will teach our kindergarten class and one of our high school art classes. Her hobbies include drawing, painting, reading, swimming, and spending time outdoors with her puppy and husband. Mrs. Gebert is also a swim instructor in her summers. She truly enjoys working with and educating children, and she is very excited about contributing to Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences.
