Fine and Applied Arts
I have been teaching for 32 years with 23 in the Des Moines Public Schools. I am a graduate of University of Iowa. My hometown is Cedar Rapids. I enjoy biking, golfing and spending time with my wife of 23 years, while following my two sons in their college sporting events. My oldest plays soccer at Central College and my youngest is a kicker on the Iowa Western football team.
I have been teaching for 9 years with 5 at Callanan Middle School. I am a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. I am the oldest of 6 siblings, and the uncle to 13 nieces and nephews
This is my currently my second year in education, both years split between Callanan and Weeks Middle Schools. I have attended both Iowa State University and UNI. I am a father of 3 boys: 11 years old, 3 years old and 21 months old. I have been married to my smart and beautiful wife for 5 years!!!
0 years at Callanan (Hoping to start as soon as possible)
This is my 31st year teaching instrumental music in Des Moines. I am from NWIA. Attending Drake University brought me to Des Moines. My husband and son are both band directors in the Des Moines area. My husband and I love to rescue special needs dogs. We currently have two.
This is my eighth year in public education, I have taught all grade levels K-12; including instrumental music for a year. I have also taught a few classes of business tech. In DMPS I have taught at Goodrell, Virtual Campus, and now Callanan. My goal is to give every student the opportunity to perform collaboratively with their peers
This is my 25th year teaching in the district, and my second at Callanan. I graduated from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. I also attended Grand View and Viterbo. I am the father of seven, with ten grandchildren.
This is my 22nd year in teaching, prior to Callanan I taught at Weeks Middle School on Des Moines southside -which was also the school I attended as a teen. My first two years with DMPS were at the elementary level, after completing my college practicums at Callanan and Roosevelt. I graduated from DM Lincoln, before getting my undergraduate art degree at ISU. I have a teaching degree from Grandview, and a master’s degree from Drake- so, I’ve never really lived more than 40 miles from my hometown of DsM. I am married, and have 4 kids of my own, with only one still at home and in high school; the others are now adults and in college.
¡Hola! My name is Christina Velásquez, and I am the Spanish teacher at Callanan. I have been working with the fabulous students here since November of 2022. I have also taught in Indiana, Puerto Rico, California, Minnesota, and Spain. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Latin American Literature from the University of Notre Dame; a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies (specializing in International Migration and Education) from the University of California, San Diego; and a teaching certification from Hamline University.
In my free time I love being Titi/Auntie; playing and watching sports, especially fútbol and tenis; visiting family and friends around the world; reading; and dancing. I also enjoy coaching the Callanan girls’ volleyball, girls’ basketball, and boys’ soccer teams!
This is my second year at Callanan, and third year teaching. I graduated from University of Northern Iowa.