About

 I started teaching at the ripe old age of 38, in the fall of 2006. Prior to that I'd raised chickens and cattle, driven a truck, served 4 years in the Marine Corps, and bounced around from construction to security to the moving business in my early adult years. Here we are, 17 years later and I'm still teaching. I'm also an elected county legislator, a Justice of the Peace here in Arkansas, and a hobby programmer and data scientist.

My philosophy as an educator is to challenge kids to reach higher than they believe they can reach, dream bigger than they think they can grow, and achieve more than they ever thought possible. My philosophy as a politician is to keep taxes low and government interference in private lives and small business limited.

In 2006, I earned my BA Mathematics from Lyon College in Batesville, AR. When I began teaching that fall, I also started graduate school at night. I finished grad school with an MS in Mathematical Sciences from University of Arkansas -- Little Rock. 

I started teaching Algebra II and Pre-AP Algebra II but in 2010 I started teaching our school's concurrent credit college classes. I've been teaching AP Statistics since 2014, and finally got the opportunity to teach AP Calculus AB and BC in 2020. I'm a firm believer that high expectations lead to higher achievement and that encouraging students to take AP courses is a great way to raise expectations.

Much of what I post on this site will promote and encourage the development and expansion of AP programs in high schools everywhere. I'm not affiliated with the College Board and the only pay I receive from them is compensation as an AP Statistics Reader in the summer. I don't promote AP for money, but because I truly believe the program offers schools one of the quickest and surest ways to raise expectations and improve student achievement.

I hope you can find something helpful, something of value here.

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