GETTING TO KNOW OUR MEMBERS.... ONE MEMBER AT A TIME, ft. Haleigh Klaus.

Meet Haleigh Klaus. Haleigh is the Instructional Literacy Coach at Canadian Valley Technology Center. She joined CareerTech in July 2021 as the Instructional Literacy Coach for CVTC Chickasha, before transitioning to the district Instructional Literacy Coach role in July 2023. Haleigh is passionate about her work! She enjoys collaborating with students and teachers on literacy practices and feels fortunate to do it every day. 

While Haleigh doesn't have children, she has three cats and two dogs, along with wonderful nephews and a niece who mean the world to her. ❤

Before joining CareerTech, Haleigh taught K-12 English. Inspired by her father, who teaches history and coaches, she pursued a career in teaching. She earned her bachelor's degree in English education in December 2019 and began her master's in education as a reading specialist in January 2020. Realizing that her peers were mostly elementary majors, she felt the need to bring this expertise to middle and high school levels (as elementary wasn't her preference anyway). 

Here are some interesting facts about Haleigh! She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, is a first-generation American, was named ESSP's New Teacher of the Year this year, and was recognized as one of the International Literacy Association's 30 Under 30 last year! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing video games, and attending rock concerts. 

Haleigh was a student at Canadian Valley during high school, participating in the digital media program at the El Reno campus. She nearly dropped out in her senior year, but Afton Jameson, her teacher then and the current DMT instructor, played a significant role in her decision to stay. When Afton informed her about the Literacy Coach position at CVTC, she knew she had to apply. Canadian Valley has always felt like a second home to her. ❤

Haleigh is additionally fulfilling the role of Treasurer for our ESSP Division in the 2024-2025 term. You can expect her to be cheerful and lively, bringing a bit of brightness to everyone she meets. I guess that's why they call her "Sunshine"!