Meet the Apt Team!
At Apt, the talented team of educators serves each student and creates a dynamic classroom environment.
Administration
Mrs. Jacobsen
Program Administrator
Karen Jacobsen was born and raised in Sandy, Utah. She has an older brother and a twin sister. In high school and college, Karen was active in her church and was a camp and youth counselor for several years. Additionally, she went to Russia on two occasions to help run a two-week sports and bible camp for orphans in Yoshkar-Ola.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Utah State University, where she graduated in 2004. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Oregon, where she started her career in banking. When she left the banking industry in 2023, she was a compliance officer for a local credit union. She is now happily the Administrator for Apt Academy and is excited to help in the growth and development of the students.
Karen enjoys spending time with her children, who are students of the academy, her husband, and their French Bulldog.
Teaching Team
Each teacher at Apt Academy specializes in a specific grade band, ensuring instruction is developmentally appropriate while remaining flexible and individualized.
- Kindergarten- 1st Teacher – Focused on early literacy, numeracy, and foundational learning skills, this role supports young learners in developing curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning.
- 2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher – Supports students in building core academic skills while allowing advanced learners to move ahead and explore subjects more deeply.
- 4th, 5th, & 6th Grade Teacher – Guides upper elementary students through increasingly complex material, encouraging independent thinking, problem-solving, and subject mastery.
- 7th, 8th, & GED Prep Teacher – Supports middle school learners with higher-level coursework, critical thinking, and preparation for future academic pathways, while honoring individual pace and strengths.
Mrs. Burke
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. Klady Burke joins Apt Academy with over seven years of experience in education, including a focus on specialized education. She is passionate about creating an inclusive and nurturing environment for all students. She believes every child has the ability to succeed and reach their full potential. Over the years she has learned how to meet each student where they are, and use their unique strengths to help them succeed. Her approach is centered on setting high expectations and providing the support and encouragement needed to help each child thrive academically and personally.
Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and going on adventures with her husband and their Golden Retriever.
Mrs. Newell
2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Rachel Newell was born and raised in Oregon on a small farm just outside of Canby. From a young age, she discovered her passion for working with children, a calling that has guided both her education and career. She has extensive training and hands-on experience supporting children with special needs, having worked in the public school special education setting as well as at an autism therapy center.
Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from California Lutheran University and went on to complete her master’s degree in Teaching at Concordia University. With a strong educational background and a heart for children, she is dedicated to creating a positive, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive.
Mr. Jackson
4-5th English, 6-8th Math, GED Prep Math & Science
Mr. Brandon Jackson brings over a decade of experience in education to Apt Academy.
As an educator, it is his responsibility to protect and educate every student who enters his classroom. He must do the best of his ability to exhaust every resource he possesses to ensure his students succeed.
In addition to teaching at Apt Academy, he is the owner/ operator of Oregon Texas Line Fitness (OTL). With teaching classes at both the Academy and the gym he is able to reinforce that repetition is the key to learning and that it is about progress, not perfection.
Mr. Holechek
4-5th Math, 6-8th English, GED Prep Social Studies & Language Arts
Mr. Tristan Holechek grew up in Molalla, Oregon, graduating from Molalla High School in 1993. Following high school, he attended Oregon State University, where he majored in agricultural business management. After earning a Bachelor of Science, he did not feel the corporate world was for him and returned to Oregon State University to complete a master’s degree in education.
His first teaching position was teaching agricultural science in Elgin, Oregon. He also taught in Monument, Oregon; Clatskanie, Oregon; and Boardman, Oregon. In 2019, he needed a break from public education and took a job with Canby Public Works, working on a geographic database for the City of Canby. This was a wonderful position, but in 2021 he was yearning to return to the classroom. This is when he found Apt Academy.
Apt Academy has been a wonderful opportunity, and he wholeheartedly believes in our mission of providing a Christian-based education to our students.
