As the Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Nick Kocuba oversees several parts of the school and coordinates staff members and contracted personnel to make sure operations run smoothly. However, he didn’t always hold this position. After graduating from Edinboro University with a degree and certification in Secondary Mathematics, he began teaching math to high school students. Post-graduation, he held positions as extended substitute math teachers at three high schools in western Pennsylvania before he joined the small, but rapidly growing, PA Distance team in 2004.

Mrs. Lydia Jones has had a love for history, specifically surrounding the American Civil War, since her grandparents took her on a trip to the battlefields of Gettysburg as a young girl. Her interest in history, combined with her exposure to her mother’s teaching job and several shadowing opportunities, led her to pursue teaching when she grew older.

Mr. Brandon Payne has always been interested in school counseling by supporting students throughout all aspects of their academic and personal lives.

To help PA Distance become a safer and more effective school, we have implemented a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program, a research-based and school-wide classroom behavior support system. As a reward for students exhibiting desirable behaviors, they can earn “Scholar Dollars” to use at the PA Distance PBIS Rewards School Store.

Mrs. Christine Trudeau has been teaching for 17 years and 10 of those years within an online environment. Throughout her time as a teacher, she’s taught a variety of subjects and grade levels, from Elementary Special Education to High School American and British Literature. Before she arrived at PA Distance, she taught at both a brick-and-mortar school and a cyber school.