Our Instructors
Mr. Montooth
PACE Faculty
Jason Manack
AP Environmental Science
I have been teaching AP Environmental Science in LBUSD for 23 years and have been a part of the PACE program for 21 of those years. I grew up here in Long Beach and was a student athlete winning two CIF titles in Baseball and was admitted to UCSB as a student athlete. While at Santa Barbara I studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with specific research interests in coral reef fish population dynamics.
After earning my teaching credential at CSULB, I pursued a Master Degree in Environmental Geography at CSUF. My research interests at Fullerton focused on the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in wilderness management. I feel my greatest strength as an educator is my ability to relate my experience with the natural world to the everyday lives of my students. In the end, my goal for each and every student who takes my class is that they will understand how they impact the natural world around them.
Kim Floto
English
I have been teaching in LBUSD for 16yrs, 11 of them in the PACE program. I’ve tremendously enjoyed watching students evolve from their freshman personalities to their more confident senior selves and sometimes I get a glimpse of their accomplishments after college (those are the best). My class is a survey course of English Literature; many students are still timid from middle school but as the year progresses and they gain their footing through discussions and other activities, they become more self-assured and blossom.
I have been married for 16 years; we have one lovely daughter, Eliza, and a dog named Rowena. My favorite thing to do is travel and explore the boundless surprises that the world has to offer.
Jeff Montooth
Accelerated Government and Economics
I am a fourth generation resident of Long Beach and attended Long Beach Unified District schools prior to enrolling at UCSB, where I majored in History. I received a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at CSUDH. I joined the Poly faculty in 2003, and have taught Accelerated Government and Economics in the PACE program since 2011.
U.S. Government and Economics are senior classes for most high school students, but in PACE, we introduce these classes to our students to provide them with an introduction to concepts to use effectively in their other high school courses and beyond. In government, we explore issues that connect to our student’s personal lives, local community, nation and create documentaries while competing in the C-SPAN StudentCam Competition. We have been extraordinarily successful in the competition and I am proud of the work my students do. During the economics class, we take the issues and challenges students learn about in their APES class and find ways to solve them by creating businesses. The Environmental Business Plan Competition is an ever evolving project that partners students with business leaders, allowing students to go far beyond what most high school students experience.
Vicky Resner
Accelerated Geometry
I have been a part of the Poly community for 20 years first as a student in the PACE program, then as a college aide while studying Math Education at CSULB, and now as a teacher and one of the Co-Math Department Chairs.
I have been teaching Accelerated Geometry in the PACE program for 9 years and have also taught Algebra 2, Precalculus, and AP Statistics. I have enjoyed being a part of the program both as a student and a teacher and am amazed to see how the program has adapted and grown over the years to fit the needs of our students. One of the greatest joys in teaching in this program is witnessing students grow and the incredible things they accomplish over their high school years and beyond.
PACE Faculty
Sarah Schol
English
California State University, Long Beach: BA English; CSULB “Distinguished Undergraduate”
PACE alumna- class of 2001
Award Winner, “Educators Breaking Boundaries”
Speaker- California Teachers Summit “Ed Talk” 2016
LBUSD Teacher of the Year, 2021
As both a PACE alumna and a current PACE teacher, I have a unique perspective in regard to our program. From experience, I know that the coursework prepares students to compete at the highest levels and enjoy a stellar, successful collegiate experience. I was published as an undergraduate and spoke at conferences during grad school- experiences made possible by the complete preparation and education I received from PACE. As a teacher for the program, I continue to innovate, weaving literary theory and elements of the arts into our critical study of literature. As part of our culminating project, students are challenged to apply literary concepts and thematic concerns beyond the texts and theories we cover. In the past, students have combined my coursework with choreography, welding, engineering, composing, painting, and filmmaking. I love watching my students grow and become confident as they learn that English and literature are applicable in each facet of life.
Ron Rita
Biology
I have taught for 25 years, 23 of which have involved the PACE program. My teaching experience includes AP Biology, Accelerated Biology, Marine Biology and now the Living Earth. Although I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley I attended CSULB where I met my wife of 25 years. We have two grown children who were PACE students so I understand from a teacher’s and parent’s perspective what it means to be a PACE student. My degree is in marine biology and I returned to earn a masters in secondary science education. I also completed some graduate work in the field of animal behavior.
My passion for teaching stems from seeing students apply theory to practical lab situations and I truly enjoy guiding students in designing their own research questions and experimental design to collect data and answer their questions. This inquiry based approach gives students more autonomy over their own learning, fosters greater interest, and is much more similar to how science actually works. My teaching goal is to have students become critical thinkers who understand how to use data to support or refute claims. I also want students to enjoy and appreciate science as a means to explore our world and contribute to the greater good.
Patrick Gillogly
AP United States History
From the day that I started teaching at Long Beach Poly in 2004–as I started a Master’s Program, a second story remodel, a band, and a second child–I knew that I was at the school where I would eventually retire. You can feel it when you walk the campus: kids are proud to be at Poly. Music, Sports, Academics, competitions, clubs… there is always so much happening and so many opportunities for students to “find their tribe.” These 19 years have been extraordinary. I sent all three of my boys to Poly, two of whom went through the PACE Program (one is still here), and my wife and I have been so impressed and pleased with what this program has done for the growth and development of my own kids. It is not lost on me that I teach extraordinary students every year, and I do not take that honor lightly. I believe very strongly that to prepare students for the rigors of college level reading, studying, time management, critical thinking, and independence, that students should be challenged, yes, but must also be thoroughly supported to experiment, take academic risks, and try to expand their talents while developing new ones. I am so proud to work with my extraordinary colleagues in not just the tenth grade team and this program, but with the incredibly dedicated staff of this historic campus.
California State University, Long Beach: MA World History
Advisor, Poly Green Schools Campaign https://www.polygsc.com/
Teacher and Advisor, Model United Nations https://www.jackrabbitmun.com/
Advisor, Poly California Scholarship Federation
LBUSD Sallie Mae 1st Year Teacher of the Year, 1996
Poly HS Teacher of the Year, 2016
Long Beach Unified School District PTSA Teacher of the Year, 2020
Leadership
Poly PACE FAQ
Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.
