Renae Short grew up in Kinston, Alabama. In 1991, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama to attend the University of Alabama Birmingham for both her Bachelors of Science in Education and her Masters in Secondary Education. Renae has been teaching mathematics and special education as well as school administration since 1996. She moved to Payson with her husband and canine kids in 2012 to teach mathematics and special education. She became the PCS Lead Teacher in 2020. 

Bio coming soon!

I am so excited to be working at the high school in a math position. Teaching has been a passion of mine, but I did not start out as a career teacher.  Upon graduation from ASU I worked in the financial realm as a mortgage loan officer, as well as finishing out my commitment to the United States Naval Reserve. I have been teaching since 2008 and look forward to many more years in this career.
I moved to Strawberry in May of 2019, but have been in Arizona since I was 5 - before then, I lived in Ontario, Canada.  I am excited to live in the Payson area and explore all it has to offer. :)

Although I love math, students are always surprised that I don’t continue to do math problems at home.  In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and three kids, taking my dogs, Bruce (a Great Dane) and Stella (a lab/pointer/shepherd mix) on walks, reading, and playing mindless games on my IPad. Last year I discovered Audible, and can now multi-task these hobbies together, in addition to the chores I must get done.  :)

I am excited about this school year, and look forward to getting to know each one of my students. 

Bio coming soon!

Kim is blessed to “be” the English department at Payson Center for Success for a sixth year. Prior to her time at PCS, she taught 7th grade English, speech/communications, and drama at Rim Country Middle School for 10 years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son, watching baseball and other sports, traveling near and far, and hiking with friends in the beautiful Rim country.

A good teacher is like a candle ~ it consumes itself to light to light the way for others.
~ Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Meagan began her career in education in her hometown of Walnut, California. After high school, she relocated to Washington State where she taught preschool at Naval Station Everett. Since moving to Arizona, she has worked for Kyrene School District as a Program Coordinator and for Chandler Unified School District in the CTE Early Childhood Education department at Basha High School. Prior to becoming a Distance Learning teacher at Payson Center for Success, Meagan worked as an administrative secretary and as an attendance secretary at Payson High School for five years.

An alumnus of Central Arizona College, Meagan graduated in 2019 with an Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She currently attends Northern Arizona University and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Career and Technical Education. She is a member of both Phi Theta Kappa and Golden Key International Honor Society.

Meagan is a mother of two and enjoys outings with her children. She is also an accomplished photographer. Her work received an award at the Phoenix College Western Eye Photography Competition and has also been featured in automotive publications.

Brian has been at PHS for 16 years. He has been serving in the role of Instructional Coach for the past 5. Brian is also the head baseball coach at PHS and has been coaching for 16 years.

Having lived in the Payson and Pine area for over 35 years, Laura has deep roots in the community that she loves. Laura is married to the love of her life, Dean Pederson, a longtime Pine resident and educator. Combined, her family consists of four adult children and eleven grandchildren (and growing). Grandchildren are the heart of the family. Laura enjoys archery hunting, fishing, kayaking, and travel. She has visited 22 countries and 44 states and would love to continue traveling and experiencing different cultures. Wherever Laura is, a book is always close at hand. Reading is her ultimate escape and passion; The Count of Monte Cristo is her favorite book. Laura has been an employee of PUSD for over 22 years. Her experience has taken her in many directions within the district but she is happiest as a support group facilitator, and distance learning registrar. She loves the relationships that she's able to forge with the PCS students and shares in their joy when they graduate.

Bio coming soon!