It started out back in Minnesota, when Mrs. Franke was in elementary school. As a little girl she started out in choir. Her family was all musical, as her mom played the piano and sings while taking piano and vocal lessons.
In middle school she was in band, choir and show choir. In high school she was section leader, student conductor and was in the girls choir.
Growing up, she originally thought she didn’t want to be a teacher. She wanted to become a famous singer, so in college she pursued the same music path. Subsequently, she continued what she was comfortable with, which was, running rehearsals, being section leader, and conducting in her music classes. Her adviser came up to her at one point asking her why she wasn’t taking music ed. She told her adviser she didn’t want to be a teacher. Her advisor told her to zoom out and look at what she was spending her day doing. That’s when she had an epiphany and added music ed.
After her first semester, she taught and then applied for jobs along with her husband all over the country. She then continued to get her masters, while her husband was finishing his undergrad. They applied to multiple school districts, and at the time, Clark County had many openings due to a teacher shortage. CCSD was doing hiring tours, and so Franke and her husband both interviewed in Minnesota for jobs Nevada. Franke’s husband got into Coronado High School, and Franke got LVA for her first year teaching.
Even though Franke taught for many years, she remembers each kid’s name like they haven’t seen each other for only a day. Now Franke is in the office at LVA, so kids can still get to see her even though she isn’t in choir.
Just as it is a change for students, it is also a change for Franke as she had to shift from choir and having students everyday to fundraising and community outreach at a higher level.
