My name is Len Johnson and I teach first grade at Amphi.  Before coming to the district, I spent 10 years teaching first and second grade in the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School district south of Tucson.  I was also a television news anchor and reporter before becoming a teacher.

• When deciding to move back to Tucson, I decided to apply to Amphi before any other district. Amphi has a great reputation as a district that cares about students, parents, and teachers.  The people here have bent over backwards to help me and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

• The defining moment in my education came at a three-day reading conference in Phoenix in 2009.  As a journalist before becoming a teacher, I had a passion for writing.  This conference helped me see the importance of whole language development for young students, and that reading was essential to acquiring content in later grades.

• Walker has a great staff and a terrific new principal.  There are many veterans at the school who remain teaching because they are passionate about what they do.  The students sense that and are excited about learning.

• My hobbies include just about anything fun with my daughter; hiking, working out, playing guitar, swimming, riding bikes, painting, fishing, and eating out!