Reem Sabaa
East K-1 Grades

I  have a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Collage of Liberal Arts. I am currently a Master’s Degree student at Northern  Arizona University, Master of Administrative Leadership. Helping students learn and think about new ideas makes my heart happy. What I loved best about being a teacher was building relationships.  Learning well means having trust and respect toward one another as student and teacher.  I loved getting to know my students, learning their talents, celebrating their successes and watching them blossom. I love traveling especially overseas. Last summer, I was in Qatar, a beautiful Arabic country. I have been in Jordan, Egypt and some states. “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others” Jack Welch

Marsha McGraw
East 2-3 Grades

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I cam to Tucson, AZ to attend the University of Arizona. I have received several degrees from the U of A. I have a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Arizona. My specialized areas of study is in Reading. I have taught Kindergarten through college level courses for Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. As a teacher, I was fortunate to visit the schools in China, Hong Kong, and Korea. I have taught for more than forty years. I maintain my enthusiasm for teaching through the words and wisdom of William Shakespeare and Nelson Mandela.
“We know what we are, but know not what we may become.” – Shakespeare
“Education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world.” – Mandela

Peter Meehan
East 4-5 Grades & Principal

I am Peter Meehan and I was born in Meriden, Connecticut.  My family moved to Tucson just after I graduated from high school. I graduated from U of A with a degree in history with a political science minor. I worked for the newspaper in Tucson for many years then decided to pursue my dreams to become a teacher, going back to school to obtain my teaching certificate.  I became the 4th and 5th grade teacher at another charter school in Tucson for gifted students, where I also became the Principal. After 11 years, that school closed and I started working at TIA as a 4th and 5th grade teacher and also the Principal of the East Campus. I love teaching!
“Helping a student develop a strong sense of self confidence is often all it takes for that child to be successful.”

Hussam Hammed
East 6th-12th Grades ELA/SS

I am Mr Sam, the Language Arts and History teacher. I have a masters degree in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, College of Arts. Being a skilled and certified educational person drew my interest to become a teacher. I have visited many foreign countries. I was recently in Iraq and Qatar.
“Being an educated person, you will have a better future.”

Bill Chambers
East 6 -12 Grades Math/Science

I have worked at TIA East for the last 6 years. I am the Math/Science teacher for grades 6-12. I have been a teacher for over 25 years. I have taught in Mexico, Gabon West Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, and Peru. I have enjoyed being a teacher and consider myself lucky to have traveled doing my job. I graduated with a B. S. in GeoScience from the University of Arizona. I also received and a MS from South Eastern Florida University in Curriculum Instruction and Technology. I also have over 70 semester hours in professional development classes. As a military dependent I have been traveling for most of my life. I have been to six of the seven continents and look forward to the day I will be able to go to Antarctica. I consider myself to be lucky being a teacher.
“Every truth has four corners. As a teacher I give you one corner and it is for you to find the other three.” Confucius

Seow Yin Rivas Tan
East K-12 Grades – Chinese

I am a Singaporean and I’m married to an American. I went to school in Singapore. I love seeing kids learn and grow, therefore I became a teacher, both in Singapore and in the USA. I have visited South- East Asian countries, eg. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. I’ve also visited England. I come from a big family. I’m bilingual in English and Chinese and some Malay language and Chinese spoken dialects like Cantonese, Hakka and Hokkien.
Quote the words of my school used: “Honesty, Trust, Courage, Loyalty carries you a long way.”

Ruth Ana Smith
East Spanish/NSLP

I’m from Costa Rica. I studied at ULACIT University in San jose. I have taught and worked with children for 12 years. I love to travel and I have lived in Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, San Francisco, CA and several other states in the US. I have been married for 26 years and I have one daughter. I love to teach and I hope that all my students will become bilingual.

CALL US TODAY…enroll your child at TIA.

TIA East Tucson Charter School Campus

Principal: Mr. Peter Meehan