Administration

Matthew Lopez, Director
Matthew Lopez has based his professional career on the genuine belief that every student deserves an excellent education and that teachers have the greatest impact on students’ educational attainment.

A native Phoenician, Mr. Lopez earned his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Political Science from Claremont Mckenna College and has a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University.

Having worked in education for 14 years, Mr. Lopez brings deep experience to his new role as Interim Director of Pioneer Preparatory School. He began his teaching career in 2008 as an elementary school teacher in Phoenix’s Isaac School District and Teach for America corps member. From there, he taught English to multiple grades in Japan through Phoenix Sister Cities, elementary school at ASU Preparatory Academy, and Geometry at Pioneer’s sister school, Western CFA.

In his 7 years as a Geometry teacher at Western, Mr. Lopez held a concurrent role as a teaching coach and led multiple teachers to receive a highly effective rating. His students regularly achieved 2 years of growth in just 1 classroom year.

Mr. Lopez has also founded and maintained his own tutoring company for five years helping children from elementary age to high school seniors.

When he is not at school, Mr. Lopez and his family love playing board games, traveling, hiking, and reading together. He is excited to introduce his young daughter to the beautiful trails all over AZ.

Mr. Lopez has a deep belief in the power of education to transform communities and lives. He is excited to bring his expertise, commitment, and passion to Pioneer Prep.

Jacki Stroup, Associate Director

My name is Jacki Stroup. I am privileged to be serving as the Associate Director here at Pioneer Preparatory since 2018. I would like to extend a special welcome to all of the new families joining Pioneer this year and welcome back all of our returning families as well! As the Associate Director it is my mission is to work together with all stakeholders to provide our students with a rich learning environment and to foster in the needs of the whole child.

I believe that every child can learn and our students here at Pioneer will be put first. As educators, we need to discover how each child learns and help them acquire a productive way to overcome obstacles that they may encounter as they grow. In a collaborative effort with all stakeholders, I will strive to ensure every child will thrive in every way possible here at Pioneer.

Previously I have served as an assistant principal, instructional coach, classroom teacher, client director, after school teacher, girls and boys basketball coach, and volleyball coach. I hold a Masters in Educational Administration from Sinte Gleska University and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Dakota State University. I am also certified in K–12 Educational Technology and Reading Recovery.

Kim Shoat, Academic Coach

Hi!
I am Kim Shoat. It is an honor to be working with the students, community, and teachers here at Pioneer Preparatory. It is a passion of mine to work closely with teachers and students to meet their needs as a growing educator. As an academic coach, my role is to serve as part of the school’s leadership team in providing data analysis and professional development support for Pioneer.

In order to meet the needs of all our students, I will serve as an adviser to teachers and build efficient teams that maximize our capacity.

A little bit about me, I have earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at ASU and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood with a Reading Endorsement from NAU. Currently, I am attending GCU to get my second Master’s in administration! I am a mom of three wonderful children. I absolutely love teaching!!! I have 10 years of teaching experience from Pre-K through 2nd grade. I also started a Robotics Program for 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students. In the 2016–2017 school year, I was nominated for Teacher of the Year!

Araceli Arroyo, Business Manager

My name is Araceli Arroyo. I have been working at Pioneer Preparatory School since 2010. I started as a volunteer and at the time, it was housed at the Boys and Girls club in Maryvale. I believe in the mission of Pioneer Preparatory School, which is to provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum with balanced support from staff, teachers, family, and community-providing scholars with the knowledge and wisdom to be self-sustaining members of our society. Wanting to be part of this community, I soon became a permanent employee.

Today, the school has a beautiful building, extra-curricular activities, and a well-rounded curriculum. My positions have changed three times but I am always here to support Pioneer administration, staff, students and families. As the Business Manager, I ensure teachers, staff and students have the necessary tools to succeed. I work with payroll, human resources, and prepare documentation for new hires, so teachers can devote their time and effort doing what they love, teaching our students.

I believe every student can succeed in achieving their full potential, at Pioneer, we all work together to that end.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and I am a huge Dodgers fan. I love to travel with my husband of almost 17 years, but always return to my adopted family at Pioneer Preparatory School. GO LIONS!!!!

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