Our Staff

Mr. Bos has been the skilled and technical sciences teacher at Platteview High School since January 2014. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December 2013 (GO BIG RED) and completed his student teaching experience at our closest neighboring school, Papillion La-Vista South High School. Mr. Bos teaches introduction to industrial communication and design, engineering, residential architectural drafting, robotics, and construction technology. He also teaches a seventh-grade technology class for Platteview Central. He is Platteview High School's SkillsUSA advisor and assistant wrestling coach. Mr. Bos spends his time away from school remodeling his home and contracts various construction jobs in the summer months. Mr. Bos welcomed his first child and daughter, Rylee Jean Bos, on September 11, 2017.

Mrs. Behrens is the art teacher for Platteview Central and Platteview High School, and she runs the art club. Mrs. Behrens received her bachelor of fine arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December 2010 and her teaching certification in May 2012. Mrs. Behrens started out her teaching career by substitute teaching in many districts including Millard, Bellevue, and OPS, before starting at Platteview in 2015. Mrs. Behrens enjoys spending her free time with her family, reading, and creating her own art.

Mr. Comine serves as a social studies teacher and student council sponsor at Platteview High School. Mr. Comine earned bachelor's degrees in political science and secondary education and a master's degree in educational administration, all from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Mr. Comine currently teaches U.S. history, AP government, and twenty-first century studies. Mr. Comine is an avid sports fan of Kansas Jayhawk basketball, Kansas City Royals baseball, and Nebraska-Omaha hockey. He lives in Omaha with his wife and daughter.

Mr. Crouse serves as the director of strength & conditioning for Platteview High School and Platteview Central Junior High School. He also serves as the director of the Summer Strength & Speed program as well as the reserve baseball coach. Mr. Crouse earned a bachelor's degree in K–12 Physical Education from Northwest Missouri State University in 2013 and a master's degree in K–12 Educational Leadership from Northwest Missouri State University in 2020. Currently, Mr. Crouse is pursuing a master's degree in Human Performance & Wellness Management as well as a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Strength & Conditioning from Wayne State College with an anticipated graduation date of December 2023.

Mr. Crouse holds a number of professional certifications, including USA Weightlifting level 1 Sports Performance Coach, High School Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the International Youth Conditioning Association, Reflexive Performance Reset Level 1 certification and CPR/First Aid certification. Mr. Crouse is an original member of the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA) and serves on the Nebraska State Advisory Board for the NHSSCA. Outside of school, Mr. Crouse enjoys spending time with his wife, Samantha, playing with their dog, Bella, and cheering for the Northwest Bearcats, Iowa Hawkeyes, Kansas City Chiefs, and Kansas City Royals. 

Mr. Dutcher serves as the biology, AP biology, and anatomy/physiology teacher at Platteview High School. He also serves as the varsity baseball coach. Mr. Dutcher earned his bachelor's degree and his teaching certification from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. Mr. Dutcher enjoys spending time with family, listening to music, golfing, and watching the Huskers. He lives in Ashland with his wife, Amber, and their two children, Nora and Hattie.

My name is Kirsten Ehrke, and I have been teaching Spanish in the Omaha area for the past 18 years. I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with my BS in education with a Spanish endorsement. I also have my master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Peru State University. I am one of five national board certified teachers in world language education in the state of Nebraska. In the fall, I am also a world language methods teacher at UNO.

I have two boys who attend school in the district and who keep my husband and me extremely busy. Our entire family is passionate about sports, especially when talking about the Huskers. I play sand volleyball in my free time and enjoy traveling both inside and outside of the United States.

My name is Christina Elder, and I am starting my sixth year at Platteview High School and Central Junior High. I teach physical education and health at both the high school and junior high levels. I earned my bachelor's degree from Wayne State College, and I am currently half way through my master's in athletics administration at Concordia University. I am also going into my fifth year as the head girls track and field coach. I married my wonderful husband, Tyler, four years ago, and we have two beautiful daughters, Jocelyn, 3, and Taytum, who was born last April.

Ms. Falch is currently teaching ninth and tenth grade English and honors English. This will be her sixth year at PHS. Before coming to PHS, she taught in Minnesota. Ms. Falch has a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in education from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her daughter and husband.

Education

Doctoral studies - January 2017–December 2018

Master's of science in secondary education with an emphasis in mathematics
UNO August 2010

Bachelor of science in secondary education with endorsements in mathematics and coaching
UNL May 2006

Experience
Platteview High School
Springfield, Nebraska
2008-present

Treynor Community Schools
Treynor, Iowa
2006-2008

My philosophy is to teach you how to be successful when something is hard. I want you to leave my classroom knowing that, while the material may be challenging, you can find a way to succeed. Life will throw you unexpected challenges. You must rise to the challenge.

Come to my class ready for the challenge of bettering yourself and succeeding in something that you thought you could not do. See you in class.

Mr. Jennings is currently serving as a college/career specialist at the high school. He is responsible for managing the College/Career Center and supervising the work-based learning/Trojan internship program. He also serves as the Federal Perkins Technology Grant coordinator for Springfield Platteview Community Schools as well as coaching the girls golf team. Mr. Jennings earned his bachelor's degree from Midland University and his master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He lives in Springfield with his wife, Pat, and enjoys playing golf, traveling, and reading.

Mr. Jenson serves as the physical education teacher for grades seven through twelve, serving both Platteview Central and Platteview High School. He also is the advisor for the high school yearbook and teaches photography classes. Mr. Jenson earned two bachelor's degrees in physical education and journalism from Northwest Missouri State University. Mr. Jenson enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, hunting, and photography.

Dr. Kersulov is a teacher in the English Language Arts Department at Platteview High School. Dual credit courses he teaches include AP literature and composition, Amecan literature, and British literature. Dr. Kersulov sponsors the newspaper / yearbook, Journalism Team, Diversity Club, and co-sponsors the one-act play. He also acts as the chair of the English department.

Dr. Kersulov completed his undergraduate degree in English secondary education at Central Missouri State University, his master's in English literature at the University of Central Missouri, and his Ph.D. in literacy, culture, and language education at Indiana University. His academic interests are in English literature, literacy, social justice, and visual rhetoric, including comics and digital compositions.

He also enjoys fishing and tabletop games, as well as cycling and attending comic book conventions. He lives with his wife and three cats in Omaha, Nebraska.

His most recent publications include:

Kersulov, M. L., & Henze, A. (2021). Where image and text meet identity: Gifted students’ poetry comics and the crafting of “nerd identities”. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 13(1), 92-105.

Kersulov, M. L., Falch, K., & Hartwig, A. (2021). Classroom drama: Roleplaying fictional characters in a political debate. English Journal, 110(3), 74-81.

Kersulov, M. L. (2019). Framing narratives: Gifted students' comic memoirs in the English classroom (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University)."

Mrs. Kreifels serves as a math teacher at Platteview High School. Mrs. Kreifels earned her bachelor's degree and master of arts in teaching from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This is Mrs. Kreifels' third year teaching at Springfield Platteview Community Schools. She enjoys spending time outdoors and being with her family and friends. She lives in Springfield, Nebraska with her husband, Joe, and their two children.

Mr. Kuhl is starting his thirteenth year in the Springfield Platteview Community School District where he serves as a high school physical education teacher as well as a junior high football coach and junior high girls basketball coach. Mr. Kuhl earned a bachelor's degree in education from Wayne State College and a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Mr. Kuhl and his wife have two kids, and he enjoys spending time with his family, watching football, and being active.

Mr. Lundeen has served as a social studies teacher in the Springfield Community Schools School District since 1998. Prior to his post at Platteview, he was a social studies teacher with Stuart Public Schools School District and taught at Stuart High School. Mr. Lundeen earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Midland University and his master's degree in educational administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is also pursuing a master's degree in guidance and counseling from Doane University.

In 1986, I received my bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from Kearney State College. After working for several years and staying home to raise my four children, I returned to school and completed my business education degree in 2005 from Peru State College.

I have volunteered and/or worked at Platteview High School since 1999. From 2002 to 2005, I worked in the high school office, and in the fall of 2006, I started as a business and information technology teacher for Platteview, teaching grades seven through twelve. I currently teach seventh grade business technology exploration, eighth grade business and career exploration, information technology I & II, introduction to digital design, digital media, web design, and economics. I also coach and direct the PHS Color Guard and co-sponsor FBLA. I have my MS Word certification, and in the spring of 2017, I became an Apple teacher.

I have been teaching since 2006. I taught math up until 2017, when I decided to start the computer science program for Platteview High School and Platteview Central Junior High. I will be teaching computer science basics to eighth graders and computer science essentials, AP computer science principles, Java, math modeling/computational thinking, and cybersecurity for the high school.

I received my bachelor's degree from UNL in secondary math education, my master's degree from UNO in secondary administration and supervision, and a second master's degree from UNL in math. Last, I completed my computer science endorsement at UNO. I am excited to start another year and can't wait to find out where the journey will take us.

I am available before and after school if you need help. There will be things you find easy and others you may find difficult, but life is all about the challenges you face and how you respond to them.

Ms. Lovercheck came to Platteview High School for the 20-21 school year and is now in her second year at PHS. Ms. L. teaches Family and Consumer Science for the high school and one PC class. She also coaches PC volleyball and PC girls basketball and is the FCCLA advisor. Ms. L. has a culinary/baking and pastry degree from SCC in Lincoln and a bachelor's degree from UNL in education. Ms. L. has a fourth-grade daughter, Lily, at Westmont Elementary and a seven-year-old Catahoula dog, Phelia. In her free time she enjoys trying new restaurants, crocheting, reading books, and traveling for Polka music.

• Masters's Degree in Special Education - UNO

My name is Mary Middleton. I graduated from Avila University (Kansas City, Missouri) with a bachelor of science in special education. Currently, I am working on my master of education in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading and special education at the University of Nebraska Kearney. My first teaching job was at Turner High School in Kansas City, Kansas. While in Kansas City, I also taught elementary special education in Olathe, Kansas, as well as preschool at a Montessori school.

Mrs. Ortiz is a science teacher and the department head at Platteview High School. She has taught four years of high school science in Kansas before moving back to the good life. This is here third year at Platteview High School. She has earned her teaching degree from UNL and Masters degree in Educational Technology from Baker University. Mrs. Ortiz enjoys spending time with her husband and new daughter. She volunteers for the youth group at CityLight Church. Mrs. Ortiz loves a good book, lattes, and the Huskers.

Mr. Schlieman teaches dual-enrollment United States history, psychology, AP psychology, and world geography. He also serves as an assistant boys basketball coach and coaches junior high track. Mr. Schlieman graduated from the University of Iowa in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history with a secondary education endorsement. In 2015, he earned a master's degree in historical studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Outside of school, Mr. Schlieman enjoys spending time with his wife, Malissa, and cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and the St. Louis Cardinals.

This will be my second year at Platteview High School. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and then earned my master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I coach junior high cross country, high school girls basketball, and high school track. Outside of school and coaching, I enjoy running, spending time with friends and family, and cheering on the Huskers.

I am originally from St. Paul, Nebraska, and I graduated from St. Paul High School. After high school, I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I earned my bachelor's degree in history and political science. In 2017, I earned a masters degree in history from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. During college, I joined a Marine Corps commissioning program, and upon graduating, I entered active service in the Marines. During my seven years in the Marine Corps, I was fortunate to have the experience of leading some of America's finest young men during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been a teacher in Platteview since 2014, and I currently teach U.S. History, U.S. Government, and Military History. I am also the varsity cross country coach and the junior high wrestling coach. I am married to my beautiful wife Lynn, and we have four amazing children: Reagan, McKinley, Lincoln, and Monroe. During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and any outdoor activity or athletics event.

Mrs. Starks is a business teacher, advisor for FBLA, and coach at Platteview High School. She received a bachelor's degree from Graceland University and a master's in curriculum and education from Doane College. Along with teaching, Mrs. Starks enjoys reading and running. She and her husband have four children and live in Springfield.

Mrs. Thayer is the Media Specialist at Platteview High School. She received a Bachelors Degree from University of Nebraska at Kearney, a Masters in Educational Technology from Peru State College, and a Library Science Endorsement from University of Nebraska at Omaha. She works closely with the Online Academy and helps broadcast school events through TheCUBE. Along with teaching Mrs. Thayer enjoys reading, movies and watching sports. She and her husband have two children and live in Springfield.

Mrs. Vahle is a special education teacher serving students at Platteview High. Mrs. Vahle earned her bachelor's degree from Hastings College, and her teaching certificate and master of science in education degree from Peru State College. She enjoys spending time with her family, her faith family, and the outdoors. Her husband is a math teacher at Ashland-Greenwood, and they have two grown sons.

¡Hola! My name is Kimberly Zeleny. I teach Spanish at Platteview High School and Platteview Central Junior High School. I graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and studied in Cali, Colombia. While in South America, my love for the Spanish language and culture grew, as well as my fluency. I am looking forward to sharing this with my students. This is my eighth year teaching at Platteview High School and Platteview Central Junior High and my 16th year of teaching Spanish. I taught for four years before our daughters were born, stayed home for twelve years, then returned to teaching. My husband, Dave, and I have two daughters, Jenna and Julia. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to concerts, and traveling.