Placer High School has welcomed four new teachers specializing in PE, math, woodworking, and welding.

Ashley (Patton) Isaac is the newest math teacher at Placer. She teaches Integrated 1 and 3 she is also the head coach for the girls’ and boys’ tennis teams. In Patton Isaac’s spare time, she likes to box, read, spend time with her family, and play tennis. She plays tennis in the Women’s 5.0 Singles league. Patton Isaac shared that her favorite part of teaching is being able to hang out with teenagers all day and give them confidence through math.

 “I thought I wanted to be a water engineer before I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” said (Patton) Isaac.  “I did an internship and realized that I love interacting with people too much! My dream has been to coach high school tennis and be a high school math teacher, so I’m so happy to finally be living the dream.” 

Both (Patton) Isaacs parents have coached at Placer for the last 20 years and she grew up in Auburn, so when she had the chance to become a part of the Placer family, she jumped at the opportunity!

“The community in Auburn is so supportive of Placer and you really can’t replicate the family-like atmosphere,” Patton Isaac stated.

Placer has also hired a new woodworking teacher, Ian Duncan. Duncan has taught at many schools before Placer, he taught at Kinney High School, Willow Canyon High School, Whitney High School and Valley Vista High School. 

“The reason I chose to be a teacher is because there is a need for young people to be supported in their learning efforts and I provide a unique lens,” Duncan said.

Duncan has also taught more than just woodworking, such as welding, math, and life skills. While he hasn’t taught art or sculpturing, he has always been interested in it because of the endless amounts of things you can create. Duncan also hasn’t always been a teacher, he used to work for Disney, building scenery and props for their live shows and parades. Duncan’s favorite part of Placer is the campus and the students

In Duncan’s high school years, he went to three different high schools. Blair, Del Campo and Dematha. He said one of the reasons he moved schools was because he moved across the country. In high school, he played soccer, water polo, and did swimming. 

Zach Heath is Placer’s new PE teacher and assistant football coach. 

During Heath’s high school years, he attended Del Oro and played on their football and baseball teams.

“My favorite part of teaching is getting to know all the students, getting to be a part of their growth, and being a positive influence in their lives,” said Heath.

Before Placer, he taught at Natomas High School as a PE and weight training teacher. 

Outside of teaching, Heath enjoys golfing. 

 “My favorite part of Placer is the tradition, the culture, and the community,” Heath stated.

Additionally, Placer welcomed Tom Toy as a new welding teacher. Toy is also the Placer High School mountain bike coach and the lead advisor for the Placer FFA chapter.

Toy attended Placer High School as a student where his tennis team won the valley sectional championship. On Placer’s tennis courts, you can see his name permanently on the section champ banners.

“My favorite part of Placer is the opportunity to work with the school community and help youth gain employable job skills,” Toy stated.

Prior to Placer, Toy worked at Lincoln High School where he taught both agriculture science and agriculture welding. In Toy’s spare time, he loves to camp with his family, run with his dog and go river rafting.

“My favorite part about being a teacher is being able to see youth and adults challenge themselves and acquire skills they didn’t think were possible,” said Toy.