I graduated from MTSU in 2002 with my BA in English and with minors in Secondary Education and French. After three years of teaching middle school, I continued my education at MTSU and graduated in 2007 with a MEd in Administration and Supervision. Finally, I returned a third time to earn my MA in Creative Writing in 2016, this time from SNHU. 

I have twenty-three years of experience inside the classroom in two different systems. During those years, I taught middle school and high school level courses in various subjects, such as Language Arts/Reading; English II, III, and IV (some honors and inclusion); Dual Enrollment English 1010, 1020, 2130, and 2135; and French I. I was also the assistant band director and color guard instructor for my first four years of teaching.

I love to spend time with my husband, two teenage daughters (who keep us quite busy), and two incredibly spoiled doggies (Reesie and Oreo, who like to cuddle and cause messes). In our downtime, we enjoy playing tennis or pickleball, watching movies, traveling, house projects, etc. 

I am excited for year five at CCVA! We have four years and three independent graduation ceremonies under our belts and are looking forward to another wonderful year with our Nerds and their families! I look forward to serving the community through the role of coordinator and know that we will continue to experience success.

 My name is Elizabeth Peckinpaugh. I am originally from Chattanooga, TN, and going on year nine in education. While growing up, my passion for learning and a growth mindset was always a prioritized concept coming from a family of educators. 

   I graduated with honors from Bryan College in Dayton, TN, where I majored in early childhood education with a licensure to teach grades K-6 and a dual minor in compository writing and curriculum development. I also played as a striker for the Bryan College Lady Lions Soccer Team.

I moved to Murfreesboro, TN, in 2017 to continue my career at Rock Springs Elementary in Rutherford County where I met my wonderful husband, Bradley.

In 2018 I was offered a position serving LEAD Public Schools in Metro Nashville as the Science Curriculum Coordinator and Tier III intervention instructor at LEAD Neely’s Bend Middle School. Being a science content lead allowed me the opportunity to develop an effective curriculum using a discovery learning model where teachers deliver content with collaborative real-world connections. 

Bradley and I are so excited to have moved from Murfreesboro to the Coffee County Community where he will continue his engineering career at the Arnold Airforce Base, and I will be facilitating the Coffee County Virtual Academy. We have a beautifully energetic “dog-daughter” named Ellie and just as equally energetic "dog-son" named Theo who keeps us busy and active. During our free time, you can find us (and dog-children) on the Percy Priest Lake or camping. Any chance we get, we are traveling in search of new camping spots and hiking trails.

 I am extremely excited and honored to kick-off the next chapter of my career at the Coffee County Virtual Academy. I truly gain the most joy in this field when I see the enthusiasm and engagement of students taking ownership as they dive into content. I believe in the importance of relevant instruction that allows scholars the opportunity to develop a growth mindset and expand in self-reliance. When a student is able to take pride and ownership in their learning, it is truly a beautiful thing.