Upper School (7-12)

Mrs. Jean Gutsche

History (7th, 8th, and 12th)

Jean Gutsche earned a B.A. degree in education and psychology from Wake Forest University. After teaching in the local public school system, she earned a master’s degree at Wake Forest. She then relocated to California following her marriage. Mrs. Gutsche pursued a banking career in California and Northern New Jersey, holding positions of increasing responsibility before becoming vice president with Chatham Trust Co. Following the birth of their two children, the Gutsche family relocated to Sarasota. Mrs. Gutsche home schooled and began teaching history and Constitution at local home school cooperatives. Her interests are running and reading about history.

Mr. Nathan Loomis

History (11th), Rhetoric, Mock Trial, Earth Science (8th), Algebra 2

Mr. Loomis graduated from the University of South Florida in 2005 with a degree in Finance and Management. He has always had a love for young people and, after several years in youth ministry, began teaching high school. He has now been teaching and tutoring students in Math, Science, and History since graduating from college, having taught in both traditional and online schools and running a thriving tutoring business. His amazing wife Jennifer is an English teacher and together they have 3 strapping sons, Aaron, Benjamin, and Matthew. In his free time, Nathan enjoys music and martial arts

Mrs. Rebecca Leguizamon

Literature/Comp (9th and 10th)

Mrs. Leguizamon graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. She began her career in education in Tampa as a middle school Language Arts teacher, and held the title of Assistant Principal for the past three years. Mrs. Leguizamon is certified in Middle Grades Math, English, ESOL, Gifted and Educational Leadership. As a mom of five, she enjoys spending time with her family at the beach, park, or in the backyard. She is thrilled to be teaching 6th grade at TCA to share her passion for writing, literature and learning!

Mrs. Jennifer Loomis

Literature/Comp (11th and 12th), Sociology

Mrs. Loomis graduated from the University of South Florida in 2004 with her Bachelor’s in English Education and from Argosy University in 2008 with her Master’s in Instructional Leadership. She has been teaching English for 14 years. She loves helping her students foster an appreciation for literature, hone their writing skills, but most importantly, find their place in the world. She is married to her wonderful husband and together they have three boys who attend TCA. In her “spare” time, Jennifer enjoys photography, going to the beach, and traveling with her family.

Mrs. Amy Olsen

Composition/Literature (7th, 8th)

Amy Olsen has taught Latin and Language Arts in classical schools and co-ops in Texas and New Jersey. Born and raised in Massachusetts, she holds her BA in music from Wheaton College and her M.Ed. Degree in English from Liberty University. When not teaching at TCA, Amy, a classically trained singer, helps her husband with his music ministry in Venice, and manages her company, Writing Tales, which distributes her own classical elementary writing curriculum. Amy and her husband Glen, who also teaches at TCA, have three grown children and one crazy dog.

Mr. Mark Gutsche

Economics/Journalism/Guitar

Mark Gutsche comes to The Classical Academy after a career in public relations and corporate communications. After earning a B.S. degree in journalism from the University of Colorado, he accepted a position as a reporter with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Mr. Gutsche then moved into public relations and held positions of increasing responsibility with R. J. Reynolds Industries, Del Monte Corporate and Nabisco Brands while living in North Carolina, California and New Jersey, respectively. He returned to Sarasota as vice president with Tropicana Products and his last corporate position was vice president of communications with Johnson & Johnson in Philadelphia.

Mrs. Rachael Witherspoon

Science

Rachael Witherspoon received her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where she majored in English, and her Masters of Business Administration from the University Nebraska - Omaha, with an emphasis in finance and management. Rachael is a mother of four who occasionally runs half marathons. She enjoys all things nerdy, traveling with her family, and ice cream. Rachael brings her well rounded knowledge of English, math, and science to TCA.

Miss Sonya Clark

Math – Geometry

Coach Sonya Clark attended Asbury University for her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. She also has a master’s degree in Education from Eastern Kentucky University. Coach Clark taught Physical Education and Health at Sayre School (PreK – 12th private school) in Lexington, KY for 15 years prior to coming to FL and TCA. She has coached soccer at the middle school and high school levels for over 12 years and has continued to play in recreational soccer leagues since college.

Mr. Dominic (Pete) Donatucci

Math – Precalculus

Mr. Donatucci has over 40 years teaching experience. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He has been married for 57 years, with 6 children, 13 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren.

Mr. Scott Foran

History/Literature

Mr. Foran has been teaching for twenty-five years at both the high school and college levels. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Simpson University (1994) and completed a Master of Arts in English at California State University, Chico (1996). In 2014, he decided to further his education at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where he completed a Master of Arts in Mythological Studies in 2016. Mr. Foran has also finished the required coursework for a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies, with an emphasis in Depth Psychology, and is currently working on the last chapter of his dissertation, The Shadows Side of Grace: Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood as Nekyia. In addition to his academic pursuits, Mr. Foran is interested in writing poetry, collecting books, and oil painting.