Paula Hatch grew up in Southern California in San Diego and the Inland Empire. She was educated at California State University San Bernardino where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Paula taught for three years in Riverside, California with special training in bilingual instruction and in a Spanish immersion class. After the birth of her beautiful daughter, she and her husband moved to Northern California to raise their soon-to-be three children on two treed acres in Hot and Sunny Redding, California. As her curious children began school, she engaged in various educational options beginning with traditional public schooling, then transitioning to homeschooling, and finally culminating with a commitment to charter school education. As her children entered Chrysalis Charter School, Paula’s passion and commitment to Charter schools began in the role of an enthusiastic parent. Later she was hired at Redding School of the Arts, a charter school with an emphasis on the visual and performing arts in Redding, California. She spent thirteen years there teaching grades first through fifth with an emphasis on thematic instruction, hands on math, and visual arts instruction. In addition, each year Paula coached or mentored her schools Odyssey of the Mind teams, a problem solving after-school program that emphasizes creative solutions to problems in visual and performing arts as well as Science and Engineering.

Paula comes to Phoenix Learning Center from Redding, California after raising three creative, artistic children. She comes with a passion for challenging scholars to create and communicate, to take risks and solve problems, and to delve deeply into subjects that interest them and share that knowledge in creative ways with their peers and others.

Outside of school, Paula enjoys spending time with her loyal, witty friends and amazing family eating, hiking, traveling, and laughing. She enjoys reading novels, newspapers, periodicals, and biographies. She enjoys creating art and viewing art, experiencing live music, perusing museums, and trekking through state and national parks enjoying rivers, lakes, and oceans.