School Introduces New Teachers
August 27, 2019
The school board hired 12 new teachers this year, including Gabriella Hanson, Hannah Worley, Stoney Patton, Cannon Earp, Samantha Earp, Randy Barger, Jermaca Brown, Peter Marotta, Philip Page, Taner Tunstall, Gay Lynn Swan, and John Bear (rehire).
Out of the 12 new teachers, 7 are coaches. Patton will teach world history and be the offensive coordinator for football, assistant powerlifting coach, and boys’ head track coach.
“My expectations for the year are to have great relationships with faculty, staff, and students,” Patton said. “I also expect to instill life application skills to students to help them be great people in our society.”
Barger is the girls’ varsity assistant basketball coach and girls’ head track coach. Brown will coach girls freshman basketball and JV softball, and Turnstall will coach football, boys’ freshman basketball, and JV baseball. Samantha Earp is the new counselor and her husband, Cannon Earp, has filled former coach Joey Worley’s past position as the economics teacher, head basketball, and head golf coach.
“I’m going to have to fill some big shoes,” Cannon Earp said. “I know this first year will be tough but I’m looking forward to the challenge!”
Page first heard about the assistant basketball coach position from Cannon Earp and earned the job.
“I came from a 2A school and saw the benefit of having small classes,” Page said. “I like how Fairfield is able to do the same by keeping the classes around or below 20 students, so we have the opportunity to give a more personal education.”
Marotta teaches English III, and coaches girls freshman volleyball and assist with girls track. He is from California and graduated from Abilene Christian University.
“I was informed of the position by the chair of the language and literature department at Abilene Christian University, Dr. Mikee Delony,” Marotta. “How I got here from California? Your guess is as good as mine.”
Hanson will take former teacher Rebecca Henson’s position as the Spanish II teacher for juniors and seniors.
“This is my first year of teaching,” Hanson said. “I would love to see my students actually speaking and learning the language.”
