MARY CHOLKO

Mary Cholko joined The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) as a math teacher in 2006 and transitioned to the role of Assistant Principal in 2013. In 2018, she returned to teaching Math at LACHSA to increase her work/life balance and spend more time with her young children.

Prior to joining the LACHSA faculty she served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the United States Air Force. During her time in the Air Force, Ms. Cholko was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Her time in the military provided her a strong foundation in logistical management, organization and leadership training.

Ms. Cholko taught at LACHSA from 2006-2008 as an Algebra I, Geometry and Math Intervention teacher. During the 2008-2009 school year, Ms. Cholko left LACHSA and headed east. She taught for one year at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Public Charter School (APR) outside of Boston, Massachusetts. During her year at APR, Ms. Cholko taught 8th grade math, implemented an in depth intervention plan for struggling students and served as an adviser for 12 students.

Upon returning to the Los Angeles area in the fall of 2009, Ms. Cholko resumed teaching Algebra I and Geometry at LACHSA from 2009-2011, Geometry and Earth Science for the 2011-2012 school year and was an instructor for Geometry and Technology Interns for the 2012-2013 school year. In 2013, Ms. Cholko took on the role of Assistant Principal of Educational Technology and was a full time member of the LACHSA Administration team. From 2013 until 2018, she continued to be an administrator at LACHSA, working mostly with the Student Support and Special Education teams.

In Fall of 2018 when she returned to the classroom to maintain a better work-life balance with her young children. Ms. Cholko currently teaches Honors Algebra II and Algebra II at LACHSA. Her years as an administrator at LACHSA have given her a great appreciation for the day to day life of the busy LACHSA student. She continues to be a strong advocate for the students to maintain a school/life/arts balance and works to support her students in any way that she can.

Ms. Cholko was born and raised in South Pasadena, CA. She earned a BS in Geography from the United States Air Force Academy, a MEd in Secondary Education with an emphasis on mathematics from the University of Phoenix, and an MEd in Educational Administration from California State University Los Angeles. She holds clear credentials in Fundamental Math, Geosciences and Administration.