New Clarke Teachers

Kimberly Adams

Adams will be an instructional coach at Clarke Elementary. She is a graduate of Clarke Community High School; she lives in Osceola with her husband and daughter, and is expecting a baby in October. She earned her undergraduate in Elementary Education with a reading and coaching endorsement from Central College, and her masters in education from Buena Vista University; she is currently working on her 5-12 computer science endorsement from the University of Northern Iowa.

Adams has previously taught at Clarke Elementary as a third grade teacher, and later technology teacher. She worked for the last three years at Green Hills AEA as a Digital Learning, Computer Science and Science consultant.

When not working, Adams likes to spend time with her family, be outdoors and read books.

Adams is excited to return to Clarke, reconnecting with familiar faces and getting to know new staff and students, in addition to collaborating with teachers and students.

Olivia Bayans

Bayans is a new English Language Learner (ELL) for first and third grade at Clarke Elementary. She recently obtained her bachelors in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Northern Iowa with a minor in Literacy Education; this will be her first year teaching.

In her free time, Bayans enjoys listening to music and embroidering fun designs on hoops, and more recently on clothes. She enjoys traveling, learning and exploring new places.

Bayans is looking forward to meeting her new students, and all of the staff.

Layla Carney

Carney will be teaching first grade this year. She is a graduate of Clarke Community Schools, and this will be her first year teaching, after being able to do her student teaching at Clarke Elementary. Outside of school, Carney enjoys reading, going to the movies, hanging out with her family and spending time with her cats.

Carney is grateful to be teaching in her hometown and community, and is looking forward to the school year.

Tracy Cavalier

Cavalier will be a new high school science teacher, and this will be her 33rd year of teaching. She has taught sixth through 12 grade in Savannah, Georgia, Racine, Wisconsin, Des Moines, and now here. Cavalier has been married to her husband for 40 years, and they have one son who graduated from Iowa State University and works as a software engineer. He also married his high school sweetheart this year.

In her free time, Cavalier likes to crochet, read, and chocolate lollipops and boxes.

Cavalier looks forward to meeting her students.

Jocelyn Kuker

Kuker will be a new fourth grade teacher. She graduated from North Fayette Valley High School in 2020, and graduated from Simpson College in 2024; while in college, she studied abroad for four months in Concepcion, Chile. She student-taught fourth grade and high school Spanish both in the Carlisle Community School District. She is licensed to teach K-12 Spanish, K-8 Reading and K-8 ELA.

Kuker is excited to start her first year of teaching, and getting to know her students and their families.

Emily Lampe

Lampe will be a first grade special education teacher. She is returning to Clarke for her 13th year of teaching, having previously taught fourth and second grade at Clarke. She worked for the last seven years at Green Hills AEA.

Lampe and her service dog, Gus, are looking forward to returning to teaching in her hometown.

Joseph Walljasper

Walljasper will be a fourth grade teacher at Clarke Elementary. He grew up in Mount Pleasant, where he was active in the Boy Scouts and earned the Eagle Scout Honor. He attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, where he participated in theater. Walljasper’s student teaching was done in Solon. Now, he lives in Indianola with his wife and kids, where he enjoys doing things around the house and reading.

Walljasper looks forward to beginning the school years so he can meet everyone. Though he has homeschooled one of his sons, this will be his first year teaching, and he is ready to get started.