Mrs. Bette Jeppson
President
Mrs Jeppson was born in Nevada but soon moved to Utah where she attended school. She graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a minor in physical education and geography. Mrs. Jeppson has diligently participated in Carden training taught by Mae Carden, Mr. Taylor, and many other Carden Curriculum experts. In 1973 Mrs. Jeppson opened her first Carden School in Colorado where she was the director for five years. Eventually, she moved to Tucson and in 1980 Carden of Tucson opened. In it’s first years, Carden of Tucson was a small school with roughly forty three students who met in rented facilities at a local church. In 1984 Carden of Tucson built and moved into it’s present day site. In 1999, Carden of Tucson became a Charter School which allowed Mrs Jeppson and the faculty to offer the Carden Curriculum to more students. Today, Carden of Tucson is responsible for the education of over 130 students, grades kindergarten through 8th grade. When Mrs. Jeppson is not tutoring, teaching, cooking, and caring for the school she loves to read and enjoys being a wife, mother, and grandmother. Mrs. Jeppson believes that all children are able to learn. Her purpose in opening Carden of Tucson was to help children love learning, and to grow in their love, understanding, of the blessings of our great country!
Mrs. Livingood
Assistant Director
Mrs Livingood graduated from Simmons College in Boston, MA with a Bachelors of Arts in Modern European History and Music History. She is currently working on her Masters in Education from the University of Arizona. Mrs Livingood joined the Carden community in 2007 as a first year teacher and is a highly qualified teacher. She is the seventh grade homeroom teacher and also the middle school Social Studies and French teacher. Mrs Livingood created the Holocaust curriculum used in the middle grades and sits on the Holocaust Education Task Force through the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. She is responsible for the Social Studies curriculum K-8 and also the integration of the Common Core Standards.
Mrs. Ann Bennon
Evaluation Director
Mrs. Bennon holds a Bachelors in Science and a Masters in Education from the University of Arizona. She holds certifications in Elementary and Secondary Administration and Superintendence and an Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision. Mrs Bennon has been an invested member of the Tucson area educational community for over forty years. She worked in the Flowing Wells School District teaching American Literature and English. She has also worked as a District level teacher evaluator, and an Assistant Principal. She was a principal in the Altar Valley School District and also Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of the Altar Valley School District. She also taught night school for Pima Community College’s english department. She joined the Carden Administration in 2000 as the Assistant Curriculum Director.
Ms. Katy Gardner
Office Administrator
Ms Gardner is a Carden of Tucson graduate, She received the Curtis Award her eighth grade year. Ms Gardner attended Flowing Wells High School and is currently enrolled at Pima Community College pursuing a degree in Elementary Education.
