Mr. Zane Aleman 

Mr. Aleman is the Director of Bands for Ashland Middle School, the director of the Ashland High School Jazz Bands, and teaches the 5th Grade Beginning Band Class at Taft Intermediate. Mr. Aleman also assists Mr. Kral with the High School Marching and Concert Bands. Mr. Aleman holds a Master's degree in Music Performance on Saxophone from Kent State University where he studied under Dr. Noa Even. At Kent State, he played in the Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Orchestra, New Music Ensemble and various chamber groups, in addition to being a graduate assistant for the saxophone studio and Marching Golden Flashes. He received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University in 2017, where he studied with renowned saxophonist and Distinguished Artist Professor Dr. John Sampen. While at Bowling Green, he performed in the Concert and Jazz Bands, Men's Chorus, Saxophone Quartet, and played saxophone and bass drum in the Falcon Marching Band. After college, Mr. Aleman pursued various teaching opportunities, including teaching saxophone lessons at Terra State Community College and leading high school jazz bands, until starting at Ashland City Schools in 2022.

Mr. Aleman aims to help students of all levels to develop excellent musicianship, become the leaders of tomorrow and prepare them for life beyond school by instilling positive values in each of his students. Outside of school Mr. Aleman likes to play multiple woodwinds in musicals, plays many kinds of video games, plays Magic: The Gathering and other trading card games as well as D&D, and enjoys ultimate frisbee and disc golf.

Mrs. Nancy Boyer

Mrs. Boyer is an alumnus of Ashland High School and is the K-12 Art Department chair for Ashland City Schools. She teaches 2D Foundations, 3D Foundations, Ceramics, Painting, and Advanced Studio Art at Ashland High School. She is the coordinator of the annual Ashland City Schools Fine Arts Festival as well as the coordinator of the Art Calendar reception. Mrs. Boyer began her teaching career dividing her time between both AMS and AHS. She is a member of the Ohio Art Education Association and the National Art Education Association. 

Mrs. Boyer earned a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Kent State University and a Master in Curriculum and Instruction from Ashland University. During her free time, she helps design the VBS art experiences for Christ United Methodist Church. She enjoys singing in the church choir, ringing handbells for the bell choir, gardening, hiking, practicing yoga, crocheting, and jewelry beading design. She and her husband Ed have 5 children. They reside in Ashland.

Mrs. Rebecca Cehulik

This is Mrs. Cehulik's first year teaching general music at Ashland City Schools at Reagan, Taft Intermediate, and Ashland Middle School. She is an educator and musician with Bachelor's Degrees in both Music Education and Business Management. For the past 10 years, she has been spreading her passion for music by teaching piano at her studio in Ashland. Beyond teaching, her creative endeavors have continued through collaboration with her husband, by writing, recording, and production of albums that reflect their shared love for music and artistry.

Rebecca has lived in Ashland for 10 years with husband Josh and their 3 children. She loves being the pianist at her church and directing seasonal children's choirs there. She also enjoys coffee, online shopping, going for walks, and watching football.

Mr. Cameron Dedrick

Mr. Dedrick started his teaching career in 2003. He teaches 3D Foundations, 2D Foundations, Drawing Fundamentals, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Media Arts at Ashland High School. Previous to his high school career, he taught Elementary Art for 15 years.  He also serves as Assistant Marching Band Director at AHS and District Technology Coach. In 2021, Mr. Dedrick was selected as a featured clinician at the Ohio Music Education Association State Conference, where he presented a clinic on utilizing Technology in the Fine Arts classroom. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Ashland University with concentrations in Graphic Design and Printmaking, and a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from Baldwin-Wallace College. In his undergraduate program, Mr. Dedrick was heavily involved in the music department, participating in Marching Band, Concert Band, University Choir, and Chamber Singers. He is also a member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity and a former Assistant Stage Manager for the Ashland Symphony. Mr. Dedrick is a current member of the Ohio Art Education Association, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and both Ohio Arts Council & Ashland County Community Foundation Grant Committees. 

Mrs. Karen Ebert

Mrs. Ebert began her teaching career in 1989. She has provided instruction at South Central, Amherst Local, and Ontario Local Districts as well as Discovery School and the Richland Academy of the Arts. She began at Ashland Middle School in 1995 and teaches various middle school choral groups, general music courses and piano keyboard classes. She is also a music specialist for Taft students in Grade 4 and 5.

Mrs. Ebert grew up in Lambertville, Michigan and attended Notre Dame Academy in Sylvania, Ohio. She received her Degree in Music Education at the University of Toledo, and Masters Degree in Teaching and Learning from Nova Southeastern University.

She is married to Neil Ebert, Jazz Band director in Ashland City Schools, and has 5 children that have all attended the Ashland City Schools.

Mr. Neil Ebert

Mr. Ebert has spent his entire teaching career in the Ashland City School teaching jazz band, concert band and general music starting in 1978. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Ashland College. His music groups have performed for jazz professionals across the state as well as the annual Ohio State Music Education Convention. Mr. Ebert is a freelance trumpeter and bass player. He can be found all over northeastern Ohio performing as a band leader &/or sideman at various clubs, events and shows. He takes this working knowledge into the classroom to create professional musicians. Many of which have gone on to professional music careers in the military, education, churches, cruise ships and more. Mr. Ebert was the Music Coordinator for the Ashland Kroc Center from 2009-2020 teaching lessons & directing various performing groups. He lives in Ashland with his loving wife Karen and 5 wonderful children.

Mrs. Carol Kinney

Mr. Marty Kral

Mr. Kral is the Director of Bands and Music Department Chair for Ashland High School. He directs the High School Bands including the Symphonic, Concert & Marching Bands. He also teaches HS guitar & music technology courses and assists with the Middle School Band.  In 2020 Mr. Kral became one of the Co-Producers of the Media Arts program at AHS as well. Along with his teaching duties, he also serves as the District Fine Arts Coach. Mr. Kral has completed all levels of the National Association for Music Education Teaching Guitar Workshops. In 2010, 2020, 2021 & 2022 Mr. Kral was selected as a guest clinician at the Ohio Music Education Association State Conference, most recently co-presenting a clinic on making the fine arts "Non-Negotiable" in education. In 2011 he was also chosen as a featured clinician at the National Technology Institute for Music Educators Conference. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from Ashland University, Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning from Nova Southeastern University and Teacher Leadership Endorsement from Concordia University. He serves on various committees for the Ashland County Community Foundation & Ashland University and is a former board member of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education. Mr. Kral has Master Teacher status with the district, and holds a Lead Professional Teaching License: the top licensure available for educators in the state of Ohio. He has a K-12 Music Licensure as well as a Teacher Leadership Endorsement. 

Miss Abby Helbling

Miss Helbling is the 7-12 Vocal Music Director for Ashland High School and Middle School.  She directs the high school extra curricular vocal groups, Sing & Swing and Arrow Dynamics, as well as the vocal music director for the Spring Musical.  Miss Helbling is also the Women’s Chorus director at Ashland University.  She has worked and directed professional choral ensembles at the University of Notre Dame and in England, United Kingdom.  Along with directing, Miss Helbling has had the opportunity to perform with choirs in Mexico, South America, England, and Italy.  She holds a Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Masters of Sacred Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Notre Dame.  In her spare time, she loves performing on the stage in musical theater, playing guitar, reading, and spending time with friends and family.  

Mrs. Emily Olewiler

Emily Olewiler is the art educator at both Taft intermediate teaching 4th and 5th grade art as well as Ashland High School teaching Visual Art.  Mrs. Olewiler started her career in teaching in 2017 where she worked at Crestview local schools for 5 years as the High School Visual Arts instructor, and Art Club Advisor. While at Crestview she facilitated the summer arts programs that offered art enrichment to surrounding school aged children, not limited to the Crestview School district. She graduated from Capital University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Art Education. In 2016 Emily was awarded the Presidential Award for Art at Capital University. Her art background is focused in the ceramic arts and sculpture. In her free time Mrs. Olewiler enjoys being in her ceramics studio where she makes art to sell at local vendors markets. An Ashland Native she loves walking her two dogs at the local Ashland City Parks. 

Mrs. Alayna Shafer

Mrs. Shafer received her BA from the University of Akron in 2005 with a major in Art Education, and minors in Metalsmithing and Ceramics. After graduation, she took a full-time position as a drafter at Schumacher Homes in Canton. She remained a full-time employee there until 2011 as a senior drafter for Schumacher’s Texas and Louisiana divisions. After deciding to move back home to Ashland with her husband, Joshua Davis, to start their family, she began part-time work for Schumacher and focused on raising her daughter Flora and son Rowan. As an artist, Mrs. Shafer continued to create. She taught stained glass at community art centers and the Kroc center in Ashland, created countless works of stained glass, glass beads, textiles, and ceramics; and sold them at Don Drumm (Akron), the Mansfield Art Center, Friendz Café (Ashland) and Elements Gallery (Peninsula) and have been featured in several art shows. She found an unlikely artistic outlet in gardening and have won a gardening award. Mrs. Shafer was delighted in 2019 when she became an art teacher at Edison Elementary School, and now enjoy sharing her enthusiasm for art with Ashland’s children.  

Ms. Jocelyn Taylor

Ms. Taylor is the Orchestra Director for Ashland City Schools, teaching grades 4 through 12 at Taft Intermediate School, Ashland Middle School, and Ashland High School. She began her teaching career in 2020 and has taught elementary music as well as orchestra across two states. She received her bachelors in music education from Miami University in 2020. Her experience as a musician includes playing in various string and symphonic orchestras, concert choir, show choir, musical theater as well as marching band. Outside of music, she enjoys painting, knitting, reading, and playing with her two cats Memphis and Salem.

Mr. David Truesdell

Mr. Truesdell teaches 4th  and 5th grade Art at Taft Intermediate School as well as 7th and 8th grade Art at Ashland Middle School including an 8th grade Graphic Arts course at AMS. 7th grade classes are learning about various cultures around the world to inspire their art projects. He is a graduate of Ashland High School and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Columbus College of Art and Design. He later completed Ashland University’s Bachelor’s Plus program to receive his K-12 teaching licensure in Art. He lives in Ashland with his wife, Leslie, and their dog Bailey.

Mr. Rich Wasowski

Mr. Wasowski teaches Dramatics and Speech along with other English courses at Ashland High School.  His extra-curricular duties include directing the spring play and producing the annual musical. He has also served as co-director and tech director for the AHS musical and has directed community theater at the Mansfield Playhouse. He is the advisor of the local Thespian troupe and works with the Ashland University Theater Department to support area actors.  

Mrs. Brittany Wentworth

Mrs. Wentworth began dancing at the young age of three. She continued to dance throughout her childhood at several dance studios, eventually joining Ashland Regional Ballet Company located within Opus II Dance Studio here in Ashland, Ohio. After graduation from Ashland High School, Mrs. Wentworth went on to earn a bachelors in Adolescent to Young Adult Integrated Social Studies and a minor in dance from the University of Akron. She began teaching ballet, modern, and jazz at Opus II Dance Studio while still studying at the University of Akron & continued to teach there for about seven years. She now teaches dance and leads the dance outreach at the Ashland YMCA. Mrs. Wentworth and her husband are both alumni of Ashland High School and still reside in Ashland with their five children.

Mr. Pete White

Mr. White teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Art at Ashland Middle School.  He was previously the past K-6th grade art teacher at Edison Elementary and has experience teaching at the high school level.  Mr. White holds a Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus on Visual Arts from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Education with a focus on Differentiated Instruction from Graceland University.  He is a member of the Ohio Art Education Association.  He is a graduate of Ashland High School and is married to Andrea, who is also a graduate of Ashland High School.  Pete and Andrea live in Ashland and have 3 boys, Parker, Hunter, and Cooper.