Kisling named CTE Teacher of the Year by PUSD

Andrea Martinez Lemus, Senior Staff Writer

March 26, 2025

Granite Hills LJE teacher Jane Kisling was recognized with the PUSD CTE Teacher of the Year award.

As head of the Granite Hills Law, Justice, and Ethics Pathway, Jane Kisling has taught public safety, civil law, criminal law, and criminal justice. She has taught at Granite Hills High School since the school opened in 1999. She has been a teacher for 39 years in total.

Recently, Mrs. Kisling was recognized as the Porterville Unified School District CTE Teacher of the Year.

” I love the chance to work with students, and they make coming to work the best part of my job,” Kisling said.

Kisling attended Cal Poly and Fresno Pacific where she got her degree in fashion design, but then she decided to get into teaching.

In her free time, Kisling loves being with her grandchildren, gardening, reading, spending time with her dogs and cats, and watching the Dodgers play.

Something unique about her is that she wanted to be a fashion designer, but that all changed when she met her husband, who is a farmer.

Teaching came easy to Kisling. She grew up in a family that was comprised of several teachers, and she always liked teaching kids new things. She enjoys the visits she gets from graduated students who come to her and thank her for never giving up on them. Some of her memorable moments include her kids’ graduation from Granite Hills, and of course, all the fun she has with Mr. Ross.

Some of her challenges are having students understand that the real world is out there and they need to prepare for it. Kisling’s teaching is unique because she uses real-life examples to get kids to understand, and she never gives up on anyone. One piece of advice she gives to her students is to be a productive citizen, be kind, and help others change the world. She treats her students as equals and with respect as long as the students give her respect back

An interaction that she will always remember was when a student from her class got straight Fs. She saw something in him and helped turn things around for him in the classroom. That student is now in the military and they still keep in contact.

Kisling plans to retire in 2026. She sees herself traveling, spending time with her kids, helping schools, enjoying life, and of course, visiting Granite Hills.

“Every day is an adventure,” Kisling said.

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About the Contributors

Andrea Martinez Lemus, Senior Staff Writer

Andrea is a senior at Granite Hills High School. She is also apart of the LJE Pathway. She’s determined to graduate this year and head straight to college. She is an introvert and only speaks if she is spoken to. She also likes listening to podcasts and multitasking. She hopes that one day she’ll be able to move far from Porterville and pursue her career. When she is not at home she is sleeping, reading, or hanging out with friends. One thing that she always lives by is never giving up on what you believe and pursuing what she loves. She loves amusement parks like Six Flags, Universal Studios, Disneyland, etc. Although she is terrified of heights she still goes on the rides.

Noe Campos, Senior Staff Writer

Noe Campos is a senior at Granite Hills High School. He is the senior class president, ASB vice president, a pathway ambassador for the CODE pathway, a yearbook staff member, and a member of the tennis team. He has come a long way from the beginning of high school from not being involved to making the most of his time at Granite Hills. Being involved in different things in his school has allowed him to improve himself academically and personally. His future plans after high school are to attend UC Santa Barbara. He’s looking at majoring in computer science or design. He’s a hard-working student who only strives to do what he can to better himself. He joined the journalism class to expand his interest in the things that he loves doing the most. His current interests are playing video games, going to the gym, playing tennis, and listening to music. His favorite artist of all time is Faye Webster. He loves watching superhero movies and his favorite superhero is Spider-Man. He loves spending time with his family, friends, and dogs. But what he loves doing the most is making his father proud. The quote he loves at the moment is “Work in Silence, Let Your Success be the Noise.”