Teacher Bio
My name is James Carrasco-Kinney, however; students just call me Mr. Kinney. I was born and raised in a small town in Brainerd/Baxter, Minnesota. Growing up on a ranch with my two sisters and my brother. We rode horses, spent lots of time outdoors and enjoyed all the family that lived around us. During my Junior year I joined the Minnesota Army National Guard (1994-2002). I graduated from Brainerd High School in 1995. During my senior year I did a reciprocal exchange to Germany. After high school I attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth where I earned my Bachelors of Science in Teaching Social Studies with a minor in Teaching German. After graduating I accepted a job at Yuma High School in Yuma, AZ. I worked there for twelve years, teaching German, World History, Journalism, Psychology, and Sociology. During that time I took many students on field trips overseas to explore most of the countries of Europe. In 2013, my husband Manny and I moved to the Phoenix Metro area. I worked for the Peoria Unified School District for seven years where I taught 6-8 Social Studies and 6th Grade Science. The last two years I was in the Union School District in Tolleson where I currently live. I am excited to start at Laveen teaching 7th Grade Science.