Academic Coaches

nichole f  Nichole Foreback
970-665-7891
[email protected]
Hello! My name is Nikki Foreback. I grew up in Wisconsin and earned my Elementary Education degree at UW-Madison. In 1996, I began my teaching career in Southern California. After meeting my husband, we decided we wanted to leave the hustle-bustle of California but not leave the mountains and moved to Colorado. We enjoy everything that the Western Slope has to offer -especially skiing and mountain biking. We have two boys- Rainier,19, and Harrison, 16.

This is my 27th year in education. I spent my first 22 years mostly in elementary education, but I also have a degree in Special Education and taught that for two years. This is my ninth year at Cactus Valley. I am currently Cactus Valley’s Math and Science Instructional Coach, where I have supported teachers and students for the past five years. Math has always been a passion of mine, and my number one goal is to help students not fear math and to build their number sense through games. I feel lucky to work at CVE with an extremely professional and kid-centered staff.


Mexted, Elizabeth Ann   Beth Mexted
970-665-7850
[email protected]
My name is Beth Mexted, and I’ve been in education for 18 years. I have a master’s degree in Elementary Education with reading certification from the University of Missouri. I spent many years teaching in St. Louis, Missouri in the public school system. After I moved to Colorado, I began teaching in Glenwood Springs as a 1st and 3rd-grade teacher. Currently, I am an instructional coach for English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies at Cactus Valley Elementary. I love to support educators with their teaching and planning!

My family includes my husband Hayden (a New Zealander) and our two kids, Nate and Elle (both high schoolers). We love being outdoors. Our favorite pastime is going boating at Lake Powell. In my free time, I also like to read, run, go to the gym, and spend time with my friends and family.