About CSTA Ohio
Our Board


Shanti’ Coaston is a Computer Science educator at Westlake High School. Her previous school was Shaw High School in East Cleveland, where she taught for 11 years. She began her teaching career as an Intervention Specialist and the Alternative School Program. Working with exceptional students has assisted her in the transition of teaching Computer Science to all students. Before teaching, Ms. Coaston was a School-Based Therapist and a Youth Career Coach. Working with youth in these capacities, Shanti’ realized that she could do even more for youth as a teacher.
She is the Co-Advisor of the Shaw High School Computer Science Honor Society, Girls Who Code Facilitator, ESports Co-Advisor, CSTA Ohio Member, and was on the 2017 Ohio Computer Science Curriculum Standards Writing Team. Her many awards include East Cleveland Teacher of the Year 2019, Ohio Lottery Teacher of the Month for March 2020, Certification Magazine wrote an article about her in June 2020, Cyber Hero of the Month (July 2020), and the Martha Holden Jennings Master Teacher Award 2021. She has also been a Co-Lead Mentor for new educators to the school district. Ms. Coaston recently ended her term as a member of the Computer Science Teachers Association Board of Directors as the 9-12 Representative.
Ms. Coaston has provided professional development training on technology integration and social-emotional learning at the local, district, and state level. As well as a culturally responsive teaching and recruitment of Students of Color in Computer Science on the national level. Shanti’ recently earned her Remote Pilot License (Commercial Drones) and now teaches exam prep to students and adults.



Carla Neely is a science teacher at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) Warner Girls’ Leadership Academy. She was named the Teacher of the Year for State Board of Education District 11.
Carla, who teaches fifth and sixth grade, works to provide opportunities for African American girls in elementary and middle school, and has spoken at events that give girls of color increased exposure to computer science. Additionally, she is a Code.org facilitator for the Computer Science Discoveries program. She trains and speaks at events geared toward helping teachers integrate computer science into their instruction and best practices for teaching science to African-American girls. She is one of the winners of the 2021 National Science Teaching Association and Shell Urban Science Educators Development Award.
— description from the Cleveland Observer 9/18/2021
Carla joins CSTA-Ohio as secretary taking up the position where Jenifer Conard left off.



Paula has taught at North Olmsted High School on the far west side of the Cleveland metro area for 30 years. Of those, she has taught computer science for 29 years. She is the only CS teacher in her district (although she also teaches math) and she wanted to be able to collaborate with and learn from other CS teachers. So, she joined CSTA as soon as she heard of its existence. Paula has been a member of ACM before that. When a chapter was formed in Ohio, she ran for secretary and served in that position for 6 years followed by 2 years as VP. Then, she assumed the lead role after a mid-year election. |
Paula teaches high school AP Computer Science A (Java) and AP Computer Science Principles (using the CISS model in Alice 2.5). She has also been the computer club advisor at NOHS since 1996. She has always been a techie and advocate for CS education and that drives her to reach out to others and continue to improve my own instruction. |