Our Professional Biographies

    Linda Buscher was born in Garden City, Kansas but moved to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 6 months.  She attended Garfield Elementary School, Ingleside Elementary School and Arcadia High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.  She received her teaching degree from Arizona State University in 1973.  She spent the next 28 years working in the Paradise Valley Unified School District as an
elementary school teacher (2nd grade being her favorite) and an elementary school librarian where she won a series of awards for her most creative, child-centered programs.  In 1985 she was selected as the Arizona PTA Educator of the Year.  Linda retired from the PVUSD in 2001.
    In 1980 Linda wrote a series of children educational workbooks for the Alpha Omega Company.  These workbooks have sold worldwide and she has received a yearly royalty check for the past 33 years.
    Linda would earn her Masters Degree from Ottawa University in Human Resources.   She would go on to teach graduate level classes for Ottawa University as well as becoming an instructor for Arizona State University’s Teach For America program.

    Dr. Dick Buscher was born in Litchfield, Illinois and earned his teaching degree from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.  He began his teaching career in 1969 at Lincoln Elementary School in Mattoon, Illinois as a 6th grade teacher.  He moved to Arizona and began teaching in the Paradise Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona in 1971.  He would remain with the PVUSD for 30 years serving as a middle school science teacher, math-science district coordinator and as the school principal of Indian Bend Elementary School and Greenway Middle School.
    Since arriving in Arizona he has learned and taught about Arizona's unique and wonderful environment and history. His doctoral dissertation, earned in 1991 from Arizona State University, is the basis for the Arizona history program, Ali-Shonak: The Story of Arizona.
    Dr. Buscher's many educational achievements include a 1977 Finalist for Arizona Teacher of the Year Award, the 1983 winner of the Arizona PTSA Educator of the Year, and the 1993 winner of the City of Phoenix Mayor 's Grand Environmental Award for his  “Save A Saguaro for Tomorrow “ program.  In addition, Dr. Buscher was a 1998 winner of the City of Phoenix Human Relations Committee's Martin Luther King, Jr. "Living the Dream Award” and a 1999 winner of the Scottsdale “Diversity Champion Award.”

    During Dr. Buscher's twenty-one years as a principal in the Paradise Valley Unified School District his schools were awarded the A+ Award from the Arizona Department of Education/Arizona Education Foundation five different times.  Under his leadership, Indian Bend Elementary School was award an A+ in four consecutive years (1985 - 1988) and won Arizona #1 Elementary School designation in 1988.  In 1988 Indian Bend was also selected as one of America’s Outstanding Elementary Schools by the Department of Education under William Bennett.  They received their award at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. hosted by President Ronald Reagan.
      For 14 years, Dr. Buscher taught a series of classes for Ottawa University known as Ali-Chihpiatham: Short Journeys Through Arizona’s History.    These classes allowed thousands of Arizona public school teachers to travel across Arizona, seeing firsthand their state while engaged in many hands-on historic, learning experiences.  In 1999 Dr. Buscher took one of his Ottawa classes to Mexico City where students got to visit many historic sites and learn why the history of Arizona begins in the Valley of Mexico.
    Over the many years, Dr. Buscher taught about Arizona and its history for Arizona State University, Ottawa University and Paradise Valley Community College. 
    Upon retiring from PVUSD in 2001, Dr. Buscher joined the staff of the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education, Arizona State University - West Campus.  Here, over a 10 year period of time, he would teach the 93 science and social studies methods classes to junior level students wishing to become Arizona public school teachers.  He retired from ASU in May 2011 as a Senior Lecturer.
    Linda and Dick have authored the book, Historic Photos of Arizona as well as co-authors of Ali-Shonak: the Story of Arizona with their lifelong friends, Teresa and Ken Jackway.  This textbooks can now be found in the iTune bookstore under the title Arizona: The Grand Adventure.  In fact all their books dealing with Arizona can now be found in the iTune bookstore.
    For the past 10 years they have written over 320 stories about Arizona for the In&Out of Anthem magazine/Anthem News - http://www.anthemnews.com/ They also write a monthly story of the Live Science website - https://www.livescience.com/  Now with their 5 pound Yorkie, Ms. Gypsy, they all continue to travel, learn and teach about Arizona.