Staff Spotlight: Joe Valencia, Lake ESSC

By Chris Mitchell ‘95

Every week throughout the 2025-26 school year, Granite City Community School District #9 will be highlighting a staff member for going above and beyond to give students a positive experience.

This week’s staff highlight is Joe Valencia. 

Valencia is a high school social studies teacher at Lake Educational Support Services Center and has been with GCSD9 since the Alternative Education program moved to Lake in 2020.

Where did you go to school?
I graduated from Collinsville High School in 2014 and SIUE in 2019.

Talk to me about “Lake Life” – what do you enjoy most about working with the students and staff at Lake?
I enjoy working with our Lake students in a smaller classroom setting. We are able to create an environment where students and staff can foster strong relationships with each student because of the smaller setting. Our Lake staff is one big family and I wouldn’t trade them for anything!

Do you have a favorite memory from your career in teaching?
My favorite memory was last year when I helped produce the first Lake ESSC Career Fair. It was incredible to see so many people from our community come together to show the many different options available to our students after they graduate.

Who do you look up to and why?
I look up to both of my parents. I watched my dad work with teenagers my whole life as a youth pastor and that laid the foundations for my teaching and relationship building styles. My mom instilled in me the importance of honesty and patience, two traits that I emphasize with my students.

Hobbies?
I love to spend time with my soon to be 4-year old son, Beaux, watch any sport live or on television, and work the soccer games at Energizer Park.

If you would like to nominate a deserving staff member, please email: information@gcsd9.net