I started at LASA in 2020 coaching Football and Softball. I was the Head Choir Director and Head Band Director at Dobie Middle School from 2016 to 2023.  I am excited to be at LASA starting the 2023-24 school year to support Special Education and Athletics! I received my Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Pursued a Master's Degree in Theology from Franciscan University - Steubenville and I am currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Athletic Administration and Coaching from Concordia University - Irving. 

Hi! I'm John Nelson and I have been teaching and coaching in AISD since 2011. Currently I serve as the Head Boys Basketball Coach and Special Education Department Chair at LASA. I also teach a section of Algebra.

After spending my first 12 years in education at Navarro High School, I made the move to LASA in 2024, joining forces with my Wife, the esteemed, Dr. Pinkston of the English Department. If she were editing this for me, it might have fewer grammatical errors.  My hope is to become a true power couple, to be feared and respected within the LASA community. 

My wife and I have two sons, Jamie and Silas and a dog named Thelma. They occupy 99.9% of my time away from LASA HS. The other .1% I spend playing sports, exercising, fishing, traveling, snowboarding, and really any adventuring I can do. 
Oh! I also have an identical twin brother so there is one more fun fact. 

I attended Warren Wilson College, which is a tiny, beautiful, liberal arts school in the mountains just outside of Asheville, NC. It was great. I ended up walking onto the basketball team, an experience only possible at a tiny school like WWC. (I am still waiting on my first NIL check). I studied psychology in college and thought I might go into clinical therapy only to scrap that idea immediately following graduation. After a stop in the service industry, followed by a few years in social work, I ended up getting certified to teach and I haven't looked back. 

Joseph Saldana brings 13 years of dedicated teaching and coaching experience to the classroom and the court.

Coach Saldana attended St. Edward’s University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Education while competing as a student-athlete on the Hilltoppers men's basketball team. His time on the college court reinforced his passion for sports, leadership, and student mentorship.

Now in his third year at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA), Coach Saldana serves the school as a Special Education teacher, PALS (Peer Assistance and Leadership) teacher, and the head of the Girls Basketball program. Throughout his 13-year career in education, he has remained committed to empowering students of all abilities, fostering peer leadership, and building a competitive, supportive atmosphere for student-athletes.

Outside of school, Joseph is devoted to his family. He and his beautiful wife, Megan, are the proud parents of two sons: eight-year-old Santiago and eight-month-old Asher. Whether coaching on the court, guiding student leaders, or spending quality time with his family, Coach Saldana is driven by a lifelong passion for community and mentorship.