Derek S.
Mitchell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
Born and raised in Chicago, Derek attended Pomona College in
Claremont, CA and later earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
from the University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA,
Derek worked at the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards
and Student Testing (CRESST), helping to pioneer school and
district information management systems and data-driven technologies.
Derek then served as the Director of Technology and Student
Achievement for the Oakland Unified School District where he
addressed equity-related challenges in assessment, technology
and achievement. Subsequently, he joined the Stupski Foundation
and managed efforts to support district-wide reform across the
country, including in districts such as Jackson Public Schools
in Mississippi and the Baltimore City Public Schools System
in Maryland. Before joining PartnersSI in June of 2009, Derek
served as Executive Director of the Opportunity Zone in Prince
George's County in Maryland, where he led critical efforts to
instill innovative school options as a core component of district-wide
reform. When not working towards educational equity, Derek enjoys
science fiction, fantasy novels, martial arts and movies.
"If we don't stand for something, we may fall for anything."
Malcolm X
Chandra Alexandre, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer
Chandra comes to Partners in School Innovation with a passionate commitment to excellence and equity in public education. Prior to joining the PartnersSI team, she led fund development efforts at the Bay Area Council. There, she helped get sizeable multi-year grants for education reform and early childhood education champion-building. Prior to the Council, Chandra worked at KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy and saw first-hand what a little good could do. Chandra went to public school in New York and earned an A.B. at Columbia. She then moved west, earning her doctorate in Asian & Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies and subsequently an MBA from Presidio Graduate School, where she was a member of the pioneer cohort. Chandra serves as a board member of several Bay Area organizations promoting the well-being of women and girls and is a homebirth advocate.
“Small minds think that someone is either 'one of us or one of them.' But for those of generous heart, all the world is their family."
– The Sages & Seers of Ancient India
Eric Barela,
Ph.D., Chief Organizational Performance Officer
Eric most recently worked in the Research and Planning Division
of the Los Angeles Unified School District where he collaborated
with the District's Principal Leadership Academy to construct
a research-based curriculum designed to support new principals,
assist with its implementation and provide formative feedback
to the Academy's facilitators. During his seven-year tenure
at LAUSD, Eric conducted a wide range of research and evaluation
work, including studying best practices in both Title I elementary
schools making Adequate Yearly Progress and in schools narrowing
the achievement gap for their Latino students. He also served
as an evaluation consultant for the Oakland Unified School District
and for the Stupski Foundation. In addition, Eric was an adjunct
professor at California State University, Los Angeles where
he prepared teachers and administrators to use research as a
driver for improving student achievement. Eric earned an M.A.
in Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder and
a Ph.D. in Social Research Methodology from the University of
California, Los Angeles. As a child, Eric enjoyed devouring
the encyclopedia cover to cover, which paid off as an adult
when he applied his encyclopedic knowledge to become a 3-day
Jeopardy! champion.
"Education is not the answer to the question. Education
is the means to the answer to all questions." William Allin
Jim Dern, Encore Fellow, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Jim brings over 30 years’ experience with organizations large and small driving strategic change. He has consulted for a number of non-profit organizations with missions in the fields of education, youth services and the environment. Jim has also held key leadership positions with several top tier financial and natural resource corporations, including Bank of America and Conoco, Inc. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Cancer Prevention Institute of California and the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team. Jim holds an A.B. in Engineering and Applied Physics from Harvard College and an M.B.A. and a certificate in Public Management from Stanford University. Outside the office, he can be found backpacking and hiking, tutoring beginning readers, cooking for family and friends and visiting all 50 states with his son.
"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now." – Alan Lakein
Sumi
Paik, Chief Business Officer
Prior to joining PartnersSI in 2002, Sumi worked for Sylvan
Ventures, a venture capital fund investing exclusively in education
companies, where she evaluated potential investments and assisted
portfolio companies with strategic planning. Her other work
experience includes investment banking and corporate treasury;
she also spent one year abroad teaching English in China. She
received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her MBA from the
Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
When not working, you can find Sumi with her two kids doing
art projects, baking chocolate chip cookies or reading books
together.
"In the last 100 years, every important idea for social
change has come from the nonprofit sector." Peter Drucker
Malika
Starr, Ed.D., Chief Program Officer
Malika has over 15 years of experience facilitating organizational
learning, building teams and developing executive leaders. She
earned an M.S. in Social Work from Barry University, Miami,
Florida and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Adult Learning
from Florida Atlantic University. Over the last ten years, Malika
has focused her skills and experience in the education reform
sector. More recently, Malika served as the Organizational Development
Program Manager for the Stupski Foundation, providing strategy
and leadership development, performance management and executive
leadership coaching to urban school district leaders in implementing
systemic reforms. She also led Stupski's internal effort to
assess its organizational learning and staff capacity building
needs. In her free time, you can find Malika golfing, hiking
or flying stunt kites at the beach.
"Changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes, nothing remains quite the same." – Jimmy Buffet
Kim Wisckol, Senior Human Resources Director
Kim began her career at a nonprofit social services organization where she spent 7 years, the last 4 as Executive Director. While earning her Masters in Business Administration degree, she switched to the for-profit sector and spent the next 30 years in human resources. Working with organizations both large and small, local and global, she developed and implemented performance management systems, compensation and benefits programs, organization development strategies and employee and management training programs. Highlights in her career include implementing a food and shelter program in conjunction with area churches and receiving an United Way award for most innovative counseling program while at the nonprofit; designing the organizational development strategy for a business forced to change its product market; and implementing the compensation and performance management systems for a newly public medical device company. While not working, Kim enjoys Masters swim workouts, guitar lessons, hiking, reading and family gatherings on both the West and East Coasts.
“Career: the course of a star across the heavens” – definition found in the 1910 Unabridged Webster’s Dictionary
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Shehz
Ali, School Innovation Partner
Shehz joined PartnersSI excited to continue his work in raising
standards in schools and working with traditionally underserved
students. Shehz began his career teaching in alternative, traditional,
elementary and high schools in Canada for nine years where he
also developed curriculum and related training for schools.
He moved to the United States and began conducting quality reviews
in schools and working with school leaders on school improvement.
Through his various experiences, Shehz brings knowledge of program
evaluation, leadership development and a passion for creating
change to his role as School Innovation Partner. Shehz earned
his B.A. in history from University of Ottawa, his B.Ed. from
Brock University and M.Ed. from the University of Ottawa. In
his spare time Shehz can be found entertaining his two young
girls, biking, hiking or playing the drums.
"Education is what remains when all you have learned is
forgotten." Albert Einstein
Amanda Bachelor, School Innovation Partner
Amanda joins PartnersSI with a commitment to an equitable, rigorous, and joyful education for all children. In 2006, after receiving her B.A. in Political Science and Hispanic Studies from Vassar College, she worked as a bilingual classroom teacher at P.S. 102 in East Harlem, New York and earned her Master’s in Bilingual Education from Fordham University. Most recently, Amanda served as the Program Officer of Aboriginal Initiatives at Right To Play International - a humanitarian organization that promotes sport as a tool for developing essential life-skills in children and youth - in Toronto, Ontario. Along with the Deputy Director of Education and Training, Amanda launched a youth leadership and life skills program in the remote north of Ontario. She built strategic partnerships at multiple levels in order to implement a culturally relevant, impactful and sustainable program that is being replicated in communities throughout the province. Amanda is thrilled to return to California (her home state) and to be a part of the PartnersSI team in San Jose. In her free time, Amanda can be found running, lap swimming, cooking, snowboarding, and traveling around the country to visit her friends and family.
“We don't ask you to believe in our ability to bring change. Rather, we ask you to believe in yours.” – Barack Obama
Bela
Bhasin, District Partnership Manager, SFUSD Bayview
With 19 years of teaching experience, Bela brings depth of knowledge,
leadership and passion to her role as Strategic Services Partner.
She has presented workshops on teaching English Learners at
the California Association for Bilingual Educators and facilitated
teacher discussions on issues in multicultural education. Since
coming to PartnersSI in 2006, Bela has worked with teachers
and leaders to accelerate student achievement in San Francisco
and Oakland Unified School Districts. Her work has included
coaching school leaders on strategic decision-making, coaching
teachers to improve learning through standards-based instruction
and ensuring successful implementation of PartnersSI's English
Learner Initiative. Bela is steadfast in her belief that education
is the single most important civil rights issue of our time
and educational equity is the key to a more equitable and just
world. Bela received a B.A. from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai,
India and an M.S. in early childhood education from Wheelock
College. On weekends, you're likely to find Bela being one with
the rock or a trail, in relaxing yoga poses or watching movies.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about
things that matter." Martin Luther King Jr.
MaryKate Driscoll, Operations Associate
MaryKate joins PartnersSI as a 2011 Harvard Center for Public Interest Careers (CPIC) Fellow. MaryKate graduated from Harvard College in 2011 with a B.A. in Economics with honors. As an undergraduate, MaryKate volunteered with WorldTeach in Cape Town, South Africa, and locally with Experimentors, the Cambridge After School Program, and Let’s Get Ready - programs designed to address educational inequity in the Boston area. In the summer of 2010, MaryKate was selected for the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Director’s Internship as a staff intern to Dr. Carol R. Johnson, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. During her free time, MaryKate enjoys cooking, running, good books, and sunlight, and she is slowly discovering and navigating San Francisco.
"Our children will be born of our actions. Our accidents will become their destinies." – Zadie Smith
Viviana
Cabrales Garcia, School Innovation Partner
Prior to joining PartnersSI, Viviana taught at Christopher Elementary
(a former PartnersSI school) within Oak Grove School District.
As a grade-level leader, Viviana worked with PartnersSI to implement
the ROCI approach within her classroom. She brings knowledge
of what effective teacher leadership and grade-level teams look
and sound like within a school and knows firsthand the importance
of building capacity amongst teachers and staff as a way of
sustaining and continuing positive change. She believes in high
quality, standards-based balanced literacy as a means of transforming
schools into equitable educational places for children. Viviana
received her B.A. in sociology and education from the University
of California, Los Angeles. She also received her M.A. in education
and multiple subject teaching credential from the University
of California, Berkeley. Outside of work, Viviana enjoys spending
time with her husband, Victor, and their pups.
"It is necessary; therefore, it is possible." G.A. Borghese
Monique Gascón, School Innovation Partner
Prior to joining the PartnersSI team, Monique pursued her childhood dream of becoming an educator by earning her M.Ed and Spanish BCLAD from UCLA. After graduation, she helped open a new middle school within the Los Angeles Unified School District that gained much attention for its innovative programs and the impressive academic growth of its primarily low-income student base. During her time teaching English and ESL, Monique gained valuable experience collaborating on learning teams implementing cycles of inquiry, working with literacy coaches to teach a rigorous intervention class, and forming and coaching the cheer squad. In addition, Monique led professional development sessions on ESL strategies and methods for using standards to supplement ESL curriculum. By maintaining high expectations for all students and utilizing a results-focused approach, Monique helped her students move up multiple CST and ESL levels and was named by the L.A. Times as being in the top fifth of district middle school teachers in boosting test scores. In her free time, she loves world travel, reading, enjoying life with friends and family and anything involving food, such as hosting dinner parties and trying new restaurants.
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” – Chinese proverb
Tiara
Grayson, School Innovation Partner
Tiara began her teaching career as a Teach For America corps
member in San Jose, where she taught fourth grade for two years
at Cureton Elementary in the Alum Rock Union Elementary School
District. In her classroom, Tiara implemented innovative workshop
structures to differentiate instruction for her students. She
also worked on Teach For America's Bay Area staff, organizing
program events for incoming corps members and leading professional
development for fourth and fifth grade teachers. Most recently,
she was the Manager of Instruction at Revolution Prep, where
she trained and mentored over seventy instructors. Tiara attended
the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her
B.A. in peace and conflict studies. Tiara enjoys cooking, traveling,
hiking, and checking out new Bay Area neighborhoods and restaurants.
"If we are to teach real peace in this world, we shall
have to begin with the children." Mohandas Gandhi
Jesse
Hinueber, Director of Learning & Knowledge Capture
Jesse started his teaching career as a Teach For America corps
member in San Jose where he taught sixth grade. Prior to that,
he also worked as a marketing assistant at the Hopkins Center
for the Performing Arts and was a climate and policy intern
at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in Washington,
DC. Since coming to PartnersSI, Jesse has successfully supported
schools, their leaders, grade-level teams and individual teachers
in San Jose and Oakland Unified School Districts to innovate
in order to meet the needs of their students. In his new role,
he will draw on his own implementation experience as well as
those of our other field staff in order to better harness the
transformative power of our school improvement program. He has
a B.A. in environmental studies from Dartmouth College and received
his multiple subject teaching credential from San Jose State
University. Outside of work, Jesse can be found playing soccer
or in the kitchen experimenting with a new recipe.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use
to change the world." Nelson Mandela
Marie
Huxley, Senior District Partnership Director
Prior to joining PartnersSI, Marie was Director of Secondary
Instructional Support in the Vallejo City Unified School District
where she established several district-wide reform initiatives.
She began her career in education as a high school social studies,
Spanish and ESL teacher and later took on the roles of high
school assistant principal and co-principal. Working in diverse
districts (Los Angeles Unified School District, Tamalpais Union
High School District and Vallejo City Unified School District)
and coaching for the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (Pivot
Learning Partners) gave her a comprehensive and balanced approach
to systemic school and district improvement. Marie received
a B.A. in political science with an emphasis on international
relations from UCSB; she also holds a master's degree in education
from UCLA and master's degree in educational administration
from San Francisco State University. In her spare time, Marie
enjoys an active lifestyle, particularly running, playing tennis
or doing yoga.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens
can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever
has." Margaret Mead
Hansa
Kaipa, School Innovation Partner
Hansa sees a future where under-served people of color have
an equal shot at reaching the top. She's been dedicated and
committed to improving instruction in urban schools for the
past 9 years. After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2001, she
taught middle and high school math in Oakland and San Francisco,
respectively. She developed curriculum for a start-up educational
company that offered students the tools to empower themselves
and become active participants in their own education. Prior
to joining Partners in the summer of 2010, she spent the last
few years as the Math Instructional Coach at Envision Schools
(four innovative charter high schools in the Bay Area). She
built a strong and cohesive math team, developed a repertoire
of skills to move teacher practice forward and found her voice
and stance on the larger stage of educational reform. Hansa
is excited to use her array of experience as a teacher and coach
to broaden her impact to the school level and beyond. In her
spare time Hansa can be found teaching yoga, dreaming of the
next place to travel and exploring a new restaurant in SF with
her husband.
"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." Arundhati
Roy
Abbey Kerins, School Innovation Partner
Before joining PartnersSI in 2011, Abbey was a classroom teacher, grade-level teacher leader, and professional development facilitator in Oakland. Abbey brings to the organization and our partner schools a deep knowledge of and experience with school change. She has focused on creating professional teams and implementing classroom practices that produce more equitable outcomes for students, particularly African-American and Latino students. In addition, Abbey worked at the Coalition of Essential Schools, a national network of schools and regional centers dedicated to democratic and personalized education, organizing the national conference and supporting the Small Schools Project. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Studies from the New School for Social Research and a M.A.T. from Brown University.
“Transformation is only valid if it is carried out with the people, not for them.” – Paulo Freire
Jaime Kidd,
Managing Director of Program Development & Support
After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree
in psychology, Jaime moved to the Bay Area to serve as a PartnersSI
AmeriCorps member. While supporting improvement initiatives
at schools in Redwood City and San Francisco, Jaime became deeply
committed to learning more about school change and issues of
inequity in schools. At the end of her term of service, she
entered a doctoral program in educational psychology at the
University of California, Berkeley, where her graduate work
focused on early reading instruction, especially as it relates
to teacher development and learning. In 2006, Jaime rejoined
PartnersSI as a School Innovation Partner and spent two years
working to build collaborative teacher teams. Jaime then transitioned
into the role of Director of Professional Development & Network
Design in 2008 and led the design and facilitation of our internal
professional development program as well as our external professional
development networks. She was promoted to her current position
in the summer of 2010 and will oversee the development, refinement
and consistent implementation of our program and delivery model.
Jaime's interests include all things food and wine, reading,
tennis and, as of late, running.
"There are those that look at things the way they are,
and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why
not?" Robert F. Kennedy
Matthew Kostecka, School Innovation Partner
Matt joins PartnersSI after completing an M.A. in Education (Policy, Organizations and Leadership) from Stanford University. From 2007-2010, he taught history and government at the Frank W. Ballou Senior High School in Washington, D.C., where he developed an after-school Capoeira program, started a boys varsity soccer team, and worked with other teachers to develop and grow the Advanced Placement (AP) program, co-teaching the first group of students to pass the AP U.S. History and AP English Literature exams in the school’s history. The proud son of two lifelong teachers, Matt graduated from St. Louis University in 2005 with a B.A. in Secondary Education. Before moving to Washington, D.C., Matt taught English as a Second Language to kindergarteners in Taipei, Taiwan. In 2009, Matt was one of 13 teachers in the United States selected for the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship in the U.S. Department of Education, serving as a link between the Department of Education and teachers in their development of national education policy.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -William Butler Yeats
Scott Lan, School Innovation Partner
Scott began his career in education as a Teach For America corps member in South Los Angeles, where he taught 6th grade mathematics and science at Bethune Middle School. After a brief stint at an e-commerce startup, Scott returned to education with The New Teacher Project as Director of Model Staffing Initiatives. During his time at TNTP, Scott launched and led contracts with both Milwaukee Public Schools and the Oakland Unified School District to ensure that all schools were fully staffed with a high-quality teacher by the start of the school year. He also worked closely with principals and district leadership around talent and performance management in an effort to increase the overall effectiveness of site-based instructional teams. Scott earned his B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California Santa Barbara and his M.A. in Education from Loyola Marymount University. In his free time, Scott enjoys traveling, keeping in shape (CrossFit!), playing basketball, practicing XMA, and watching his favorite television shows. He is also a student mentor at Oakland's Castlemont High School as part of the BUILD program.
"Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another.” - Marva Collins
Belinda Liu, Director of Discrete Services
Belinda returns to Partners in School Innovation as the Director of Discrete Services after a two-year adventure in China as a Fulbright Scholar studying rural teacher training. She previously led PartnersSI’s work in the San Jose Unified School District as well as the organization’s English Learner Initiative. Belinda’s passion for education is fueled by her experiences as an immigrant, English learner, and second-grade teacher. As a thought partner to education leaders in the United States and China, she strives to learn, apply, and share the most effective and innovative strategies for teaching under-served students from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Belinda earned her B.A. in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ed.M. in International Education Policy from Harvard University. In her free time, she may be found working on her wellness mobile app, exploring the world, playing with her kitties, eating, doing yoga, or trying to meditate.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein
Sonya
Lopes, Senior District Partnership Director
Sonya returns to Partners in School Innovation as Senior District
Partnership Director, having launched her career in education
at PartnersSI in 1995 as a School Partnership Coordinator. Over
the past 15 years, Sonya has sharpened her experience in the
education reform sector, primarily coaching district and school
leaders in the areas of strategy, execution, operations, leadership
development and high-performance team building. Most recently,
Sonya worked as Senior Associate at Performance Fact, Inc.,
an organization that builds the capacity of education leaders
to take courageous and accountable action through a system of
solutions for building stronger schools and accelerating learning
for all students. Additionally, Sonya served as a Program Manager
and Director of District Alliance Programs at the Stupski Foundation
for 8 years, leading a team of education reform professionals
who worked in close partnership with urban districts across
the country. Prior to her work in public education, Sonya spent
10 years as a Captain and Special Agent in the United States
Air Force in various fields including criminal and counterintelligence
investigations, systems engineering, contract management and
organizational development. Sonya earned her B.S. in electrical
engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
her M.B.A. from Santa Clara University. When she's not at work,
you can find her on a soccer field, basketball court or shuttling
adolescent boys in her car, a.k.a. "mom taxi".
"Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?"
Sun Tzu
Ryan Louie,
Data Analyst II
Prior to joining PartnersSI in 2009, Ryan worked as an intern
at Agilent Technologies in their Software and Informatics Division.
As a member of the Channel Management team, he created a dashboard
to monitor partner performance and provide management with critical
information to make better informed decisions. Ryan is excited
to use his knowledge of databases and performance management
systems to aid PartnersSI in achieving its goals. He received
his B.A. in history with a minor in Italian from UCLA. Ryan
is a sports enthusiast, whether it's watching sports on TV,
going to games or playing recreationally.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands
at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King,
Jr.
Linda
Ponce de Leσn, Senior District Partnership Director
Linda began her career in education in 1993 as a corps member
of Teach For America. She worked as an elementary bilingual
classroom teacher in Los Angeles and Chicago public schools.
Linda has also served as a master teacher, mentoring student-
and first-year teachers. While working as a school coach for
the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools (since renamed as The National Equity Project), Linda
gained experience working in start-up schools and leading for
equity. Additionally, Linda has experience in school leadership
first as a founding dean of Garfield Charter School in Redwood
City, CA and then as founding principal of the Erie Elementary
Charter School in Chicago. She was most recently at the KIPP
Foundation where she supported the development of the Fisher
Fellows, leaders preparing to open elementary KIPP schools across
the country. Linda obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology
from Williams College and received a Masters in Human Development
& Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
"We can't teach what we don't know, and we can't lead
where we won't go." Malcolm X
Sisa Renie, School Innovation Partner
Sisa has worked toward educational equity for ten years with under-served urban school staff and students both in Chicago and in her native Bay Area. A proud graduate of Chicago’s Academy of Urban School Leadership, Sisa has served as a classroom teacher, induction coach for new teachers, and administrative staffer, and she is committed to success for all students and faculty alike. As an administrative staffer, she led the work for school improvement in 25 Chicago Public Schools through Response to Intervention. Using their strengths, she built capacity in school leaders to create school settings that would promote success for every student. In Sisa’s free time, you can find her visiting her loved ones, reading books with her toddler, and ordering dessert. In her imagination, you can find her flying to Vienna, reading pithy novels, and judiciously exercising away quadruple-digit loads of calories. She has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Teaching from National Louis University.
“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.” – J.K. Rowling
Emily
Schriber, School Innovation Partner
Emily became passionate about working for educational equity
during her time as a Teach For America corps member. She taught
third and fourth grade at Ben Painter Elementary in San Jose.
In this time, her students made significant academic gains in
language arts and math. At Painter, Emily worked as grade-level
chair, leading her grade level to strategically use data and
create standards-based assessments to guide their teaching.
She received her B.A. from the University of New Mexico, where
she led two campus organizations working for social justice.
Emily's interests include hiking, reading and playing with clay.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sarah
Skinner, School Innovation Partner
Sarah began her work for educational equity in 2005, when she
joined Teach For America as a corps member at DJ Meyer Elementary
in San Jose. In her final year of teaching, each of Sarah's
twenty students, mostly English Learners, grew 2-3 years in
reading and the class averaged 98% mastery of the 1st grade
math standards. In 2006, Sarah trained new teachers at the TFA
Los Angeles Summer Institute. Sarah's high expectations, as
well as her passion for teaching second language learners and
early childhood literacy, drive her work towards creating equitable
educational opportunities for all students. Sarah attended Princeton
University where she received a B.A. in history, Spanish Language
and Latin American studies. In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing
outside - running, hiking and skiing.
"Once social change begins it cannot be reversed. You
cannot un-educate the person that has learned to read. You
cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress
the people who are not afraid anymore." Cesar Chavez
Meaghen Spencer,
School Innovation Partner
Meaghen began her teaching career as a Teach For America corps
member in Alum Rock School District in San Jose. During that
time, she served on her school's leadership team as well as
the district technology team. Meaghen helped develop and implement
a peer coaching program at her school that encouraged teachers
to observe and provide feedback to one another. Most recently,
she taught fourth grade in the Houston Independent School District
where her students made significant gains in writing. Meaghen
received her B.S. from Northwestern University and her M.A.
in education policy, organization and leadership from Stanford
University. Outside of work, you can find Meaghen in her kitchen
trying out new recipes with one kid in a high chair and the
other elbow-deep in flour.
"The single greatest effect on student achievement is
not race; it is not poverty it is the effectiveness of the
teacher." Harry K. Wong
Cameron
Stephenson, School Innovation Partner
Cameron joins PartnersSI with over 10 years of experience as
both a teacher and administrator in urban schools. She began
her career as a 3rd/4th grade teacher in Los Angeles with Teach
For America. She then served as a founding staff member of the
East Palo Charter School where she taught 4th grade, served
as the Title I Coordinator and managed the After School Program.
In 2002, Cameron helped to start the first KIPP (Knowledge is
Power Program) school in the Bay Area where she worked for 7
years, primarily as the Assistant Principal. Cameron received
her B.A in political science from Stanford University and her
M.B.A and M.S.W from the University of Michigan. She also completed
the New Leaders for New Schools program in 2003-2004 and earned
her Clear Administrative Credential. In the evenings and on
the weekends, Cameron spends her time chasing after her twin
14-month old boys and trying to find time to read novels and
go to the gym.
"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." John
Cotton Dana
Gretchen
Stewart, Senior Network Design Manager
Gretchen began her work for educational equity in 2002, when
she joined Teach For America as a corps member at Ryan Elementary
School in San Jose. In the years following, Gretchen continued
working to close the achievement gap, teaching second, third
and fourth grade at elementary schools in San Francisco and
Oakland. Gretchen received her B.A. in international relations
from Connecticut College and her multiple subject teaching credential
from San Jose State University. Gretchen enjoys traveling to
places near and far, from picturesque destinations in the Bay
Area to quiet spots off the beaten trail in Southeast Asia.
"Literacy is not a luxury; it is a right and a responsibility."
President Bill Clinton
Lul Tesfai, School Innovation Partner
Lul began her career in education as a Teach For America Corps Member in San Francisco, where she taught 4th and 5th grade at Daniel Webster Elementary School. As an educator, Lul served on her school’s Instructional Leadership Team and also served as grade-level chair. She has worked as an instructional coach at Teach For America’s Los Angeles Institute. Lul is committed to ensuring educational equity for our most underprivileged students and working to diminish the predictive power of demographics. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern University. In her free time, Lul enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading historical non-fiction books.
"The highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others." – Socrates
Alejandra
Villalobos, Development Manager
Before
joining PartnersSI, Alejandra worked for Net Impact, an international
nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate and
equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more
socially and environmentally sustainable world. She developed
Net Impact's 2009-2012 Strategic Plan and managed projects for
leading organizations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation
and the United Nations Global Compact. Alejandra has also consulted
with a firm in Mexico City dedicated to fostering the economic
competitiveness, social cohesion and development of communities.
Originally from Mexico, Alejandra received her B.A. in International
Affairs and M.A. in International Educational Administration
and Policy Analysis from Stanford University. In her spare time,
she can be found volunteering with local organizations, cooking
a recipe she saw on the Food Network, practicing yoga or exploring
the San Francisco art scene.
Ally
Wray-Kirk, School Innovation Partner
Ally has 14 years of experience working in various capacities
on education reform. She began her work in 1996 as a program
coordinator for the California State University's service-learning
pilot program at San Francisco State University collaborating
with students, nonprofit organizations and faculty to develop
and implement programs and courses through the Community Involvement
Center. In 2001, Ally was contracted by San Francisco Upward
Bound programs to develop a summer service-learning internship
program and teach service-learning and leadership to 11th and
12th graders from various San Francisco public high schools.
She launched her teaching career in 2003 with Teach For America,
where she taught elementary school in Chicago. Ally has also
taught 3rd grade in Alum Rock Union Elementary School District
where she was "A.J. Dorsa Elementary Teacher of the Year", a
"Sue Lehman Award Nominee for Excellence in Teaching" and a
"Symantec Innovation in Teaching Award Nominee." Ally also worked
as a 2nd and 3rd grade learning team leader, coaching Teach
For America teachers in San Jose. In 2006, she was awarded a
scholarship to attend the Summer Principals Academy at Teachers
College, Columbia University where she earned her Ed.M. in Education
and Organizational Leadership. At the same time, she worked
with a new school design team and was a founding member of New
Highland Academy, an arts anchor, K-5 elementary school in the
Oakland Unified School district where she served most recently
as the assistant principal. In her spare time, Ally enjoys yoga,
hiking, writing, music, food and wine with friends and family.
"I entered the classroom with the conviction that it was
crucial for me and every other student to be an active participant,
not a passive consumer... [a conception of] education as the
practice of freedom.... education that connects the will to
know with the will to become. Learning is a place where paradise
can be created." bell hooks
