Read more about Angela Taylor here.

Victoria Albaracin grew up in Phoenix Arizona and moved to the Bay Area 16 years ago to play college soccer. She remained in the Bay Area because she says she finally felt like she was “home”. Victoria received her Undergraduate Degree in International Relations and Peace and Justice Studies and her Masters in Urban Education as well as her multiple subject teaching credential from Holy Names University in Oakland. Victoria worked at Park Day School in 2016 as an assistant and has stayed connected to the community since. She has been teaching kindergarten for the last 6 years in the Fruitvale and loves working with the littlest learners. Victoria has worked hard the last few years on building a robust social emotional learning curriculum that included cultural identity development for kindergarteners. She strives to provide an educational experience that reflects the beautiful and diverse community in which we live in. When she is not in the classroom she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and backpacking, and developing her newest hobbies of propagating plants, jewelry making, and sewing her own clothing!

Ozzy Alcala-Enriquez is a proud Bay Area native with deep roots in the local community. He earned his B.S. in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley, focusing on community support and upliftment. His passion for education spans 12 years, during which he has worked with students across various ages and backgrounds. Before transitioning to a Physical Education teacher role in 2022, Ozzy spent a rewarding decade as the after-school program director at the San Leandro Boys and Girls Club. Ozzy joined Park Day School in 2024 with enthusiasm for contributing to a community that values progressive education. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as a Playworks Coach, which has greatly influenced his approach to teaching P.E. At Park Day, Ozzy emphasizes sportsmanship, character building, and equitable opportunities for learning through play. He finds immense joy in helping students build confidence and develop their athletic abilities while also focusing on their mental and social growth. His teaching philosophy aligns with the principles of Progressive Education, fostering an environment where creativity, exploration, and mastery of physical, mental, and social skills are encouraged. Ozzy believes in the value of mistakes as learning opportunities and integrates these beliefs into his classroom practices. His classes are designed to promote an appreciation for rules and diversity, reflecting the progressive model of education that encourages innovative and critical thinking. In his free time, Ozzy enjoys gardening, woodworking, spending quality moments with his family, and walking his three dogs. He has a profound appreciation for nature and diverse cuisines. A dedicated fan of the Raiders, Warriors, and Cal Bears, Ozzy embraces the joy of learning and growth, both in and out of the classroom.

Lisa has been teaching since 1995, just after earning a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from St. Mary’s College. She’s taught at several Bay Area schools, most recently Nea Community Learning Center, Archway Middle School, and Windrush School (2000-2012) where she instructed students in Math, Science, and Performing Arts. Lisa was thrilled to join the Park Day community in 2016 and is looking forward to another fun year.

As a Middle School Math Teacher, Lisa enjoys creating authentic learning opportunities with the students in math class and incorporating projects involving art and design into the curriculum. Lisa has had the opportunity to participate in a number of math professional development programs including Action Research Cohort at Nea, a “teaching fractions” intensive with Professor Wu at UC Berkeley, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference, and the Math Teachers Circle at AIM, a weeklong workshop for math teachers focusing on problem-solving strategies. This past Summer, Lisa participated in a Developmental Designs four day workshop and is excited to implement the curriculum with her Advisory.

When she is not teaching, you might find Lisa running, strolling with her dog, Schatzi, and her two adult children, or performing on a local stage. She has also loved the opportunity to coach track and cross country at Park since 2017 and looks forward to another exciting running season this year!

Hailing from the vibrant port city of Veracruz, Mexico—where European architecture mingles with African influences in language and music —Grecia brings a rich cultural perspective to her work as an educator. Grecia’s journey began in a progressive elementary school, a time she cherishes as her “happy learning days.” That foundation shaped her lifelong passion for creative and immersive education.

Grecia pursued her studies in Film and Communications at the University of Veracruz, specializing in Scientific Film, and went on to work in the Biology department at UNAM. After relocating to the United States to work in post-production, motherhood led her to a new calling. When she realized that her children’s public school needed more exposure to language and culture, she dove into curriculum development in 2005, creating language programs for schools in Oakland, Auburn, and Orinda.

Since then, her teaching has flourished. After reading Tom Little’s book more than a decade ago, she was inspired to bring her love for language and culture to Park Day School, where she has taught since 2017. In her classroom, language is a powerful branch of identity. Grecia guides her students to explore how Spanish-speaking countries, through the integration of native words, express culture, and heritage. Her lessons are aligned with the Learning for Justice curriculum and world language standards, always focusing on each child’s unique identity.

In addition to teaching, Grecia loves working with her hands—whether through embroidery, ceramics, printing, or puzzles. She infuses that same creative energy into her classroom, helping students discover their passions and identities through hands-on learning.

Julie has a Masters Degree in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education and a graduate-level certificate in educational therapy from Holy Names University. She is thrilled to be coming back to Park Day School after taking the last six years to develop her educational therapy private practice. Julie worked as a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Park Day for 13 years. Before that, she taught in myriad educational settings, including special education and bilingual schools. When she is not working, Julie enjoys watching both her sons play baseball, going for hikes with her dog, and camping with her partner.

Lauren was born and raised in the Bay Area, and went north to Chico State University where she graduated with a BA in French and a BS in Computer Animation. During college, she studied abroad for a year at Université Paris 8, Saint Denis in France. While in France, she had the amazing opportunity to care for and teach English to young children. Ultimately she decided to pursue a career in education and is currently enrolled in a Masters in Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program through the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI). In her free time Lauren likes to study languages, do art projects, and cuddle her cats.

Sofia Butler grew up all over, living in Italy, Mexico, Boston, and Tulsa, before moving to the Bay Area for high school. After studying Education and Human Development with a Specialization in Youth Justice and Advocacy at Boston University, Sofia was called back to California, the one place that makes her heart the happiest. She stumbled into the magic family of Park Day through the recommendation of one of the families here at the school. She could not be more grateful to have landed in this beautiful place. Sofia splits her time between working in the Admissions department and being an ASAP teacher. She loves getting to work in two different parts of this community. In the past, Sofia has worked in a variety of youth serving settings, including Zumix! East Boston, Piedmont Unified School District, and Slide Ranch. Sofia believes in the importance of placing the child at the center of the learning experience, and allowing youth to engage with the world through curiosity, compassion, play, and connection. In her free time, Sofia writes music and poetry, cooks, and gets into nature as much as she can. She loves to hike, camp, explore new parts of California, paint, and dance her heart out. You can almost always find her in the trees or near a body of water with a book. She cannot wait to welcome you to Park Day!

Jalen started working at Park Day School in 2014. A Park Day alum, he has worked with students for the majority of his career both at Park Day, and at Steve and Kate’s camp on the Park Day campus. His constant goal is to facilitate a fun, safe environment in which kids can play and connect with each other. He particularly enjoys art and is thrilled to be contributing to his alma mater!

Jennifer has been following her interests in creating, designing, fixing, building and growing things since she was young, and is delighted to be able to do all those things at Park Day School, especially when kids are involved. Jennifer has been at Park Day School since 2012. She was instrumental in starting the gardening program and later took over as the learning gardening teacher. As she taught, Jennifer also spearheaded and managed various projects on campus, from the Innovation Workshop to the chicken coop, yurt, and the rainwater catchment system, and has worked with students to build many campus projects.

Jennifer received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, and later completed graduate work in Architecture and Planning at U.C. Berkeley. She has over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential design, construction and project management, sustainable and green building design, and community organizing and public speaking. An avid gardener, cook, and maker, Jennifer is the mother of 2 wonderful children (both Park alums) and loves spending time outdoors with her family and friends.

Bio to come.

Hannah has been a landscape designer/gardener by profession since finishing the Merritt College Landscape Design program in 1988. Prior to that she received a BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts (now CCA) after moving from Virginia at 19. She has been caring for our beautiful grounds since her oldest son came to Park for kindergarten in 1999. Hannah worked on the PDS annual Garden Tour fundraiser for over a decade: chairing, selecting gardens and editing the booklet. She is dedicated to preserving the grounds as a green oasis in the middle of Oakland and as an inspiring outdoor classroom.

When not at Park she designs and maintains small residential gardens for private clients. Soon to be an “empty nester” with her husband, Mark, she hopes to find some time to get back to making art, doing some creative writing, and traveling a bit. Both of their sons are Park Day alums.

Terri was born and raised in Maryland, attended college in Pennsylvania, and settled in the Bay Area many years ago. She comes to Park Day School with more than six years of experience as an elementary school Garden Educator. Terri piloted the Garden Education program that is now in place at 10 schools in her prior district. She helped develop and implement curriculum for K-5 students with an emphasis on NGSS in the garden. Some of her favorite parts of being an educator are making connections with the students, providing lessons that embrace all types of learning styles, and being a positive influence in the lives of her students. She looks forward to teaching creative, engaging lessons and collaborating with grade-level teachers to provide cross-curricular connections for the students.

One of Terri’s favorite garden activities is harvesting from the garden and cooking with students. She believes that if students learn where their food comes from, understand the process to grow and care for plants, and take part in cooking what they grow, then they will enjoy eating healthy foods.

During the pandemic, Terri felt a need to connect with her community and to get people outside and gardening. She started a plant and seed swap for neighbors to stop by and trade or start their own gardening adventure. In addition to the swap, she has an Instagram page where communities can resource gardening tips and connect. Terri hopes to build on the plant swap and create a crop swap to provide mutual aid for the underserved in her community.

Terri enjoys gardening, cooking, community building, creating mixed media artwork, and gathering with friends and family. Terri and her husband Terry have two sons, five chickens, a dog and a cat.

Ashley has held multiple roles at Park Day including Dean of Students and Athletics Director. She is delighted to be Director of Auxiliary Programming and oversees the after school, camps, and athletics programs at Park Day while also working as an admissions associate in the enrollment office. Prior to joining Park Day School in 2018, Ashley taught upper grade elementary school in Berkeley and Oakland for nine years. During her time teaching in the Bay Area she has developed her passion for and acuity at helping students grow into socially responsible, fulfilled and achieving students. While teaching at Oxford Elementary, Ashley served as Equity Teacher Lead and Technology Teacher Lead. At Crocker Highlands Elementary she was selected to model Caring School Community curriculum, a strategy for creating inclusive and socially/emotionally skillful student communities, for the district.

Ashley played basketball at Holy Names University where she later earned her M.A. in Urban Education. Ashley enjoys any kind of physical activity with her dog Peppy, watching the Warriors dominate and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her newborn daughter and young son.

Ana Luisa Gainza López is from Venezuela and moved to California in February of 2023. She has an associates in Graphic Design and has been tutoring, teaching, and supervising kids since 2012. Her first job was tutoring at an afterschool, helping students with their homework in many subjects, including basic English. After getting her certificate in Advanced English, she became an English tutor.

Ana joined Park Day School in 2023, and loves working here. She loves working as an ASAP teacher where she gets to see how excited the students are to play on campus and show off what they have learned in their classes. It’s great to watch them all develop over the school year into such amazing, and extra creative little humans!

In her free time, Ana loves calligraphy, poetry, writing, as well as singing, dancing, movies, video games, and spending quality time with family, and loved ones. She loves animals and food, especially seafood!

Jaliene was born and raised in Oakland. While in college attending nursing school, she discovered that she had a passion for education and helping children develop social and emotional skills. She switched her major to Early Childhood Development at Chabot College. Jaliene volunteered at a local elementary school as a tutor and went on to be hired as a TK Assistant where she has worked for the past 8 years in the Fruitvale district. She loves working and being creative with the little ones. In her free time, Jaliene enjoys spending time with her one year old, Oscar Gael. They both enjoy being outdoors in nature exploring or playing with balls and cars.

Tatiana was born and raised in Kyrgyzstan. After finishing high school she graduated from Kyrgyz State University with a Master’s Degree as a teacher of Russian language and literature. She taught in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, for 10 years before moving to the US in 2001. In the United States she began work as an accountant, and loves working at Park Day School. In her free time she takes walks with her sons and two dogs. She loves traveling and reading books, and most of all, yoga.

Julia joins Park Day after spending her first year in the classroom as an Assistant Teacher at Creative Arts Charter School in San Francisco.

While earning her B.A. in Communications from CSU Sacramento, Julia’s work as a nanny and tutor illustrated to her the importance of building community to best nurture and guide young minds. After a career in public relations and home design, she is excited to begin a new chapter with a commitment to inclusive and community-centric education.

Julia is currently pursuing her master’s in teaching and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential through the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI) at Holy Names University. Outside of the classroom, Julia is happiest outdoors whether skiing, hiking, swimming, or horseback riding. She loves to learn from and experience different cultures by way of travel and adventure. Enjoying delicious food and sunshine with family and friends is her idea of a perfect day.

Jules is delighted to be working with her favorite age group, Middle Schoolers, and to be working at a progressive school like Park Day School which holds students at the center of learning. A product of independent schools, Jules entered the field of education to ensure all students in independent schools were able to access equitable and inclusive communities. Jules taught Middle School History at Hillbrook school for nearly 7 years, and was the founding Director of Diversity there. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in history, focusing on Asian and Islamic Studies, and a Master’s in History Education from San Jose State University. Her love for equity, inclusion and social emotional learning lead her to want to explore Equity and Inclusion work, and she has spent the past two years at Drew School, as the Director of Equity and Inclusion. In conjunction with campus wide equity work, Jules was able to explore the world of Social Entrepreneurship, bringing real world learning and experiences to students. In addition to her work in teaching and leading equity efforts, Jules has been a frequent conference speaker and teacher coach. She is excited to be returning to a Middle School environment, and values holding space for faculty, staff and students to have the hard conversations that are deeply necessary to move equity work forward, and support continual student growth academically and personally. Jules sees progressive education as deeply important to help students foster skills to figure out how they learn best, while helping them develop empathy and curiosity towards differences. She appreciates that school is a place for students to take these learnings and try, make mistakes, and get messy in an environment of trust, safety and support. In her personal life, Jules has been a golfer since the age of 7 and continues to teach anyone who is willing to join on the course! She loves food, coffee, cooking, coffee and more coffee!

Yesenia (Yessy) was born and raised in Oakland. She graduated from SFSU with a BA in Child and Adolescence Development and has been working in education since 2016. While getting her degree at SFSU, Yessy interned at a preschool which sparked her interest in teaching. Yessy’s favorite thing about 1st grade is being able to connect with the kids and having moments of laughter and hugs. She also enjoys being able to see the kids’ joy in learning new things and hearing the kiddos’ connections with what they are learning.

Even before she started teaching at Park Day, Yessy was part of the Park Day community. Her father started working in the Park Day kitchen in 2011, and Yessy would volunteer in the kitchen during her free time. She then worked at Steve and Kate’s summer camp on the Park Day campus for 4 years, then became a Park Day substitute teacher, an ASAP teacher, and an Assistant Teacher in 1st grade beginning in 2021.

In her free time Yessy loves to craft, draw, build legos, collect hot wheels, go to concerts, explore new food places, hang out with her sisters and hang out with friends.

Bio to come.

Jeanine Harmon has over 25 years of experience working in both public and private schools as a classroom teacher, administrator, and consultant. Prior to joining the Park Day School as Director of Community Outreach and Service Learning in 2009, Jeanine was the public school liaison for the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI).

Jeanine has taught courses for student teachers in math and science curriculum development at St. Mary’s College in Moraga. She has a master’s degree in Educational Technology from San Francisco State University and is rarely seen without her camera. Jeanine enjoys working with PDS staff and students to design service learning projects that connect the students with the local community and the world at large.

Marisa joined the Park Day School community in 2019. She is passionate about mentoring and teaching students and athletes to help them achieve their goals. She is currently working on her Single Subject Physical Education credential at Touro University in Vallejo, CA. Prior to Park Day, she was a substitute teacher for Vallejo Unified School District. She is proud to now call the east bay home where she referees high school basketball and also coaches for the Golden State Warriors Jr. NBA camps.

Dani grew up in the Bay Area and attended college at Holy Names University, where she earned a degree in Psychology. She played soccer for HNU and became involved in the theater program. This is Dani’s 10th year at Park Day School. She has been the After School Director, an assistant teacher in 2nd and 1st grade, a middle school PE teacher, and a first grade teacher. Now she is loving life teaching her sweet little Kindergartners. Dani’s favorite part of her job is connecting with the kids and seeing their “aha” moment when learning something new.

In her free time, Dani loves to sing, craft, bake cookies, act, and play soccer. Dani has two beautiful daughters named Hayley and Rosalee, and a wonderfully supportive husband named Adrian. She loves to spend time with her family in nature, especially the redwoods.

Devin was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN by a community of teachers. He graduated from Macalester College in Minnesota where he studied education and creative writing. Before joining Park Day in 2014, Devin taught in a variety of educational settings ranging from running his own 5th grade classroom, to coaching soccer, to creating and implementing educational programming for youth and their parents at Planned Parenthood.

Devin earned his Masters Degree in Education through the BATTI program, which he completed in May 2016. When he’s not in the classroom, Devin can be found building forts and eating burritos with his three daughters. He can also be found laughing with his wife at the number of young children they have. If you look hard enough, you’ll hopefully see him playing more soccer again.

Victoria is an Oakland native who joined Park Day in 2014. Victoria has over 15 years working in education, partnering with children and their families. Prior to working at Park Day, Victoria worked as a preschool teacher at The Child Day Schools in San Ramon. She also worked as an after school teacher for a non-profit program called Ala Costa Center, where she worked with children and teens with developmental disabilities. Victoria attended California State of the East Bay, and earned her degree in Human Development. Victoria loves spending her weekends in the outdoors with her daughter, swimming, hiking and biking! Victoria is also a foodie, and loves all things from the 80’s and 90’s.

Hal is simply delighted to be joining the community at Park Day School! He has worked with students in classrooms and beyond them, both as a teacher at King’s Academy in Jordan and as a longtime counselor and archivist with the Aloha Foundation in Fairlee, Vermont. He is thrilled to finally get into the middle school game after spending so many summers playing, laughing, and trying to keep up with that age group. Hal received a B.A. in Religion from Middlebury College and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. He is passionate about history education as a collaborative practice that creates the contexts necessary to understand our present moment and fosters the critical skills and imaginative capacity to grow into a different future. When not in the classroom, he loves to do hot yoga, solve crosswords, and support his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Carrie has lived in the Bay Area since 1979. She earned a B.A. magna cum laude in Drama, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, at San Francisco State University. She began her teaching career in the Creative Writing department at S.F.S.U. in 1995. After several years of teaching and tutoring, she completed her Educational Therapy Certificate program with UC Berkeley Extended Education, then completed supervised clinical hours to become a Professional-level member of the Association of Educational Therapists. Other professional highlights include: teaching at Everett Middle School as a member of San Francisco WritersCorps/Americorps, directing and teaching drama as a Teaching Artist with Walnut Creek Civic Arts, and classroom teaching at Raskob Day School and Bayhill High School. She was a Learning Specialist at The Mills College Children’s School, conducted psycho-educational assessments for The Ann Martin Children’s Center and in her educational therapy private practice, and was the District Reading Specialist in Piedmont Unified’s Special Education Department for many years. Carrie joined Park Day School in 2018, lured by the school’s purpose, history and joyful environment. She has published poems, essays, articles, and short fiction, and her plays have been seen in local theaters, where she occasionally performs. She was a founding board member of Twins by the Bay, a local support group for parents of twins. In her free time she is often traveling, at the theater, riding a bike, or swimming.

Scott is an Oakland native and a product of Oakland public schools who loves the joy and wonder of the Park Day community. Since joining Park in 2020, Scott has loved teaching 5th and 6th grades, coaching during the Flag Football season, and leading the Black student affinity group. He is passionate about empathy, equity, community, and seeing students realize their potential as learners and people. He looks forward to collaborating with the greater Park Day community to ensure all students achieve their goals, are seen, held, and understood, and are safe to explore their curiosities. Connecting with students by finding common interests and learning about their hobbies and identities outside the classroom inspires him. On any given day, you may find him leading sing-alongs, dance parties, or creative games with students across all grades. Also a professional entertainer, Scott can be seen on a bandstand behind a drum set or a microphone when not on campus, entertaining crowds across the Bay Area and beyond.

Fun Fact: Scott has a collection of over 600 Funko pops!

Prior to joining the Park Day School staff in 2017, Jill served as the first female Executive Director of the USS Hornet in Alameda. Before that, she was the Chief Finance and Operations Officer of the Chabot Space and Science Center. In both of these previous positions, an area of focus beyond finance and operations was advancing these organizations’ skills and capacities in the area of STEM education.

Maria was born in Guatemala and has spent her life travelling and living in various locations. She has a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies & Spanish from the University of Oregon and an MBA with a focus on Sustainable Business from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She recently moved back to Berkeley from Sweden, where she taught for five years in various grades as an instructional assistant and interim lead teacher at an International Baccalaureate School. There, she was privileged to meet and support wonderful students and families from all over the world. She’s also worked as a baker and gardener. She has two lively teenage girls, an adorable black cat and has recently started making pottery. She loves cooking, hiking, swimming in lakes, and most of all, discovering new places.

Susan has taught second grade at Park Day School since 2004. She loves working at Park Day because of the child-centered focus and the joyful learning environment that is co-created between students and faculty. An aspect of Park Day’s progressive education that she especially values is its emphasis on growth mindset and social justice. She grew up in Southern California, and received her Bachelors as a double major from U.C.L.A. in Psychology and Asian American Studies. After teaching English to elementary and middle school children in Japan, she earned her California multi-subject teaching credential and M.E.D. from U.C. Berkeley through U.C.B’s Developmental Teacher Education program. She is a teacher consultant for the Bay Area Writing Project, co-coordinates BAWP Young Writers Camps, and enjoys spending summers teaching writing to enthusiastic Young Writers. She has also participated as a fellow with the Agency by Design Fellowship in Oakland.

Miguelito Martinez, originally from Chiapas, Mexico, studied Music Education and Transversal Flute at the University of Science and Art in Chiapas and La Universidad Veracruzana. He is trained in Kodaly and Dalcroze music methodology and has his Orff Schulwerk music certification from the San Francisco Orff International Levels, as well as hands-on experience in Orff-Schulwerk and African Indigenous Music Education in Ghana. Miguelito has extensive experience teaching multicultural music, from preschool to post-graduate level, in Mexico, Cuba, and the US. He has also been a guest clinician for the AOSA (American Orff-Schulwerk Association), CMEA (California Music Education Association), and Oakland Unified District.

Miguelito has worked as a music teacher specialist for Young Imagination, East Bay Center for Performing Arts, and Youth in Arts, teaching all over the Bay Area from kindergarten to high school. He has also been a guest lecturer for universities such as San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, San Jose State, UC Santa Cruz, Fresno State, and San Francisco City College. For many years, he worked at Escuela Bilingue Internacional, developing an IB (International Baccalaureate) music curriculum. In 2009, he was selected by the Milagro Foundation to appear on the Voces del Cambio show on the Discovery Channel, sharing his insights on how to use music to help newcomer children from Latin America integrate into their new community.

Miguelito has been a music teacher and multicultural arts educator in the Bay Area since 2004 and currently works as the middle school music teacher specialist at Park Day School in Oakland, CA. In his free time, he loves to travel and cook with his family.

Michelle was born in Irumagawa, Honshu, Japan and moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts when she was three years old, later moving with her parents to Northern California. From Japan to Cape Cod to the East Bay, through her exposure to a wide variety of cultures and experiences, she enveloped the concept of E Pluribus Unum (many uniting into one), the axle from which her teaching philosophy and curriculum stem. Teaching is her route to help build cultural bridges of understanding for young minds to traverse while they are developing empathy and learning to embrace diversity. Michelle attended UC Berkeley for her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications and later completed the multi-subject credentialing program at San Francisco State. Through the program, Teachers of Color in Independent Schools, Michelle taught at The Hamlin School for Girls in San Francisco, and later, The East Bay Sierra School (currently Prospect Sierra) before coming to Park Day in 1992. During her sabbatical year at Park, Michelle was accepted for a research fellowship with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance Project in Montgomery, Alabama. There she wrote literary reviews for classroom and professional development material, published articles, led classroom workshops, and made presentations at southern universities. Michelle has been trained as a teacher consultant for UC Berkeley’s Bay Area Writing Project, and brings this program to teachers in Oakland through workshops, and students during the summer through BAWP’s Young Writer’s Camp. Michelle has two sons, Alessio and Nolan, the latter a PDS alum. Michelle enjoys beading, reading, nature, photography and digital art, attending plays, scrapbooking and writing.

Cassandra came to Park Day School in 1997 having worked for years in the Astronomy Dept at UCB. She was drawn to Park Day because she wanted to be a part of a workplace community, especially one that dedicated itself to the important work of educating children. Since coming to Park Day, Cassandra has been an important member of our Diversity and Justice Alliance Committee. She is proud of the work that the DJA does bringing the questions to the community about issues of race and equity.

Elizabeth grew up on the east coast and in the West Indies, on the small island of Bequia. It was there that her love of teaching was born as she volunteered at a small local school. Elizabeth graduated from Guilford College, a Friends school in North Carolina, with a BA in socio-anthropology. She received her Masters in Early Childhood Education from Norfolk State University. Before moving to Oakland, Elizabeth taught kindergarten for 12 years in the public school system in Norfolk, VA. Elizabeth has been at Park Day School since 2011.

When she’s not teaching, Elizabeth enjoys singing, reading, traveling, and being silly with her son Toby, an alumni student from Park Day School.

Check out Elizabeth’s Teacher Spotlight

Emma earned her BA in Performance Studies from UC Berkeley and her MS in Counseling/MFT from CSU East Bay. Most recently, she has worked as a school counselor in the San Lorenzo Unified School District in both elementary and middle schools. Emma is experienced with both restorative practices and trauma-informed practices.

Matthew was raised across the street from the beach in the small town of Morro Bay, but has found a home here in the Bay Area. He has always needed to live near the water, so he attended University of Hawaii at Manoa and San Francisco State University. When he was an early teen, he started helping his mom at summer camps, which is where he first realized the joy of working with kids. That joy has never left, and he couldn’t be more excited to go into his sixth year of teaching here at Park Day School. In his free time he enjoys soccer, golf, baking, reading, working out, and almost any boarding activity.

Chris grew up with her younger brother and sister in San Francisco — the feral children of local street level superstar musician The Space Lady — and went on to graduate from UNLV with an interdisciplinary degree in Cultural Studies.

After beginning her career as a teacher and athletic coach in southern California, she returned to the Bay Area and joined the crew of the USS Hornet Museum. As Senior Director of Visitor Experience, she supported educational programing aboard the historic aircraft carrier best known for its role in the recovery of the Apollo 11 & 12 astronauts after the first manned lunar landing missions.

Chris was excited to find her home at Park Day School in 2018 — the kind of school her parents, themselves children of the counterculture, would have chosen for her. Chris is honored to lead the school’s fundraising efforts with the Annual Fund, plan events such as the Sneaker Ball Gala & Auction, and the beloved Read-a-Thon, oversee ParentSquare communications, and support our devoted parent volunteers.

Chris enjoys playing volleyball, binge watching both lowbrow and high-concept tv, and she inherited an obsession with the music of the golden age of Motown and ’70s Rock & Roll. She lives in Alameda with her husband, Lance. She’s a proud mom of grown children, Skyler and Anika, and a reluctant caretaker of the family’s obnoxious tuxedo cat, Oreo.

Sara is originally from Richmond, Virginia but has been in California for almost half her life. She moved to Truckee to teach elementary school, climb rocks, and enjoy running in the mountains after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in Psychology and a Master’s in Teaching. Sara became interested in the field of educational therapy around 2012 after almost a decade in the classroom. Working with students with neurodiversity and their families has become her life’s work and fills her cup. In her free time she is hanging with her high school daughters, husband, or animals, exercising, or all of the above!

Denise has worked at Park Day School since 2014 and has taught first and third grades. She loves progressive education and is passionate about weaving social justice, academics and social emotional skills into great projects. She has a background in theater and received her BFA in acting from UC Santa Barbara, and her MFA in acting from the University of Delaware. She lived in New York City where she was a playwright and director, and then moved back to the Bay Area, where she fell in love with Park Day School. She has an awesome kiddo named Sage and still loves to do theater in the summer.

Originally from San Diego, Lisa has been an Oakland resident for over two decades, and a member of the Park Day community since 2018. She is a professional painter who has taught art in the Bay Area for over 16 years, in independent school as well as through the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland. She holds a BFA in studio art from Mills College and an MA in art and art education from the Teachers College in New York. Lisa started making art when she was about three years old with her grandparents, both of whom were artists. She believes in the power of the arts to transform, to inspire, to imagine, to bring people together, and in the words of Toni Cade Bambara to “make the revolution irresistible.”
When Lisa isn’t painting or teaching art she is spending time with her family, including her son, hiking, cooking, gardening, and dancing. She has enjoyed the study of African Brazilian and Haitian dance for 20 years.

Talia was born and raised in Oakland. She’s lived in Chicago, New York, and Baltimore but returning to the Bay Area was always part of her plan. She received her BFA in Acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University. She’s found a passion for introducing young people to acting and the art of storytelling. She has taught youth at Children’s Fairyland during both Summer Theatre Camp and Children’s Theatre. While Performing Arts education has been her focus, she has also worked as a preschool teacher’s aid and five years in childcare. She is thrilled to join the Park Day School family.

Claudia (she/they) graduated from Stanford University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems, joined the Park Day School community in 2019, and earned a Master’s in Education from the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI) in 2021. Claudia enjoys reading science fiction, going to the Exploratorium, kayaking and hiking, and being a lifelong learner alongside her students.

Alisa joined the staff of Park Day in 2014. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY and fell in love with Spanish in the fourth grade through a weekly class offered in her school. She told her parents she was going to live in a Spanish speaking country one day and since then, has traveled or lived in Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, and El Salvador. Alisa went to Boston University, where she received her teaching degree in elementary and special education. One of her first jobs as a young teacher in California was teaching Spanish at the Walden School in Berkeley, where she was deeply and permanently impacted by progressive education. After seven years at Walden, Alisa went on to teach Spanish and music in a number of other schools in the East Bay, including Manzanita SEED Dual Immersion Elementary School in Oakland. Through her work with an organization called Guitars In The Classroom, she has taught many classroom teachers throughout the Bay Area to play guitar and integrate music into all aspects of their curriculum. In 2015, Alisa earned her Masters in Education with a concentration in Language and Literacy.

Alisa was a founding member of the performing group Colibrí, with whom she performed Latin American folkloric music for twenty years and currently performs with the Andean music ensemble Anqari. Alisa lives in Berkeley and also spends as much time as she can in her other home in Otavalo, Ecuador, where she is involved in several musical and educational projects.

Margaret joined the Park Day School staff in 2016 and brings more than two decades of experience working as a teacher and senior administrator in public and private schools in New York City and San Francisco. Formerly the Assistant Head of School, Margaret is now the High School Transition Counselor and also works in Admissions at Park Day School. Before joining PDS, she worked for 12 years at Children’s Day School in San Francisco, most recently holding the role of Early Childhood Program Director where she served on the senior administrative team, led the early childhood program staff, ran parent education and and professional development initiatives, participated on the board, and collaborated with staff and families to meet student needs. Margaret brings to Park Day deep passion for partnering with families, progressive and child-centered education, a commitment to social justice, and dedication to helping children see that one little person can make a difference in the world. She holds an M.S. Ed in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education and earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington. Margaret lives a few blocks from the house where she grew up in Oakland with her husband, Noah, and two children, Zach (PDS class of 2023) and Sebastian (PDS class of 2027). When she’s not at school, Margaret enjoys yoga, walking, reading, cheering the Warriors, and leading tadpole-finding expeditions in the hills of Berkeley and Oakland.

Samara enjoys helping students deepen their love of learning, find the beauty in math, and open their eyes to new perspectives. Born, raised, and educated at an independent progressive school in New York City, Samara is excited to be returning to her roots and teaching her favorite grade at Park Day School. She joined the staff in 2023 after teaching at the elementary level in Oakland Unified School District for 15 years. Samara earned a BA in creative writing and Latin American studies from Oberlin College, a masters degree from UC Berkeley in their Developmental Teacher Education Program, and a Spanish-English bilingual teaching credential from the state of California. Outside of Park Day, you may find Samara reading middle-grade fiction, caring for her collection of furry critters, crafting, camping, gardening, hiking and generally exploring the Bay Area and beyond with her wife and three children.

Cristina was born in Puerto Rico and still has all of her family there. She loves the Island’s warm ocean breeze. Her first degree was a BBA, in Marketing. She worked in the field for a few years before hearing the call to pursue her real passion. That’s when she moved to San Francisco to attend the San Francisco Art Institute, were she obtained a BFA, in Sculpture and Photography and MFA, in Sculpture.

Cristina’s first teaching experience was at Creativity Explored, a San Francisco non- profit that helps people with disabilities become artists within their own right. “These artists with disabilities are true to who they are,” says Cristina. “They aren’t afraid to create. Experimenting with materials gives them freedom and joy.” Cristina’s artwork resonates with this joy; the playfulness and the process of experimentation. She has been teaching Art to children for over a decade, and joined Park Day School in January 2013.

At the heart of Ilya’s educational practice is a deep curiosity about out how things work, whether it is a child’s approach to problem solving or an engineering design solution. Ilya has worked with children and educators for over three decades, in school and non-school settings. As the director of Park Day School’s Design+Make+Engage program and the Innovation Workshop, Ilya provides integrated and collaborative programming supporting STEM, community service and social justice curricula. In addition, Ilya is a member of the Agency by Design Oakland leadership team, facilitating a teacher fellowship in maker-centered learning classroom practices. Ilya was a Maker Leader for Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Project Zero, Agency by Design, a research project exploring the promises and practices of maker-centered learning. She has also been an instructional coach for the HGSE online course, Thinking and Learning in the Maker-Centered Classroom. Previously, Ilya founded Park Day School’s Learning Resource Program, one of the first in Bay Area independent schools. She has taught for the Boston Children’s Museum, Ullens School in Nepal, and the Sonoma State University Maker Certificate program. Ilya’s lifelong learning includes B.A. Studio Art/Art History; M.A. Special Education and Certificate in Educational Therapy; extensive trainings in neuropsychological perspectives and addressing learning differences; and a host of workshops related to industrial arts, digital fabrication, and maker-centered learning. Ilya joined Park Day School in 1989.

Jackie joined Park Day School in 2017. She has more than 20 years experience teaching music to preschoolers through adults, most recently serving as Teacher and Music Program Director at Escuela Bilinque Internacional (EBI) for 10 years. Jackie holds a BA from Holy Names College / Music and Arts Insitute of San Francisco and completed Orff-Schulwerk teaching certification from Dominican College, San Francisco. She is also an accomplished performer and continues to keep that aspect of her musicianship alive. Recently, Jackie studied music in Ghana with a group of teachers that included Jim Santi-Owen, our former middle school music teacher. Jackie will bring her Venezuelan culture and expertise to our music program, as well as incorporate robust Spanish language learning. She has been a highly sought after presenter, inspiring teachers around the world. Jackie will bring much joy and heart to our program and community. She is creative, passionate and her approach fits beautifully with Park Day’s progressive model.

Paul has over two decades of experience in education and has been a member of the Park Day School community since 2019. His professional philosophy is based on the constructivist teaching model. He is a relational teacher and seeks to provide connection for students, drawing on promoting the growth mindset and implementing the Responsive Classroom model. His teaching has a strong emphasis on integrating science and outdoor education with literacy, social studies, and mathematics. Paul rigorously utilizes professional development to find the best practices to reach and teach all of his students and to make all students feel included. He applies strands from various methodologies in his classroom, such as Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD), and the Daily Five. He has incorporated service-learning projects for the environment into the classroom curriculum. Paul believes that It is vital for all children to know that we are all part of the community and that we must all give service to the community. His Master of Arts degree from San Francisco State is in Education, with a special emphasis on multicultural education, and his thesis was “Student Video Production in an Urban Classroom: Effects on Language Arts Skills and Family Involvement” (2003). Paul also earned a Clear, CLAD Multiple Subject Credential from San Francisco State. His Bachelor of Arts degree is in Social Sciences from UC Berkeley with a minor in Ethnic Studies. He also has a background in film and video production, which include co-producing an award-winning documentary. Paul has great interest in using video as an educational tool. Outside of school, he enjoys bicycling and being a radio DJ on a monthly radio program called The Groovy Record Show. He lives in Berkeley with his wife.

Born in Washington, D.C., Andrew was raised in small-town Pennsylvania in an area that is affectionately called “the Wilds”. Educated at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, he has taught a variety of grade levels at a number of independent schools in the East Bay and Seattle areas. Andrew joined Park Day School in 2015. In addition to teaching, Andrew helps lead youth outdoor programs in the California wilderness.

When not teaching, Andrew can be found avoiding long lines, chasing his kids in the backyard, fixing something on his house, walking in the woods, listening to music a little too loud, or dreaming of big league baseball.

Arjuna is a proud parent of two daughters and a committed educator with 20+ years of experience in school and community-based nonprofit leadership across the Bay Area. A proud CCSF and SFSU graduate with a degree in Child and Adolescent Development, Arjuna brings a love for creating dynamic, equity-based school experiences and systems. Arjuna’s passion for equity design is deeply rooted in his mixed race identity and experience attending 11 public schools across 5 states. Before joining Park Day’s administrative team in 2019 as the founding Director of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), Arjuna went from being a resident artist, teaching breakin’, to various leadership positions in preschool, afterschool, and school admissions and enrollment. Arjuna is most passionate about collaborating directly with students and teachers and uses the power of digital media and audio storytelling to center student voice “…from the margins of our school and community” in critical conversations about identity, equity, justice and belonging – tune in to Park Day’s student podcast! Outside (and sometimes inside) of school, Arjuna is a fervent football freestyler, DJ and avid vinyl record collector. Recently, he’s challenging himself to learn to play afrobeat drum patterns in the style of Tony Allen.

Monica earned her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential through the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute and holds a Bachelor Degree in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz. Prior to joining Park Day School in 2020, Monica taught 1st and 2nd Grade for 8 years at private schools in the Bay Area. Prior to that, she was an outdoor educator for grades K-12 at AstroCamp, the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, and UCSC Arboretum. She also has 8 years of experience growing native plants for habitat restoration and leading volunteer programs. When she is not teaching, Monica enjoys spending time camping with her family, growing food and tending her garden, and connecting with friends in parks around the bay.

Professionally, Josie has been working in youth-serving organizations for more than 20 years, and has been at Park Day since 2016. She is a proud Park Day School alum, and credits her Park Day educators with teaching her how to love learning, approach challenges with creativity and kindness, and stand up and take action when something isn’t right. She graduated from Cornell University, and taught English and Creative Writing at the University of Montana where she received her MFA. An avid cook and former food writer, Josie adores cooking with kids and appreciates all Park Day’s farm to table projects.

Curious about the “AG” in Josie’s last name? It’s not a case of wacky middle initials or a stint as Attorney General. Josie grew up with a hyphenated last name (commonly shortened to A-G when she was a child). When Josie and her husband got married, they decided to blend last names. Now she, her husband, and two daughters all have the last name AG Shapiro! Does it confuse some people? Yes. Do they still love their last name? Also yes.

As a lifelong Californian, Jen grew up in a beach town in Orange County; however, it wasn’t until she made her way to Northern California for school, that she discovered her true home in the Bay Area. With a B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University and an M.A. in Education and Teaching (along with a C.L.A.D. Multiple Subject Teaching Credential) from the University of San Francisco, Jen has been inspiring young minds since 2006. Before joining Park Day School in 2018, Jen taught Middle School English at a progressive, independent school in San Francisco as well as upper elementary grades on the Peninsula.

Jen is an educator committed to helping students become curious, confident lifelong learners who are ready to make a difference in their communities. She especially enjoys guiding middle schoolers as they navigate the twists and turns of growing up, using the power of words—both written and spoken. Her classes are all about critical thinking, skill-building, and meaningful conversations, leaving her students with a deeper respect for themselves, each other, and the world around them.

When she’s not in the classroom, you might spot Jen and her husband biking around Alameda or strolling with their two adorable pups, Tucci and Luna, along the beach. She’s all about spicy food, getting lost in a good book, practicing Pilates, and never passing up a treasure hunt in antique shops.

Born and raised on the coast in the Pacific Northwest, Sarah graduated with her Bachelors of Arts degree in 2001 from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Feeling pulled to make a choice between teaching and psychology, she chose psychology and graduated in 2007 from John F. Kennedy University with her Masters degree in Counseling Psychology-Holistic (integrating body, mind, spirit, and culture). She provided individual, couples, family and child therapy before before getting hired as an Inclusion Facilitator (one-on-one aide). In this role she was able to fuse together the two areas she loved: teaching and holistic psychology. During that time she also assisted in the classroom as well as substitute taught. Sarah has been working in both private and public schools since 2002 and has been at Park Day School since 2014.

In her free time Sarah enjoys crafting (knitting, crocheting, quilting, making necklaces and hair accessories), going to concerts, and supporting local sports teams at games (go A’s)! She especially enjoys spending time with family and friends, and visiting Washington and the ocean as much as possible.

Rachel has had many roles at Park Day School over the years, including Teaching Assistant, 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher, 6th grade Humanities Teacher, and now 5th and 6th Grade History/Social Studies Teacher! She is partial to the middle grades’ combination of openness, enthusiasm, and sense of humor. Rachel’s undergraduate focus was Gender and Ethnicity in a Post-Colonial Context at Wesleyan University, her teacher training was at Mills College, and her perspective was also informed by a study of the African Diaspora in Cape Coast, Ghana. In her History/Social Studies class, Rachel asks her students to be curious, courageous and caring, in order to form a strong, supportive, and joyful learning community. Outside of class, she is an audiobook and podcast enthusiast. She lives in the Dimond district with her husband, a Park Day first grader, and a future Park Day Kid, and a beautiful but grumpy Shiba Inu. She is also the keeper of the 5th/6th grade library and would love to talk about what great book you’re reading.

Born in Rochester, NY and having called Boston home for 11 years prior to moving to the Bay Area, Joyce is a Taiwanese American educator and performing artist. She holds a Bachelors and Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Wheaton College (IL) and Boston University, as well as a Masters in Education for Middle School Humanities from Lesley University. In 2006, Joyce debuted with Boston Lyric Opera as La Charmeuse in Massenet’s Thais, went on to sing in multiple productions with BLO, and performed in Opera Boston’s Boston-based premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar. She is a graduate of Luna Dance Institute’s SI program, and has also taken part in Alameda Department of Education’s Integrated Learning Specialist Program. In her work with arts and education, Ms. Ting has been a middle school humanities teacher, director, and arts administrator. Prior to joining Park Day School in 2019, Ms. Ting served as Program Director at zSharp. She is the current Co-Managing Director at Ailey Camp, hosted by Cal Performances at UC Berkeley.

In her spare time, Joyce loves traveling the world with a team of global music educators as part of the Glocal Collective, hiking with dogs, salsa dancing and eating her way through farmers markets.

Concha started working at Park Day School in 2002 and has a deep connection with the community. Concha enjoys teaching a number of classes, but her favorite is her beloved cooking class. She is adept at working with large numbers of kids at once, and as she works, her love for the kids shines through. She is a very hardworking staff member with creative ideas to make ASAP fun for all. Be sure to smile and say hello to her when you are picking up your kids from ASAP!

Jeadi (pronounced: hiya-thee) is an accomplished STEM educator born and raised in Oakland. Jeadi has a profound commitment to helping his community of Oakland by fostering creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning for future leaders (ideally in STEM ;).

Jeadi has over 16 years of experience in STEAM education, educational leadership, and business development. He runs a STEM/makerspace summer camp in Oakland called 3DMAKERCAMP and hopes to one day bring it to Park Day School! He loves teaching 3D printing, laser cutting, 2D/3D product design and LEGO robotics. He passionately promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, preparing the next generation of forward-thinking leaders. He loves spending time running or birdwatching with his family in their home on Alameda Beach.

Eileen joined Park Day School in 2018 after earning her teaching credential in Southern California. At Park, she has served as a 5th grade multiple subjects teacher, and is the 5th and 6th grade English teacher. Her educational philosophy emphasizes the development of critical thinking, personal responsibility, and social-emotional development. Eileen hones her passion for teaching writing by emphasizing collaborative and intensive reading and writing curriculum. She loves exercising her educational creativity in an independent school environment.

Eileen’s BA is in International Relations, with a Spanish minor, from UC Santa Barbara. Her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential is from Cal State Northridge. Prior to teaching, she worked in environmental sustainability, specifically focusing on water conservation. She is also a certified yoga instructor and teaches hot yoga in Berkeley. When she’s not teaching at Park Day or at the yoga studio, you can find her reading, attending a variety of Bay Area sporting events, or hiking in Redwood Regional Park.