Ed Services Staff Bios

As Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services at the Alameda County Office of Education, I oversee a staff that operates over 300 professional development and support services for K-12 educators throughout a seven-county region, as well as numerous state and regional programs.  Many of our staff are distinguished for their research-driven, quality work with underserved and high-need student populations. These direct services are aligned with state standards, state mandates, and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation and much of our resources are are focused on improving teacher quality and achievement for historically underserved students.

I began my career in education over 18 years ago as an elementary school teacher in the Oakland Unified School District and the Emery Unified School District and was recruited by several universities to serve as a master teacher for multiple subject candidates throughout my tenure as a classroom teacher. I was a reading coach through the Reading Lions Project under the David and Lucile Packard Foundation working with K-3 classroom teachers and participated as a RICA scorer with National Evaluation Systems in Sacramento. I also served as an assistant principal, principal, director, and a parent educator for the Parent Institute for Quality Education. I oversaw multiple subject, web-supported credentialing program for the California State University system at the East Bay and Monterey Bay campuses.

I received my BA from Mills College, an MA in Educational Leadership from California State University East Bay, and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of the Pacific in Stockton. I hold a Multiple Subject Credential as well as an Administrative Services Credential.

I am a recipient of the Distinguished Educator of the Year Award by the Emery Chapter of National Association of Black School Educators, the Distinguished Educator Award by the Emery Education Foundation, and was an Exceptional Teacher Grant Awardee through the Prudential Education Foundation. 

I am very proud of the hard work and accomplishments of the Educational Services staff. I hope you will take a moment to read through their biographies to get a better sense of all the various services and expertise the Division has to offer.

As the History/Social Science Coordinator for the ACOE I organize, implement and facilitate professional development programs for grade 4-12 teachers related to curriculum and pedagogy. My primary responsibility is as Project Director of “Words That Made America”, a program funded through two U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History grants that provides participating teachers the opportunity to engage with eminent historians in the study of cutting-edge scholarship and to translate their content studies into effective classroom practice. I also prioritize maintaining and expanding our working network of History/SS teachers within the county in order to foster effective communications about initiatives and to share information and ideas.

I support include several advancing civic education initiatives, a series on integration of U.S and World History, and an upcoming effort to pilot cutting-edge world history curriculum. Over the course of the past two years, the “history unit” has expanded from just one person supporting two districts to five people working in different capacities with districts throughout the county.

My career in education spans twenty years of teaching and program administration. I taught U.S. and world history in San Francisco public schools for twelve years, taking on leadership roles as a mentor for credential candidates and new teachers, as instructor in the credentialing program at New College of California, and as district History/Social Science content specialist.  I have been actively involved in integration of service learning (as project coordinator of Linking San Francisco) and the arts (with Cal Performances) into the history curriculum. I serve on the Executive Council of the World History Association and as Vice President of the California World History Association, as well as on the Board of the California Council for the Social Studies.

I regard my primary focus with teachers as developing students’ abilities to think critically about the society and world in which they live and their place within those realms. As historical inquiry involves a range of skills from reading and writing to cultural and ethical literacy, my work emphasizes the mastery of instructional strategies ranging from scaffolding to assist struggling readers, to linking assessment with instruction, to differentiating instruction to meet the diversity of learners’ needs. My passion lies in developing curriculum that is meaningful and engaging to students, bringing alive the past to help students understand and appreciate how the world they live in came to be and how they can contribute to making it an ever-better place in which to live. The civic mission of education is central to my work.

My goal is to provide leadership and professional development opportunities to help teachers help their students to master the skills and content addressed by the grade-level standards in their history and social science classes.

As Director of the ACOE Nutritional Learning Community Coalition, I oversee programs and services to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the physical activity promotion of our under resourced youth and their families.  Through standards based integrated nutrition education activities students learn the value and benefit of healthy choices. The programs are experiential in nature, students learn to grow their own healthy food in gardens. The Nutrition Connection also cooks with the students and their families.

Our collaborative circle extends to the University of California Botanical Garden, the Alameda Public Health Department, Lawrence Hall of Science, Hayward Unified School District, San Lorenzo Unified School District, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District and many others. We are working with 35 schools and over 600 teachers.

Before coming to Alameda County Office of Education, I served as the Coordinator of the Hayward Nutritional Learning Community Project and ELD classroom teacher for ten years.  I am a member of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ACSD), Joint Steering Committee (JSC) of the California Nutrition Network, Bay Area Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative (BANPAC), Bay Area Regional Nutrition Network (BARNN), County Nutrition Action Plan (C-NAP), CA State Wellness Leadership Council, and  Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute.

I earned my BA  degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, my MS in Ed Leadership from CSU East Bay.  I also hold a California Multiple Subject CLAD clear teaching credentian and an Administrative Services credential from CSU East Bay.  I am currently enrolled in the Joint Doctoral Program for Educational Leadership at UC Berkeley.

I am hopeful that a collaborative system between health education, academic education and health services will enable all students in Alameda County to succeed throughout their lives.  We are here to fuel academic success.

As the Assessment and Accountability Coordinator for ACOE, I provide support, assistance and serve as a liaison between California Department of Education and the eighteen school districts in Alameda County. I am dedicated to supporting professional development and student learning in the schools and districts in Alameda County. Data analysis, program evaluation, and assessment are topics of focus for many districts; I provide support throughout the county in all these areas.

I am the Categorical Lead for Alameda County Office of Education. As the Categorical Lead, I help schools and districts implement educational programs for students most at risk of not meeting the California State Standards. I communicate information to the districts on federal legislation as well as California state educational programs. I support districts in the CARS process and the Federal Program Monitoring cycle, including CAIS management.

Before working at Alameda County Office of Education, I was a consultant in curriculum and instruction for Fresno County Office of Education. I have been a teacher and site administrator in Fresno and Kings Counties. I have also worked as an Instructional coach, developing skills as a presenter, planning short and long term professional development plans and cognitive coaching.
I received my BS in Agricultural Business, an MA in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fresno. I hold a CLEAR Multiple Subject-CLAD Credential as well as a CLEAR Administrative Services Credential.

I am dedicated to supporting the districts of Alameda County on data based decisions regarding professional development, categorical programs, school accountability, and assessments. Student learning is my focus while building capacity at the district and site levels.
 

 

I serve as the Program Manager for the Paraprofessional Transition to Teaching Program. The Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program (PTTP) is a state-funded paraeducator (instructional assistant/aide) career ladder program leading to a teacher preparation program and ultimately, to a teaching credential. Currently the program serves ninety paraprofessionals representing fourteen districts in Alameda County. As program manager, I manage the day to day activities of the program and provide academic, financial, and advisory assistance to paraprofessionals. Part of my job is to partner with institutions of higher learning to collaboratively create alternate certification routes into teaching for paraprofessionals. Current University partners are Chabot/Las Positas Colleges, California State University, East Bay, University of San Francisco, National Hispanic University, California State University, East Bay, and Holy Names University.

I also work with the East Bay Teacher Pathway (EBTP) at Chabot College. EBTP is a pathway into teaching careers for low-income and/or at risk youth and adults. The model uses employment in after school programs as both financial support and career-relevant work experience. The EBTP model is grounded in the recruitment and preparation of teachers who are not only demographically, socio-economically, and culturally representative of the high-need urban school districts in which they will pursue teaching careers, but who are in the majority of cases residents and members of those communities themselves.

Prior to ACOE, I worked as an English as a Second Language teacher at Chabot-Las Positas Community Colleges, adult education schools, and private schools throughout the Bay Area. I hold a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from California State University, East Bay and a Clear Designated Subjects Adult Education Teaching Credential. I have completed my preliminary coursework for the Administrative Services Credential and am currently enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Mills College.

 

I am the Coordinator for Violence Reduction, Character Education and Service Learning. I coordinate two School Community Violence Prevention grants in San Leandro and also teach a class through the Department of Educational Leadership at California State University, East Bay, “Service Learning for Leaders.” I am also working with the Cesar Chavez Foundation to help expand their work in Alameda County and beyond.

Before I came to the Alameda County Office of Education, I was a social science high school teacher. My specialties were in civics education and European History. I also coordinated the high school’s service-learning program. As part of my service-learning preparation, I also was employed as the service director at a Volunteer Center.

I have coordinated a variety of leadership grants through the state, including the development of a “virtual service-learning course,” consisting of eight video lessons and a companion website. I have also published a variety of service-learning publications and taught courses at CSU East Bay and UC Berkeley.

I have a B.A. in Political Science and minors in English and Philosophy from San Diego State University. I hold single subject teaching credentials in social science and English. I hold a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from California State University-East Bay, and hold a clear administrative credential.

I hope that all students can develop as active, invested citizens. Service-learning and Character Education provide the opportunity for students to work together towards positive social change as they grow in leadership and social skills.

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

The Region IV System of District and School Support (RIVSDSS), of which I am Executive Director, is funded through the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) legislation of 2002. Prior to my efforts on behalf of RIVSDSS, I taught for nearly twenty years, worked as a site- and district-level administrator and provided categorical program guidance and assistance at the county office level. I received my M.S. in Educational Leadership at CSU East Bay, and in 2005, after conducting research and writing a dissertation on the impact of publicly funded intervention and support programs on low-performing schools, I earned an Ed.D. from St. Mary’s College.

It is my hope that educators in Region IV will seek out the regional support services and models of school success provided by RIVSDSS and other regional providers in order to use their new found knowledge and strategies as tools to break down existing barriers to student achievement—the ultimate goal being high expectations and academic success for all students.

"Only those who see the invisible, accomplish the impossible.”

This is a favorite anonymous quote of mine. It captures the spirit of the work in which the Region IV System of District and School Support is currently engaged. And, since our work involves transforming high-poverty, high-priority schools into highly achieving academic institutions, commitment and high expectations are paramount to our success.

In my current role as coordinator of the School Assistance and intervention team at Alameda County Office of Education, I am deeply involved with the reform, change and accountability processes. The work brings me directly into the field to work with district leaders, school principals and teachers to design, support and monitor high leverage actions that have the potential to change the learning outcomes for students. 

I have been successfully engaged with many Bay Area schools and districts to bring about increased outcomes for all students. Our mission is to close the achievement and opportunity gaps as quickly as possible. Turnaround efforts in these cultures have required of me staying power, creativity and humility. Understanding the very complex dynamic of the classroom is exciting and always challenging.

Ultimately, the responsibility of sustaining the accountability systems at the state and federal levels will rest on the shoulders of local school leaders.  I am privileged and take as my charge supporting strong leadership and leaders with the vision and skills to drive and sustain reform at their sites. Together we analyze data, set achievement goals, and support teachers to deliver powerful instruction. We also design organizational structures within schools  to ensure continuous learning for adults . 

I bring to this work over 25 years as an educator. I have been a teacher, principal, staff development trainer, reading coach, principal coach, and instructor to aspiring administrators and an external evaluator. As a practitioner and critical friend, I have a preference for hands-on work and action research.

My undergraduate degree and Masters in Education are from the State University of New York College at Oneonta. My special education and teaching credentials are from California. My administrative credential is from Cal State East Bay.

In our state and nation we do, indeed, have educational challenges to surmount.  The good news is that we can choose to apply our considerable talent to those problems most worth solving and most in need of our efforts.

I can’t imagine anything more worthwhile than working to make the educational system and the schooling experience the transformative tool it is for all students.

"In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle with something less—because passing on civilization from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and greatest responsibility anyone can have." - Lee Iacocca

Joe Hudson is currently the Region 4 Lead & Program Manager for Before and Afterschool Programs. He coordinates and provides technical assistance and training for seven San Francisco Bay Area counties and more than 500 after school program sites. Previously, he coordinated the Youth Development Support Services Department for the Sacramento City Unified School District including managing the district’s afterschool programs and collaborative serving approximately 55 school sites. Joe has an earned Masters Degree in Human Services and Graduate Certificate in Diversity Studies from Capella University. He also earned his Bachelors Degree in Ethnic Studies from the California State University, Sacramento.

Joe has throughout his nearly 30 years of public education experience shown a special interest, proven commitment and expertise in providing services to low-income, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and disadvantaged student, families and communities. Joe brings significant experience presenting trainings and workshops on an array of diversity and student service topics.

In his personal life Joe is the married to Dana Hudson, his wife of 25 years and the father of 4 children. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf and basketball, creative writing and studying world religions.
 

Dr. Ginny Lee serves as Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Alameda County Office of Education. A former secondary school teacher and administrator, her professional work encompasses a broad range of roles and experiences. She has served as a university faculty member at CSU East Bay, Mills College, and the University of San Francisco; professional developer, including overseeing training of trainers; successful grant writer; educational researcher; and program developer, leader and evaluator. Previous to assuming her current position at ACOE, she served the organization for four years as the leader of Project Heart, Head, Hands, a comprehensive character education initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. In that role, she developed character education curriculum, provided professional development training to more than 500 educators, acted as a site coach, and engaged in programmatic research to document program impact. In addition to this work, she has presented to audiences in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Her written work includes more than 50 articles and book chapters. Dr. Lee’s professional interests and expertise include educational leadership and leadership development; professional learning of teachers and administrators; school organization and development; and program development, dissemination, and evaluation.

As the Reading/Language Arts Coordinator, I organize, facilitate and support districts, schools, and teachers in implementing programs related to K-12 literacy. I hope to support districts, schools and teachers in providing all students with high quality literacy instruction so that all students may not only meet grade level ELA standards, but become passionate about reading and develop critical thinking skills. I bring to my role as Reading/Language Arts Coordinator expertise in bilingual education, second language acquisition, ELD and SDAIE methodology and use this knowledge to assist districts in implementing literacy programs and strategies that ensure that English learners have access to the core curriculum and learn English.

I served as the coordinator of ACOE’s Title III Grant at Winton Middle School where I was responsible with restructuring the school to better meet the needs of English learners, providing staff development in the areas of SDAIE and ELD, providing teacher support through coaching, and providing support services for students and their families. Before joining the ACOE staff, I taught Spanish and ELD at middle and high schools and was a high school assistant principal.

I received my B.A. in Comparative Literature (French, Spanish and English) from UC Berkeley and my M.A. in Comparative Literature from San Francisco State University. I hold a single subject teaching credential, an administrative services credential, a certificate in reading and literacy development, and am BCLAD certified. I also have a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in second language acquisition.

In order for our neediest children to succeed academically, we must create effective educational environments that permeate with sincere interest in our students as individuals and hold them to high expectations that are attainable only through engaging, scaffolded instruction. The school system and its entire staff have to create a safety net of success for these students through clear expectations and positive encouragement. Teachers, who have the greatest direct influence on students, must be given a safe work environment that supports and encourages them to ask the tough questions, admit failures and create engaging curriculum and innovative strategies so that all students may learn.

“A child cannot be taught by anyone whose demand, essentially, is that the child repudiate his experience and all that gives him sustenance.”

As EL/Bilingual Coordinator I manage English Language Development/Bilingual Programs such as Dual Language, Bilingual, SDAIE/ Structured English Immersion, Mainstream, and Academic ELD.  In Alameda County approximately 22% of the students are English Learners who participate in appropriate English Learner programs and support services in their school districts.  We support those services and programs with professional development, selection of materials, strategic planning, and identification of best practices.  In addition, I coordinate professional development for teachers seeking California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Certification, including CLAD, CTEL and AB2913.  I provide training and technical assistance to districts for the California English Language Development Test (CELDT), Categorical Program Monitoring, and issues related to English Language Learners.

Through my participation in the Bilingual Coordinator’s Network (BCN) and the Bilingual Teacher Training Program I bring updates to school district representatives on state legislation and best practices for English Learners.  My role as a support and technical assistance provider correlates directly with my belief that the overall academic success of English Learners will result from focusing on research-based practices that support the development of academic English.  Through networking, collaboration with professionals and the celebration of our successes I believe that we can provide exemplary programs and services that will ensure the success of all students.

I earned my B.A. degree and a Multiple Subject Bilingual/Bicultural Emphasis Credential from UC Santa Barbara and an M.A. degree and Administrative Services Credential from CSU Northridge.  Prior to my position at the Alameda County Office of Education I served as a site Principal, Curriculum Specialist, and bilingual classroom teacher in Ventura County.  I am currently a member of the ACOE ELD/Bilingual Education staff, Director of the Bilingual Teacher Training Project and a member of the Bilingual Coordinators Network.

As Alameda County Arts Learning Coordinator, I provide networking and information exchange to establish and promote the role of the arts in learning.  I facilitate communication between local school districts and the California Department of Education, which provides support for schools and districts developing programs in arts learning and rebuilding essential infrastructure for teaching in, through and about the arts for every child, every day.  I am Project Director for the Alameda County Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership which meets monthly and is sponsoring the county-wide “Art IS Education” celebration.

I also lead the Alameda County Model Arts Network, a growing collaborative of school districts in the county working to establish strong arts education programs at all schools through teacher training, fund development and creating administrative support.  The work of the Alliance includes the Creating Public Value for the Arts in Education Project in partnership with the California Arts Council’s Arts Marketing Institute. 

I am the Region IV Lead for the CISC Visual and Performing Arts Subcommittee and on the Executive Committee for the California Alliance for Arts Education.  Together we have secured historic new state funding for arts education – 605 million dollars in the 2007- 2008 school year.

My education includes a Bachelor of Arts and Science from University of San Francisco, a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, K-12 and a Masters Degree in Education from Mills College.

When we think of the arts as something special and different, we limit our ability to live our lives well.  The arts are an integral part of being fully human.  In making art we solve problems, collaborate with others, take risks, make choices, stretch our imaginations, and make connections.  This is what education is about.

The role of the arts in child development, learning, community building and a healthy and equitable society is underestimated and misunderstood.  Too frequently, the arts are the purview of the wealthy who can afford museums and the theatre, or of the ‘talented.’  The arts play a critical, but too often missing part in our schools for every child, every day, and in our public life.

I serve as the Executive Director of the statewide California Healthy Kids Resource Center (CHKRC) and the California After School Resource Center (CASRC).

The CHKRC is administered for the California Department of Education and California Department of Public Health to provide research-based health education resources, professional development opportunities, and technical assistance to schools, districts, community-based organizations, and other agencies working with preschool through 12th grade students in California. Guided by the Health Framework and the Social Ecological Model, the CHKRC also promotes coordinated school health, including implementation of school wellness policies and health education standards, and supports stronger linkages between the education and the public health communities.

The CASRC is administered for the California Department of Education, After School Programs Division to provide a one-stop information source that enables the rapidly expanding number of California after school programs to identify research-based resources that meet local academic and health instructional needs, align with California curriculum frameworks and standards, and are appropriate for use in after school programs.

My background includes middle school, high school, and community college instruction, and more than 15 years of implementing and evaluating programs and services designed to meet the public health education and communication needs of public, private, and faith-based organizations; schools; community groups; and individuals.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology from the University of the Pacific, a Master of Public Health degree (M.P.H. - Maternal and child Health) from George Washington University, and a Doctor of Public Health degree (Dr.P.H. - Health Education) from Loma Linda University.

Education is a determining factor of health status, and healthy children learn better. I believe that the application of multifaceted health and education models is vital to the learning success of our children. My objective for the centers is to apply working knowledge of research-based public health and education strategies, in partnership with academic- and community-focused agencies and organizations, to build the capacity of those who can enhance the health and education status of our children, our future.
 

As the Regional Reading Center Coordinator for the Alameda County Office of Education, I am responsible for providing professional development in all areas of K-12 reading and language arts. I also work with districts and schools in the planning and supervision of reading instruction.

Prior to coming to the Alameda County Office of Education, I served as the Coordinator of PreK-8 Reading/Language Arts for the Oakland Unified School District, overseeing elementary reading and language arts instruction and professional development. In addition, I managed a variety of literacy grants for the Oakland School District focusing on reading instruction and teacher professional development grades K-12. While in Oakland I co-developed a teacher professional development curriculum in the area of literacy for teachers in grades 4-12, provided district-wide professional development training, and acted as a site coach and demonstration teacher. In addition to this work, I served as a district level instructional facilitator, supporting a network of principals through professional development and school site consultations.

During my twenty years as a classroom teacher, I had the privilege of teaching elementary, middle, and high schools in urban, suburban, and rural communities. I served as a reading intervention specialist where I developed a remedial reading lab at a junior high school, supervised a staff of support teachers, and provided school-wide professional development. As an adjunct professor in the Teacher Education Department at CSU East Bay, I taught a series of courses on Reading Methodology. Having co-authored a book, Buddy Reading: Cross-Age Tutoring in a Multicultural School, chronicling my experiences developing a cross-age reading program in east Oakland, I collaborated with ACOE to provide professional development for several years on Buddy Reading.

I earned my BA degree from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore, Maryland and my MS from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. I hold a California Clear Multiple Subject teaching credential, a Reading Specialist Credential, a Language Development Specialist Credential as well as an Administrative Services Credential.

Reading instruction has been my passion and I have spent my career as a “Reading Worrier.” Every teacher needs to be a teacher of reading from Kindergarten to grade twelve. It is my belief that literacy represents a domain that every teacher, of any subject, and at any grade, needs to know about. My goal is to provide needed information for every teacher to do so.

“I have always worried about who can read, who can’t, who doesn’t, and the great altering consequences hidden within those distinctions.”

As the School Health and Safety Manager for the Alameda COE, I manage programs and services related to school health, substance use prevention, comprehensive sex education, bullying, school safety and youth development. My primary responsibility is to provide technical assistance to schools and districts related to school health and safety issues. This includes providing professional development to teachers and districts; assisting districts with board policies; supporting curriculum implementation; serving as a resource to districts and families; and writing grants.

I also oversee a Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Consortium grant which provides direct services to select school districts. Students in consortium districts receive tobacco prevention services in the classroom, have access to tobacco quit groups on campus, and participate in a variety of peer programs related to tobacco. I also supervise five annual conferences for the Alameda COE – the Teens Tackle Tobacco Youth Conferences, the Adult Prevention Educator Conference and the Bullying Prevention Conference.

Although I originally wanted to be a physician, I fell in love with school health during graduate school and have worked in the field for over a decade. I previously worked as the Prevention Coordinator for the Oakland Unified School District and as a Program Manager for the California Healthy Kids and After School Resource Centers. Prior to my work in schools, I wrote for a national magazine, worked in community health education and held several nonprofit positions. 

I earned my BS in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles and my Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Health and Social Behavior from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). I plan to be Dr. Saunders by 2013. I am currently a doctoral candidate in the Leadership for Educational Equity program at the UCB Graduate School of Education. A San Francisco native, I enjoy hiking, cooking, traveling, shoe shopping and hanging out with my family in my spare time.  

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
- Frederick Douglas 

Afterschool programs in Region 4 are places of learning dedicated to meeting the needs of the whole child. As the Region 4 Afterschool Specialist, I oversee training and resources to support a wide variety of afterschool stakeholders, including district administrators, agency providers, grant managers, site coordinators, lead teachers, and most important of all, the line staff who work directly with students. The goal of our regional team is to improve the quality of the state and federally funded programs serving children and youth before school, after school, and during the summer.

My 25+ years of experience at every level from preschool, elementary, middle and high school to community college classrooms has prepared me well in supporting the staff and administrators of close to 500 K-12 afterschool sites in Region 4. One of my newest responsibilities is facilitating the Gateways STEM Out-of-School-Time Action Group. The Gateways collaboration brings together the university (CSUEB), local school districts, community and statewide organizations, along with private sector partners to dramatically increase student access to high quality STEM learning.

I received degrees from Smith College (BA) and Yale University (MA), and began my professional career in a Washington, DC Head Start program. Throughout my work in both urban and suburban settings, I have dedicated myself to helping schools develop safe and engaging environments in which all students can become fully competent, self-motivated, and caring individuals. Prior to joining the Region 4 team, I was proud to have served in the Oakland Unified School District working to improve student outcomes through the integration of social-emotional learning and academics.

As a lifelong learner myself, I love sharing research-based resources and best practices that bring reading, writing, science, math, and arts learning into strategies such as science clubs, healthy cooking, physical activity, and career exploration. Our students deserve the very best from us, and afterschool is where it can happen!

Andrea S. Temkin has worked in the fields of arts administration and arts education for over 30 years.   Ms. Temkin’s arts nonprofit experiences range from coordinating a Muralists-in-the-Public-Schools project for a small community arts organization to serving as a member of a large professional staff of a major U.S. symphony. She has twenty-five years experience with educators and educational institutions K-12 including public school districts, alternative and court schools, private schools, county offices of education and the California State Department of Education including eight years as the Artists in Schools coordinator for the California Arts Council and seven years as executive director of the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View, CA.  

In 2002, Ms. Temkin established a consulting firm that specializes in strategic and program planning, fund development and executive support for both arts organizations and educational institutions.  Clients have included the Alameda County Office of Education, Arts Council Silicon Valley Music & Arts Campaign, Behavioral Health Children’s Services (Alameda County), City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) San Francisco-East Bay, Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center, Nova Vista Symphony, Peninsula Symphony Association, San Francisco Arts Education Funders Collaborative, Santa Clara County FIRST 5 Arts Enrichment Initiative, and Young Audiences of Northern California.

During her career, she has also had the enlightening experiences of working with funding agencies as well, as a staff member of the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council and as a board member of the Arts Council Silicon Valley. Ms. Temkin has served on state and regional grant review panels and was a member of the Partners in Excellence Advisory Committee of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.

   Besides actually enjoying asking for money, she is a strong believer in strategic planning and organizational evaluation, the value of mentorship and not reinventing the wheel.     

  

    

 

 

My background includes forty years as an educator. I have been a classroom teacher in Grades K-6, a middle school Sheltered Core teacher, Reading/ Language Arts Specialist, and District Reading Coordinator for a K-8 district in Illinois. In the Hayward Unified School District I served as PAR support teacher, staff developer and Reading First Content Expert. I have served as an adjunct instruction in Teacher Education at the College of Education, California State University East Bay. I hold a Multiple Subject, Reading Specialist, and Language Development Specialist credentials, and a K-9 Illinois Teaching Credential. I completed my BS in Education at Western Illinois University and my MS in Education at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. In addition, I have completed coursework in Educational Administration from Illinois State University, Normal. My varied educational experiences have given me a wide perspective on the issues facing teachers preparing for a career in education.

As the Coordinator for the Teacher Internship Program of Alameda County (TIPAC), my goal is to provide support to the universities, school districts and interns who are partners in our program. As part of the requirements for an Intern Credential, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing mandates peer level on-site support. TIPAC provides the funding for this peer level support in conjunction with the university and district support to the intern. Our mission is provide highly qualified teachers in areas of high need and to recruit and support those individuals pursuing a second career in teaching. Our mission is also to provide the opportunity for those who might otherwise be unable to pursue a teaching career through the traditional channels of teacher education.

Alternate certification programs throughout the state provide a teaching force that more closely mirrors the students they serve. Alternative Certification allows the student to be employed as the teacher of record while completing the requirements for a multiple subject, single subject or Education Specialist credential. There is a requirement of one hundred twenty hours of specified preservice before becoming eligible for an Intern Credential. Our university partners provide the preservice and also are the commission authorized entity to apply for the Intern Credential on behalf of the candidate. The school districts can then hire the Intern Credential candidate to fill difficult to staff positions and provide qualified teachers to historically underserved populations.