Biography

I am thrilled to be working with Elevated Charter School and directing the launch of this innovative school model. I know that every person can learn, and I view the teacher's role as someone who inspires students to seek learning and challenge themselves in pursuit of their interests and ultimately life purpose. I believe that parents are the experts on their children and as such should be closely involved in educational choices for their own children. The role of public education is to provide quality choices so that every student can find the right fit to maximize learning.

I have been working in education for over 30 years. I have taught every grade from K-12, both in classrooms and online. I have written curriculum for Literature, Writing, and History. I hold professional licenses for teaching both elementary and secondary grades. I earned a B.A. in Literature from UC San Diego in 1991, and continued my education to earn 2 Masters Degrees in Education. One MAED focused on classical and liberal arts education, and concluded with my master's thesis that evolved into a published book, For the Love of Learning: Giving Your Child a LOLIPOP Education. The other MAED focused on curriculum development and instructional practices, which helped me integrate the philosophies of education with practical applications.

I homeschooled my own three children from Kindergarten until they went off to college. Throughout 20 years of homeschooling, I privately homeschooled, used charter schools, and paid for outside classes, based on each child's learning and social needs. I know how challenging it is to education your children at home, and I created Elevated to provide various levels of support based on the needs of both students and their parents.

I married my dance partner and best friend in 1996, and we have 3 amazing kids. When I'm not working, I love to read, eat sushi, watch movies, watch musical theater, play board & card games, and go hiking (very leisurely).