Ed Services Staff Bios

Naomi Williams, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent
510-670-7795
nwilliams@acoe.org

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 specialists 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 15 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, oversaw multiple subject, web-supported credentialing program for the CaliforniaState University system, and coordinator of New Teacher Support for CSU East Bay

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 a member of ACSA, NABSE, AERA, Phi Delta Kappa, the California council on Teacher Education, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Educational Services Division Directors

Christine Boynton
Director
(510) 670-4539
cboynton@acoe.org

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.

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.  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 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.

Rachelle DiStefano
Director
(510) 670-4147
rdistefano@acoe.org

“Booker T. Washington once said that 'through our words and actions we make people stronger or weaker...we lift people up or we drag them down.'   Teaching is not for the feint of heart . Today’ s educator should be celebrated and well supported.  They face a myriad of challenges in their efforts to lift  young people up, make them stronger, and provide them with skills, values, direction, and opportunities to become productive members of our community. There is no more important work.”

As Director of Professional Development Programs and Educational Support Services, I organize professional development workshops for
teachers and administrators in Alameda County’s 18 school districts as well as schools and districts in the seven-county Region IV.  These are focused primarily on achievement gap issues and advancing the implementation of state and federal directives including NCLB.  In this capacity, I provide support to Educational Services staff in identification and development of resources to deepen their work with pre-K to 12 educators and expand access to County Office curriculum and instruction services.  Additionally, I oversee Educational Services Division grant development and manage the Alameda County Transition To Teaching Initiative, a collaboration with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California State University East Bay, community colleges, and local school districts.  This initiative is designed to channel paraeducators into teacher preparation programs and provide the continuum of support needed complete their teaching credential.  A critical component includes ensuring teacher retention among these new teachers. I also coordinate the county mock trial competition

I bring to this position a broad range of skills and 16 years of experience in urban education.  As an educator, my focus has always been on closing the achievement gap in low performing schools and the effective delivery of standards-aligned instruction.  I began my journey as an educator by founding the Law Academy for Oakland USD.  It was the first such law-related high school academy in California and one of the few in the country at the time.   Targeting high risk urban students from Oakland’s poorest neighborhoods, it was designed to provide comprehensive guidance and support to move disaffected students successfully through high school to higher education.  Distinguished locally, statewide, and nationally, the Law Academy evolved into one of Oakland USD’s small high schools.  As its director, I worked with teachers in all core content areas to develop curriculum aligned with standards and integrated across disciplines, provided teacher support, facilitated assessment and data-driven lesson and intervention program planning, and developed and managed the local, state, and federal funding that supported the Academy. 

I was a vigorous advocate of experiential learning for my students and reached out to local industry, government agencies, and community-based organizations, and higher ed to provide these opportunities that bridged theory with hands-on experience in the community.  While the academy director, I established the Donald P. McCullum Youth Court, Inc., a 501(c) (3) non profit corporation, and served as its first executive director.  Operated out of the Oakland Police Department Youth Division and Superior Court, it was created as one of many Law Academy's service-learning practicums.  Law Academy students began as jurors and evolved into court coordinators and trainers of prosecuting and defense “attorneys” who adjudicated real first time youth offenders.  The Youth Court served as one of Oakland's earliest service learning models and has grown to include young people throughout northern Alameda County. 

As an Oakland educator, I was proud of the local and statewide distinctions my students, teachers, and I received which would not have been possible without the community of committed, creative teachers within the Academy, their collaboration across content areas, their encouragement and support of these life-altering experiences for our students, and --most importantly-- the desire of our students to make a difference in the lives of others.  Among these distinctions include the Donald P. McCullum Youth Court Founder’s Award its 10^th anniversary celebration; recognition by the Oakland Rotary for contributions to education, the number of our students making post-secondary education a reality for themselves, the hundreds of community service hours that our students individually contributed annually;  establishment of the first African American chapter of Junior Statesman of America (JSA); the Law Academy's distinction as Chapter of the Year for Northern California for development of Unlearning Racism (video and seminars) for JSA high school chapters; and our students’ devotion to political activism on many community issues. 

I received my Doctorate in Education in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco, an administrative credential from CSU East Bay, a teaching credential from San Jose State University, a Juris Doctorate and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Ohio State University, and conducted and co-published research on barriers to implementation of school reform efforts, as well as barriers in transition from high school to post-secondary education.

Gladys Lazo Frantz
Executive Director
510-670-7773
gfrantz@acoe.org

“I’ve always been interested in what children learn, how they learn, and the best methods to achieve learning. I believe that school should provide a very nurturing and safe environment for learning and preparing children to lead productive lives.”

All children can learn, and we as educators must be responsible and accountable for their progress to ensure their success. This is what I believe and what has guided my work throughout my career.

As Executive Director of ACOE’s Regional Reading Programs, I supervise the implementation of Reading First grants, the Reading Implementation Center which provides professional development for our region’s teachers, and the Reading Tools and Resources Center which develops reading materials for educators and parents in the area of reading.

I was previously Director of Curriculum and Instruction at ACOE, overseeing curricular programs and professional development. Prior to coming to ACOE, I was an elementary school principal, a professional developer in language arts and reading intervention and in bilingual education, and a Spanish-bilingual elementary school teacher.

I received my B.A. from the Instituto Superior de Educación Familiar, a teaching training institution in Perú, and my M.A. from the University of San Francisco. I have also done graduate studies in educational leadership and reading acquisition at San Francisco State San Bernardino State, and St. Mary’s College.

My goal is to continue advocating for rigorous, respectful, and relevant curriculum and instruction through excellent teaching, to ensure all our children the opportunities they deserve.

Hector Garcia
Director
(510) 670-4235
hgarcia@acoe.org

I serve as Director of Curriculum and Instruction and as the Technical Lead for the seven-county Region IV After School Program.  As Director of Curriculum and Instruction,  I oversee staff, programs and services in Early Childhood Education, English Language Development/Bilingual Programs, History/Social Science, Mathematics, Reading/Language Arts, Science, Visual and Performing Arts as well as After School Programs regional support, Character Education, Parent Leadership and Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools, Service Learning and Waste Reduction/Environmental Science education.  I organize professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators in all areas of curriculum, and work with schools in providing technical assistance and dissemination of curriculum-specific support and program implementation focused on outcomes-driven objectives.

The Curriculum & Instruction coordinators and specialists provide county, regional and state-wide leadership in their respective fields of expertise and content areas.  We also nurture collaborative relationships with re­search and educational organizations such as CSU East Bay, CSU Long Beach, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and bring needed programs in new administrator and teacher credential certification and support.  Likewise, we provide formal networking and information dissemination opportunities for school districts within and outside Alameda County through our Content-Specific Forums.

I earned my BA degrees from U.C. San Diego and my MS degree from CSU East Bay.  I also hold a Multiple Subject BCLAD clear teaching and an Administrative Services credential from CSU East Bay. 

Prior to my current position, I served as Alameda County Office of Education’s English Language Development/Bilingual Coordinator.  Before coming to Alameda County I served as a site Coordinator of Project BRILLAR, a Two-Way Immersion Program in the Hayward Unified School District.  I have also functioned in the capacity of Curriculum Specialist/Coach and Bilingual teacher for the past 10 years.  I am a member of ACSA, CABE, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Bilingual Coordinators Network at the California Department of Education.

It’s my sincere hope that through a reflective and accountable approach to serving the varied needs of teachers, administrators and students throughout Alameda County, we can continue to foster programs that develop successful and sound programs and services for all students while embracing the cultural and linguistic diversity of these same student communities.     

Robin Hall
Executive Director
(510) 670-4170
rhall@acoe.org

"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.

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.

Barry Kaufman
Director
(510) 670-4519
bkaufman@acoe.org

I am the Director of the School Assistance and Intervention Department. I work with high priority state-monitored schools to provide site-based support and assistance for teachers and administrators. The goal of the work is to create systems and structures to increase academic achievement for African-American, Latino, and economically disadvantaged students.

Prior to my coming to ACOE, I was a science and mathematics teacher in New York City, education researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, Dean of the of Education at Dominican University California, and Vice President of the San Francisco Education Fund. I served on the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing and the Board of Directors of the California Council for the Education of Teachers. I received my B.A. and M.A. from Hunter College (CUNY) and my Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts. I was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in public policy from UCLA. I have published over 15 scholarly articles and book chapters. It is my sincere desire to continue to work with ACOE to advance the vision of John Dewey and Horace Mann for the children of California.

Bonnie Marks
Executive Director
(510) 670-4162
bmarks@acoe.org

I serve as the Executive Director of the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) Bay Area Region, a state funded project serving seven counties. As an early user of technology in my classroom (when computers still had tape cassette drives), I saw the potential for technology to engage students and make learning more interesting.  Today’s students have access to so much information through technology – whether a computer or a cell phone, and schools need to provide them with the skills they need to be successful in a digital age. 

I have worked at state, national and international levels to improve teaching and learning through the use of technology. As a school administrator with over 30 years experience in education, I have taught in the elementary and middle grades, served as a technology coordinator for the Alameda County Office of Education, and taught in the UC Berkeley Technology in Education program.  I am a past President of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). I’ve served as a board member of several professional associations, including Computer Using Educators, the Alameda County ACSA Charter, and the National Educational Computing Association. I hold a B.A. from University of California Berkeley, and an M.A. in Education Leadership from California State University, Hayward.  It is my hope that technology in schools will play an important role in enabling students to gain the knowledge and skills they need to lead happy and productive lives.

“School computers today are what chalk, slate and hornbooks were to students of the past.  They enable students to access resources, develop writing skills, and explore mathematical relationships in ways that engage them and further their learning.” 

Kiyo Masuda
Director
(510) 670-4295
kmasuda@acoe.org

“Mrs. Masuda, you sure love reading and writing. That’s all you talk about! I’m beginning to like it too!”  This is what education is all about. As educators, it is our responsibility and obligation to work together to provide each student with the skills and knowledge to not only enjoy the world of learning but to also be prepared for a productive, fulfilling future.

I have been involved with the direct promotion of reading literacy throughout my professional career.  I received my B.A. at San Francisco State University and M.Ed. in Elementary Education, specializing in reading/language arts, from the University of Hawaii. While teaching elementary school children in Hawaii, I had the interesting challenge of learning pidgin and teaching standard English. Teaching middle school students in the Bay Area broadened my understanding of the academic needs of our inner city students, an interest that led to my further involvement with language arts curriculum and professional development in Alameda USD and Fresno USD. My administrative experience includes being a vice principal and program coordinator at the elementary, middle and high school levels. At these sites, curriculum and professional development to raise academic achievement were a major emphasis of my work.

Being a member of the California Standards Test, English/Language Arts Assessment Review Panel reinforces my commitment to our goal that all students learn to read and write proficiently. And, as a director of the RIC, I have the privilege of providing the instructional support to teachers and administrators as they strengthen their capacity in this area.

Deborah Wood
Executive Director
(510) 670-4586
dwood@acoe.org

The CASRC is administered for the California Department of Education, After School Programs Office to provide a one-stop information source that enables the rapidly expanding number of California after school programs to identify resources that meet local instructional needs, are aligned with California curriculum frameworks and standards, are appropriate for use in after school programs, and are research based. The CHKRC is administered for the California Department of Education and California Department of Health Services to provide research-based health education resources, trainings, and technical assistance to all schools, districts and youth-serving agencies in California.  Before coming to ACOE I was an Associate Professor at San Jose State University and Program Officer at the Walter S. Johnson Foundation. My doctorate was earned at Stanford University in the areas of education and adolescent development.

“Healthy children are better learners.”

www.californiahealthykids.org

Educational Services Managers, Coordinators, and Specialists

Avi Black
Coordinator
510-670-4239
ablack@acoe.org

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.

Ralph Cantor
Coordinator
(510) 670-4589
rcantor@acoe.org

It is therefore necessary to include all these aspects of the child as we consider our educational priorities. For me, specifically, this comes under the area of learning support.”

At the Alameda County Office of Education, my responsibilities involve tobacco, drug, and violence prevention assistance to districts and schools. This work is funded by grants entitled Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE); Safe, Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC/Title IV); and Regional Safe Schools Planning.

I have been a teacher and counselor in urban secondary schools for 25 years, and have been at ACOE for eight years.

I have contributed on a State level in three particular areas:
First, I am the author of “Days Of Respect,” a book about a school-wide violence prevention program that received the Award of Excellence from the California School Board Association in 1991.

Second, I train drug educators on strategies and content relating to marijuana and adolescents.

Third, I train school personnel in all aspects of the Student Assistance Program (which focuses on identification and referral for prevention and intervention).

I have a Master’s Degree in Education and Counseling, a Teaching Credential in Secondary Math and Science, a School Counseling Pupil Personnel Credential, and a School Administration Credential.

Moira Chapman
Specialist
(510) 670-4520
mchapman@acoe.org

It is my worldview that education is the foundation for the survival and progressive evolution of our species and planet. For us humans to value and act to sustain all forms of life and the earth, we must have education.  This view has been validated many times over by my experiences teaching students about natural resource conservation.  When students apply what they have learned in the classroom to help the natural environment and fellow humans, their motivation to improve their lives, the lives of others, and the planet, is increased.  Teaching about the natural world and the conservation of natural resources through service-learning, a teaching strategy that connects standards-based curriculum to community-based service, provides teachers with the tools to reach students at all performance levels and with different learning styles, educational and cultural backgrounds.  The direct connection of an environmental service-learning project to classroom curricula and to students’ lives, and the resulting positive changes they create in their communities and world, motivates students to learn and apply academic concepts and skills.

As the coordinator of the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot) Chávez Service-Learning Project, I train and support participating teachers in districts throughout Alameda County to teach their students about the 4Rs, and using César Chávez as a role model, to engage students in service-learning projects to reduce waste and save natural resources. My previous work at the ACOE has included the development of service-learning training modules, a toolkit, and a video on school culture for AmeriCorps programs and schools to train AmeriCorps members and teachers in service-learning. To date, the Modules and Toolkit have been used by AmeriCorps programs, school districts, higher education programs, and school-based non-profits. Additionally, I co-developed the Teen411 Project, an online youth resource guide to provide educational, career and personal resources to teens.

Prior to joining the ACOE staff team, I managed an environmental education service-learning program for middle schools in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), participated on the design, development and teaching team for a conservation corps charter school in OUSD, and served as a forestry and community development Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. I am a credentialed teacher with over 15 years of experience in conservation education and service-learning programs. I have a B.A. in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz and a Multiple Subject Credential from CSU East Bay.

The end of all education should surely be service to others.

El fin de toda educación debe ser seguramente el servicio a otros.

~César E. Chávez

Evan Goldberg
Coordinator
(510) 670-4233
egoldberg@acoe.org

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

Phil Gonsalves
Coordinator
(510) 670-4214
pgonsalves@acoe.org

Prior to coming to ACOE, I worked as a mathematics teacher, district curriculum leader, mathematics coordinator, curriculum author, software developer, and a mathematics consultant. I have been teaching mathematics at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) since 1986. I received my Bachelor’s, single subject mathematics teaching credential, and Master’s degrees from CSUEB. My Master’s thesis and current research focus is on mathematics education and the implementation of best practices.

All students can see the beauty in, and the power of, learning mathematics when they are provided with an exciting, enriched, balanced curriculum taught by a competent, compassionate, passionate teacher. Through ongoing collaboration and long-term professional development, educators can provide a safe and rich learning environment that enhances academic success and social development for all students. As John Dewey (American philosopher of education) understood over a century ago, how students are taught is as important as what they are taught.

“I have always been interested in the beauty and consistency of the universal language of mathematics and my passion is to share that interest with everyone. As Albert Einstein said, “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”

As an educator, I am committed to working towards high standards, high expectations, and accountability for all students.

In my current role as the Assessment Coordinator for ACOE and a member of the School Assistance and Intervention Team, I have the privilege of working with teachers, administrators and other staff who are looking to improve their practice through the use of data. Data is more than just test scores, it includes any information about a child that helps us analyze their needs and adapt our practice to meet those needs. It is the critical component that ensures that our efforts with our students are on target.

In addition, I have the opportunity to work with district assessment personnel and support them in their work with California’s STAR assessments and both the State and Federal accountability systems, Annual Performance Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Both of these accountability systems demand that schools and districts ensure that all students as well as all significant subgroups are making adequate academic improvement. All of this supports my belief that evidence is not in the effort, it is in the results. Through my work I hope to help districts reach equity in their educational practice. Equity is not equal access, it is equal results.

Over my past 20 years as an educator I have had the opportunity to teach in a variety of settings, from rural Costa Rica to small-town California to corporate America. I have been a bilingual elementary teacher, a high school teacher and university instructor. I have also served as a district level technology coordinator working to improve student learning through the use of technology to support instruction. In each of these environments I have found students who are struggling and yet excited to learn and others who have sacrificed greatly for the opportunity. Throughout those 20 years I have grown more committed in my belief that all students can learn, given the opportunity and commitment of their teachers and support systems. I believe it is our responsibility to use whatever tools we have available to ensure all students succeed.

As a life-long learner, education has been both a vocation and an avocation for me.  “Learning is not about having the right answer” I tell my students, “but about what you do when you don’t have an answer.”  Always an incomplete puzzle, an intrinsically motivating set of possibilities, I find education of all kinds exciting and uplifting.  It’s this perspective that I bring to the challenges of schooling as we attempt to problem solve the issues of growing talent, deploying human resources, and building leadership capacity.

I am currently working in schools where the talent, resources and leadership are attempting to meet the needs of students who are struggling to find their voice and place in the educational system.  As an External Evaluator for the School Assistance and Intervention Team (SAIT), we analyze barriers to student success and assist the local educators in rethinking how they approach these challenges.  Playing the role of both an outside change agent and a critical friend allows me to offer a wonderful tool for helping shape the learning environments in which I work.

I come to this work with a variety of experience that includes serving as a special and regular education teacher, school principal, district reading coach, regional staff developer, administrative training developer,
and leadership consultant.  I am proud to have been a “Distinguished Visiting Principal” with California State University, Hayward, where I served as a Tier 1 instructor for aspiring administrators.

In our Golden State, we have educational problems to solve.  We also have a wealth of possibilities in our toolkit.  Our intellectual capital is diverse, plentiful and entrepreneurial.  My hope is that we bring our great resources, talents and leadership to our schools in ways that lift the futures of all children.

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

Albert Einstein

“Especially in mathematics, I believe assessment can be a powerful tool to support student learning – to diagnose learning needs and to assist in planning instruction – and not merely to sort students into categories of ‘pass’ and ‘fail.’”

As a mathematics coordinator at ACOE, I help schools and districts connect the standards to actual student work through professional development as well as direct classroom support.  We are currently focused on supporting district mathematics coaches as a strategy for long-term professional development and improved student achievement.  Among my responsibilities, I serve as co-director of the ACCLAIM mathematics professional development program; the Strategic and Intensive Mathematics Initiative (SIMI), the Mathematics Peer Coaching Support Network, and the SB472 Mathematics program.  I also coordinate the Student Work Profile, Internet-based software that facilitates teacher analysis of student work in relation to standards for all subjects, K-12.  I have worked as a teacher and teacher educator for over 20 years.  I was Alameda-Contra Costa County Mathematics Teacher of the Year in 1987, and served as a writer and consultant for state and national standards and classroom-based assessment during the 1990s.  I received my bachelor’s, multiple subject teaching credential, and master’s degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.  My master’s thesis focused on mathematics education and the development of algebraic thinking.

“Although there are many challenges in education, through collaboration and long-term professional development in subject matter content, by creating a safe learning environment for all students and teachers, and by openly addressing issues of equity, race, class, and culture, we can help all students, school, and communities succeed."

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 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. For the past three years, 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.

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

In Nicaragua, my native country, I participated in the National Literacy Campaign after the Revolution, where we taught families in remote rural areas to read and write.  I taught Spanish and Social Studies in Saint Theresa’s Academy and in the American-Nicaraguan International School.  I tutored adults and children in Social Studies and Spanish (native and foreign speakers).  In the United States, I have also worked with students from different ethnic backgrounds in Early Childhood centers as well as Spanish bilingual teachers.

I received my B.A. in Arts and Letters from the Jesuit University, Universidad Centro Americana (Nicaragua).  I hold a Multiple Subject Spanish BCLAD Teacher Credential and Early Childhood Site Supervisor Permit. At the present time I am pursuing a Master’s Degree in Critical Environment and Global Literacy. 

I hope our family literacy program helps families to become strong by finding and reaching their educational goals, but most of all, by becoming the best teachers and advocates for their children.  I want to make sure that families participating in our program receive all the support they need to help their children and themselves succeed in school.  I hope our families become empowered to take an active role in their communities and to teach their children that each one of us can make a difference.

“I believe education is the vehicle for a just society and sacred world.  I believe every person needs to have access to education as the tool that will awaken in them greater self-esteem, a desire to learn every day, a sense of belonging, and the commitment to become an active, responsible citizen in and for her/his community.”

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. 

“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.” 

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.”

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.

 I have served in this capacity since July 1999.   I serve as Chairperson of the County Truancy Committee developing our current truancy referral program through the District Attorney’s office; Chair County School Attendance and Review Board (SARB) panel; a member of the State SARB committee; and State President of the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance.  

My background is in the legal field (certificated Paralegal) not the world of education as most of my colleagues.  This gives me an edge since all of my responsibilities are legal in nature.  My future plans include more parent advocacy -- educating parents through the educational maze allowing them to maintain their dignity, reduce frustration and increase their student’s success rate. 

I am drawing particularly upon 8 years of teaching experience and 3 years of participation in a similar Teaching American History grant in Oakland to provide insights and support into the planning process of the WTMA program.  I am a strong proponent of the lesson study process which allows teachers to collaborate and reflect upon their students’ learning.  I use the lessons I have learned from lesson study along with my love of history and the teaching profession, to contribute to the WTMA program, its teachers and, ultimately, our students’ learning of history.