Fernando Aguilar, Director
Barbara Ashley-Di Grande, Special Education Resource Specialist
Stephanie Boyce, Business Manager
Ron Buchanan, Kindergarten Teacher
Erin Carder-McCoy, 1st Grade Teacher
Michael Chow, Director of the Innovation Lab, Middle School Math/Science Teacher, Technical Arts Teacher
Katie Clay, 3rd Grade Teacher
Kat Healy, Dance Teacher
Ellen Hintz-Shimabukuro, Lunch Program Coordinator and Afterschool Instructor
Raquel Huerta, Resource Specialist
Maria Jenerik, Middle School Teacher
Ayo Jenkins, Coach and Assistant
Leslie Keir, Visual Arts Teacher
Jenny Kipp, Coordinator of Community Engagement
Christina Lam, Paraprofessional
Gillian Langford, Paraprofessional
Dan Lau,Paraprofessionall
Ann Ledo-Lane, Director of Arts Programming and Resource Development
Michelle Mao, Middle School Teacher
Eileen McKann-Kingston, Afterschool Coordinator
Isabelle McDaniel, Coordinator of Educational Support
Joanna Milligan, 4th Grade Teacher
David Morrison, 5th Grade Teacher
Dina Moskowitz, Middle School Teacher
Brooke Nagel, 1st Grade Teacher
Malcolm Richards, 5th Grade Teacher
Eric Roof, PE Teacher/Middle School Teacher
Summer Sanders, Learning Support Specialist
Jasmine Sheldon, Kindergarten Teacher
Mizuho Shiomi, 3rd Grade Teacher
Scott Stone, Music Teacher
Debra Wong, 2nd Grade Teacher
Judith Zimberoff, Librarian

 

Fernando Aguilar, Director
Fernando earned a BA at Humboldt State University and an MA in education at the University of San Francisco. His 12 years of teaching experience include work at the Hawthorne School in Oakland; the River East School in East Harlem, NY; Ryder Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, and CACS. In his spare time, Fernando likes spending time with his family, going to the beach, and trying to find good pizza

Barbara Ashley-Di Grande, Special Education Resource Specialist
Barbara earned her BA in liberal arts with a minor in counseling at San Francisco State University. She began teaching and joined the staff of Creative Arts in 2004. Barbara incorporates her training in Lindamood-Bell¨ reading instruction into her work with students, and she is committed to helping all children reach their full potential. In her free time, Barbara enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Stephanie Boyce, Business Manager
Stephanie has 28 years of administrative experience, including work in the fields of electronics, insurance, hospitality, and law. In 1994 she earned her BA in business after attending night school for several years. Stephanie developed a passion for charter schools after becoming a Creative Arts parent in 1996, and for several years she volunteered in the classroom and on the Board of Directors. Stephanie joined the staff of Creative Arts in 2002 to expand the administrative team. Outside of school she loves cooking, travel, and "a good movie."

Ron Buchanan, Kindergarten Teacher
Ron earned a BA and MA in English literature and later a teaching credential at San Francisco State University. In 2000 he joined the staff of Creative Arts, where he has taught Kindergarten and 1st grade. Ron is committed to fostering a learning environment that grows the whole child, taking into account social, emotional, and academic needs. Ron and his wife Barbra have two children at Creative Arts. In his spare time, Ron reads The New Yorker, downloads music from iTunes, and plays basketball.

Erin Carder-McCoy, 1st Grade Teacher
Erin earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and communications at Virginia Tech and worked for eight years as a corporate event planner before returning to school to follow her heart and become a teacher. She graduated from the teacher credential program at New College of California in 2006, after completing student teaching positions at Tenderloin Community School, Lawton Elementary, Marshall Elementary, and Creative Arts. She began teaching full time at Creative Arts in 2007. Erin spends her time outside of school hiking, biking, reading, raising orchids, and making stained glass windows.

Michael Chow, Director of the Innovation Lab, Middle School Math/Science Teacher, Technical Arts Teacher
Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Humanities, with a minor in Chemistry, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He spent 22 years as an engineer, then earned a California teaching credential and has spent the past 9 years as a middle school multiple subject teacher. He enjoys bringing his real world experiences into the classroom through the creation of interdisciplinary project-based curriculum that challenges students to think critically about authentic problems. Mike's interests include robotics, computer programming, genetic engineering, tending to his garden and spending time with his family. Mike is also passionate about architecture, is an avid carpenter, and spends his summers working on historic renovation projects.

Katie Clay, 3rd Grade Teacher
Katie holds a BA in English, a BFA in dance from the University of Michigan, and an MA in education from Mills College. Katie served as a student teacher and volunteer at CACS prior to joining the staff in 2009. She is passionate about the arts in public schools and educational equity. Outside of school, she makes movies, performs music, and tap dances. Her other interests include reading, cooking, forest walks, and silent film.

Kat Healy, Dance Teacher
Kat started bouncing to the beat of the drum at nine months old and hasn't stopped since. Originally from New Mexico, Kat spent childhood years in Brazil and earned an Undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona. She moved to the Bay Area to explore the rich and diverse artistic scene. Inspired by three years with National Dance Institute of New Mexico teaching excellence, discipline, and encouraging self confidence through dance, Kat continues to teach dance with the same message of success. Trained from a young age in ballet, tap, and jazz, she strives to experience the wide world of dance; she has performed with companies here in the Bay Area in the Hip Hop Dance Fest, ODC Pilot Program, Black Choreographers Festival, and the Bay Area Salsa Rueda Festival.

Ellen Hintz-Shimabukuro, Lunch Program Coordinator and Afterschool Instructor
Ellen received her BA in art from San Francisco State University. Her work with Creative Arts began as a founding parent and office volunteer. Ellen currently serves on the CACS Diversity Committee and acts as volunteer coordinator for the Family Association. She instituted the Food-to-Flowers composting program and coordinates the middle school's participation in the Unity Dance each year. In her spare time, Ellen visits farmers markets, gardens, reads, bikes, and knits.

Raquel Huerta, Resource Specialist
Racquel earned her BA in History at Pt. Loma Nazarene, San Diego and her MA in Special Education at SFSU, with an emphasis in Ethnic Studies. Her experience includes two years at MetWest High School as the Resource Specialist where she led an Asperger's Inclusion Program and also supported students with Emotional Disturbances. She has implemented Specially Designed Academic English Instruction for English Language Learners at a newcomer school in San Francisco as well as taught English in Czech Republic for two summers using similar teaching practices. Last year, Racquel created a study skills program and taught RS Algebra and English for mild to moderate high school students at Jefferson High School.
In her spare time, Racquel enjoys taking in the beautiful sights and sounds in the Bay Area with her children; which can include collecting Jr Park Ranger Badges, rolling through the park on her 1960's Austrian road bike, and cruising around the city in her 1961 Corvair.

Maria Jenerik, Middle School Teacher
After 20 years in the radio business, Maria pursued her dream of becoming a teacher, working first as a paraprofessional and later teaching 3rd, 6th,7th and 8th grades at Creative Arts. Maria serves as coach of five CACS sports teams, and in her classroom, she employs project-based learning that draws on her passion for theater, social and environmental justice, outdoor education, and service learning. Maria is the parent of two CACS alumni, and in her free time, she enjoys gardening, biking, running, eating out, and reading.

Ayo Jenkins, Coach and Assistant
Ayo Jenkins, known to all as Ms. Pie, has been cheering and dancing from the age of two. She's been coaching cheerleading and gymnastics from the age of 14. She also acts at her mother's theater in West Oakland. At CACS, she coaches volleyball and cheerleading, helps out in the office, and keeps students safe on the yard.

Leslie Keir, Visual Arts Teacher
Leslie earned her BA in art from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1985, with an emphasis on printmaking and painting. She earned an MA in creativity from the Inter-Arts Center at San Francisco State University in 2002 and two years later completed her teaching credential, also at SFSU. Leslie fell in love with teaching through her work for several years as a visiting artist at Bay Area public schools. Along with many other ingredients, her curriculum integrates ideas generated from the classroom as a mode of inquiry into the tools and strategies used by artists. She is committed to social justice and equity in education.

Jenny Kipp, Coordinator of Community Engagement
Jenny has extensive experience as an Executive Assistant, and played an integral role in the Family Association last year as 4th grade class rep. She has experience in office management, communications, community support, and working in multi-tasking environments. Jenny Kipp is the parent of a 5th grader and a 1st grader.

Christina Lam, Paraprofessional
Christina earned her BA in liberal studies at San Francisco State University. She is currently enrolled in the multiple subject credential program at SFSU for a combined credential in general and special education. Before joining us here at CACS, Christina was a preschool teacher at Oceanshore State Preschool in Pacifica. Her hobbies and interests include reading, catching a good movie, playing board games and card games, traveling, adventure, and the pursuit of good food!

Gillian Langford, Paraprofessional
Gillian has worked as a paraprofessional for SFUSD for the last five years. Gillian came from the U.K, where she worked as a social worker and a community worker in London. On most weekends, Gillian enjoys watching her teen boys perform in a rock band. Gillian loves to travel and eat good food!

Dan Lau, Paraprofessional
Dan earned his BA in English at Hunter College and his MA in English, Creative Writing at SFSU. His course work has covered pedagogical strategies for creative writing, projects in teaching creative writing, and literature. Before joining us here at CACS, Dan was an inclusion paraprofessional at Mission High.

Ann Ledo-Lane, Director of Arts Programming and Resource Development
Before joining CACS, Ann spent 9 years as Arts Director at Bronx Charter School for the Arts. Throughout her tenure, Ann institutionalized the process of arts integration across grade levels, led the professional development of faculty around arts integration, developed a comprehensive arts curriculum, and assisted in development efforts by connecting the arts program to the outside community. This past year, she organized the NYC Charter School Artist Collective to provide professional development, resources, and support to local teacher and artists working within charter and public schools as well as leading conferences around arts integration and studio practices. As an artist, Ann illustrates and creates books. A native of the Bay Area, Ann and her family are excited for many California adventures.

Michelle Mao, Middle School Teacher
Before joining CACS, Michelle taught Middle School Math and Science at Celerity Dyad Charter School in Los Angeles. Revered by her former principal for infusing creative teaching into what had been a 'traditional' school culture while simultaneously raising the school's API in a south central community of 100% free and reduced lunch student population, Michelle brings demonstrated success in blending arts integration with academic rigor. With a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development from University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor's in Art Concentration in Ceramic Sculpture from UCLA, Michelle brings a unique educational background and pedagogical approach that aligns well with our mission and vision, as she fosters students' creativity and exploration through project-based learning. During her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing music, watching movies, and going to sporting events.

Eileen McCann-Kingston, Afterschool Coordinator
Before joining the CACS community, Eileen earned her degree in horticulture and became the owner of the first chemical-free gardening business in San Francisco. She came to CACS with her older son, who graduated in 2007, and spent several years volunteering in classrooms and collaborating with teachers on garden science curriculum. In 2001, Eileen joined the CACS staff, working as a substitute teacher, classroom aide, and educator in the Breakfast Club, summer camp, and aftercare. Her hobbies include gardening, jewelry design, hiking, hanging out at the beach with her family, and reading.

Isabelle McDaniel, Coordinator of Educational Support
Isabelle received her MA in education and her teaching credential from Mills College and has taught in several urban charter schools. She is interested in building partnerships with higher education institutions and community organizations focused on supporting the arts in education. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer with the Golden Gate Women's Soccer League, cycling, swimming, and water color painting.

Joanna Milligan, 4th Grade Teacher
Joanna joined CACS after spending two years as an Associate Teacher at San Francisco Day School. Joanna received her BA in elementary education from the University of Vermont in 2007. She is committed to utilizing the practices of Responsive Classroom as a teacher, to using the arts as both a modality for learning and an engine for differentiation, and to contributing to a school culture that emphasizes community and respect. In her free time, she enjoys riding her bicycle, cooking, reading, and working on art projects.

David Morrison, 5th Grade Teacher
David earned a BS at SUNY Albany and an MBA at the University of California, Berkeley. An active volunteer during his daughters' years at Lakeshore Elementary, David developed a love for the classroom and decided to leave his career as an information technology manager in Silicon Valley to pursue a teaching credential. Since making the jump, he has taught in public elementary and middle schools in Daly City and San Francisco. David is passionate about math, history, and the project-based learning model. His wife, Vicki Symonds, works for Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco, and they live in the city with their two daughters and a dog. When not working, David enjoys hiking, travel, and music.

Dina Moskowitz, Middle School Teacher
Dina joined CACS in 2011, bringing a keen understanding of curricular content that engages and excites students. Prior to CACS, Dina served as the program manager for the We Teach Science Foundation's Remote Tutoring and Mentoring Program (RTM) in the Pacifica School District. She also, Dina spent five years as a lead teacher in the Oakland Public Schools, teaching 2nd and 3rd grades at North Oakland Community Charter School and 6th grade at Oakland Charter Academy. Dina also worked as a middle school teacher at the Lawrence Hall of Science Summer Science and Reading Academy in 2009. In 2008, Dina completed her Masters degree in Education at Mills College with a focus on racial identity development and social interactions in the classroom. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from Wesleyan University and attended the School for International Training in Kenya for her junior semester abroad.-

Brooke Nagel, 1st Grade Teacher
Brooke came to Creative Arts after five years of teaching bilingual students in San Jose. She earned her BA in English and BS in elementary education at Boston University and is currently working on her MA in art and art education at Columbia University Teachers College. She ran an after-school visual arts program while teaching in San Jose and is committed to advocating for the arts in public education. Brooke also enjoys traveling, visiting museums, and biking.

Malcolm Richards, 5th Grade Teacher
Malcolm earned his teaching credential through the Bay Area Teachers Training Institute (BATTI), and brings with him a variety of teaching experiences, both in and out of the classroom. Most recently, he worked as an assistant teacher at The Hamlin School in San Francisco. Previously, he has tutored students in Minneapolis through an Americorps program, and taught environmental education in varied locales, including coastal Maine and Livermore, CA. Malcolm enjoys creating new and engaging curriculum that requires students to challenge themselves and collaborate with each other. Outside of teaching Malcolm is a dedicated runner, with plans to compete in the Chicago Marathon this fall.

Eric Roof, PE/Middle School Teacher
Eric earned his BA in Geography from UC Berkeley and his teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He was a college football and rugby player winning two Collegiate National Rugby Championships with Cal Rugby. Eric is the parent of a 5 year-old, and he enjoys learning Spanish and French, writing, making music, hiking, surfing, and gardening.

Summer Sanders, Learning Support Specialist
Summer earned both a BS and MS in counseling from California State University, Fullerton. Her degrees focused on human services and child and adolescent counseling. While working as a support specialist in an alternative high school, Summer earned her pupil personnel services credential and began pursuing a marriage and family therapy license. She served as a high school intervention counselor and academic counselor in Tustin, California. Summer has traveled extensively and enjoys music, reading, yoga, and cycling.

Jasmine Sheldon, Kindergarten Teacher
Jasmine came to CACS with seven years experience running outdoor education programs for youth with an array of organizations in Washington, Oregon, and California. Most recently, she was a part of an amazing K/1 teaching team at North Oakland Community Charter School. She holds a BA in Women’s Studies and Social Justice from Western Washington University, and recently obtained her teaching credential through San Francisco State’s Bay Area Teacher Training Institute. She loves to create elaborate, messy, mixed media art integrated units with her students and is constantly dreaming up new projects. She is passionate about providing children with tools that empower them. When Jasmine isn’t teaching you can find her playing at the beach, kayaking, or cooking up something delicious in her sunny kitchen.

Mizuho Shiomi, 3rd Grade Teacher
Mizuho is excited to return to CACS after spending a semester as a 4th grade student teacher last year. Recognized by her apprentice teachers for her strong classroom management and curriculum development skills, Mizuho is excited to have the opportunity to use creativity as a differentiation tool in the classroom. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Mizuho came to San Francisco in 2007 to attend the University of San Francisco where she received her bachelor's degree, Master's degree, and teaching credential. Mizuho grew up playing ice hockey, soccer and volleyball and recently started playing golf. In her free time she likes to read and play sports.

Scott Stone, Music Teacher
Scott Stone received his BA in music from Claremont Men's College in 1975 and his teaching credential from San Francisco State University in 1986. Since starting his teaching career in 1978, Scott has been a classroom teacher, music specialist, principal, summer school coordinator, and teacher mentor. After joining the staff of Creative Arts in 2000, he taught 2nd, 3rd, and 7th grade. In 2005 Scott took on the role of music specialist, overseeing the school's music program while teaching daily to the lower grades. He now teaches music to all grades at CACS .

Debra Wong, 2nd Grade Teacher
Debra came to CACS after spending the last three years teaching 2nd grade at FAME Charter School in Fremont. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Salinas, CA Debra studied psychology, geography, and education at UC Berkeley, where she returned for her MA and credential in education with the DTE program. She enjoys playing playing tennis, swimming, and rock-climbing to stay active. Her interests include carpentry, sewing, cooking, and volunteering.

Judith Zimberoff, Librarian
Judith holds a BA in Elementary Education from Roosevelt University and a master's degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She was one of the five original pioneer librarians to serve San Francisco when Prop H went into effect the 2005-06 school year. Prior to her work at CACS, Judith worked as a teacher, librarian, real estate broker, and entrepreneur in both California and New York, and spent a memorable year in France, studying French and eating amazing food. Her hobbies include millinery, cooking, finding treasures, traveling, and writing.