• Welcome
• Fast Facts
• Our Mission & History
• Charter School FAQ
• Our Charter (pdf)
• Staff
• Employment
• Board of Directors
• Partnerships

Staff

Fernando Aguilar, Assistant Director
Barbara Ashley-Di Grande, Special Education Resource Specialist
Alyson Bingham, 4th Grade Teacher
Stephanie Boyce, Business/Operations Manager
Ron Buchanan, 1st Grade Teacher
Erin Carder-McCoy, Kindergarten Teacher
Michael Chow, Middle School Teacher
Katie Clay, 2nd Grade Teacher
Ruth Corley, 5th Grade Teacher
Paul Greenwood, Director
Kat Healy, Dance Teacher
Ellen Hintz-Shimabukuro, Lunch Program Coordinator and Afterschool Instructor
Maria Jenerik, Middle School Teacher
Leslie Keir, Visual Arts Teacher
Eileen McKann-Kingston, Afterschool Coordinator
Isabelle McDaniel, 3rd Grade Teacher
David Morrison, 4th Grade Teacher
Dina Moskowitz, Middle School Teacher
Brooke Nagel, Kindergarten Teacher
Summer Sanders, Learning Support Specialist
Kelé Self, 2nd Grade Teacher
Karen Slovak, Visual Arts Teacher
Scott Stone, 2nd Grade and Music Teacher
Judith Zimberoff, Librarian

 

Fernando Aguilar, Assistant 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.

Alyson Bingham, 4th Grade Teacher
Alyson has been teaching kindergarten through university students for over fifteen years, including creative writing on a Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, art throughout the Bay Area, conflict resolution to students, parents and staff in the Oakland Unified School District, and fourth grade in San Lorenzo Unified. Alyson specializes in creating curriculum which focuses on themes of self-advocacy, academic and personal goal setting, and student-driven projects. Known for her commitment to caring classroom communities, social justice, high achievement, and creativity, Alyson prides herself on helping students reach their full potential through active engagement in the learning process. For the last four years, Alyson has trained new elementary school teachers at Mills College in Oakland, where she received her teaching credential and two Masters degrees- one in Education and one in Creative Writing. Alyson attended college at UC Santa Cruz and Oberlin College in Ohio. She loves traveling, theater, reading, writing, music, kayaking, hiking, and swimming.

Stephanie Boyce, Business/Operations Manager
Stephanie has 27 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, 1st Grade 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, Kindergarten 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, Middle School 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 8 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, 2nd 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.

Ruth Corley, 5th Grade Teacher
Ruth comes from a long line of educators—grandfather, aunts, uncles, both parents, and two brothers. It is no surprise that she has found herself working in education for the past eight years. After earning her BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University, Ruth went on to get her teaching credential from the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute. Ruth has since taught 2nd grade through 6th grade at independent schools and charter schools in the Bay Area. Last year, Ruth's sixth grade class and their Perspectives essays were featured on KQED's Forum talk show. This past school year, Ruth and her husband worked as professional development facilitators for elementary school teachers in Papua New Guinea. Ruth taught 3rd and 4th grade at CACS from 2006-2009, and she is thrilled to return to the CACS community.

Paul Greenwood, Director
Paul earned his B.A. in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his Master's in Educational Administration from San Francisco State University. In 2009, Paul was one of one-hundred eighty-five principals nationwide to be selected to participate in Harvard's Graduate School of Education's professional development program in school leadership. Paul began his career as an English instructor and international liaison in Hiroshima, Japan. Since that time, he has worked with students of all grade levels as a teacher and administrator at The Freeman School, Drew School, and Orinda Academy. Paul most recently served as the Middle School Director at The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach. Paul's hobbies include yoga, golf, guitar, and reading.

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 Brasil 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.

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, and 7th/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.

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.

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 as an 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, 3rd Grade Teacher
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.

David Morrison, 4th 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 joins CACS this year, bringing a keen understanding of curricular content that engages and excites students. Most recently, Dina served as the program manager for the We Teach Science Foundation's Remote Tutoring and Mentoring Program (RTM) in the Pacifica School District. As the Program Manager, Dina managed the daily running of the program, supported the classroom teachers, and was responsible for recruiting and training the volunteer mentors on best practices and constructivist pedagogy. Prior to joining the We Teach Science Foundation, Dina spent five years as a lead teacher in the Oakland Public Schools. She taught 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, Kindergarten 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 afterschool 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.

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.

Kelé Self, 2nd Grade Teacher
Kelé did her undergraduate work at Sacramento State University during which time she studied child development in Copenhagen, Denmark. Kelé earned her BA in Liberal Studies from CSUS in 2007 and began the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program at San Francisco State, where she earned her credential in 2009. Kelé has worked as an educator in a variety of settings since she was a teenager and enjoys incorporating her love of art and the outdoors with her love of teaching. When Kelé is not in the classroom, you will find her sewing, running, rock climbing, playing her accordion, and traveling.

Karen Slovak, Visual Arts Teacher
Karen studied at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and received her BFA from SUNY Purchase. Having taught Preschool through 8th grade Art at the Children's Day School here in SF for 10 years, Karen is experienced at cross-curricular collaboration, project-based learning and trained in the Responsive Classroom. She is a "Preschool for All" teaching artist with the SF Children's Art Center. Karen has taught ceramic and mixed media camps at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, been a "Learning Through Art" artist's assistant in NY and a hospital art therapy volunteer. She received her single-subject Art teaching credential from SF State and exhibits her paintings and sewn works biannually as part of SF's city wide Open Studios.

Scott Stone, 2nd Grade and 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 and teaches 2nd grade with Kelé Self.

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.