You’ll be seeing a number of new faces in leadership roles, as well as familiar faces taking on new management positions, as the 2017-18 school year gets underway.
Congratulations to the following new leaders! (in alphabetical order:)
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Carrie Berg, BHS Vice Principal. Carrie attetnded Brown University as an undergraduate and earned Masters degrees in international education from Harvard, in teaching from Long Island University and school leadership from UC Berkeley’s Principal Leadership Institute. She began her professional career overseas in education programs in conflict-affected zones and switched to teaching to work directly with youth. With a focus on special education and social studies, she worked in middle and high schools in New York City and then East Oakland, most recently as a Literacy Coach and Special Education Coordinator. |
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Allen Boltz, BHS Dean of Attendance. Nine years ago, Allen realized his future was in education when he worked for AmeriCorps with at-risk youth after completing a chemistry degree at Humboldt State University. His student teaching was at a small charter school that had a thematic approach to education. In 2009, he accepted a research fellowship at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab working on energy and air quality research with the Darfur Stoves Project. He was then recruited by Berkeley High to teach chemistry in AMPS and CAS. In 2010, he became co-lead of AMPS and led the transition to a physical science, chemistry, biology sequence and co-wrote the freshman forensic science course. He continued his research at the Berkeley Lab in the summers and just completed a five-year Math for America research fellowship at UC Berkeley. He is currently in a M.Ed. Leadership program at CSU East Bay and recently was the intern summer school principal at Longfellow Middle School. |
Candyce Cannon, Malcolm X Interim Vice Principal. Candyce has been a long time teacher at Malcolm X. She has been the Arts Coordinator since 2015 and served as Teacher in Charge this past school year. Ms. Cannon has a BA in History, a multi-subject credential, a Masters from Mills in Administration and has most recently been in the CSU East Bay Administrative Program, earning her Tier 1 Administrative Credential. | |
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Tonia Coleman, BHS Vice Principal. Tonia has served for 19 years in public education and is a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Principal Leadership Institute. Most recently, she served three years as Assistant Principal at Claremont Middle School in Oakland. She spent 16 years in the Oak Grove School District in San Jose and was Lead Teacher for eight years at a community day school in San Jose. She also competed in intercollegiate basketball and track at Humboldt State. University, bringing a background of team building to her administrative work. |
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Patricia (Patty) Duwel, Director of Classified Personnel. Originally from Long Beach, Patty retired from the U.S. Navy in March 1999 while stationed in the Bay Area, and in October 1999 she started working for Berkeley High. She transferred to Human Resources in 2003 and left BUSD in January 2004 when she accepted the position of Director of Classified Human Resources with the Apple Valley Unified School District in southern California. She received a Masters in Human Resources Management from Keller Graduate School of Management in 2007 and continued working with Apple Valley Unified until June 2014 when she took her CalPERS retirement. She then began work as a legal assistant for the Executive Office of Immigration Review in Adelanto, California, in August 2014. She brings over 10 years as a Classified Director in a California Merit System and 15 years as a classified employee back to Berkeley Unified. |
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Susannah Bell Fishman, BHS Program Manager, Special Education. Susannah Bell Fishman has been a teacher at Berkeley High School for 19 years. She started the AP Augmentation program for the small schools. She was recognized for this work when she was named 2008 Berkeley Public School Funds Distinguished Educator. Susannah was a BHS Professional Development Co-Coordinator and has led Professional Development for the Special Education Department. This past year, as a part-time Program Supervisor, Susannah demonstrated herself to be a consummate professional dedicated to equity and accountability for all students and staff. |
Mark McAnally, Maintenance Supervisor. Mark has over ten years of experience in HVAC, plumbing, carpentry and electrical trades. He joined BUSD in 2013. Prior to being named Maintenance Supervisor in our Maintenance and Operations Department, he was a Maintenance Engineer and a Lead Maintenance Engineer with the District. | |
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Lindsay Orbeta, Health and Wellness Program Coordinator. Lindsay is a Registered Dietitian and a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego State University in Foods and Nutrition and a double Master’s in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Cal Poly Pomona. Lindsay brings over ten years of experience in this field to the district. Her position with the Cooking and Gardening Program is newly created with funding with revenue from Berkeley’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax. |
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Juan Raygoza, BHS Vice Principal. Juan comes to our team highly recommended by his former colleagues at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, Calif., where he served as an assistant principal. Previously, he was a standout social studies teacher who earned high marks from students as well as supervisors. Juan is a graduate of the Principal Leadership Institute at UCLA. His leadership experience and leadership goals bring a strong emphasis on classroom instruction, culturally responsive teaching and restorative approaches to school climate and culture. |
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Susanne Reed, Professional Development Coordinator. Susanne has worked in BUSD for that past six years. She was an equity teacher leader at Jefferson Elementary for five years, leading professional development workshops and has facilitated grade-level teams in Protocols for Professional Learning Communities. Most recently she served as the vice principal at Malcolm X. |
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Michelle Sinclair, Cragmont Principal. Michelle joined BUSD four years ago. She served as Coordinator of Professional Development, expertly supporting certificated Professional Development, including District Teachers on Special Assignment in K-8 Math, Science, English Language Arts, English Language Development and Response to Intervention. Michelle led the District work in transitioning to Common Core State Standards and most recently coordinated the English Language Arts adoption for middle school. Michelle successfully coordinated BUSD’s staff development days for over 500 teachers each year. |
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Lena Sweeney, BHS Special Education Program Supervisor. Lena has worked in public education for more than 17 years, including 12 with BUSD. She has been a General Education teacher, a TSA, and an Education Specialist, serving most recently as a special education teacher at Berkeley High. She holds a Multiple Subject Credential/CLAD as well as a Special Education Clear Credential. |
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Megan Truitt, King Vice Principal. Megan comes to BUSD with four years administrative experience, having as a K-8 Dean of Students in Novato and an Assistant Principal at San Jose Middle School. She received her Administrative Services Credential from UC Berkeley and her masters in Education from UC Berkeley’s Principal Leadership Institute She holds single subject credentials in Biological Sciences and Geosciences, as well as a multi-subject credential. |
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Heidi Weber, Program Coordinator, Independent Study. Heidi Weber has been a teacher, teacher leader and administrator in BUSD for 21 years, and is now Program Coordinator for Independent Study. She most recently served as Dean of Attendance at Berkeley High School. Heidi served as the lead teacher for the English Language Learners program at BHS from 2007-2014. After graduating from UC Berkeley’s Principal Leadership Institute in 2014, Heidi accepted a position as Vice Principal at Pittsburgh High School. She returned to Berkeley Unified to become Dean of Attendance. |
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Stephen Williams, Vehicle and Equipment Supervisor. Stephen has been with Berkeley Unified since September 2014 and has more 29 years experience as a mechanic. He served in the United States Army and worked at UPS and Durham School Services before joining our Transportation Department as a Vehicle and Equipment Mechanic. |