Bay School Faculty Biographies
2010-2011 Academic Year

Vanessa Alfaro - Mathematics
Vanessa joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2009. During 2007-2008, at the College Preparatory School in Oakland, she taught mathematics and served as the director of The Partners Program, a summer enrichment program for under-resourced students in the East Bay. Vanessa earned her B.A. (Mathematics) at Mills College and M.S. (Mathematics – Operations Research and Statistics) at Claremont Graduate University. Her professional background is varied, including experience working in business and the US Navy, but the continuous thread in her resume is a love of mathematics and teaching. Her history of professional development experiences shows her to be an enthusiastic life-long learner. Vanessa has been active in diversity work at College Prep and at her alma mater, Mills College. 

Christine Argenziano- Assistant Director of Senior Signature Projects
Chris has been drawn to working with adolescents throughout her entire career. During her middle and high school years, she spent time each summer traveling to Appalachian Kentucky where she lived among the local people, working to repair homes, harvest crops, and tutor children…much like the work of Americorps, only more local.
This experience over a period of about six years served to shape her undergraduate major, and ultimately her career. After completing a BA in Ministry and Education at Mercyhurst College, she worked as a youth minister, and then taught theology at a private academy for girls.

Chris earned her MA in Counseling at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and then entered the public school system, serving as a guidance counselor for thirteen years at two Pennsylvania high schools, where she became active in the Ophelia Project (www.opehliaproject.org), a non-profit group whose primary focus is to create safe social climates for young people (founded on the heels of Mary Piper’s book: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls). In addition, Chris did post-graduate study at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, in the Gestalt Training Program.

Chris joined the Bay School college counseling team in fall 2008, as the school’s first graduating class was in the thick of the college application process. She eagerly returned to the classroom in fall 2010 to guide Bay School seniors through their rigorous independent study experiences in the Senior Signature Project program. In her leisure time, Chris particularly enjoys cooking, poetry (the poetry of Mary Oliver most especially!), and hiking. She is also a Certified Wedding Celebrant in the State of California.

Tina Banchero – Dance
Tina Banchero joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2009.Tina is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director who has performed extensively in the Bay Area for the past nine years. In 2004 she founded the
Grrrl Brigade, a middle and high school after-school dance theater and Taiko drumming company for girls that explores issues of self-empowerment and social justice through dance. During the 2008-2009 academic year Tina taught contemporary dance and composition at Claremont Middle School in Oakland and at Irvington High School in Fremont. Tina says, “[m]y primary concern as a dance educator is to create learning environments where students embark on a journey of self-awareness and self-expression through dance. From this place of self-awareness I then challenge the students to create work that speaks to their time and culture.” 

Ana Bayat – French and Spanish
Raised in Spain by her Iranian parents, Ana is a native speaker of Persian and Spanish. A total immersion elementary school added French to Ana’s repertoire, and subsequent education and experience have given her fluency in English, German, and Italian. With a B.A. in English Language and Linguistics from Roehampton London Institute and an M.A. in Media Studies from London College of Music, Ana has taught and tutored a number of languages in a variety of settings. Prior to joining the Bay School faculty in fall 2006 she taught Spanish and French at the Oakland School for the Arts.

Ana brings a richly varied intellectual and cultural background to the Bay School where she teaches upper level classes in Spanish and French. She also has a passionate devotion to the theatre and is active in several theatrical enterprises in the Bay Area.

Raul Betancourt – Science
Raul joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2009. He is a highly experienced chemistry teacher who taught previously at City Arts and Tech High School (charter) in San Francisco from 2007-2009. Raul is committed to project-based learning and he is highly experienced at incorporating technology into his instruction. He earned his B.A. (History, Chemistry minor) from UC Santa Cruz and an M.A. (Education) from Stanford.  The list of professional development activities in which he has been engaged is long and varied, and represents Raul’s commitment to continuing growth as an educator. Raul also believes it is essential that students consider ethical questions in science class. He writes, “[s]cience discoveries have ramifications in society that need to be critically analyzed and questioned.”  This perspective is a core element of the Bay School's educational philosophy.

Darrick Broudy – Humanities, Social Studies, and Music
Following his graduation from Morehouse College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Darrick began teaching at Balboa High School in San Francisco. There he developed a curriculum teaching United States history with a multicultural emphasis to an extremely diverse student body. His experience also included interdisciplinary collaboration with English, science, math, and media arts teachers in the Communication Arts Academy program.

In 2001 Darrick earned his Master of Arts degree in education from CSU San Francisco. While serving as social studies department head at Balboa High School in 2002-2003, Darrick directed curriculum development and program implementation. During 2003-2004 Darrick was a member of the faculty at Arrowsmith Academy in Berkeley, California where he taught world civilizations and diversity studies, and served as a faculty advisor to student extra-curricular clubs.

As a member of the Bay School’s founding faculty, Darrick brings his knowledge and instructional experience in the area of interdisciplinary curriculum development to teaching an integrated humanities curriculum on the freshman and sophomore levels.

William P. (Bill) Brown, Jr. – Humanities and Advanced Literature Electives
Bill came to the Bay School in 2004 with twenty-seven years of teaching experience at the high school level. Following his graduation with a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in 1976, Bill joined the English Department at Nichols School in Buffalo, New York where he taught in the upper school for sixteen years. He received his M.A. in English literature from SUNY Buffalo in 1991, graduating with distinction.

From 1994 through spring 2004, Bill served on the faculty of the upper school at Holland Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was chairman of the English Department and all-school coordinator of faculty development. He believes that “teachers who continue to grow in their work are the ones most likely to help students experience success and satisfaction.” Bill teaches Writing Workshop to freshmen, Humanities to freshmen and sophomores, as well as literature to the upper classes. Bill’s interests include a love for reading and writing poetry, and for outdoor adventures such as mountain climbing and camping.

Craig Butz – Humanities, Research and the Community, Junior Class Dean
Craig grew up in small-town Ohio and chose to make education a career after spending summers during college as a camp counselor and naturalist.He earned his BS in English Education in 1995 and a MA in English Language and Literature, with an emphasis on creative non-fiction, from OhioUniversity in 2004 where he also spent two years as a visiting instructor teaching formal writing skills.His more than ten years of high school teaching experience includes urban college preparatory high schools and rural vocational career centers. Before joining the Bay School faculty in fall 2008, Craig taught Humanities at High Tech High Bayshore in Redwood City and at the Art Institute of California in San Francisco.

Craig's approach to teaching blends the hands-on project-based approaches he learned while teaching vocational students and working at High Tech High with the rigorous academic focus of his university level instruction.His goal is to give students the tools they need to follow their curiosity, enabling them to learn independently.

When he isn't teaching, Craig pursues his many other interests: ceramics, photography and cycling.Although he's a bit of a tech geek, he is also an adventurous traveler.He's driven through 48 states to visit the southern-most, eastern-most, and northwestern-most points in the contiguous US, has traveled to 15 foreign countries on four continents, and hopes to visit many more.

Miles Chen – Physics and Studio Art
Miles entered the University of California at Berkeley as an art major in 1993 and graduated four years later with Bachelor degrees in Physics, Astronomy, and Studio Art. While studying for his undergraduate degrees, he served as a course reader in the Department of Astronomy where he was responsible for evaluating student homework and exams. He then spent the following two years as a research assistant at CAL in the Physics Department, and as an academic consultant at the National Science Foundation.

In 1997 Miles returned to U.C. Berkeley to assume teaching positions in the Physics and Astronomy Departments, where his work focused on curriculum development and professional training programs for graduate instructors. From 2001-2002 he was a lecturer in the Physics Department where he developed an introductory physics curriculum for scientists and engineers. During the 2003-2004 academic year Miles taught physics and geometry on the high school level at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco—finding that teaching freshman physics was the most rewarding experience of his teaching career. At the Bay School, Miles especially enjoys the opportunity of developing a science curriculum that connects math and science with art.

Lori Cohen – Humanities and Advanced Literature Electives
Lori earned her Bachelor of English degree, cum laude, in 1998 from the University of California, at Davis. From 2000 through spring 2005 Laurie taught English on the high school level at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento. In addition, she taught the 10th grade HISP Honors course (Humanities and International Studies Program) in Middle Eastern and Asian Literature. A year spent abroad living in Israel encouraged her love of Middle Eastern literature, and has inspired her to teach the literature and culture of this region to her high school students. While at C.K. McClatchy Lori also taught a 10th grade writing skills course designed to build student skills in the academic and creative genres. During the 2003-2004 school year she coordinated the school's Humanities program.

Lori has been very active in a number of professionally related programs. She has served as a teaching consultant to the Area 3 Writing Project (part of the National Writing Project), for which she created and presented workshops in technology, Socratic seminars, and alternative approaches to teaching and writing that included persuasive writing, and using "voice" in academic writing.

She has sponsored and served as an advisor to numerous student clubs and activities throughout her career—enjoying the experience of working with high school students outside of the classroom as well as within it. From 2000-2003 Lori was the assistant rowing coach of the U.C. Davis women's rowing team and assisted the team in winning back to back championships in 2002 and 2003. Considering herself an amateur filmmaker who examines Jewish identity from a humorous standpoint, she is an avid movie fan and also enjoys painting and writing.

Robin Cunningham - Mathematics
Robin holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Michigan and a BS in Applied Mathematics from the University of North Carolina. He began his career as a professor and high school teacher before becoming an investment actuary, and comes to the Bay School with more than 8 years of teaching experience.

Prior to returning to teaching, Robin used mathematics and statistics to help large insurance companies manage financial risk. Investment work helped him experience one application of an education in solid mathematics and statistics, but it also helped to crystallize Robin’s desire to return to teaching.  He decided to leave actuarial work to pursue that goal.

As a teacher, Robin takes pride in being able to help a wide range of students develop competence and comfort with rigorous mathematical and logical thinking. His classes often center on a single problem to be solved through the mastery of a new mathematical or statistical concept. He believes strongly that successful math learning takes place when students are actively seeking solutions to real problems. Finally, Robin plans to draw on his experience and ranking as a Chess Master to build an active and accomplished chess team at the Bay School.

Kari Doyle - Science
Kari is a California native, born in Santa Barbara, and graduated from high school in the Redding area of Northern California.  Kari’s 10th grade science teacher helped to ignite her passion for biology, and she went on to earn a
BA in Biology from Scripps College in Claremont, California.  After leaving Scripps she attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where she earned a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

While educating medical students as part of her training, Kari realized that she wanted to pursue teaching as a profession.  She was an instructor of Human Anatomy and Physiology as well as Biology at San Jacinto College located near Houston, Texas.  In 2008 she and her family moved to Los Angeles where she taught Biology and Honors Cellular and Molecular Biology at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena. 

Kari’s other passions include her family: her husband Kuyler and two young children Caden and Ashlyn.  Together they enjoy outdoor activities and playing with their two dogs.

Nicolas Fiszman – Physics, Chemistry, Advanced Science Electives, Sophomore Class Dean
After twelve distinguished years teaching at the Waring School in Massachusetts, Nic joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2007, bringing both experience and a wide range of interests. Born and raised in France, Nic received his B.S. in Geology and Geodynamics at the Université d’Orsay. He went on to earn an M.S. in Geophysics from MIT before joining the faculty at Waring, where he served as Math Department Head and coached soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. In addition, Nic directed the summer ArtWorks Camp at Waring from 1994 -2005.

Steve Glass – Athletic Director
Steve joined the Bay School as its founding athletic director in 2004, coming from Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco where he held the position of athletic director from 1992-2004. While at CSB he developed and directed a comprehensive physical education program for boys ranging from kindergarten through middle school. Prior to his tenure at Cathedral, he held the position of sports coordinator for adult and youth programs at the Stonestown YMCA in San Francisco. He began his athletic career in professional baseball as a player and coach for the Atlanta Braves. In October of 2004 Steve was inducted into the San Francisco State University Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his many career achievements as both an athlete and coach.

Steve's goal is to build a competitive and inclusive athletic program for Bay School student-athletes that is built upon a strong foundation of teamwork and fair play. As Steve expresses it, “Winning and losing are temporary—but the skills that are developed through athletics last a lifetime.”

Ellen Greenblatt – Literature, Humanities, and Writing Workshop 
With a BA in English from Cornell and a MAT in English from Yale, Ellen was a teacher of literature and writing at University High School in San Francisco for sixteen years. She has been a consultant to the College Board for Advanced Placement English and has served on test development committees for the SAT Literature exam. She regularly speaks and publishes on a variety of subjects involving the teaching of English in high schools.  “In some sense,” Ellen writes, “I feel as if I have been preparing for such a position [at Bay] for my whole career.  My desire is to help students learn how to navigate in a world of ambiguity and uncertainty.  My goal is to lead students to an understanding that exploring different answers, even as they know there will be no unequivocally right answer, is the richness of education—and of life.”

Matt Hannibal – Freshman Dean, Associate Director of College Counseling
Matt Hannibal graduated from Brown University in 1999 with a B. A. in Religious Studies. During his summers while attending Brown, Matt began teaching at Exploration Summer Programs, an academic enrichment program for students entering grades 4–12. Following graduation, Matt continued to work for Exploration in their year-round office as the assistant to the head of the junior program. For two years Matt organized and conducted faculty recruitment, curriculum development and class design, as well as general program development and organization. While with Exploration during the summers, Matt worked as the dean of students, overseeing student life and supervising the faculty.

Following his time with Exploration, Matt worked in Colorado teaching sixth grade at the Kent Denver School, and teaching fourth grade at Presidio Hill School in San Francisco. At Kent, Matt helped to implement an interdisciplinary approach to learning, focusing on the cultures of four main regions of the world. Throughout the year, students studied the history, cultures, and environments of Africa, the Middle East, Japan, and Pre-Columbian South America.  While at Kent, Matt also coached eighth grade boys’ lacrosse and ninth grade boys’ soccer. At Presidio Hill, Matt continued this interdisciplinary approach with his fourth grade students.

Matt joined The Bay School of San Francisco in its inaugural year 2004 as Co-Director of Admission. In 2007 he assumed the responsibilities of associate director of college counseling and dean of the freshman class.

Dennis J. Hartzell – Associate Head of School, Advanced Literature Electives, Coach
Dennis holds a B.A. in English, (with a minor in Asian Studies), from Hamilton College and a M.A. in English from Duke University. During his nine years at two independent schools in New Jersey (the Peddie School and the Dwight-Englewood School), Dennis taught English literature and composition, coached basketball, soccer, and tennis, and served as athletic director and dean of admissions. He then spent a year as the assistant basketball coach at Lehigh University and three years as the assistant basketball coach at Columbia University. More recently, he has performed a variety of administrative roles at Columbia University, UC San Francisco, Golden Gate University, and at the University of Maryland.

Dennis joined the Bay School in 2002 as part of its founding faculty/staff. He currently teaches advanced literature electives, while serving as associate head of school and coach of the varsity boys' basketball program. He is the author of Odysseus: The Complete Adventures (now, sadly, out of print), a devoted runner, and trains as often as his schedule allows in a traditional school of karate.

Karen Hellyer– Studio and Digital Art 
If you travel to www.peonqueen.com, Karen’s web page, you will learn that she has a B.A. in Art Education from Eastern Illinois University and a M.E. in Arts Technology from Illinois State University. She has taught at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School, at Lick-Wilmerding, at Nueva, and at King Middle School in Berkeley. Karen’s passion is the integration of studio and digital art. “I want to teach and produce media,” she recently wrote, “as an art form and tool for education, social awareness, community building, and storytelling. I want to provide inspiration and support for technology integration in arts education.” Karen joined the Bay School arts faculty in 2007.

Holly Hirshfield--Humanities and History
Holly originally hailed from the Pacific Northwest. She received her AB from Occidental College, and after earning her MA in Education at Stanford University, she happily settled in San Francisco. Holly taught for eleven years in both public and independent high schools. She spent four years at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay where she helped to create and develop the tenth grade Humanities program, served as the Humanities Department Head, and held the positions of class dean and assistant dean.

Before joining the Bay School faculty in 2007, Holly worked as a Program Associate at Facing History and Ourselves, an international non-profit program that works with teachers and students to develop in-depth understanding of particular histories such as Apartheid in South Africa, the Holocaust, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, where she facilitated teacher training programs and worked with students in classrooms around the Bay Area. The main focus of her work was to help educators teach challenging content and make it accessible to students with diverse abilities. Another goal was to help students understand the role of the individual in their communities and, importantly, in democratic societies. This is an approach she brings to her classes at Bay where she teaches Humanities and U.S. History. “I want my students to know that they are players in history--that it is unfolding as they live their lives. And very importantly, that students can make choices every day that may have profound influences on their lives and on the lives of those around them.”

Dorothy Jones – Director of College Counseling
Dorothy graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California in 1989 with a B.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a minor in Performing Arts (Dance emphasis). Immediately after graduation she continued her service in the US Army Reserves (at the Presidio of San Francisco) and entered the corporate world as a marketing representative at IBM.

After a few years Dorothy decided to pursue a career that was more meaningful to her--she had a strong desire to work in a profession that allowed her to work with students. She found her way back to her alma mater, Saint Mary's College, where she launched a successful career in college Admissions. In 1997, she earned a M.A. in Educational Administration. After holding a number of positions in admissions, Dorothy was appointed Director of Admissions at Saint Mary’s College after a national search, and became Dean of Admissions in 2000. Dorothy joined the Bay School in fall 2009 as director of college counseling and is excited by the opportunity to assist students (and parents) on a journey of self discovery as they navigate the college search and application process.

Kristen (Krissa) Lebacqz – Director of the Senior Signature Project Program
Krissa joined the Bay School faculty in 2007 to teach biology and bioethics as well as to advise the Environmental Club before transitioning to her current role as the Director of Senior Projects. She began her teaching career in environmental and outdoor education and then served a teaching internship at Menlo School before teaching biology for three years at Serra High School. 

Prior to teaching, Krissa earned a BS in Earth Systems (Biosphere) and a MS in Earth Systems (Watershed Conservation and Management) from Stanford University and worked in resource conservation. She is currently working towards a MA in counseling at the California Institute for Integral Studies. Krissa brings a diversity of experiences to the classroom from her background as an activist, a manager, and a teacher as well as her ongoing interest in psychology. “I believe that the ultimate goal of education should be to create a generation of citizens who are engaged in and informed about the world around them.” says Krissa. “The senior projects program provides an opportunity for students to gain the confidence and skills they need to affect positive change in the world.”

Danielle Luthy - Visual Arts
After earning her BS in Fine Arts with a minor in graphic design from Northeastern University in 2003 Danielle received her K-12 teaching certification in 2005 from Millersville University, near her hometown in Pennsylvania.
During college Danielle gained teaching experience while working in after school programs, art camps, and she taught middle school and high school art classes at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.

After moving to the Bay Area, Danielle taught Art 1, Art 2,Art 3, World Arts, and AP Art at Holy Names High School in Oakland from 2006-2008. Outside of school, she enjoys working out, being outside, jewelry making, traveling, and golf. Danielle joined the Bay School art faculty in the fall of 2008 and teaches drawing, painting, and sculpture.

Jeremy Daniel Marshman – School Counselor                       
A licensed marriage and family therapist, Jeremy studied psychology at the University of California Santa Cruz (BA), the New School for Social Research in New York, and the California Institute for Integral Studies (MA).  For the past four years he has worked with adolescents and families involved in the juvenile justice system and with child protective services.

Having witnessed many individuals working through very difficult life challenges Jeremy has developed a deep trust in the process of therapeutic counseling. Jeremy brings a passion for the aliveness and authenticity of adolescence to the Bay School as well as a curious, welcoming stance towards all experiences including those perceived as difficulties. In addition to his position at the Bay School, Jeremy maintains a private practice in San Francisco and Marin County.

Jean Menapace – Mathematics 
After earning a BA in Mathematics at Wellesley College and a MA in Education at Stanford University, Jean went to work at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA. Several decades later, Jean moved to the Bay Area, where she taught at the Branson School from 2004-2007. Jean joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2007 and teaches a broad range of mathematics courses to all grades.

Jean is keenly interested in the application of technology to teaching (she introduced the first computers to Shady Hill in 1979!). “I see mathematics not only as a body of knowledge, but as a way of thinking,” Jean writes. “What I care most about in my classroom is that students have the experience of truly thinking like mathematicians: exploring new problems, logically putting pieces together, seeing patterns, questioning ideas, learning to trust their intuitions.”

Craig Miller – U.S. History and Advanced Social Studies Electives
After earning a B.A. in Politics from UC Santa Cruz in 1992, Craig spent the following two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, in western Africa. He returned to the U.S. to complete an M.A. in Education at Stanford in 1997. Shortly thereafter Craig began teaching at the American School in Mexico City, one of Mexico’s premiere college preparatory schools and one of the oldest international schools in the world. As Chair of the Social Studies Department, Craig led the redesign of the United States History and World History courses, developed and taught International Baccalaureate (I.B.) history courses, and coordinated a number of cross-school curricular initiatives. During his seven years in Mexico, Craig learned his fourth language, becoming fluent in Spanish and many other things Mexican.

Bree Murray - Mathematics
Bree has been teaching math for three years, first in her hometown of Seattle and most recently in San Lorenzo.
The strange thing is, when Bree began her studies at Scripps College, she swore she would never major in math. Four years later, she graduated with a BA in Mathematics and Classical Studies. As a result, Bree has a strong appreciation of people’s capacity to change their minds. After graduating, Bree spent two years working as an educator for both the Girl Scouts and Seattle’s Museum of Flight. She returned to school to obtain her teaching credential in the hopes that perhaps she too could change some future students’ minds about math.

Ever since she could hold a pencil, Bree has been exercising her creative side as a writer. She attends a weekly writer’s workshop where she is working on a young adult fantasy novel. She also enjoys exploring the out-of-doors while hiking, snow-shoeing, and kayaking.

Richard Piccioni - Science
Before becoming a high school science teacher in 2001, Richard worked as a research scientist, college teacher, and attorney. He earned a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Rockefeller University in New York City in 1977, and a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in1993. He joined the Bay School in 2008 following seven years spent teaching calculus and algebra-based physics in  Seattle at James A. Garfield High School and at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco.

As an attorney, Richard worked on cases that turned largely on the resolution of scientific and technical issues by juries and judges not trained in science.His experience taught him first-hand how crucial scientific literacy can be to the functioning and future of our society.

Always a teacher at heart, Richard gave up his law practice in 2001 to focus on developing authentic scientific literacy in young people.He favors instructional methods that place the student at the center of the learning process, allowing them to experience what it is like to think like a scientist.

Tony Pickering – Dean of Faculty, Spanish
Tony came to the Bay School in fall 2007 from Abington Friends School outside Philadelphia, where he served from 2001-2007 as the assistant director while teaching both Spanish and Latin American History. Prior to that, Tony was chair of the Foreign Language Department at the Urban School here in San Francisco.  With a BA in Political Science from Macalester College and a MA in Latin American Studies from U.C Berkeley, Tony is the Bay School’s first dean of faculty.  “What should always be most important to a school,” Tony believes, “is the enthusiasm and knowledge of its teachers. They are effective when they are able to make their students feel the inspiration and excitement about the subject that they themselves feel. Good schools provide opportunities and resources for this to happen.”

Katherine Riley – Drama, Religion
Katherine’s interest and enthusiasm about the dramatic arts started early in childhood. Beginning in elementary school, she studied ballet at the American Repertory Ballet School in her hometown of Princeton, New Jersey, and was actively involved in performing arts programs throughout high school. While attending Georgetown University between 1995 and 1999, she performed as an active member of the Nomadic Theater Company and studied voice, movement, and acting within the Fine Arts department.

Following her graduation from Georgetown in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, having majored in English Literature and Theology, Katherine moved to live in New York City where she began her career as a production coordinator and casting agent working on fashion and advertising photo shoots. While working in the world of photography inspired her creative talents, Katherine also eagerly accepted an offer from her high school in Princeton to direct and produce student musicals during 2001 and 2002.

Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003, Katherine taught drama and directed student productions at Francisco Middle School and the drama program Kids Take the Stage. She performs with The Imagination Company and Caterpillar Puppets.

Katherine joined the Bay School faculty in 2004. She teaches drama courses and directs student theatrical performances as well as teaching Religion elective courses, supervising the book group program, and working in the admission office.

Mary Ann Rodgers – Spanish 
After completing her BA in Dramatic Arts at UC Santa Barbara, Mary Ann (a native speaker of Spanish) went on to earn a secondary school teaching credential in Spanish at San Francisco State University. While theatre remains an abiding passion for Mary Ann, she has spent the last five years as a Spanish teacher at White Hill Middle School in Fairfax. “Learning to teach is a never-ending process, but there are a few truths upon which I lean,” Mary Ann wrote in her Statement of Teaching Philosophy. “People, like dolphins, learn more from encouragement and positive reinforcement than they do from criticism and negative input.” Mary Ann is also a pioneer of sorts at Bay; she will be the first member of the faculty who is also the parent of a Bay School student.  Her daughter, Thea, is a member of the Class of 2010.

Charles Roth – Director of Learning Services
Charles brings an abiding commitment to kids, a strong academic background, and several decades of clinical and counseling experience to his role as the Bay School’s Director of Learning Services. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Charles earned a B.A. from St. Joseph’s University and a M.S. from Drexel University. He then went on to earn an additional M.A. and a Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. Since 1985, Charles, who is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, has built a private practice focused on child/adolescent counseling, with specialized work in learning differences and disabilities, attention, memory, and social skills, as well as neuropsychological testing. He also serves as a lecturer in the Graduate Counseling Program at San Francisco State University.

Rachel Shaw – Librarian
Rachel’s unique background in 21st century library science contributes in a very significant way to the founding of the Bay School. Following her graduation from U.C. Santa Cruz in 1996 with a BA in European History, she joined Yahoo!, Inc. during its initial start-up phase. While at Yahoo! from 1996-2000, she developed and maintained classification schemes and information modules for the Yahoo! directory and Yahoo! shopping sites.

In 2001, Rachel received her Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, and began her career as a librarian in Oakland and Alameda County public libraries. Before she came to Bay as a founding member of the faculty in 2004, Rachel served as the assistant librarian at The College Preparatory School in Oakland.

Rachel teaches a 6-week Library and Research course for freshmen, works with teachers to support student research projects, and assists students daily in the library. Rachel loves helping students and faculty members find books that speak to their interests.

Teah Strozer - Chaplain
Teah is a Zen Buddhist priest certified to teach in the Suzuki Roshi Soto Zen Buddhist lineage. She has practiced meditation since 1967 and has lived for eleven years in the Tassajara Zen Monastery where she created and led teenage retreat programs. Teah has lived and worked at the San Francisco Zen Center since 1996 where she serves as Head of Practice responsible for teaching and ministering to the San Francisco community.

Having graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1965, Teah earned a K-12 teaching credential with a specialty in music from the University of Southern California Music Conservatory. From 1969-1974 she worked as a music teacher at the Hillel Jewish Community School, and then held the position of all city orchestra director for the public school system in Davis, California. While on a two-year leave in 1985-1987 spent living in Africa, Teah taught music at the Kenyan Academy – taking her students to the national music contest where they won a first place award.

Teah is inspired by the Bay School’s multi-faith perspective and the opportunity to work closely with teenagers. As she says, “I was raised Jewish and still identify as such. I am also a Buddhist. I practice understanding and tolerance for all religions. I am interested in creating open, awake, compassionate people no matter what the specific path.”

Julie Taufa'asau – Dean of Students, Senior Class Dean, Spanish
Julie Taufa'asau was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She attended the University of Washington in Seattle and spent her junior year abroad in Spain - studying at the Universidad de Cadiz and the Universidad de Salamanca. During that year she fell in love with the Spanish language and culture and returned to graduate from U.W. earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish and in Western European International Studies.

Following her graduation Julie moved to Spain to live and work for three years. In 2000 she taught English as a second language to Spanish business executives and then joined the American School of Madrid working in the development and public relations department. In 2003 Julie returned home to Hawaii and accepted a teaching position at St. Francis School in Honolulu. From 2003-2005 she taught Spanish on the beginning through advanced levels as well as modern and contemporary world history, psychology, and Hawaiian studies in addition to serving as the sophomore class advisor. Julie joined the Bay School faculty in 2005 and teaches Spanish I and II.

In her free time, Julie is a marathon runner and soccer player. She takes advantage of the many cultural opportunities in San Francisco by exploring the city's many museums, historical sites, and diverse cultural activities.

Ana Maria Vargas - Spanish
Ana María was born in Chile. When she was fourteen years old she moved to the United States, where she encountered not only a new language, but also a rich and diverse culture. She holds a PhD. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a BA in both Spanish and Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.

At UCLA, Ana taught first- and second-year Spanish. She also co-instructed Civilization and Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean and was a teaching assistant for literature classes, Latin American and Spanish Literature from 1898 to the Present, and Film and Literature of the Spanish-Speaking World. In addition to her teaching experience, Ana María worked as a case manager at On Lok Senior Health Services, coordinating services for the frail elderly that assisted them to continue living at home and in their communities.

Her experience learning English is always in the back of her mind when she teaches Spanish; she knowsboth the frustration and satisfaction that come with learning a second language. She believes that the key to student learning is creating a safe and respectful classroom atmosphere where students become active and integral players in the learning process. Students’ own interests are represented in classroom topics in order to demonstrate the usefulness of the language and literature in their everyday life. Ana is interested in broadening students’ perspectives and ideas so that what they learn is relevant, practical, and interesting.

Dave Wang – Academic Dean, Mathematics
Dave graduated from Yale University with a B.A., cum laude, in Applied Mathematics, and then began his teaching career at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, a highly respected college preparatory boarding school, where he was a member of the faculty for fifteen years. While at St. Andrew’s he taught the full spectrum of mathematics courses at the high school level, ranging from Algebra I through advanced placement Calculus AB and BC, concept-based Calculus, Finite Mathematics and elective minors in Probability and Statistics, as well as Modern Applied Mathematics. He served as chair of the mathematics department during the 1992-1998 and 2001-2002 academic years and as acting associate academic dean for mathematics and the sciences in 2000-01.

Dave’s philosophy and approach to the teaching of mathematics emphasize depth over breadth, and the use of practical, real-world applications to provide the motivation and context for mathematical theory and understanding. His methodology makes extensive use of technology and places emphasis on student-centered modes of instruction and project-based learning that encourages student engagement and dialogue. Dave joined the Bay School as a founding faculty member in 2004 and teaches a broad range of mathematics courses.

An active athlete himself, Dave has coached high school varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams, and also enjoys swimming, running, and working out. His interests outside of teaching include science fiction and fantasy literature, strategy and role-playing games, and volunteer work.

Colin Williams – Music and Humanities
Colin Williams received his B.A. in Classical Studies from Loyola University of New Orleans, one of the few places in the world that teaches both ancient languages and jazz music at a very advanced level. While at Loyola, he studied Sanskrit, Greek, Tibetan and Latin, reading epics, philosophy and mythology in the original languages. The Journal of Libertarian Studies published his first article, an Aristotelian critique of the far right, in the summer of 2004.

Colin’s musical career began several years prior to his interest in the Classics. He studied jazz bass at Oregon Episcopal School, where he ran the pep band, orchestrating for bagpipes, koto, and electric violins, as well as guitars and trumpets. After moving to New Orleans, he became a mainstay of the “Funky Butt”, the jazz club where Louis Armstrong used to play. The steady, pulsing energy of Colin’s bass lines has earned him gigs from the Harry Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia to the Tugboat Brewery in Portland.

Robin Workman – Mandarin Chinese, Humanities, and Advanced Social Studies Electives
Following graduation from Haverford College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a concentration in East Asian studies, Robin went to Taipei, Taiwan to pursue advanced training in Mandarin Chinese under the auspices of Stanford University’s program. She spent the following three years working for Turner Broadcasting Systems in a sales and marketing capacity. Robin was one of four initial Turner Broadcasting employees who established Turner’s presence in the greater China region during the early 1990’s.

In 1996 Robin enrolled at Princeton University in the East Asian Studies PhD program and, after passing her qualifying exams in 1999, began a career in secondary education. During graduate school she worked as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey where she designed and taught a survey course in Chinese civilization for non-history majors. During the academic year 1999-2000, Robin was a member of the faculty at University High School in San Francisco where she taught a cultures & civilizations course to freshmen and designed the China portion of the curriculum as well as also teaching Modern European History AP, and an elective course in modern Chinese history and politics.

During 2001-2002, Robin lived in Beijing working as a staff member for the Andover School Year Abroad program where she was responsible for the supervision of more than sixty high school exchange students. She assisted with translation and cultural communications issues for English speaking staff, and taught a year-long course in Chinese civilization. In her capacity as a history instructor at Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, CA, Robin taught European history, designed and implemented a sophomore Eurasian history core curriculum, and co-created and taught a specific humanities curriculum for high school seniors.

At Bay, Robin teaches Mandarin Chinese, sophomore level Humanities, as well as advanced level Social Studies courses such as Comparative Government and Comparative Philosophy.

Dennis Yang - Mandarin Chinese
Dennis grew up in San Francisco, where he attended Lowell High School. He then attended UC Berkeley, where he majored in Chinese Language and Literature. Dennis went on to receive his MA in Chinese Language and Literature at San Francisco State University, after a brief time spent in law school. He returned to Lowell High
School, this time to teach Mandarin for three years. He was then hired by the Urban School of San Francisco to create and develop their Mandarin Chinese program and taught there for two years. Dennis then traveled to Hong Kong to work on entertainment production, while at the same time teaching Mandarin to Hong Kong students.
In addition to teaching Mandarin at the high school level, Dennis has also taught Mandarin at Cumberland Chinese School, San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco, and adult language schools. Dennis’ other interests include singing and acting. He has performed in China, Taipei, Hong Kong, and the Bay Area.