Faculty Bios
Early Childhood Campus Faculty
Anahita Bakhtiary — Teacher, Eugenia Classroom
Education: B.S. — Social Communication, Azad University, Iran; M.S. – Social Communication, Azad University, Iran; Montessori 6-12 Certification — St. Mary’s College, CA.
TBS since 2002.
Maureen Beck — Director, ECC Extended Day Program & Art Studio
Education: B.A. — English Literature, University of Illinois; Montessori 6-12 Certification, St. Mary’s College, CA.
TBS since 2006.
Bob Burke — Teacher, Eugenia Classroom
Education: B.A. — Sociology, Boston University; Child Development Site Supervisor Permit; 17 ECE units completed — Merritt College (CA).
TBS since 2009.
Chi Chun Hsu —Extended Day Program
Education: B.A. — Linguistics, Shizuoka University, Japan; M.A. — Montessori Education, St. Mary’s College, CA; Certificate Program in Early Childhood Education, San Francisco State University, CA.
TBS since 2001.
Brad Kershner — Teacher, Live Oak Classroom
Education: B.A. — Philosophy, John Carroll University; M.A. — Philosophy of Religion, University of Chicago; CA Multiple Subject Credential – SF State (BATTI program)
TBS since 2009.
Madeleine King — ECC and Lower Elementary Music Teacher
Education: B.A. — Fine Arts and Art Education, Indiana University; Orff Training (Music).
TBS since 1986.
Griselda Kondo — Teacher, Live Oak Classroom
Education: B.A. — Education, National Teachers University, Sinaloa, Mexico; Certificate in Primary Education, Sinaloa Teachers College, Mexico; AMS Primary Certification, Montessori Teacher Education Center, San Leandro, CA.
TBS since 2001.
Nancy Lieblich — Teacher, Cedar Classroom
Education: A.A. — Early Childhood Education; AMS Montessori Primary Certification, Montessori Teacher Training Institute, Berkeley, CA.
TBS since 1986.
Chris Middlemiss — Teacher, Magnolia Classroom
Education: B.A. — German, UC Davis, CA; Montessori Primary Certification, Montessori Teacher Training Institute, Berkeley, CA; Montessori 6-9 Elementary Certification, Montessori Teacher Education Center of the Bay Area, San Leandro, CA.
TBS since 1987.
Noushin Moghaddam — Extended Day Program
Education: B.A. — Geography, Shirf University, Tehran.
TBS since 2005.
Florence Fen-Hsiang Tsai — Teacher, Cedar Classroom
Education: B.A. — English, National Chin-Kung University, Taiwan, Republic of China; AMS Montessori Primary Certification — Montessori Teacher Education Program, Contra Costa College, CA; Orff Music Training (Level I); State of California Child Development Site Supervisor permit.
TBS since 1995.
Susie Vavasour — Teacher, Magnolia Classroom
Education: B.A. — English, Yale College, CT
TBS since 2007.
Carrie Birgbauer — Teacher, Laurel Creek
Education: B.A. — Religion, Minor in Environment and Human Values, Trinity College, CT;
M.A. — Educational Technology, University of San Francisco; California Multiple Subject Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development Teaching Credential.
TBS since 2009.
Frida Causo — K-5rd grade Spanish
Education: Degree of Industrial Engineer, Universidad de Piura, Peru.
TBS since 2008.
Amber Charne — Yoga Teacher and Administrative Support
Education: B.A. — Anthropology, San Diego State University; RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance; Certified Yoga Instructor.
TBS since 2007.
Linda Cleary — Extended Day Teacher
TBS since 2008.
Josephine Corlett — Extended Day Teacher
Education: B.A. — English/French double major, Wellesley College, MA.
TBS since 2009.
Javanne Golob — Extended Day Teacher
Education: B.A. — Psychology/Art History double major, U.C. Berkeley.
TBS since 2008.
Julianne Hughes — Elementary Art Teacher
Education: B.S. — Design, Buffalo State College, NY; M.F.A., California College of Arts and Crafts.
TBS since 1996.
Lyssa Ichikawa — Teacher, Blackberry Creek
Education: A.A. Musical Theatre, American Musical and Dramatic Academy NY; B.F.A. Musical Theatre, New School University, NY; M.S. Ed., Childhood General Education, Bank Street College of Education NY.
TBS since 2009.
Craig Jackson — Elementary and Middle School Physical Education
Education: Attended Chabot College — mathematics.
TBS since 2004.
Norman Johnson — Teacher (Humanities strand), Wildcat Creek; Theater Arts, 4-8th grades
(See bio under Middle School, below.)
Madeleine King — ECC and Lower Elementary Music Teacher
(See bio under “ECC”)
Kate Klaire — Teacher, Sweet Briar Creek
Education: B.A. — Music, Belmont University, TN; MA candidate — Montessori Education, St. Mary’s College, CA.
TBS since 2007.
Tanya Madrid-Campbell — Elementary Spanish
Education: B.A. — Marketing & Advertising; University Laica Vicente Rocafuerte, Ecuador; BA — General Studies, University of San Francisco; MA candidate — Education, University of San Francisco.
TBS since 2004.
Julia Marshall — Teacher, Laurel Creek
Education: B.A. — Liberal Studies with a concentration in Art, California State University, Chico; B.A. — Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Psychology, San Francisco State University.
TBS since 2009.
Nancy Nash — Teacher, Temescal Creek
Education: B.A. — Sociology, Clark University, MA; Montessori Elementary 6-9 Certification, Center for Montessori Teacher Education, New Rochelle, NY; Montessori Elementary 9-12 Certification, Montessori Teacher Education Center of the Bay Area, San Leandro, CA.
TBS since 1982.
Kyla O’Neill — Teacher, Cerrito Creek
Education: B.A. — Psychology, concentration in Women’s & Gender Studies, College of the Holy Cross (MA).
TBS since 2009.
Claire Patterson — Teacher, Blackberry Creek
Education: B.F.A. — Painting, UC Santa Cruz; Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Bellas Artes; Center for Montessori Teacher Education (6-12 certification).
TBS since 2006.
Joseph Raven — Extended Day Teacher
TBS since 2007.
Mike Raven — Teacher, Temescal Creek
Education: B.A. — Philosophy, UC, Santa Barbara, CA; Montessori 6-9 Elementary Certification, Montessori Teacher Education Center of the Bay Area, San Leandro, CA.
TBS since 1996.
Irene Sazer — Elementary music (strings)
Peabody Conservatory
TBS since 2009.
Tracy Siekierka — Assistant Teacher, Strawberry Creek
Education: B.A. — Resource Management and Mediation, U.C. Berkeley.
TBS since 2009.
Michael Sinclaire — Teacher, Cerrito Creek
Education: B.A. — Religion, The Colorado College, CO; CA. State Teaching Credential — Elementary Education, San Francisco State University, CA.
TBS since 2008.
Danette Swan — Teacher, Sweet Briar Creek
Education: Montessori 6-9 Elementary Certification, Seacoast Center for Education, NH.
TBS since 2006.
Jed Tukman — Teacher, Strawberry Creek
Education: B.S. — Natural Resources, Cornell University; CA State Teaching Credential — CLAD Emphasis, Dominican University, CA.
TBS since 2009.
Linda Van De Wall — Elementary Learning Specialist
Education: B.A. — Psychology, State University of New York; New York Teacher Certification; M.S. — Special Education/Learning Disabilities, Nazareth College of Rochester, NY; M.S. — Education, State University of New York.
TBS since 1999.
Tracy Welsh — Elementary Music
Education: B.A. — Religious Studies and Environmental Education, New York University.
TBS since 2009.
Middle School Faculty
Mitch Bostian — Director of the Middle School and Humanities Teacher
(see bio under “Staff Bios”)
Liz Heck — Director, El./MS Extended Day and MS Humanities Teacher
Education: B.A. — English, Bryn Mawr College, PA; J.D. — Fordham University, NY.
TBS since 2007.
Benicia Hill — Middle School Art
Education: B.F.A. — Sculpture, San Francisco Art Institute; M.A. — Art & Design Education, Pratt Institute.
TBS since 2008.
Simon Hurd — Environmental Science
Education: B.S. — Environmental Science, Johnson State College, VT; M.A. — Geography, San Francisco State University, CA (Resource Management and Environmental Planning); M.A. — Education, Johnson State College, VT.
TBS since 2006.
Craig Jackson — Elementary and Middle School Physical Education
(see bio under “Elementary Specialists”)
Norman Johnson — Teacher (Humanities strand), Wildcat Creek (6th grade); Theater Arts, 4-8th grades
Education: B.A. — English Literature/Creative Writing, City College of New York, NY; AMS 6-12 Certification (in progress), St. Mary’s College, CA; American Conservatory Theater Summer Training Congress, San Francisco, CA.
TBS since 2002.
Tanya Madrid-Campbell — 6th-8th Grade Spanish
Education: B.A. — Marketing & Advertising; University Laica Vicente Rocafuerte, Ecuador; BA — General Studies, University of San Francisco; MA candidate — Education, University of San Francisco.
TBS since 2004.
Sima Misra — Teacher (Science/Math strands), Wildcat Creek (6th grade); 7th grade Math
Education: B.A. Biochemistry, Rice University, TX; Ph.D. Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Montessori 6-9 Elementary Certification, Montessori Teacher Education Center of the Bay Area, San Leandro, CA.
TBS since 2007.
Christopher Perdue — Science; 8th grade Math
B.S. — Mathematics and Computer Science, James Madison University, VA.
TBS since 2009.
Mary Beth Ventura — Middle School Learning Specialist
Education: B.A. — Spanish, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN; Letter of Completion, San Francisco State University, Single Subject Teaching Credential Program; M.A — Bilingual Multicultural Education, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ.
TBS since 2003.
