Hi there, I’m Chris
(he/him)
I am a middle school teacher. My wife is an elementary school teacher. We have one daughter, who goes to the school where my wife and I teach. I started teaching 16 years ago, the same year I first moved to Mountain View and began volunteering in MVWSD. I served on the MVWSD school board from 2012-15. Something most people don't know about me is that I've adapted to my dyslexia my entire schooling. It informs my work as a teacher every day.
Marisa, Mary, and Chris in our living room/"classroom" during school closure. The green screen was for an activity representing the less told narratives of Californian history.
Most family vacations have been planned around visiting schools in America and internationally. I've dedicated my career to working, studying, and collaborating with the best schools in the world.
Qualifications
Where I've Taught
Like most teachers, I've taught remotely since March. I also taught a summer in-person pilot course to test COVID-19 procedures for reopening.
Keys School (Middle School)
Hillbrook School (Middle School)
Khan Lab School (Middle School)
Sacred Heart Schools (Middle School)
Kehillah Jewish High School
Monta Vista High School (FUHSD)
Arcadia High School (AUSD)
Seward Park High School (NYCDOE)
Education
-MA in Educational Leadership from Columbia University (SPA)
-MA in Teaching from Stanford University (STEP)
-Certification in Gifted and Talented Education from UCSD
-CA and NY Teaching Credential
-CA and NY Administrative Credential
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SEL Certifications
-Department of Defense Military Family -Teacher Support Teacher Residency
-Responsive Classroom (Elem School) Level 1 SEL Certification
-Developmental Design (Middle School) Level 1 SEL Certification
-RULER SEL Training (Marc Brackett)
-Maytiv Center Positive Psychology Teacher Certification (Tal Ben-Shahar)
-Challenge Day Teacher Facilitator
-Challenge Success/SOS MVHS Founding Taskforce Member
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EdTech Certifications
-Google Certified Teacher
-Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer
(served as one of the first class pilots for Google Docs in 2007 and first pilots for Chromebooks in 2011, provided MVWSD its first training in Google Suite)
-Microsoft Innovative Educator
-PBS Digital Innovator
-Common Sense Media Certified Educator
-Code.org K-5 Computer Science Certified Trainer
Residencies
-High Tech High San Diego Summer Residency, Odyssey PBL Program
-Brightworks SF Summer Residency, Summer Educators’ PBL Institute
-Center for Civic Education Master Teacher Summer Residencies
-Summer Residency at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies, Jerusalem
-NOLS Wilderness First Aid Certification
Candidate Statement
I am a middle school teacher and education technology coach with 16 years of experience in public and private schools, including daily remote live teaching last term. I believe equity is providing all children access to equally innovative experiences, especially during school closure. Social-emotional learning needs to be priority one right now.
I have twice been the teacher of the year. I have a master's in teaching from Stanford and a master's in school leadership from Columbia. Powerful learning isn't telling teachers how to teach. It's setting a district-wide culture of autonomy, high expectations, sharing, celebration, and a sense of belonging.
I served on the school board between 2012-15 as president, vice president, and clerk. I directly led the implementation of streaming board meetings online and directly organized district leadership relations with Khan Academy, Innovate Public Schools, and High Tech High. This accelerated district integration of project-based instruction. After leaving the board, I led student startup events at Crittenden.
My daughter attends the school where I teach, outside of MVWSD. I am running to be an equal advocate for every family, no matter where they live. I bring experience and readiness to the COVID-19 crisis.
2010 Monta Vista High School Teacher of the Year
Led the Following Training:
-HSC Homeschool Association of CA, Workshop on Game Based and Gamified Classroom (2019)
-NAIS National Conference, Workshop on Game Based and Gamified Classroom (2019)
-MVWSD, Design Thinking Training for School Leaders and Google Apps Training for Teachers (2015)
-CAIS, Social Science in the 21st Century, All Day Workshop (2014) & Apps for Project Based Learning (2015)
-Harker School and Head Royce CUE Workshops on Game Based and Gamified Classroom (2014)
-San Domenico, Workshop on iPads for Social Science Teaching (2014)
-High Tech High Deeper Learning Conference, Workshop on iOS Apps for Project Based Learning (2013)
-Klingenstein Program, Training on Google Apps for Administrators (2010)
-Stanford Teacher Education Program, Instructional Technology Workshops (2008-2010)
-Center for Civic Education We the People & Project Citizen, Teacher Training and Teacher Mentor (2004-2012)