Meet the Faculty + Staff « Faculty + Staff

Brenda came to Live Oak School in the fall of 2009 after working in independent schools in Napa, CA, Portland OR, Tokyo, Stavanger, Norway and Zurich, Switzerland. She loves the cold weather because she grew up in Minnesota where she earned her BA at Gustavus Adolphus College. In Colorado she learned to ski and earned her MA in Experiential Education at the University of Northern Colorado. She has taught students from Pre-K to college levels and worked as an independent school administrator for the past eight years. Her two sons, who live in San Francisco, think she provides a constant source of mirth. Brenda likes to cook, sew, organize things, garden, travel, and lately has become a reader of mystery novels.   

Scott MacBean received an undergraduate degree in History from Princeton University, and an MBA in Corporate Finance from the Wharton School. He has been the CFO of several small companies and has managed both commercial and residential real estate. Scott and his wife, Janet, have three children and two grandchildren. They are avid golfers and fitness advocates.   

Mary Kelley joined Live Oak as Director of Development in 2007. Prior to that, she served as Director of Development at the United Religions Initiative, a San Francisco-based NGO with operations on five continents. She has extensive experience in fundraising and communications. All of her work has been with nonprofits and public institutions.    

Tracey Gersten earned her BA in Political Philosophy at the James Madison College of Michigan State University, immediately followed by a law degree at rival school the University of Michigan. After practicing law in San Francisco for several years, she earned a MA in Counseling Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and received her MFT license. Tracey has worked as a counselor in public and private schools for 12 years prior to coming to Live Oak. When not at work, she tries to keep up with her four-year-old son. Tracey is a big fan of surfing, music of the 60s and 70s, and cooking shows.    

Sam joined Live Oak as the Dean of Student Life in 2007. Before joining Live Oak, Sam worked at Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito as the middle school Admissions Coordinator and Dean of Students. Prior to that, he was an outdoor educator near Yosemite National Park. Sam received his BA in Public Policy from Syracuse University. In his free time he enjoys riding his bike, hiking, camping, listening to reggae and bluegrass, and enjoying just about anything else outdoors.    

John Berliner studied Computer Science and Literature at Columbia University, and received a Master's degree in English Literature from Yale University in 1988. He played in many unsuccessful avant-punk rock bands, often opening for other artists who would go on to become rich and famous, while working as an independent software developer and IT consultant for 16 years. John joined the Live Oak staff in 2004. His two children, Cole and Sasha, have been Live Oak students since kindergarten. John is an avid surfer, and enjoys playing drums and guitar, watching impenetrable foreign-language films and breaking his wrists.    

Elena Valencia started her journey at Live Oak in 1994 and has worked in many capacities: as Extended Care teacher, First and Second Grade Assistant, and as the Director of the Summer Oaks, Roots & Branches, and Extended Care programs since 2003. Elena holds an Associate Degree in photography from San Francisco City College and a certificate in Early Childhood Education. She has been a guest speaker at City College, sharing her expertise on after-school programs. Her daughter Sierra recently graduated from Live Oak.   

Nitza Agam earned her Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She also holds two Master's degrees from San Francisco State: an MA in English Literature, and an MA in Comparative Literature (Holocaust Poetry).

Nitza has over 20 years of teaching experience. Most recently, she taught Eighth Grade English at St. Joseph’s of the Sacred Heart School in Atherton. She is a published writer and poet.  

Holly Berg earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood and Family Relations from East Carolina University, and completed her Masters of Education in Literacy at Cambridge College. Holly has been teaching since 1997 in Maryland and San Francisco and has been a member of the Live Oak community since 2002. She has also participated in numerous workshops to support the work in her classroom, some of which include several intensive Differentiated Instruction Workshops, the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference and the White Privilege Conference.    

Sahar Bintamal has been teaching elementary school since 1998, when she relocated to Egypt to begin a new career. She provided one-on-one and small group instruction for children learning English as a Second Language and support for those with learning differences. Sahar moved to California in 2001 and has taught multi-age second and third grade at progressive charter schools in the Bay Area until moving to Live Oak in 2007. She is committed to educational equity and social justice and is dedicated to providing a safe learning community to enable students to reach their greatest potential..   

Valerie Breese studied Psychology and Education at U.C. Davis. She earned her Montessori teaching credential for students ages 6-9 from the San Francisco Bay Area Montessori Teacher Training Center. Prior to joining Live Oak, she was the lead teacher of a 2nd-4th grade class for two years at a Montessori elementary school in the East Bay. Valerie earned her teaching credential from SF State through the BATTI program. She enjoys hiking, yoga, dancing, museums, film, reading, and cooking tasty vegetarian food.   

Originally from Connecticut, Karen studied human biology at Stanford University, then worked as a teaching assistant for six years with students with severe emotional problems. She studied science education at UC Berkeley, earning her master's degree and credential in 1996. Karen worked for ten years in Berkeley public schools as a middle school science teacher, many of those years at an arts and technology magnet school. Her son, Chase, entered kindergarten at Live Oak in Fall 2007. Karen likes to garden and read, and traveling to warm tropical places during the summer!   

Liz Caffrey earned her bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania. Liz began teaching in 2000 and taught at two Bay Area high schools for five years. In 2003, she received a fellowship to participate in the Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career Teachers. Liz has also attended the summer institute of Project Zero: Teaching for Understanding through Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is committed to teaching mathematics in a classroom of heterogeneous learners and creating a curriculum in which each child connects with mathematics through real-life, hands-on experiences. Liz coaches the Live Oak Cross Country team in the fall season. In her free time, Liz enjoys yoga, running, backpacking, puzzles, and knitting. She also loves to travel; she spent a year in Asia in 2004.    

Malika Carter graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota in 1996 with a B.A. in Political Science. She spent her twenties teaching in independent schools in California and Arizona, staffing President Clinton and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and working for high tech in Colorado. Malika received her California credential in 2003 from Mills College. She spent three years teaching fourth grade in San Leandro before joining the Live Oak faculty this fall. In her spare time Malika enjoys running, swimming, yoga, snowboarding, camping, reading and writing. Malika has participated in professional development opportunities such as Project Zero, Write Traits, Project Motivate and Family Math training.    

Damian Canny grew up in Connecticut, where he was an all-state high school athlete. He discovered what would become a lifelong passion for surfing while completing his master's degree at Humboldt State University in Northern California. Damian has been instrumental in growing Live Oak's physical education and athletics programs over the past six years. Prior to joining Live Oak, Damian taught physical education at schools in Connecticut, Palos Verdes and Oakland.   

Mary Ann Chin Ng earned her bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University where she went on to further her understanding of the learning needs of children by completing her master's degree in Special Education. She holds credentials in Elementary and Special Education and holds a Certificate in Educational Therapy from San Francisco State. She is a regular attendee at Association of Educational Therapy and International Dyslexia Association conferences and workshops. Mary Ann has also attended Mel Levine's "School's Attuned" teacher training program and is a participant in the Bay Area Teacher Development Collaborative's Teacher-Leader Program. Away from school, Mary Ann enjoys traveling knitting, beading, and working on arts and crafts projects. Mary Ann started working at Live Oak School in 1978 as the Third and Fourth Grade teacher. She has been the school's full-time learning specialist since it moved to the Mariposa campus in 2001.   

Camilo Coelho was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of Buenos Aires and an ESL teaching diploma from Instituto Lenguas Vivas. He has lived in the Bay Area for the past eight years, where he has taught Spanish, and coordinated sports and academic intervention programs for bilingual elementary school students. He has travel extensively throughout South and Central America, the western United States, French Polynesia and Spain. Camilo's passion for learning and appreciation for native languages and cultures has allowed him to make many friends, play countless soccer games and surf some beautiful breaks.   

Beth Foote received her Bachelor of Science in Education as a Fine Arts major at Kent State University. She has undertaken continuing coursework in the fine arts including illustration, portraiture, printmaking and ceramics. She has taught summer programs at the Randall Junior Museum, Museum of Children's Art in Oakland, and at the Town School for Boys. She is also currently teaching art at Strawberry Point School in Mill Valley and at Woodside International High School in San Francisco. She has been teaching at Live Oak since 1995.   

Rachel received her BA from Harvard University where she sang with the Radcliffe Choral Society and played for the women's basketball team. After college, she joined Teach for America and taught for two years in Phoenix, Arizona before returning to her hometown of Berkeley, where she taught at King Middle School while earning her California Teaching Credential. In addition to teaching K-8 music at Live Oak, Rachel is a singer-songwriter who has enjoyed a professional music career for the past nine years, the last four of which she spent in New York City, writing and recording her fourth album. Rachel recently completed Level I of the Kodaly Summer Institute at Holy Names University in Oakland.    

Arleigh began working with children when she volunteered as a reading tutor in college. Since then she has taught English language learners in Rabat, Morocco, and has worked with students in grades k-6 at public, charter and independent schools. She has taught in the Mississippi Delta (as a Teach For America Corps Member), southern Vermont, and the Caribbean Island of Dominica. Just before arriving at Live Oak she taught first and second grade at an independent school in New York City. She has a BA from the University of Chicago in Political Science, an MA from the School for International Training in Sustainable Development and an MS from the Bank Street College of Education in Childhood Education and Teaching Literacy. Arleigh is originally from western Massachusetts and, when not teaching, she enjoys weaving, reading, traveling and spending time outdoors.   

Liza Gleason earned her BA in history and a minor in Spanish from Bates College in Maine. After two years as a classroom intern at the Hamlin School, Liza attended the Mills College Teacher Education program earning her multiple subject teaching credential and a Masters in Education. Liza taught second grade at Sanchez Elementary and third grade at Redwood Day School for the past several years. She joined the Live Oak community last year teaching eighth grade Humanities while Emma Peat went on maternity leave. This year Liza is excited to teach sixth grade Humanities and officially join the Live Oak community.   

Naomi earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Agricultural Development and a Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential, both from UC Davis. In Davis she organized community workshops on making large-scale paper mache puppets, both for fun and for public protest. Following field studies in Panama, harvesting and selling for Terra Firma Farm, and guiding field trips at the UCD Children’s Garden, Naomi made the leap into elementary education and hasn't looked back since. She taught for five years at a public charter school where she focused on literacy instruction in a multicultural environment. Current pursuits include student-centered math exploration and social justice education. Naomi enjoys cycling, reading, yoga, and spending time with family and friends.   

Phil grew up in New Mexico and earned his bachelor's degree in biology from New Mexico Tech. He then moved to the Midwest and spent just under 5 years working at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago developing curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school groups as well as working on exhibit development. In 2007, Phil began teaching high school biology and chemistry at a private boarding school in Northwest Indiana. While there, he coached a general physical fitness program as well as the school's Science Olympiad team. In his free time, he likes to build sailboats, sail sailboats, hike, mountain bike, and play guitar.   

Joe likes rock climbing, dirt bike camping, and crocheting god's eyes from recycled yarn. He has an awesome Ouija Board collection that he hopes to put on Ebay someday. He also dreams of one day adopting a pet dog, which he plans to name Fritzi. Joe is a lifelong marathon runner and once got work as an extra on the set of the film "Matrix Reloaded."   

John first came to Live Oak as an aftercare teacher in 1978. He completed his B.A. in History at University of San Francisco and received his California Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. He taught preschool at Pacific Primary for three years before moving back to Live Oak. He taught 5th grade for a year and has been the kindergarten teacher since 1985. John has given workshops on Diversity and Families at the California Association of Independent Schools Northern California Conference. He has also given workshops at the California Kindergarten Conference on Thematic Units and Diversity. Since 1995 he has been a member of the faculty of the Retreat for Beginning Teachers. This group, through CAIS, mentors new teachers in a two-day workshop focusing on the unique experience of teaching in independent schools.   

Robyn Miyagawa-Sue earned her bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley in English, with a minor in Education. She worked for several years in a San Francisco public school developing and managing a year-round enrichment program with the YMCA for under privileged children. Robyn later returned to school to earn her MA in Community-Based Programming from San Francisco State University, followed by her teaching credential through the BATTI program. She spent a year in Los Angeles teaching fourth grade at a progressive independent school, but is excited to return to Live Oak in the fall. Robyn enjoys exploring dog parks and beaches with her cute, but naughty dog Abbey, reading on her Kindle, and cooking with her husband.    

Though she always knew she'd one day become a teacher, Carla took a circuitous route getting there. She earned her B.A. in Art at U.C. Santa Barbara, studied for a year in Wales, worked in Creative Services at Williams-Sonoma, and eventually developed a great first career – for the past 15 years, she's been a freelance Art Director for such retailers as Pottery Barn, West Elm and Restoration Hardware. But it was her love for children which has finally put her on the path to teaching; this is her first year as a BATTI Intern. Outside of school, she loves thrift-store and flea-market shopping; sets a mean table [but can't stand cooking]; and is passionate about old radio programs from the 40's.    

Karen Olson graduated from UC Davis in 1999 with a B.S in Human Development. She graduated from San Francisco State in 2001 with a M.A. and credentials in Early Childhood and Mild/Moderate Special Education. Karen's first full year teaching was a preschool Special Day Class in the East Bay for 3-5 year olds on the Autistic Spectrum. She then taught for 6 years as a Resource Specialist in San Bruno working with students K-6th grade. She came to Live Oak last fall as the 6th grade learning specialist, and this year her role has expanded to serve the whole middle school. When she's away from school Karen enjoys spending time with family and friends, pilates, volleyball, reading, exploring new places, and being outdoors.    

Daniel grew up in sunny San Diego before moving to the Bay Area to study music. He holds a B.A. in music from Sonoma State University and also studied at the Jazz school of William Paterson University in New Jersey. In 2008, he received his teaching credential at San Francisco State University. Daniel is also a singer/songwriter who loves to record and perform his own music. In his spare time, he loves to ride his bike, compose some tunes, and get creative in the kitchen with some close friends who are courageous enough to try his finished products.   

Emma Peat graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Ethnic Studies. After living in Washington, DC for a few years, she returned to UC Berkeley and earned a MA in education, along with a teaching credential. She has worked at Live Oak since 2003, and is committed to bringing diverse perspectives to the curriculum. She is involved in supporting and implementing school-wide diversity initiatives, working with both the staff and the board. Outside of school, Emma enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling.   

Leah joined the Live Oak community in 2009 after teaching middle school Spanish for five years at Town School for Boys in San Francisco and Princeton Day School in Princeton, New Jersey. She hopes to grow as a teacher at Live Oak and learn more about teaching at the elementary school level. Leah lived with her family in the Bay Area until she was nine, but then spent most of her life in the Northeast before moving back here four years ago. The way she sees it, that makes her both a transplant and a native San Franciscan! In her spare time, Leah enjoys singing, writing, crafts, and travel.   

In addition to being Live Oak's indefatigable Drama teacher, Stephanie Temple is a playwright and actress who has worked closely with San Francisco's New Conservatory Theater Center for the last six years. Her one-woman show "Rhinestone Cowgirl" premiered at NCTC in September 2006. Stephanie is also a prolific children's playwright, having recently adapted versions of Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, and The Wizard of Oz.   

Kathy Taylor earned her bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University, Canada before moving to England to earn her classroom teaching credential at the University of Oxford with a specialization in physical education. Kathy began her teaching career in Kuwait in 1998 and lived in France for a year before moving to the Bay Area, where she has been teaching for six years. During high school and college, Kathy competed as a figure skater at the regional and national levels with her ice dance partner. She enjoys music, photography, cycling, hiking, travel and speaking French.   

Emily first joined the Live Oak School community in the fall of 1989 as a
kindergartener. After graduating in 1998, she eventually attended the
University of Oregon, where she earned a B.S. in Educational Studies. This
is Emily’s first year as a BATTI Intern, and her 4th year as an assistant
teacher at Live Oak. In her free time she enjoys reading, crafting,
exploring, and watching college football (Go Ducks!).   

Mason has taught at several Bay Area schools, and began teaching at Live Oak as a substitute teacher in 2002. From 2009 to 2010, he taught third grade as an associate teacher at Schools of the Sacred Heart. He is first cousin once-removed of two current Live Oak students, Colin and Erica Cooper. Mason's undergraduate education was a peripatetic affair, involving six schools in six years, beginning with West Point and ending when he earned an A.B. in Humanities from Colgate University, designing a degree in Philosophy, Literature, and Religion. Since then, theater has served as a model for education, and he has trained mainly as an actor and teacher of theater and voice, especially with Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA. When he isn't teaching or acting he likes to travel—even if it's just walking his beloved adopted city.   

Scott Wilber has been the Middle School Visual Arts teacher at Live Oak School since 1996. Scott has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Visual Communications from the University of Oklahoma. Scott's professional development includes SF School-Art Conference, Palo Alto - Mosaic Instruction, Bentley School - For Art Teachers, and Project Zero San Francisco. In addition to his work at Live Oak, Scott is a professional freelance illustrator working for such clients as Target, Disney and Town Square Graphics. He also does set design for New Conservatory Theatre, and is a professional muralist and furniture designer. Scott's canvas paintings have been shown in various San Francisco galleries and shows. In his "spare" time, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, and frequenting flea markets and dumpsters in search of materials for his artwork and school projects.   

Prior to joining Live Oak as a Spanish teacher, Ellison taught French and Spanish at SMEDS (San Mateo) for ten years. He is a veteran language teacher who has taught in five different countries: Cameroon, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Mexico, and the USA. He is fluent in several languages and was a communications trainer for the US Peace Corps in West Africa where he taught four languages. He has a Diploma in Andragogy and a MA in Teaching from the School for International Training. He is a certified ACTFL tester, freelance translator and has presented at CLTA and CAIS conferences. Ellison served as a linguist in the Military Intelligence Unit of the US Army for five years. His interestes include research in Second Language Acquisition and mixed martial arts.   

Nicole first joined the Live Oak community in 1994 as a 3rd grader after moving to San Francisco from Santa Barbara. She went on to earn her Bachelors degree from the University of California at Davis in Developmental Psychology in 2008 and is excited be a part of the Live Oak community again. In her spare time she enjoys baking, running, shark week, photography and rooting for the Giants.   

Jenny Andrus returned to Live Oak as the school librarian in 2007. Both of her children graduated from Live Oak (Nick in 2002 and Sasha in 1997), and she was a member of the Live Oak Board when the school purchased the Mariposa site. Before attending library school, Jenny worked as a freelance editor/writer. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys reading (of course!), taking walks, and spending time with her family.   

A parent of two Live Oak students, Stace brings a lifelong passion for computing and technology to his duties as Tech Lab Manager. Born and raised in San Francisco, Stace graduated from SF State University with a degree in Journalism. He spent the next 13 years in TV news, covering local issues as well as national and international events like the Tiananmen Square uprising, the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and presidential primaries. He then jumped to the dot-com world, producing a number of programs about computing and the then-fledgling internet (text ONLY web pages!). After volunteering at the school for a number of years, Stace was hired in 2006.   

Nancy grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri and moved to the Bay Area in 1967. She attended Mills College. She has been at Live Oak for fourteen years, where she has worked in administration. Her daughter graduated from Live Oak in 1998.   

Keith Hodge hails from Fresno, California, and is an alumnus of San Francisco State University. Keith has worked in property management for ten years. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and young daughter and listening to music. His iTunes library numbers more than 40,000 songs.   

Ruby, a San Francisco native, holds an Associate Degree from City College. She worked at Esprit for many years, and most recently was employed as Student Advisor and Site Coordinator of the after-school program at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy. She has two children, enjoys movies, good food and movies, and has a pet tarantula.   

Mikayla Marquis is a happy San Francisco transplant from Brooklyn, New York. She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY in Critical Writing and Film Studies. She is currently working towards completing her first book of critical thinking and is an avid tennis player and amateur chef. She recently married her fiance Oliver.   

Kendra joined Live Oak in August of this year as Assistant to the Head of School. She was a freelance photographer for 17 years before coming to Live Oak, also working for the San Francisco Unified School District as a special needs paraprofessional. Kendra earned her BA degree from Chico State University in 1983. She lives in a very loud house with her two teenage children, a dog and a cat.   

Growing up in San Juan Bautista, Dorothy says, "enrichment was fed to me like menudo in our household." While most kids were absorbed with video games and hip-hop fads, Dorothy had a steady diet of politics, current events and activist theater with a Latino slant. Dorothy is part of a four-generation family of actors, poets and musicians in a bilingual theater troupe. She continues to stay active in theater as a costume designer, scene and production coordinator and manages a political performing collective. Dorothy moved to San Francisco to finish a degree in Fashion design and to work with various theater groups. She has worked with extended study programs in SFUSD in addition to working with organizations such as the Mission YMCA of SF as program director for ExCEL ASP, and the Randall Museum summer camps. In her spare time she likes to go on family trips, listen to music, see live theater, and play tennis.

Natalia has a passion for teaching that began while an undergraduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design. During her senior year she traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to teach art classes to students living in the favelas as part of an independent study. After graduating, Natalia moved to NYC to pursue her art career and joined the New York City Teaching Fellows, which serves high needs areas in the city. Natalia worked as a special education art instructor at Long Island City High School for 3 years and in 2008 she earned a MSEd and a teaching credential from Queens College (CUNY). Recently, the pull of art has brought her to beautiful San Francisco to complete a MFA at the California College of the Arts. She will be graduating in May of 2010. Natalia is super excited to be part of the Live Oak family and is looking forward to painting, reading, writing and having fun with the students!

Sharon has worked in education for many years, starting as a first grade and third grade teacher in Atlanta, GA. After moving to San Francisco in the early 90's she began working at The San Francisco Day School as an assistant in first grade. From there she went on to direct the extended care program at Live Oak, back when it was on Diamond Street in the Castro. Sharon also has a Cosmetology license and works as a part-time hairstylist. Sharon returned to Live Oak in 2008, teaching bookmaking and sewing classes in Roots and Branches. She is thrilled to be working with kids and getting to know the families at Live Oak once again. In her spare time she likes to travel and be creative.

Nora, a San Francisco native, graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2007 with a BA in Communication Studies and a minor in Religious Studies, and has been substitute teaching and working in Extended Care at Live Oak since the spring of 2008. She was a long-time Summer Oaks camper, and worked there while she was in high school. She has also worked at Camp Tawonga in various capacities for the last seven years. In her free time, Nora enjoys seeing Broadway musicals, baking, ice skating, and Jazzercising with friends.

Alice has been working at LOStopia (and loving it) since 2008. She is an MFA student at California College of the Arts and likes to paint realistic everyday objects (see her work at alicewarnecke.com). She is originally from San Francisco but also grew up in Boonville, CA, and France. She attended Stanford University for undergraduate work, studying Art History and Italian, where she also raced slalom and giant slalom for their club sports team. For fun, Alice likes to hike, bake sweet things, drink cappuccinos and watch funny movies.