Veronica Alvarez is an Operations Specialist for High Tech High schools. Before coming to High Tech High, Veronica was a founding staff member of KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy and directed an academic enrichment program in San Francisco. She then earned a Masters of Public Administration in non-profit management and education policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. While studying, she worked for New Visions for Public Schools, a non-profit school reform organization that partners with the New York City Board of Education to develop small public schools and programs in New York City. Veronica was born and raised in Washington, DC and earned a BA in Spanish and Latin American studies from Barnard College.

Stacey Caillier is the Director of the Teacher Leadership M.Ed. program in the HTH Graduate School of Education. Prior to coming to High Tech High, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis in School Organization and Educational Policy. Her dissertation research was a three-year ethnography of an innovative Northern California performing and fine arts charter school. At this same school, she collaborated with teachers to design and implement an action research project that served as the catalyst for many school-wide reforms. As a graduate teaching fellow and an adjunct faculty member in Hamline University’s Graduate School of Education in Minneapolis, Stacey has taught courses on action research and socio-cultural issues in education, mentored practicing teachers, and presented her work at multiple educational conferences.

An Oregon native, Stacey began her career as a high school physics and math teacher at a Portland high school affiliated with the Coalition of Essential Schools, where she earned the school’s Creative Teacher award. She later served as a teacher and science specialist in a California charter school. Stacey majored in physics and English at Willamette University, where she also earned a Masters in Teaching and a secondary physics and mathematics credential. She is excited to continue her work with teachers and is passionate about the role of teacher-leaders in creating schools that are equitable, inspiring, and relevant to all students.

Christina grew-up in San Diego where she attended San Diego State University, graduated with honors and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Christina has a background in sales management and strong interest in working in the non-profit/education realm which led her to join the High Tech High Foundation in September 2008. Christina is extremely passionate about education reform and has a personal connection to High Tech High (one sibling graduated in '05, another will do the same in '10). Through these things she looks forward to being instrumental in the growth and continued success of the High Tech High organization. In her free time Christina likes to hang-out with her loved ones, including her boyfriend, Chris, her 'wonder-pup', Frankie, and her kitty, June. Christina also enjoys art, politics, music, photography, yoga, and cycling.

Joanna Clark, a San Diego native, has worked in the field of education for over 11 years. She began working as a Special Education Technician at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary. She instructed elementary-aged children on the use of augmentative devices and computer software. Later with the San Diego Community College District, she worked in the Welfare-to-Work program developing programs for working mothers to complete their education through distance education courses. Joanna holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. Currently she is working towards her Doctorate in Education, emphasis in Technology and Learning.

Ben Daley is the chief operating officer for the High Tech High Charter Management Organization. He acts as an advisor to fifteen students and teaches and advises students in the HTH Graduate School of Education. Ben joined High Tech High to teach physics as a founding faculty member in fall 2000.

A New Hampshire native, Ben wisely moved to San Diego, CA at the first opportunity. As a student at Haverford College, Ben majored in physics and was credentialed in secondary physics and math. After graduation, he traveled to the Philippines and taught science and math at an international school in Manila. Upon his return to the States, he taught physics and AP physics at the Madeira School, a girls boarding school in suburban Washington, D.C. He then moved to California to coach basketball and to teach physics at Pomona and Pitzer Colleges. He earned an M.A. in science education at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Lisa began her career in education as a adjunct community college counselor. Seeking opportunities to develop programs and student policy, Lisa accepted an appointment as the Dean of Student Services for a private postsecondary school where she was responsible for developing student services policies and procedures for vocational, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs, as well as extensive accreditation and licensure documentation. During this time, Lisa also served as an educational specialist for the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE).

Her experiences conducting compliance reviews for BPPVE allowed her to develop strengths in writing and documentation. Following the birth of her second daughter, Lisa worked as a substitute teacher for Joseph Casillas Elementary while managing her own educational consulting firm specializing in education and business writing and editing. In 2007, her oldest daughter had the fortune to be selected as one of 150 students in the lottery for the newest HTH school, High Tech High Chula Vista. Committed to the High Tech High mission to foster inquiry and excitement in learning, Lisa quickly jumped on the chance to work with the talented and determined people that make up the HTH Learning Community.

Lisa earned her B.A and M.Ed. in Educational Counseling from the University of San Diego. She is an avid gardener, carpenter, and short-story writer and is currently working on her first play titled "The Winter" about the infamous Donner Party. A San Diego native, Lisa lives with her husband Bart and their two daughters, Dempsey and Ceiley, in Chula Vista.

Brian J. Dixon is the founder of the Internet Safety Foundation, a nonprofit educational institution dedicated to partnering with parents and teachers to keep children safe online. He regularly conducts Internet Safety seminars for schools, community groups, and churches in the Southern California region.

He is the founding Multimedia Technology teacher at High Tech High in North County San Diego where he teaches a comprehensive digital arts program for a diverse cross-section of San Diego high school students.

Brian is finishing his doctoral degree in Educational Technology at San Diego State and the University of San Diego. His dissertation focuses on using reflective video journals as a tool for enhancing adolescent students' metacognition and reflective practice. He received a Master's of Arts in Teaching from Columbia International University. Mr. Dixon received his Bachelor's of Fine and Performing Arts from Providence College, a small liberal arts college in Manitoba, Canada.

In his forthcoming book, The Technophobic Teacher, Brian addresses the real issues behind classroom teachers' reluctance to integrate today's technology into their daily classroom practice. Rather than a simple analysis of the problems, this book clearly demonstrates practical solutions for integrating technology in the twelve primary areas of the teaching life.

In addition to teaching high school students on a daily basis, Brian has taught graduate classes in Educational Technology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

Brian started his educational career as a seventh grade English teacher in a South Carolina public school where he led a one-to-one computing technology pilot program for struggling readers. After moving to California, Brian became the Instructional Technology Specialist for a K-12 private school in Solana Beach. There he led professional development workshops and assisted teachers in their integration of technology in their daily teaching practice.

Brian has conducted many conference presentations on current technologies and educational issues including podcasting, video blogging, social networking, Internet safety, and technology integration.

He is happily married to Julie, a fifth grade math teacher and superstar athlete. Brian enjoys all types of board sports (skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and wakeboarding). The Dixons live in La Costa, California.

Email your questions and comments to Brian @ contact at brianjdixon dot com.

Visit his blog website at: http://brianjdixon.com

Christopher directs facilities design, construction, maintenance, and custodial services for HTH Learning, the organization which develops all High Tech High schools. Prior to joining HTH, Christopher was the architect for all High Tech High schools, and completed millions of square feet of commercial, educational, hospitality, retail, and residential projects in every corner of the United States and along the Pacific Rim. Now on-staff, Christopher directs all facilities services, working closely with a great staff. He is a licensed architect in California and Arizona, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arizona, where he studied both Architecture and Philosophy.

Patrick develops user-friendly web-based applications for multiple audiences including students, staff, donors, and those interested in learning more about the High Tech High community. Patrick received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona and did post graduate work there and at Northern Arizona University. He is an accomplished painter and photographer.

Janel Holcomb has been with High Tech High since 2003 teaching Physics & Math and Chemistry & Math. In August of 2007 she will be moving to one of our new schools, most likely High Tech High Escondido, to be the Director. Janel Holcomb’s holds a Masters of Education and Teaching Credential from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Janel is an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast! You can find her at High Tech High in Project Room 9 most any time.

A native San Diegan, Cindy graduated from Clairemont High School and attended Kelsey-Jenney Business College and Grossmont Community College. She has over 18 years of experience in a variety of administrative capacities. Before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom, she was a keypunch operator in the data-processing departments for Fed-Mart and then at the Naval Undersea Center in Point Loma, known today as SPAWAR. The now out-dated IBM keypunch machines were Cindy’s first experience using computer technology.

Cindy worked for the San Diego City Schools in various roles for ten years, as the School Improvement Coordinator at Benchley-Weinberger Elementary School, in the Placement and Appeal Department, and in the School-to-Career Career Development Office. Before coming to High Tech High, she was the administrative assistant to the Director of the Business Roundtable for Education at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Cindy has been with High Tech High since its inception. Her role has expanded over the years as the school has grown. She is both the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Student Information Manager, interacting daily with staff, students and families to help resolve a variety of school questions, concerns and challenges.

Laura McBain graduated with a B.A. in English and minors in Political Science and Spanish from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. After her move from the plains of the Ohio, Laura received her teaching credential from San Diego State University and taught for four years in San Diego before coming to High Tech High. Laura was a humanities teacher during High Tech Middle’s first year and went on to receive her Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At Harvard she worked at the Center for Law and Education developing policy initiatives relating to the reauthorization of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act. She also conducted research projects on the Massachusetts District Review process. Laura later served as a Policy Analyst for Learning Points Associates conducting reviews on underperforming districts. Laura has since returned to HTH and has served as the Director of HTH Albuquerque, (a network site of HTH Learning) and as the Director of High Tech Middle. Now as High Tech High Learning’s Director of Policy and Research, Laura leads research projects on the High Tech High schools and coordinates with the states’ legislative and accountability commissions on charter school policies initiatives.

Wendy grew up in San Diego. She received her Bachelors Degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and went on to get a certificate from The Exotic Animal Training and Management Program in Moorpark, California. From there she worked as an Elephant Trainer in Vallejo, California. After two and a half years as a trainer she made the decision to move back to San Diego. While waiting to get a job at the San Diego Zoo, she started to work at HTH. Although she eventually got a job at the Zoo her heart brought her back to HTH. Now, five years later she is the Executive Assistant and Registrar for the school.

Kay has worked on the business side of public education for the past 19 years. Prior to joining High Tech High, she served as Budget Supervisor and most recently, Director of Payroll and Benefits for San Diego Unified. Prior to coming west to California, she managed a nonprofit arts organization in Iowa, was assistant manager of the Des Moines Convention Center responsible for financial operations, and served as an accountant for the Salt Lake County Treasurer. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Gabriel joined the High Tech High team in February 2008 as the Admissions and Outreach Coordinator. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Broadcast Journalism and International Relations. After graduation Gabriel worked as a writer at the NBC affiliate in San Diego and then as a television reporter in Amarillo, Texas.

Ultimately, his passion for education and helping students go on to college brought him back to his hometown of San Diego. Gabriel is excited to be working at such an amazing organization and is looking forward to working with parents and the community.

Believing that educational equity is the civil rights struggle of her generation, Allison has been working to improve schools since earning her B.A. in psychology from UC Santa Cruz. A product of New York and California public schools, Allison taught 7/8th grade Bilingual Language Arts as a Teach for America corps member in New York City before joining the staff of TFA. Missing direct contact with kids and families, she moved to Oakland, CA where she was a founding teacher of KIPP Bridge College Prep. After eight years in schools and increasingly frustrated with the limited impact that one school could have on a seemingly intractable problem, Allison went to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to study Public Policy and earn a Master’s Degree. She joined the team at High Tech High after getting chills the first time she walked on to campus and thinking, “This is the revolution.” When not thinking about the ways that dissemination of HTH principles and practices are going to transform schools throughout San Diego and beyond, she enjoys playing with trains and going to the zoo with her husband and their son.

A native of Bremerton Washington, Bob Parker has lived in Washington, Alaska and for the most part, in Southern California. Prior to moving to the San Diego area, he lived in Big Bear Lake for twenty-six years. He received his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from California State University of Long Beach where he also earned a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology.

In his thirty plus years in public education, Bob has been employed as a School Psychologist, School Principal and a District Office Administrator. Most recently, he was Program Manager for Due Process and Procedural Safeguards for the Desert/Mountain Special Education Local Plan Area (D/M SELPA) in San Bernardino County. He holds California life credentials in School Psychology and School Administrative Services. He also has been granted life credentials for Community College authorization in Psychology Coursework and Counseling Services.

Rob has worked as a teacher, trainer, and program developer for over 35 years. As a teacher in the Cambridge, MA public schools, he developed an award-winning writing center and two innovative school-to-career programs: the Cambridge-Polaroid Technical Internship Program and the Cambridge-Lesley Careers in Education Program. He was named National School to Work Practitioner of the Year in 1994. From 1996-99 he directed the New Urban High School project, a joint initiative of the Big Picture Company and the U.S. Department of Education. For several years, as a faculty member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he led the practicum seminar for Harvard’s student teachers. He was a founding staff member of the Tennessee Governor’s Academy for Teachers of Writing, and a Lead Founder of the Community Charter School of Cambridge, MA. His publications include several articles on high school humanities and two books: Schooling for the Real World: The Essential Guide to Rigorous and Relevant Learning (Jossey Bass, 1999), with Adria Steinberg and Kathleen Cushman, and Seeing the Future: A Planning Guide for High Schools (The Big Picture Company and the U.S. Department of Education, 1999).

Larry Rosenstock taught carpentry for eleven years, after law school, in urban high schools in Boston and Cambridge. He served as staff attorney for two years at the Harvard Center for Law and Education, and was a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for five years. Larry was principal of the Rindge School of Technical Arts, and of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. He directed the federal New Urban High School Project, was president of the Price Charitable Fund, and is the founding principal of High Tech High in San Diego. Larry’s program, “CityWorks”, won the Ford Foundation Innovations in State and Local Government Award in 1992, and he is an Ashoka Fellow.

Simi Rush is the Special Programs Manager for High Tech High Schools where she works on new school start-up, tour management, and High Tech High’s summer academy program. Before coming to High Tech High Simi worked for SCORE! Educational Centers, Inc. as a Center Director for centers for both Los Angeles and San Diego regions. She joined High Tech High Spring 2004 and has held a variety of roles, including Manager of Assessment and Accountability.

A California native, Simi began referring to San Diego as “home” after she graduated from University of California, San Diego, where she received her bachelors degree in Communications and Political Science. She is currently working on obtaining her Masters degree from University of San Diego in Nonprofit Leadership and Management.

Daren was born in Oceanside, CA and has lived in San Diego all of his life. During his youth he traveled to many parts of the world and at the age of 19 he married in Caracas, Venezuela and has been married for 21 years and has 3 boys who all attend High Tech High schools.

After 14 years of owning and operating a motorcycle repair business he realized computers and technology were the future and in 1995 started his technology career as a UNIX Systems Administrator for a San Diego based Sun Microsystems VAR. 11 years later he joined the High Tech High team as the Director of Technology. Daren has been involved with many aspects of computer technology ranging from java programing to SQL database design and network security. He has also contributed to many Open Source projects over the years.

Alfred grew up in San Diego amongst a myriad of Filipino navy families. He went to college at Cal Poly SLO where he graduated with Honors in Mechanical Engineering. Alfred then chose a career with a Big 4 firm, doing business/internet consulting and later joined a Bay Area Venture Fund.

After September 11th, he changed his career to embark on his greatest challenge of teaching high school students Math & Physics. For the last 4 years, Alfred used his industry experience to create Project Based Learning (PBL) that reflected corporate best practices.

"The key to success is to use unlimited creativity with a limited amount of resources."

Outside of school, Alfred has dedicated his right-brain to the miraculous conception of Anew musical LiGHTS KARMA ACT!ON.