Mr. Victor AguileraHistory Teacher
Mr. Aguilera was born and raised in Oakland, CA. He attended UCLA and got his Bachelor's Degree in Chicana/Chicano Studies and Political Science. He continued on to graduate school at UCLA to attain his Master's Degree in Education and teaching credential. Before coming to LPS Richmond, Mr. Aguilera taught English Language Development, Spanish, and History in South Los Angeles. One of the main reasons Mr. Aguilera teaches here at LPS Richmond is his ability to identify with the students of Richmond. As a Bay Area product, he understands their struggles, but also understands that each student holds a tremendous amount of potential. It is his hope to help them unlock that potential; not only for their personal success, but for the success and benefit of their entire community.
Mr. Peter BaerEnglish Teacher
Mr. Baer was born and raised in Denver, Colorado; he came to the Bay Area in 1997 to earn his B.A. in Philosophy from UC-Berkeley, followed by his M.A. in Education from Stanford. He is in his eighth year teaching English, and his third year at LPS-Richmond. He loves his job because he loves being surrounded by ideas, by his fellow teachers, and most of all, by his amazing students. When not teaching, he spends his time reading, writing, emceeing, and hanging out with his wonderful wife and friends.
Mr. Charles ChretienScience Teacher
Mr. Chretien was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire and then went to college at WPI, a small science and engineering school in Worcester Massachusetts. After graduating with a BS in physics, Mr. Chretien went to the University of Massachusetts to get his Masters in Education. Shortly after finishing his masters, Mr Chretien got married and came to California with his wife so she could pursue her PhD in biology at UC Berkeley. Teaching physics at LPS was Mr. Chretien's first teaching job when moving to the Bay Area. Mr. Chretien came to LPS because he wanted to teach physics to all students rather than a select group of students like at most other schools.
Ms. Felicia CinquegranaArt Teacher
Ms. Cinquegrana grew up in Rhode Island. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her Masters Degree in Art Education from Rhode Island School of Design. In her spare time she has a studio at the Firehouse Collective where she makes sculpture in clay and metals. This is her second year teaching at LPS. She says," LPS is a great school, a great environment for the students, and has great teachers. I am very happy here."
Mr. Joshua CristantielloSpanish Teacher
Señor Cristantiello nació en la isla de Manhattan, NY. Se graduó de la universidad de Skidmore en Saratoga Springs, NY donde estudiaba el trabajo social y el castellano. Se ha dedicado a enseñar el español porque le encanta la cultura y la gente hispanohablante. Al Señor Cristantiello le gusta dibujar, cantar, viajar, escribir, andar en bicicleta, nadar, leer, cocinar y es un fanático de las películas del director español, Pedro Almodóvar.
Ms. Sara FrymoyerEnglish Teacher
Ms. Fry was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She attended Eastern University where she earned her BA in Sociology. During college, Ms. Fry became impassioned by injustice and inequality, both local and global. She successfully led a student campaign that inspired her university to serve Fair Trade coffee (ensuring that coffee farmers in developing countries receive a fair wage!). Ms. Fry first came to CA in 2004 and spent a year living and working in West Oakland where she figured out that she would work with teenagers for the rest of her life. Before LPS, Ms. Fry taught just down the street at Kennedy. Though she loved her years at "the K", she adores working at LPS because it is a hope-filled place with students who inspire her every single day. Other than teaching, Ms. Fry enjoys trying new things, talking, drinking coffee, reading, creativity, shopping, rock climbing, travel, and exploring restaurants in the Bay Area.
Mr. Taylor GarlandMath Teacher and Resource Specialist
Mr. Garland comes originally from Boston, Massachusetts. He came to the Bay Area because it just seemed like the right place for him to be, and the same thing is true of the moment he found LPS Richmond. Being randomly transferred from the Hayward school to the Richmond school in 2007 was a change for which he couldn't be more grateful. Since graduating from Washington University in St. Louis in 2004, Mr. Garland has realized that the most fun place you can work is with a passionate, challenged group of teenagers, helping them to change the future.
Ms. Elizabeth GoreEnglish Teacher
Ms. Gore grew up in Chicago, Illinois. In college, she studied film-making, and dreams about being able to teach LPS students how to make movies in her English class. She has lived in Massachusetts, Oregon, Nicaragua, New York, and Illinois. She moved to Oakland this year to teach at LPS because she realized what a special place LPS Richmond is during a visit last year. Outside of school she likes to write plays, do yoga, cook, and dance.
Ms. Arminda KingMath Teacher
Ms. King was born and raised in the beautiful city of New Orleans, Louisiana with her parents, older brother, and loyal dog Joey. She attended Tulane University in New Orleans and then taught high school Science for two years in New Orleans Public Schools. It was during this time that she received the best birthday present ever: a small cat named Hunter. Although she loves New Orleans, Ms. King eventually felt that it was time to try new things, so she moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to earn her master's degree in Learning and Teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It was there that she met her husband, Jonathan, and fell in love with major league baseball. She spent a few more years teaching and supporting teachers before moving to San Francisco and teaching at LPS-Richmond. She is thrilled to work with the smartest, funniest, coolest and most talented students and teachers in the world here at LPS-Richmond, and is grateful that they brought her the newest addition to her family: a kitten named Lenny.
Mr. Adam KondonijakosHistory Teacher
Mr. Kondonijakos was born in Queens, New York and raised in Philadelphia, PA. After high school Mr. K attended the University of Arizona where he majored in Media Arts and Art History. After graduating he moved to Oakland where he lived for a couple years before moving to San Diego to acquire his M.A. in Education. While in San Diego, he taught and substituted for 2 years. Mr. K moved back to the Bay Area in 2005 and has been teaching at LPS ever since. Mr. K has been at LPS Richmond for 5 years and enjoys working here because of the great group of students and staff he sees everyday. In his spare time, Mr. K enjoys reading, watching Jeopardy, playing Chess, Fantasy Football, his PS3, and playing with his son Bodhi.
Ms. Van LacEnglish Teacher
Ms. Lac is a product of "The Town" better known as Oakland, California. Her experiences in the Oakland Public Schools inspired her to become a teacher and be an agent of change in communities similar to Oakland. After earning her B.A. at the University of California Berkeley in English Literature, she decided to cross the waters into enemy territory, also known as Stanford, to earn her Masters in Education and teaching credential. Ms. Lac has been an English teacher at LPS-Richmond for the past six years. She finds her job extremely rewarding and fulfilling.
Ms. Dana LoebmanMath Teacher
Ms. Loebman grew up in Los Angeles. After attending Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, she moved to rural Colorado to teach high school students the wonders of mathematics. She taught at two different boarding schools, both of which had active outdoor programs where the students learned to recite the quadratic formula while backpacking through mountains and deserts. Ms. Loebman is very glad to be back in the fine state of California and teaching at LPS. When she is not graphing lines, Ms. Loebman enjoys riding her bicycle in the hills of Oakland.
Ms. Julia McKinnonSpanish and English Teacher
Ms. McKinnon was born in the Bay Area. She moved to Montana when she was two and grew up there. In high school she participated in school exchange programs in Japan, Ecuador and Italy. Then she went to Middlebury College in Vermont because of the school's excellent language program. At Middlebury she studied Italian and Spanish and majored in History. She studied abroad in Argentina during her junior year of college and absolutely loved being immersed in Spanish with her host family, learning Argentine lingo, the tango, and the history of the desaparecidos. It was during her time in Argentina that Ms McKinnon realized she loved Spanish. She came to California in 2007 to teach and taught for two years at Kennedy High School in Richmond, before moving down the street to teach at Leadership.
Apart from languages, Ms. McKinnon also loves cooking, playing the cello, running, reading, hiking in mountains and the community at LPS.
Mr. Vinicio MerlinoScience Teacher
Mr. Merlino was born in El Salvador and grew up in Ohio. He obtained a B.A. in Biology and a teaching credential from Witttenberg University. Before coming to LPS, Mr. Merlino worked at the Headlands Institute where he led hikes for school groups. The main reason Mr. Merlino decided to work at LPS is because of the students and teachers that have led us to where we are today. Mr. Merlino believes every student has the potential to go to college and finish college. Mr. Merlino sees the desire to succeed in all students. "Sail by sea, find who you were meant to be, lighthouse Captain storm, arms stretched out, free falling dive, wind driven hair in your eyes." Dream big!!!
Ms. Maya Miller-VedamEnglish Teacher and Math Teacher
Bioagraphy coming soon!
Mr. John MullenScience Teacher
John Mullen was born in Scotland in 1965. He studied at Edinburgh University. After working as a motor-cycle courier, gas station attendant and barman, he trained as a teacher in 1987. He worked in a public school in Botswana, Southern Africa for two years then returned to Scotland where he taught in various schools around Edinburgh. He moved to California in 2007. In 2008 his daughter Eva was born.
Mr. Chris RozevilleMath Teacher
Mr. Rozeville grew up all around California and one year in Texas. He went for three years to a local community college (for financial reasons) and then went 2 more years to the University of Riverside California where he majored in Pure Mathematics. Mr. Rozeville loves teaching at LPS Richmond because of the incredible staff and students that make up the school!
Ms. Kathryn SchirtzerMath Teacher and Resource Specialist
Ms. Schirtzer grew up in Southern California, then moved to the Midwest where she attended the University of Michigan and earned a BA in English Literature. After college, she moved back to Los Angeles to receive a Master's Degree in Education for Students with Special Needs while teaching in the Los Angeles Unified School District for two years. Ms. Schirtzer believes that all students CAN and WANT to learn. She is so excited to be a part of the LPS staff where teachers and students work together to assist students in achieving their goals.
Mrs. Sophia ThomasMath Teacher
Mrs. Thomas grew up in Jamaica, where she spent most of her life. She obtained her high school and college education in Jamaica and only joined the LPS Staff in August 2007. This decision came about as Mrs. Thomas wanted the opportunity to teach in a country besides where she is from as well wanted the experience of working in a small school. She was intrigued by the mission statement of the LPS schools - urban kids creating real opportunities for college in situations where education is not only a way out but is also empowering. The staff and students are two of the main reasons why Mrs. Thomas has decided to remain at LPS Richmond. So far the experience has been rich and Mrs. Thomas eagerly anticipates her remaining years at LPS Richmond. Mrs Thomas feels that she has something special to offer and constantly reflects on her past as a student in order to prepare her present students for the challenges they may face in the math classroom.
Mr. Korey WhitfieldHistory Teacher
Biography coming soon!
Ms. Sara WolfeEnglish Teacher
Ms. Wolfe was born in Mexico City and lived there for a total of 8 years. She also lived in the Washington DC area before moving to San Francisco a couple years ago. She attended the University of Maryland, studied abroad in Mexico at La Universidad de las Americas-Puebla and earned her Master's Degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University. She has spent the last 5 years as a High School Spanish Teacher and Student Life Coordinator. She's thrilled to be a part of the LPS team - both because of her great admiration for the teachers and because of the wonderful students she gets to work with every day. Ms. Wolfe thinks this is the most exciting time to be in education and hopes to be a part of this team (and the WolfePack!) for a long time to come.
