Meet the Team

Ms Halter

Hi! I’m Claire Halter, and I’ll be returning for my sixth year at SFCP; this school has become my second home and my students and their families my second family. I’m excited to continue teaching English and working with 11th and 12th graders this year. Students may know me already from the sound of my voice - I’m proud to be loud and encourage all my students to have pride in their voices too - or my dance moves, which I’ve put on display at pep rallies, in the courtyard, in my classroom, and while at lunch during the Hamilton field trip. Whether you have me as a teacher or not, you can expect that when we interact I will be joyful, passionate, and eager to support. As the longest serving staff member at SFCP, I will continue to fight for the rights of our students and families, strive to ensure that students receive the highest quality education that truly meets their individual needs, and bring love and heart to my students, their families, and our staff every day. Please feel free to reach out anytime!

Ms. Theis

English Teacher

Ms. Theis is thrilled to join the English team at SFCP this next year. Originally from Berkeley, she has managed the East Coast living for the past eight years. After undergrad, she joined Harvard Teacher Fellows and began her teaching career at Uncommon Charter High School in Brooklyn, NY. At UCHS, she taught first ninth and then eleventh grade English, helped plan lessons for the network, and served as an instructional leader. While she'll dearly miss her AP Lang crew and coworkers she is eager to join the SFCP community and vision. She loves teaching English language and literature as the medium through which we learn about the world, ourselves, and each other. Besides reading and wordplay, she spends her time being outside, trying to cook, and exploring neighborhoods around the bay. Contrary to this photo, she does eat and love meat, particularly bacon, chicken, and ribs.

Ms. Dineen

English Teacher

Ms. Dineen is a born and raised Wisconsinite! You’ll notice it right away by her ‘Sconnie accent and obsession with cheese. She’s finishing up her seventh year teaching English in Milwaukee, her second year in the Hollyhock Fellowship at Stanford, and her first year as a Teacher Coach. Her seven years as an educator have been spread across two small, private schools, where she taught a range of English classes to grades 9-11. She founded and facilitated student clubs such as Forensics, Student Council, Dance Team, and Black Student Union. Her educational philosophy centers on love, empathy, and justice. She may be small (5’2”), but she is loud, proud, and mighty, especially when it comes to addressing issues of inequity. This is why she also co-founded her school’s first Equity Team this past year, in an effort to promote dialogue about personal, instructional, and systemic inequities and move toward culturally sustaining practices. Besides teaching, Jen also loves traveling, eating, playing with pups, and reading (just started The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates). She can’t wait to start this new adventure in the Bay!

Mr. Olausen

English Teacher

Mr. Olausen is excited about returning to SFCP for his second year, teaching 9th and 10th grade English. Mr. O grew up in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. After receiving his Bachelor’s in English Literature from Loyola University New Orleans, he decided to continue his education at the University of Idaho where he attained his Master’s in Literary Theory and discovered his love of teaching critical reading and writing skills. Pursuing this passion led Mr. O to Hawai’i where he taught for two years alongside passionate and inspirational teachers before he moved to San Francisco. When he’s not teaching, Mr. Olausen is likely watching a sporting event, fly fishing, or reading.

Ms Appel

AP Physics 1 & Pre-AP Physics Teacher

Ms. Appel demonstrates a deep passion for the study of physics. The school year 20-21 marks her 6th year of teaching and 2nd year within the KIPP Network. Ms. Appel earned her degree in Physics with minors in math and astronomy from Valpo University (2015) where she held multiple research assistant positions in: observational astronomy, math, and computational physics. Ms. Appel demonstrates a dedication to invest each of her scholars in the learning process through authentic rapport, real-world application and practice, and strives to maximize on students’ creativity.

Mr. Perez

Biology Teacher

Hi everyone, Mr. Perez here! A little about me? I am born and raised in Southern California, so still not fully acclimated to this Bay Area weather. I went to USC for undergrad and studied Environmental Studies. I moved to SF for my Teaching Residency here at SFCP. In that year I completed my Masters in Education at the University of the Pacific as well as teaching credential. This will be my 4th year at SFCP and I am excited to be teaching 9th grade biology as well as serve as the 9th grade level chair! When I say this I mean it: SCIENCE IS THE COOLEST! Science is everywhere and I cannot wait to show you a new way of looking at the world around you. When I’m not teaching, you can catch me on FaceTime with my 1yo nephew, exploring the city, cooking, or looking for another (future) travel opportunity. So excited for the year!

Mrs. Spraggins

Chemistry Teacher

I am excited to be joining KIPP SFCP as the Chemistry teacher for the upcoming school year. I recently relocated from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I earned my Bachelors Degree in Chemistry from Temple University and my Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Saint Joseph’s University. I have worked in the field of education for over 10 years as a high school science teacher, an instructional coach and most recently as an Elementary School Assistant Principal. My experience has helped me develop a better understanding of concept coherence and student learning within the K-12 continuum. To that end, I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to return to the classroom. I hope that I can positively impact student outcomes while building meaning relationships with staff, students, families and our community. Outside of the classroom, I am a singer/songwriter at heart and I enjoy outdoor exploration!

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Ms. Medina

Spanish Teacher

Ms. Medina will be entering her 8th year as a Spanish teacher. She is excited to join the KIPP SFCP team. A Texas native, Ms. Medina recently moved to Oakland with her family. Prior to making the big move, she taught for seven years in the Houston Independent School District at Hogg Middle School and Heights High School. Throughout her years at both schools, she has taught all levels of Spanish, ranging from Spanish I to AP Spanish Literature. Her students have consistently outscored their peers at the District, State, and National levels. ALL students have the ability to achieve transformational outcomes; She believes it is her duty to help them unlock their innate potential. She also believes EVERY child deserves a high quality and equitable education. When she’s not crushing it in the classroom, she can be found turning her high school dance girls into state champions. She enjoys running, (faster than her partner) and going on family outings to museums, zoos, state parks, etc. with said slow-running partner and her daughter Sammi. She loved Game of Thrones until they ruined the last season, Winter came, but it was weak. Her biggest accomplishment to date is getting five-year-old Sammi to enjoy The Office.

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Ms. Cunningham

Ethnic Studies Teacher

Prior to joining the SFCP team, Ms. Cunningham taught US History and Ethnic Studies for two years at John F. Kennedy High School, where she also completed her placement as a Bay Area Teach for America corps member. At Kennedy, she started the school's first-ever Ethnic Studies program and also led training on race, class, culture, and power for other teachers. Before entering the classroom, she attended Harvard University, where she graduated with a degree in History and Sociology. She is originally from New York, and although she misses the pizza and bagels back east, is now proud to call the Bay Area home. She loves teaching because of the incredible bond she has formed with all of her students, and because she is humbled by the opportunity to show students the rich history of communities of color around the nation, and the power of resistance and triumph over systemic injustice. She believes that access to a high-quality education is a human right, and she is so excited to continue the fight to making this a reality at SFCP. When she's not teaching, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, trying new restaurants, and dancing to her perfectly curated Spotify playlists.

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Mr. LeMoine

Music Teacher

Mr. LeMoine is a saxophonist and educator from Chicago. He is over the moon to be joining the innovative and creative KIPP SFCP team. He is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago and completed his graduate studies at Northern Illinois University. He began his career with the Noble Network of Charter schools as a band director. From interior design to classic car restoration, you could say that he has a broad array of interests and skill sets. This transfers to the classroom where he strives to create an environment where students have the freedom to explore their identities. He is an active member of the Chicago jazz community and is excited to continue his creative work in San Francisco. He not only seeks to be a conduit for student and family success but also for his colleagues.

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Ms Arellano

Art Teacher

Although Ms. Arellano is new to SFPC she has been teaching visual art and design for 10+ years to middle school, high school and college students. She still maintains her art practice and shows her work regularly. Her undergraduate degree is from UC Berkeley. She continued her fine arts education in New York City at Parsons and the renowned Art Students League of New York. In addition, she received her teaching credential for Visual Arts from San Francisco State University. As an exhibiting artist, she has gallery representation in New York and San Francisco. Her show last year at New York’s Atlantic Gallery was entitled “Storytelling.” Her pedagogical approach to visual arts education is to transform the classroom into an art studio where math, language and social studies are foundational to the curriculum. This stimulates creative and critical thinking for all students, enabling them to become makers, thinkers, citizens, researchers, activists and creative problem-solvers. After 10 years in NYC, she relocated back to SF. She is an active traveler with a strong interest in exploring regional arts and food, but will always be happy with a great cheeseburger!!

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Mr. Stockton

Mr. Stockton is from Ann Arbor, MI and graduated from Denison University in 2008 where he played Div. III basketball. He has taught and worked in Rwanda, Spain, Boston, New York, and Detroit. He teaches AP Seminar and AP Research at SFCP, and believes that his purpose as an educator is to empower young people to wield their power to create a more just world in the here and now and onward throughout their lives. In his free time, he likes to hoop, bicycle, hike, listen to podcasts, read, and go to the beach.

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Mr. Campbel

Mr. Campbell was born in Brooklyn, raised in Connecticut, and comes to SFCP by way of many other states and countries. He has primarily worked with black and brown students as an English lit and English language teacher, tutor, and coach for the past 7 years. He is committed to providing all of his students with a quality education, and believes it is important to keep student needs and interests at the center of instruction. He also believes it is important to create a learning environment in which everyone is respected and in which their learning needs are supported. He enjoys philosophical conversations about race, religion, and politics which means he avoids polite company with dodged persistence, and is an educator because he knows that a liberated mind is one of the few things we can truly call our own.

Ms. Hernandez

I was born and raised in East Side San Jose but spent a couple of years living in Mexico. As the daughter of my immigrant parents that came from Michoacan and Mexico City at the age of 19, I was raised with the idea that education is the key to success. I am a KIPP alumni! I was part of the founding class at KIPP Heartwood Academy and graduated from KIPP San Jose Collegiate in 2012. I went to UC Merced, where I majored in Sociology and learned the value of community and social justice. For the past 4 years I have been working as the Senior Seminar teacher at SFCP. Though I will miss being in the classroom (so much!!<3), I am grateful to have the opportunity to now be the Sr. Manager of College & Career Counseling. I care deeply about my students and want to ensure they have the resources and guidance to make choices for their future.

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N. Raja

Mental Health Clinician

Noreen Raja is an Associate Clinical Social Worker in her 3rd year with KIPP and 2nd year as a mental health clinician. Before therapy, she was a teacher and even taught some of SFCP's current senior class! Ms. Raja got her MSW at the Univ. of Michigan & went to Chapman & American Universities for undergrad. She loves working with teens; they are so insightful! You’ll find her running around campus or on the soccer field coaching the girls’ team. Go Phoenix!

B. Ramirez

Mental Health Clinician

Brianna Ramirez is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor starting her 2nd year as a SpEd Mental Health Clinician at SFCP. Ms. Ramirez received her M.A in Counseling Education and Pupil Personnel Service Credential (PPSC) at San Jose State University. As a Clinician she seeks to improve her students communication skills, coping skills, and strengthen their self-advocacy. During her free time she enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, watching Netflix shows, and spending time with her family and friends.

Ms. Milstein

Education Specialist

Ms. Milstein, while originally from Sacramento, has been lucky enough to call San Francisco her home for the last five years. This will be her fourth year as an Education Specialist at KIPP SFCP working primarily with 11th and 12th grade students. She attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and received her undergraduate degree in History with a minor in Religious Studies. She originally moved to San Francisco in 2015 for graduate school, but decided to take a detour in her own education to join Teach for America in 2017. She was lucky enough to be placed in San Francisco and get the opportunity to live and teach in a place and community that she has grown to love! She fiercely believes in the power of student voice, and strives to work with students to build their own sense of agency in the classroom and beyond. Outside of work you can find Ms. Milstein working on her MA thesis, reading, and walking her way through San Francisco!

Ms. Guy

Education Specialist

Ms. Guy is excited about joining SFCP team after spending 3 ½ years at KIPP Austin Collegiate in Austin, TX. She has spent her entire teaching career growing within Special Education, including supporting 9-12 grades across all core subjects and case managing. She is originally from Syracuse, NY and grew up in Fort Worth, TX. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a BA in African and African Diaspora she spent time doing research in Rio de Janeiro with youth in the performing arts. She truly believes that education creates a path to liberation. She is passionate about teaching youth that anything is possible with a solid educational foundation, regardless of the limitations that are faced. She also enjoys puzzles, music, practicing capoeira, and hopes to one day perfect her acrylic waterfall painting techniques.

Mrs. Marshall

Education Specialist

Mrs. Marshall is an award winning educator from Washington, D.C. Her favorite subject is history because it allows us to remember those who also faced injustice and to understand the solutions that they came up with during their lives. Ms. Marshall started her career in Atlanta working as an Upward Bound teacher at Georgia State University, her alma mater. In 2006, Ms. Marshall moved to Maryland to attend Bowie State University and went on to earn a Master of Arts in teaching degree. She has spent the last 14 years in a variety of roles with D.C. Public Schools and the charter school networks. Ms. Marshall enjoys reading inspirational stories, creative writing and making clothing. She is also an entrepreneur with a knack for hosting pop up shops in support of other small batch makers. Ms. Marshall is super excited to join the SFCP family!

Ms. Mirzamaani

My name is Miss Mirzamaani and I am a proud Bay Area native. I will be returning as a 10th/11th grade Education Specialist and Assistant Athletic Director. I attended San Francisco State University where I earned my degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing sciences. Before being a part of the KIPP SFCP team, I worked in neighboring community organizations in the Bayview. After spending 5 years with these organizations, I decided to obtain my teaching credential and masters degree from the University of the Pacific. Outside of school, I enjoy traveling, spending time in sunshine and nature, plants, sports and athletics, attending music and comedy shows, and painting/drawing.