Susan Allen
Subjects: English, Careers, Consumer Math, Stained Glass, Child Development, Yearbook, Design Crafts, CTE Education Pathway (Intro)
Other roles: Newsletter editor and publisher, OPTA secretary and site representative
District Committees: Curriculum Council; Diversity & Equity Task Force; DETF Secondary Coordinator, Racial Healing, Justice, & Protection subcommittee co-chair, AI Task Force, Ethnic Studies Committee
‘The word ‘education’ comes from the root e from ex, out, and duco, I lead. It means a leading out. To me education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil’s soul.’ –Muriel Spark
‘Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.’–Scott Hayden
As You Are
Each student is welcomed just where they are in their education and personal development. I provide standards-based, student-centered, A-G certified courses to help each student develop at their own pace and in their own direction. Some students require support remediating academic gaps, some need opportunities to develop nascent talents and skills, others seek outlets to excel in what they already know and do. We provide it all at Oak View!
At Our Best
The ever-changing needs of our students drives me to continue learning, growing, and evolving my practice. From advanced tech skills to social-emotional development, from cutting edge literacy learning to a revamped and expanded library, I work hard to present the best offerings available to our students. How can we expect students to become their best selves if we do not have the best on offer for them?
About What's Next
I teach several classes especially designed to prepare students for life after high school. Careers, a senior class, aids students in exploring post-secondary education and jobs. Consumer Math gives students vital practice in setting up their financial lives. Child Development allows students to educate themselves on their own and their future children's stages of life. Jobs supports juniors in obtaining and maintaining employment. CTE Education Pathway Intro provides students an opportunity to look into the wealth of careers in the education field.
Bio: Born and raised in Southwest Washington, I come from a family of teachers: my great-aunts (who taught at an iconic one-room school house), all of my aunts and uncles and both of my parents, and my daughter who teaches middle-school English. It is in my blood to teach! I graduated high school in Centralia with departmental honors in English and music and graduated from The Evergreen State College with a double-major in English and history as well as a teaching credential. After teaching in Washington, I moved to California and taught at Paramount High School before taking 12 years off to raise my daughters, who went to Oak Park schools. During this time, I was a basketball and softball coach, PTA mom (and president) at Brookside Elementary, and a community organizer assisting the district in creating the Oak Park Neighborhood School, our district's preschool program.
Then, Oak View called, and I am in my 22nd year here. During this time, I have moved us from a bank of very old Apple computers to one-to-one laptops (over a decade before the rest of the district got them), moved our yearbook and newsletter online for both production and distribution, gotten all English courses certified as college prep, developed a college prep stained glass VPA course and a CTE child development course, and lately remade and increased our library using a grant from the state. I have been instrumental in powering our Diversity and Equity Task Force and am very proud of the work we do as a district to welcome and support all students and staff. This year, Hannah Robinson and I will work together to create our Career and Technical Education Pathway courses. During this time, I have come to know and love the students who come here. The best part of the job has been learning and growing together.
In 2017, I earned my master's degree in educational psychology from the California State University at Northridge where I also earned certification as an ERWC instructor (Expository Reading & Writing Curriculum). Other professional development has included a 2-year course in inquiry-based instruction, a 1-year course in peer mentoring, a fellowship with the UCI Writing Project, a 2-year program with VCOE in teacher leadership, and ongoing learning as a Secondary Innovator with OPUSD peers. This past summer I certied as a DBT- Steps A curriculum instructor and look forward to incorprating this work into our already solid social emotional learning program. I have provided professional development offerings both within OPUSD and at the CCEA conference.
I currently live in Thousand Oaks with my husband and cats and visit often with our grown children. I love to cook, bake, garden, read (and read some more), knit, and putter in my stained glass workshop. I enjoy hiking as well as engaging in hot yoga to expand my practice of mindfulness and lifelong fitness. I will continue at Oak View for many more years and look forward to enjoying every minute of that time with our wonderful staff and amazing students.