Meet Our Instructors

A - Z

Anena Otii :: aotii@sileducation.com
Instructor of French, Italian & Spanish Language

Born in a small rural village in northern Uganda and raised in East Africa, Europe, and the United Sates, Anena Otii’s life of international travel has prepared her well for her current position as a teacher of several romance languages. And we have her to thank for the flowers in the classrooms and the vegetable garden out back.

Ms. Otii holds a B.A. in Anthropological Sciences with a specialization in Historical Linguistics from Stanford University. While at Stanford, Ms. Otii completed the grammars of Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili to augment her background in linguistics, ease communication with relatives in Europe, and assist in gathering international humanitarian aid for internally displaced refugees in Eastern Africa.

One of Ms. Otii’s most rewarding experiences as an educator happens when students apply their academic abilities to the task of internalizing grammar, so that they may generate spontaneous expressions of language. To foster this linguistic growth, Ms. Otii employs a conversational method based on Maria Montessori’s renowned theory: the teacher is the guide and source of motivation. Ms. Otii believes that empowering students to direct their own progress produces better language learners, and germinates the seeds of independence that SIL strives to cultivate in each student.

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Anthony Gonzales :: agonzales@sileducation.com
World Languages Department Chair
Instructor of Spanish Language, American Sign Language (ASL) & English

Anthony Gonzales grew up between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Santa Cruz, California. He now feels at home in the Bay Area.

Anthony earned his B.A. from the University of New Mexico. His degree was a double major in English / Creative Writing, and Spanish. His career at UNM included travel to a dozen countries, as well as studies in such Humanities as: Philosophy, History, Chicano/Latino Studies, American Sign Language (ASL), and Anthropology.

After graduating, Anthony continued his education in the University of San Francisco’s Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing Program. His M.F.A. thesis was a novel, entitled Movimiento.

Anthony’s current life is a continued investigation into cultural, societal, and individual interaction. As a trilingual individual, he values languages as instruments of expression; he is currently learning Portuguese, French, and Italian in hopes of reading some of his favorite works in the original.

He values the written word, and hopes to contribute to the realm of public ideas. He loves art in all forms.

Anthony is an experienced teacher of students of all ages, from pre-school to college. He believes that every interaction is an opportunity for growth and development. He loves to see students learn, and has learned immensely from his students. His only wish is to continuously grow as a learner and educator, along with his students and all who surround him.

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Arlyn Sharpe :: asharpe@sileducation.com
instructor of Social Studies & English

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Casey Hollister :: chollister@sileducation.com
Instructional Coordinator
Instructor of Science & English

Casey Hollister is a teacher in both the science and English departments and serves as our Instructional Coordinator. She works closely with our administrators and Department Chairs to ensure a student-centered approach, and is a resource for our teachers.

She holds a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where her work focused on student-oriented curriculum and generative learning. Casey is an experienced teacher with a background in education consulting and teacher professional development. She has a profound respect for the role of the learner in education, and she brings insight into how learners build understanding and how powerful instruction can stimulate best thinking.

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Chris Raynor :: craynor@sileducation.com
Head Administrator, Print & Web Designer
Instructor of Art

Chris assumes many roles here at SIL. He is an administrator, our lead designer for all that appears online and in print, and a driving force behind our art department.

Chris graduated from Penn State University with a B.A. in Integrative Arts. While his studies emphasized graphic design, his passion for the arts is much broader. Previous to SIL, Chris worked as part of a marketing team at a firm in Boston, and as a freelance designer. Chris feels at home in the school environment, and finds his experiences at SIL to be incredibly rewarding.

Outside of school, Chris fills his time with a variety of outdoor sports and recreation. When he's not exploring the natural world, Chris is playing music, reading, and cooking.

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David Fleager :: dfleager@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics & Economics

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, David moved to California in 1997 to study at Stanford University. While at Stanford, David mentored students at elementary schools throughout East Palo Alto. After graduating with a B.A. in Economics, David began his teaching career at SIL in 2001. David subsequently studied law, and earned a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. After working for several years in the financial sector, David returned to SIL to teach math and economics.

In his spare time, David enjoys anything involving sports, as well as finance and stocks, politics, reading, and spending time with his family.

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Ethan Halter :: ehalter@sileducation.com
Instructor of English, Social Studies & Spanish Language

Ethan graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Religion. There he studied Spanish Literature, American Literature, and Modern Western Religious Philosophy. After graduating, Ethan moved to California to become a Teaching Fellow. He received an Americorps award to teach high school English in Oakland, California. He concurrently received a California Teaching Credential in English from San Francisco State University.

In addition to teaching English, Social Studies, and Spanish, Ethan is central to our curriculum re-design efforts. Ethan’s passion for teaching is rooted in his overarching belief in the transformative power of literacy, of the ability to step outside of one’s hodiernal circle and peer back inward. He believes that it is the teacher’s job to--through Socratic dialogue--lead, sometimes push, students to take such cognitive leaps. Ethan loves uncovering big ideas through the exploration of history, philosophy and literature. He especially likes Bellow, Keats, Unamuno, Woolf, Joyce, Marquez, Faulkner, Emerson, Thoreau, Borges, and Kierkegaard.

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Hy Tang :: htang@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics

Hy Tang graduated from Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. double-major in Mathematics and Physics, with a minor in History. At Millersville, Hy was an active member and leader in the MU Physics Club and in the Student Senate, serving as a Student Senator and the Recording Secretary. Hy served on a number of student and faculty committees, helping to establish the Shuttle Bus service.

Education has always been of great importance to Hy and his parents and family. Hy was a peer tutor in high school and college, and enjoys teaching students of all ages. Trust, respect, and support are key factors in his outlook on education. He always tries to build a rapport with his students.

In his spare time, Hy enjoys reading and watching science fiction. He is also the sous-chef for our weekly Friday BBQ.

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Jay Weiler :: jweiler@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics & Science

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Jenna Mandis :: jmandis@sileducation.com
Instructor of Science

Jenna is a native of San Francisco proper, and today calls Palo Alto home. Jenna graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Plant Ecology, and is presently pursuing an M.S. in Entomology at San Jose State University. As part of her graduate research, Jenna studies agricultural pests as they affect crop yields.

Jenna speaks with incredible enthusiasm about teaching and learning science, and believes that science is best learned by doing. Toward this end, nearly every day, Jenna and her students conduct colorful laboratory and field experiments that inspire the entire school to gather in awe. In this way, she is inadvertently instrumental in our community-building efforts at SIL. On Jenna's long list of favorite science experiments: lighting butane bubbles with sparks from a Van der Graaf Generator, destroying pennies in various ways (of note: a fresnel lens, liquid nitrogen, hydrochloric acid), and fashioning rockets out of plastic bottles and dry ice.

When she's not teaching or lighting things on fire, Jenna loves to run, hike, and care for her two pet chickens, which her students named Kevin and Waffles.

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Jerry Chen :: jchen@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics, Science, Health & Fitness

Jerry Chen was born in Taiwan, attended an english school in Hong Kong, and graduated from an American public high school. With a B.S. in Microbiology from UC Santa Barbara, and with graduate work in Exercise Physiology at San Francisco State University, his educational pursuits have always gravitated toward the health sciences and their applications to everyday life.

Jerry emulates the memorable teachers who have made his own scholastic experience so worthwhile. As he emphasizes the "fun" of learning science and math, Jerry strives to do more than educate: he hopes to inspire.

When he's not teaching at SIL, Jerry considers himself a dominant basketball player (when playing with opponents half his height), a skilled linguist in Mandarin and Japanese (when speaking to those who don’t speak it), and a virtuoso piano player (his grandparents tell him he is).

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Mary Richter :: mrichter@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics
Curriculum Designer

Mary was born in Connecticut, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. At U. Mass, Mary was a Teacher’s Assistant, mentored freshman engineers, and volunteered as a Sunday school teacher at the Catholic center on campus.

Throughout her undergraduate years, she interned at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, at Florida State University, where she created superconductors. She also interned at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where she developed special spacecraft coatings that react with light.

Mary brings a natural enthusiasm to every lesson. For several years, Mary was our Math Department Chair, and she wrote many of our math courses, from college prep to Advanced Placement. When she’s not teaching, Mary enjoys cooking, the outdoors, and spending time with her family.

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Melissa Graeber :: mgraeber@sileducation.com
English Department Chair
Instructor of English

Melissa Graeber was first introduced to the world of “alternative education” at the age of nine, when she was selected to join the experimental--and publicly funded--GATE program, for the twenty most gifted and talented students from the San Mateo school district. In high school, she attended the alternative Mid Peninsula High School, where she graduated as valedictorian. Her experiences as an independently minded student in alternative schools underpins her democratic and patient approach to teaching.

She grew up on the Peninsula, more often than not in her father’s high school classroom, where her interest in pedagogy and educational theory truly began. Her father, a nominee for The National Teacher of The Year Award, remains her biggest influence to this day, though she closely follows the work of Washington D.C. school chancellor Michelle Rhee, and the educational theorists Mark Edmundson and Howard Gardner.

She has lived throughout the western United States, from New Orleans to Arcata, Santa Cruz to San Francisco. Melissa holds a B.A. in Literature from San Francisco State University, where she served as a Teacher’s Assistant for writing and literature classes. She plans to pursue a Masters in Educational Theory.

Melissa--as our English Department Chair--has been instrumental in the complete overhaul of our English curriculum, moving away from textbook-based learning and toward an online, living curriculum. She’s authored several literature courses--college prep, honors, and AP--and is an instructional resource to other English teachers.

Whether it be examining the literary narrative of video games, demonstrating how music and literature have reinforced each other, or helping students to publish their original short stories, Melissa is dedicated to helping students discover their passion and talent through reading and writing (all while mastering the proper use of the semi-colon, of course).

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Michael Kahn :: mkahn@sileducation.com
Instructor of Social Studies & English

Michael Kahn instructs students in history, economics, government & English literature. Mike holds a B.A. in Political Science--with minors in History and Philosophy--from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. While in the nation's capital, Mike immersed himself in the D.C. political landscape, and worked for various campaigns and at a local talk radio station. He was the senior editor and a columnist for Independence Magazine, a highly regarded weekly GWU student publication.

After a decade in the legal profession, Mike made a move certain to shock the many teachers he'd once frustrated as a young student: he became a teacher himself. Mike's experience as an unfocused student--one who overcame his own limitations--underpins his compassionate approach to teaching.

“The first task for students--and their teachers--is to figure out how their minds work, and then to approach knowledge accordingly. Our one-to-one teaching offers a unique opportunity to engage students. I engage and challenge students however I can.”

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Michael Murphy :: mmurphy@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics & Science

Michael Murphy hails from Milan, Illinois. He moved to California when he was ten years old, and has embraced life by the Bay. He holds an M.S. in Pure Mathematics from CSU East Bay, and a B.S. in Math Teaching.

He teaches with passionate enthusiasm that is motivating and contagious. When Mike’s not teaching math at SIL, he's working with gifted children on the weekends. To support his teaching, he regularly attends professional workshops on applied behavioral analysis.

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Nick Rocha :: nrocha@sileducation.com
Instructor of Mathematics & Economics
Student Government Advisor

Nick was born in Mountain View, California, and was raised in San Jose. He left the Bay to attend UCLA, where he studied Economics with an emphasis in Accounting. While at UCLA, Nick mentored students at Los Angeles elementary schools through programs such as America Reads and Amigos.

He’s the first person in his family to graduate from a four-year university, and is a role model to students in similar circumstances. As our Student Government Advisor, Nick offers a sense of community and leadership to our part-time and full-time students.

Nick has always centered himself through sport. He attended Piedmont Hills High School, where he wrestled and played golf and hockey. He played hockey at UCLA, and is often on the basketball court or golf course. When he’s not teaching or putting, Nick invests in his family and in the stock market.

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Ross Halvorsen :: rhalvorsen@sileducation.com
Instructor of Spanish, French & German

Ross Halvorsen is a native of Felton, California and holds a Ph.D. in German Studies from Cornell University. After earning his B.A. in German Studies from the University of California at Berkeley, Ross taught microeconomics at the University Navarre in Pamplona, Spain until he decided to go back to graduate school in German Studies.

After completing the dissertation "Poetics of Mistrust; Kleist, Büchner, and the Prisoner's Dilemma," Ross has taught German language and literature at Connecticut College and Purdue University. In a comparative approach to work in German Studies, he has also done extensive research in Spanish, French, and English literature.

One of Ross' main interests, and a topic on which he has published, is dramatic theory and the theory of tragedy. In addition to Ross' academic pursuits, he also enjoys taking long rides on his bicycle and even longer trips along the coast and into the mountains on his motorcycle. Ross is happy to be back in California and to have the opportunity to work with a great group of talented teachers and students.

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Stephanie Louris :: slouris@sileducation.com
Instructor of Science

Stephanie Louris holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from MIT. She began her career as a thin-films engineer in Paris, where she worked and traveled for six years. Back in the United States, Stephanie continued her work in materials engineering for several flat-panel display companies. She stayed at home to raise two boys, and then decided to embark on a new career direction: teaching science, something she had been thinking about doing for many years.

Stephanie greatly enjoys SIL's flexible and creative approach to teaching, as well as the opportunity to get to know her students by working one-on-one with them. When she isn't teaching, Stephanie enjoys movies, classical music, reading, and doing fun science activities with her boys.

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Suzan Pham :: spham@sileducation.com
Mathematics Department Chair
Instructor of Mathematics

Suzan is the Math Department Chair at School for Independent Learners. She graduated from U.C. Irvine with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Biological Sciences. At California State University East Bay, Suzan is pursuing an M.S. in Applied Mathematics, with an emphasis in Dynamical Systems and Mathematical Biology.

Suzan wholeheartedly believes in our school's mantra, "One size does not fit all." Empowered by the freedom to individualize instruction for each student, Suzan creates a supportive environment in which students learn to harness their own abilities. In this environment, Suzan helps each student to become more confident, and to better understand the importance of education. Suzan notes, "I'm proud to be much more than a teacher; I am a mentor."

In addition to math, Suzan loves the outdoors and is an avid basketball fan. She has a knack for putting things together and fixing whatever is broken, literally and metaphorically.

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Tenisha Armstrong :: tarmstrong@sileducation.com
Instructor of Social Studies & English

Tenisha holds an M.A. in History from Stanford University and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Of the many courses that she teaches, Tenisha cites U.S. History as her favorite. Tenisha lends her knowledgeable voice to her favorite aspects of U.S. History: African American history and literature, the history of women in America, and U.S. social movements of the 20th century. Tenisha wrote our African American History course, which we are proud to offer as a social studies elective.

For ten years, Tenisha has edited the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. at Stanford University's King Institute. As Associate Director of the Institute, she was the lead editor of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Vol. 5: Threshold of a New Decade, January 1959-1960 (2005) and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia (2008). She is currently editing Vol. 7 (1961-1962), which will be published in 2012.

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Will Juola :: wjuola@sileducation.com
Instructor of Social Studies, French Language, Latin Language & English

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Will graduated from St. Norbert College in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a B.A. in French and a minor in History. He spent a year studying abroad in Lille, France--learning, traveling, and meeting extraordinary people.

As a peer tutor in college, Will discovered his desire to teach. His passion for teaching spans three disciplines: social studies, foreign languages (French and Latin), and English Literature.

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