Welcome Sonoma’s new classroom teachers

20 new faces will join our campuses this school year.|

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District will welcome 20 new teachers on the first day of school, Tuesday, Aug. 16. Three employees are assigned to Sonoma’s elementary schools, one to Altimira Middle School and and five to Sonoma Valley High. An additional 11 new employees are in districtwide or site-specific special education or resource positions.

"We’re honored to welcome our new certificated staff to the district community,“ said SVUSD Superintendent Adrian Palazuelos. ”We recognize that the teaching profession has undergone significant changes throughout the last 12 months and look forward to the positive contributions that each of our new employees will make in support of our students.

Elementary level

Marilou Montanez is a new second-grade dual immersion teacher at Flowery Elementary School. She received her undergraduate degree and her teaching credential from Sonoma State. Most recently, she was a substitute teacher in the Sonoma and Napa school districts. She lives in Napa.

Allison Jennings is a new third-grade teacher at El Verano Elementary School. She received her undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz and her teaching credential from Sonoma State. She is a new teacher this year, following her student teaching at El Verano. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at SSU. She lives in Sonoma.

Morgan Momsen has joined El Verano Elementary School as a fifth-grade teacher. Momsen has a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and received her teaching credential from Sonoma State. She started at El Verano last year. She grew up in Sonoma and now lives in town.

Middle school level

Cassandra Platt is a new math teacher at Altimira Middle School. Platt received her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley, her master’s degree from National University and her teaching credentials from the University of San Diego. Previously, she taught statistics, math, algebra and geometry at Mission Bay High School. She lives in Sonoma.

High school level

Lori Bisordi is a new agriculture science and mechanics teacher at Sonoma Valley High. She has an associate’s degree in viticulture from Santa Rosa Junior College, a bachelor’s degree in agriculture science and education and her teaching credential from Chico State. Growing up, Bisordi participated in FFA and 4-H at the local, state and national levels. Most recently, she was a student teacher of ag welding and fabrication at Chico High School and ag science and mechanics at Petaluma High. She lives in Healdsburg.

Adam Hicks is a new English teacher at Sonoma Valley High. He received his undergraduate degree from Saint Mary’s College and his master’s degree from Arizona State University. Most recently, Hicks taught ninth-grade English at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael. He lives in Novato.

Sarah Richardson is a new agriculture science teacher at Sonoma Valley High. She received her undergraduate degree and her teaching credential from Chico State. This is her first year teaching following student teaching at Eureka and Fortuna high schools. She lives in Sonoma.

Diego Ramos is a new Spanish teacher for Sonoma Valley High. Ramos received his undergraduate degree from UC Davis and received his teaching credential from Sonoma State. Most recently, he taught Spanish at New Tech High School in Napa, where he lives.

Kate Miller is a new biology and chemistry teacher at Sonoma Valley High. She received both her undergraduate degree and her master’s degree from UC San Diego, and her teaching credential from Sacramento State. Most recently, she taught at Union Mine High School in El Dorado. She lives in Novato.

Districtwide and/or special education

Julie Schwabenlender is a new district school psychologist based at Sassarini Elementary. She received her undergraduate degree from UC Davis and her master’s degree from Cal State East Bay. Most recently, Schwabenlender was a psychologist at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael and at Parkside Intermediate in San Bruno. She lives in San Rafael.

Janet Kracker is a new school psychologist who will be based at Prestwood Elementary. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cal State Fresno and her master’s degree from San Francisco State. Previously, she was a school psychologist at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. She lives in Sonoma.

Michael Schramm is a new district-wide elementary-level speech and language teacher for SVUSD. He received his master’s degree from Purdue University and his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. Most recently, he was a speech-language pathologist for Cloverdale Unified School District and for the Los Angeles Unified School District. He lives in Sonoma.

Samantha Everbeck is a special education resource teacher at El Verano Elementary. She received her undergraduate degree from Pitzer College and her teaching credentials and her master’s degree from Dominican University. Most recently, she taught first and fourth grade at Hidden Valley Elementary. She lives in Sonoma.

Suzanne Genser is a new district k-5 resource teacher based at Prestwood Elementary. She received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Albany and her master’s degree from Pacific Union College. Genser received her teaching credentials from Pacific Union College, Chico State and Humboldt State. Previously, she taught 10th-grade English in Fairfax, Virginia. She now lives in Sonoma.

Amy Eibell is a new districtwide speech and language pathologist based at Prestwood Elementary. Eibell received her undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in Boston, completed a pre-clinical program in speech pathology at University of Massachusetts, Amherst and received her master’s degree from Cal State East Bay. Most recently, Eibell worked at the Placer County Office of Education. She lives in Santa Rosa.

Laurie Pappas is a new bilingual speech pathologist at Flowery and El Verano elementary schools. She received her bachelor’s degree and her teaching credential from Michigan State and her master’s degree from San Jose State. Pappas has taught at Flowery and El Verano for the past three years as a contract employee. She lives in Sonoma.

Maria Olascoaga is a new special education resource teacher at Sonoma Valley High. Olascoaga has an undergraduate degree from Sonoma State and received her teaching credentials from Cal State Monterey Bay. Most recently, she was a home hospital program middle and high school teacher for SVUSD. She formerly lived in Sonoma and now lives in Santa Rosa.

Camille Garcia is a new districtwide social worker. She grew up in Sonoma and graduated from the high school in 2005. She received her bachelor’s and her master’s degrees from Dominican University. She is currently pursuing her pupil personnel school counseling credential at National University. Previously, she worked for Abraxis Charter School in Santa Rosa. She lives in Sonoma.

Rachael (Rae) Johansen is a new districtwide school psychologist. She received her master’s degree and her credential from National University. Most recently, she was a school psychologist intern at Oakley Elementary in Oakley. She lives in Martinez.

Andrea Nijem is a new k-2 special education teacher at Dunbar Elementary School. She received his undergraduate degree and her teaching credentials from Sonoma State. This is her first year of teaching after being a substitute and student teacher in Petaluma and at Dunbar in 2021. She lives in Petaluma.

Also new in the 2021-22 school year

Adrian Palazuelos, 47, district superintendent

Molly Kiss, 33, SVHS vice principal

Atinart Koonkongsatian, 33, SVHS vice principal

Rachel Galdamez, 42, Flowery Elementary School principal

Jennifer Montgomery, 32, Prestwood Elementary School principal

Contact Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

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