Sonoma classrooms welcome new teachers

A far smaller group of new hires greeted students yesterday on first day of school.|

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District welcomes 10 new staff this week, including two elementary school teachers, four high school teachers, two middle school teachers and one counselor. Hiring was down significantly from the 34 teachers, counselors and nurses hired at the start of the 2016-2017 school year, and the 18 new hires last year.

'We are excited to bring new family members to the Valley,' said new Superintendent Socorro Shiels when reached the morning of the first day of school. 'It has been a great start to the school year, and I'm confident that we have great staff at every site ready to serve students and families.'

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Aaron Berner of Guerneville has joined Sonoma Valley High School as a ninth grade English teacher. He holds a BA in journalism from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and a single-subject teaching credential in English from Sonoma State University. Berner had most recently taught at Analy High School as a paraeducator in the special education department, and worked as an Americorps service member at Kawana Elementary School.

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Megan Atkinson of Novato has joined Dunbar Elementary School as a special education teaching intern. She holds a degree in liberal studies from California State University East Bay and is seeking an education specialist credential from Sonoma State (2020). She most recently worked at the Sonoma County Office of Education as a special education instructor for second and third grade students.

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Christopher Burns of Santa Rosa has joined Sonoma Valley High School as a ninth grade math teacher. He holds a BS in psychology from York College and has also attended Georgia College and Chapman College. Burns has most recently taught at Hogan Middle School and Hanna Boys Center.

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Katie Morrison of Sonoma has joined Altimira Middle School as a special day class teaching intern. She earned a BA from Colby College and a MA from San Francisco Theological Society. She has most recently taught at Dunbar Elementary School in the resource specialist program (RSP). In 2001, Morrison made national news as the first openly gay or lesbian seminary graduate to be ordained by the Presbyterian church. In addition to her job as a teacher, she is the children's minister at First Congregational Church (UCC) of Sonoma and leads the Godly Play Program.

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Erik Olmsted of Santa Rosa has joined Sonoma Valley High School as a Spanish I and Spanish II teaching intern. He holds a BS in mathematics from Biola University and has taken courses in Spanish language and literature, translation, and interpretation at numerous academic institutions. He has also completed education coursework at the North Coast School of Education. Olmsted has most recently taught at Stony Point Academy. Olmsted is a Sonoma Valley native, having attended Dunbar Elementary School, Prestwood Elementary School, Altimira and graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 1985.

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Giselle Perry of Cotati has joined Sonoma Valley High School as a counselor. She holds a BA from UC Davis as well as an MA and a preliminary administrative services credential from Sonoma State. She has most recently worked as coordinator for the Migrant Education Advisor Program (MEAP) and lectured at Sonoma State from 2008 to 2017. Perry joins as a former counseling intern at SVHS.

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Alison Ramirez Byers of San Rafael has joined Flowery Elementary School as a fourth grade teaching intern. She holds a BA in History from Sonoma State and expects to graduate with a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential from SSU in December 2018. This is her first year teaching, and she says she is eager 'the opportunity to teach at a dual-immersion school.'

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Virginia Valle of Petaluma has joined Sonoma Valley High School as a special education earth science teaching intern. Valle holds a BA in inter-cultural studies and linguistics and an educational specialist credential from the North Coast School of Education. She has most recently taught high school Spanish at North Bay Christian Academy and English in an ESL program for adults at the Nova Education Center School.

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Jennifer B. Wu of Cotati has joined Sonoma Valley High School as a special day class teaching intern. She holds a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential from University of San Francisco, as well as a MA in special education from Sonoma State. Wu most recently worked at Anova Education.

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Marybeth Leland joins Adele Harrison Middle School as a special education and reading teacher.

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