SAFE KIDS SAFE SCHOOLS

Hello: In my 25 years in Education, I have taught at the elementary school, middle school, high school, and university levels, and have served in both Counseling and Administrative capacities. I hold separate state teaching licenses in English, Counseling, and Administration. At the university level I taught Language and Style, Expository Writing, and The Writer's Workshop. At the public school district level I taught English/Language Arts. I have also been Director of Child Welfare/Pupil Services and Director of the Norwalk (CA) Superior Court Truancy Court. Part of my career includes having been a Counselor for a school district where I started the ISS/OC (in-school suspension/opportunity classroom) program to preserve attendance revenues, and keep "on-discipline" kids in school and current their classes. I now work with kids in a police department's "Juvenile Impact" program, and I design Ph.D. and Psy.D. curricula and teach Life Span Development, Forensic Psychology, Mental Health Law and Criminal Justice at a university. As associate member #00711062 of the American Bar Association, I represent the justice interests of juveniles in court.

I find my most consistent teaching successes occur with lecture, small group (break out) formats, and the case method. Additionally, I employ project-based theme-cycling, where students take a subject to its logical or maximal extensions, and learn a kaleidoscope of information as well as techniques of argumentation to support their viewpoints.

The Bank of Award for Foreign Languages; California State Legislature's "Certificate of Recognition"; The National School Resource Center's Certificate of Merit; Phi Delta Kappa's "Best Doctoral Dissertation of the Year" award; and The Los Angeles Police Department's Community Policing Certificate.

I hold a Bachelor's Degree from the California State University at Los Angeles; a Master's in Education Degree (MSEd) from the University of Southern California; and a Ph.D. Degree in Education from the Claremont Graduate University.

The Films & Humanities Company (NYC) publishes a DVD/Video, "Taking a Stand Against Bullying," featuring me, as the school expert, discussing the causes and cures for bullying. I am the author of the media-acclaimed book, Jack and Jill, Why They Kill. Additionally, I wrote the violence education and prevention curriculum, B.R.A.V.E. ("Be Resilient Avoid Violence Everywhere") for middle and high school students. B.R.A.V.E. has been vetted and approved by the California Department of Education.