EPAPA is able to attract highly qualified teachers with strong educational backgrounds. These committed individuals are the heart of our school's remarkable success.

Learn what school our staff hail from as well as why they teach at EPAPA.

Ashley Baker, 7th/8th Grade Literacy
In 2003, Ms. Baker moved from Southern California to the Bay Area to attend Stanford University, where she received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's degree in Education (Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies). Ms. Baker fell in love with the EPACS community after tutoring middle school students there through a program called Closing the Gap. Needless to say, she was ecstatic that Teach For America placed her at EPACS in 2008. Ms. Baker is thrilled that the middle school is now housed on the EPAPA campus because it allows her to stay connected with her former students.


Jaime Barajas, Assistant Dean, Community College Coordinator, Alumni Support
Mr. Barajas embodies our staff's "all hands on deck" mentality -- he is a jack of all trades who wears many hats at EPAPA. Mr. Barajas coordinates our Early College High School program, which involves managing our partnership with Cañada College and ensuring that our high school students are successful in their community college courses. In addition, Mr. Barajas coordinates our Alumni Support Program. He also supports our as Assistant Dean of Students, runs an advisory class, teaches our SAT preparation course for juniors, and anything else that needs to be done! Born in Mexico, Mr. Barajas was raised in the Bay Area. While studying at Chico State University -- where he earned his bachelors degree -- Mr. Barajas studied abroad in Mexico and Peru. Mr. Barajas loves the community at EPAPA and works there because he, like his colleagues, is dedicated to providing access to higher education for all.


Joanna Bradshaw, 9th and 11th Grade English
Ms. Bradshaw teaches 9th and 11th grade English. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Psychology. Prior to joining the EPAPA family in 2008, she studied traditional African dance in Ghana, served a mission in Taipei, Taiwan and worked for two years as a special needs instructor and student council advisor at Beechwood School in East Menlo Park. Ms. Bradshaw is thrilled to be a part of the EPAPA family and is continually inspired by the passion and dedication of the staff, students and families with whom she works.


Greta Betteo, High School Spanish, Family and College Resource Center Director
Ms. Betteo originally joined our staff as an adjunct professor from Cañada College in 2008 and has since come on-board as a full-time Spanish instructor. She also serves as the director of our Family and College Resource Center for our families at EPACS and EPAPA.


Vicky Evans, College Counselor, Development Office
Ms. Evans joined the EPAPA staff as a College Counselor in 2009. In that capacity she works tirelessly to guide our students and families through the college-going practice. Before joining the EPACS-EPAPA family in 2009, Vicky spent the previous 8 years at Downtown College Prep in San Jose, one of the first charter high schools in the state, where she developed the College Guidance program. Vicky received her BS in Human Development and Elementary and Secondary teaching credentials from UC Davis and earned an MBA from Santa Clara University. Our school's staff, students and families are the beneficiary of Vicky's years of experience and success preparing students to be the first in their families to attend and complete college.


Jon Felder BUILD, Geography, Government and Economics
Mr. Felder earned his bachelor's degree in American Studies from Cornell University, a master's degree in Social Sciences of Education from Stanford University, and obtained his teaching credential from San Francisco State University. Before coming to EPAPA, Mr. Felder taught Civics at Los Altos High School and worked as a researcher at an education policy organization. He has been a volunteer tutor at the Boys and Girls in San Mateo for the past three years and enjoys playing tennis. His favorite things about teaching at EPAPA are the energy and cohesion of the staff and the excitement students bring to the classroom every day.


Deepti Gupta, High School Math
Ms. Gupta joined our staff in 2011 as a math instructor. She currently teaches Algebra 2 and Geometry to our 9th and 10th grade students.


Lea Hartog, World and U.S. History
A graduate of Pomona College, Ms. Hartog first came to the EPACS/EPAPA community is an Aspire Teacher Resident in Humanities, working full-time with Ms. Pillon (now Ms. Hyle) while also pursuing her teaching credential.


Sara Heaps, 8th Grade Science, 9th Grade Physics
Ms. Heaps originally joined our staff in 2010 as a teacher resident co-teaching 7th and 8th grade Science as part of the Aspire Teacher Residency Program. A Bay Area native originally from Alameda, she graduated from Stanford with a degree in Human Biology and decided to share her love for science through teaching. She loves working at EPAPA for many reasons- but mostly because of the incredibly community of families, students, and educators that are so hard-working and inspiring on a daily basis.


Rebecca Horwitz, Pre-Calculus and Calculus
Ms. Horwitz joined us as a Teacher for America Corps Member in 2010 after working as a lawyer in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Rutgers University.


Kate Hyle, 7th/8th grade Humanities
Before joining the EPACS staff in 2010, Ms. Hyle was a Humanities teacher at Centennial College Prep, another high-performing Aspire school in Los Angeles.


Erin Kohl, 9th Grade English
Ms. Kohl joined our staff as an English instructor in 2011 after a year with the Aspire Teacher Residency Program.


Griffith Montgomery, Resource Specialist
Mr. Montgomery is a Bay Area Native born in San Francisco. He holds a B.A in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University and an A.S. in Multimedia/Web Design from Art Institute International, San Francisco. Currently he is pursuing his M.A. in Special Education from Notre Dame de Namur University. Like a "CSI" detective, Mr. Montgomery specializes in investigating learning styles to better help General Education teachers meet the needs of Special Education students and other diverse learners. He prides himself on advocating for children with learning disabilities.


Katie Noble, Chemistry and Biology
Ms. Noble joined the EPAPA staff as a Teach for America Corps Member in 2010. She graduated from Stanford University and hails from Oroville, California.


Elisa Romero, College Counselor
Ms. Romero joined the EPAPA team in September 2008. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Chicana/o Studies with a focus on Chicana/o Education. She serves all of the EPAPA community as our Academic and College Counselor. Having grown up in East Palo Alto, Ms. Romero enjoys working with the students at EPAPA. Here she plans to give back to her community by helping students receive the education and experiences they need in order attend and succeed in college.


Karin Schlanger, Counseling Director Karin Schlanger, MFT, is the main coordinator of our counseling services at EPAPA. Karin is a leader in the field of brief therapy, which was developed and continually refined at Palo Alto’s MRI. Karin is the Founding Director of Grupo Palo Alto and has published several books and articles on brief therapy. Karin is also an assistant professor at the University of San Francisco and the University of Notre Dame. Karin will support the work of the FCRC by providing our students and families with counseling resources (by providing therapy herself and through supervision of other therapists). Eventually Karin hopes to open a counseling clinic in East Palo Alto that would provide support to EPACS/EPAPA families as well as community members.


Jason Sellers, 10th and 12th Grade English
Mr. Sellers joined our staff in 2011.


Hank Sherwood, 7th/8th Grade Math
Mr. Sherwood joined our staff as a Teach for America corp member in 2011.


Brandon Teris, Art 1 and Advanced Art
Mr. Teris received his undergraduate degree in art studio from UC Santa Barbara and loved the city so much he returned to UCSB to earn his teaching credential and Masters in Education. Mr. Teris is a professional artist and works heavily with watercolors and calligraphy, translating prose and poetry into a visual emotion and presents a type of art usually placed in historical contexts as contemporary fine art. He was a Resident Assistant for two years at a private residence hall at UCSB and taught Alcohol and Drug Awareness classes to college students, informing them of the risks alcohol and drugs have on the body, physically and mentally, as well as the social consequences of substance abuse. Mr. Teris joined the team at EPAPA and EPACS in August 2009 and is very much impressed by the high level of student expectations and the intensely strong support of higher education these schools offer their students. He leaves work every day with a smile.


Gary Tsang, Building Manager
Mr. Tsang joined our staff in 2011. He is a jack of all trades who keeps our beautiful new facility gleaming. He can do anything, including installing the donor bricks in our quad.


Nicolas Valdes, Resource Specialist
Hailing from Palo Alto, Mr. Valdes earned his undergraduate degree in studio art at the University of Redlands. Mr. Valdes came to EPAPA from Gunn High School, in Palo Alto, where he worked as a one-on-one aid for three years. During his free time, Mr. Valdes dabbles in all forms of art, from drawing and painting to cinema and screen printing. Mr. Valdes is excited to help students accomplish their goals by helping them exceed those of their educators.


Rosie Williams, Cafeteria Manager



Stephanie Wilson, Spanish
Ms. Wilson is part of our "dynamic duo" of Spanish instructors. She joined our staff in 2011 and is passionate about expanding our students' horizons, exposing them to new cultures and ideas, and inspiring them to achieve.


Veronica Woodard, 7th Grade Science
Ms. Woodard joined our staff in 2009 as our first Middle School Math Fellow at EPACS, position that was funded with the generous support of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. She earned her bachelor of arts in kinesiology from Occidental College in Los Angeles. Before she came into the EPACS/EPAPA, family she was teaching English to high school students in Japan. Veronica loves teaching and is excited to start her teaching career at such an amazing school.


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