Faculty
Ventura Charter School has recruited a staff possessing a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise in progressive, constructivist education. Our teachers are skilled at using project-based, structured cooperative learning strategies, integrated thematic units, multicultural education and conflict resolution. They enthusiastically collaborate to provide an academically challenging and enriching educational environment for our students.
Mary Galvin, Director of Operations
Mary Galvin holds a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge; an Administrative Credential and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University, Northridge; and a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She taught for 17 years in the Los Angeles and Ventura Unified School Districts where she employed the principles, theory, and research of constructivist education in primary classrooms. Mary is an unfailing advocate for progressive, innovative, child-centered education. It is her goal to provide support for a rich experiential learning environment where inquiry, creativity, and compassion are valued, and to assist in maintaining an atmosphere that supports intellectual pursuit, skill mastery and academic success.
Lisa Hildebrand, Director of Education
Lisa began her teaching career over 15 years ago and quickly realized that she wanted to be working in alternative education. After a 10-year teaching position at Open Classroom in Ventura, she took some time off to stay at home with her baby girl, Kaitlyn. Now she is back at Ventura Charter School with her "baby," who is attending as a first grader. Lisa is passionately committed to helping children find the joy in learning, themselves, and their world. Drawing from her experience teaching K - 5th grades, as well as holding a Masters in Education and an Administrative Credential, Lisa focuses creating a safe place for educators, students and parents to reach their personal potential.
Laura Ruiz, Kindergarten
Laura began her teaching career in Santa Barbara at the Open Alternative School, where she taught K-2 for twelve years. During her employment with the Santa Barbara Elementary School District, Laura served as a Mentor Teacher for the district where she provided workshops to teachers on enhancing Diversity and Multicultural Education into the classroom. She also served as Co-Head Teacher for three years at OAS. After moving to Ventura, Laura worked for five years at the Open Classroom Magnet Program. She is a firm believer in progressive education and in providing families with educational choices for their children. Laura is one of the founders of Ventura Charter School and currently teaches Kindergarten. In addition to her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Laura also possesses a Learning Handicapped Specialist Credential, an Administrative Credential in Educational Leadership, and a Masters in Educational Leadership.
Krysten Fort-Catanese, Grade 1-2
Krysten Fort-Catanese is a California native with globe-trotting tendencies. Having traveled to seven countries before the age of 10, Krysten has always been interested in learning about people and places far beyond her own cultural boundary. Inspired by her ongoing travels, Krysten went to UCSB and received a BA in Cultural Anthropology and then went to Antioch University in Los Angeles to earn her teaching credential and Masters Degree in Educational Leadership with a Social Justice/Multicultural emphasis. Her MA thesis was on Culturally Relevant Teaching, which showed the importance of reflecting students' backgrounds and interests in the school curriculum. From 2000-2006 Krysten taught K-1 at both Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH) in Santa Monica, CA, and at Open Classroom in Ventura, CA respectively. One of Krysten's main goals with teaching is that she wants to encourage children to see the beauty of diversity in all its forms and inspire her students to be agents for positive change both in their school community and beyond.
Robin Richardson, Grades 1-2
Robin Richardson received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Antioch University, Santa Barbara in 2004 after earning her Psychology degree at Cal Poly Pomona in 2002. Robin has experience teaching at a highly recognized alternative preschool in Santa Barbara. She is experienced in creating a student-centered environment and extensive training in Conflict Resolution. Robin works to create a safe and fun learning environment where her children feel free to express their feelings and be supported by their classroom community.
Allan Viscarra, Grades 1-2
Allan brings to the classroom his love of music, art, travel, and the outdoors. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from UC Berkeley in 2005 and now holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters Degree in Education from UCSB. Before joining Ventura Charter School, Allan gained experience at Open Alternative School in Santa Barbara working as a substitute teacher and as an in-class aide for special needs students. In the classroom Allan aims to guide young people in discovering their strengths and interests in the world around them through child-centered activities and real world experiences.
Terri Hooson, Grades 3-4
Terri holds a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Literacy and Social Justice from Antioch University. She has taught for the past six years in constructivist classrooms and also held a single subject position for two years. Terri shines at developing a caring community of learners who express compassion, not as an act of obligation, but from a sense of belonging and connection. She is dedicated to helping children discover joy in the process of learning about themselves and the world. Terri cherishes the opportunity to develop a child-centered curriculum that is embedded with choice, experiential learning, global perspective, and the arts. Terri creates an environment that cultivates compassion and celebrates the development of the whole child.
Jessica Murphy, Grades 3-4
Jessica received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Bachelor's Degree in Education with a Minor in Spanish from the University of Southern California (USC). She is currently enrolled in a Masters Program for Educational Leadership at California Lutheran University (CLU). She started her career in Oxnard teaching gifted and talented students (GATE) and was a member of their Leadership Committee. With her project-based and constructivist learning approach, she made the easy transition to Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education. Outside of teaching, Jessica enjoys traveling. She spent six months in Spain as well as one month in Costa Rica enhancing her Spanish skills. She developed a love for sports, playing competitive softball for 11 years and tennis throughout high school. Jessica brings her enthusiasm and experience into the classroom as she challenges her students to think critically to construct meaning from their environment.
Ashley Carey, Grades 3-4
Ashley received her Master’s Degree, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and Bachelor’s Degree in Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her passion lies in incorporating interactive learning experiences for students to construct meaning. Best put, Children construct their intelligence and understanding of the world by interacting with materials, people, and ideas (Jean Piaget). She has great respect for each child in her classroom and knows that each child wants to learn and feel successful in school. Careful word choice, voice tone, and expression show support for her children’s learning and thinking. She believes that each child is responsible for his/her learning and a student who is trying, but needs help, should be offered many opportunities to get support from his/her peers and teacher. In turn, children who need encouragement to take risks and try new challenges should receive support in this area also. Ashley celebrates successes and believes that in a supportive, interactive, and respectful environment and community, children will blossom.
Marta Ulvaeus, Grades 5-6
bio coming soon
Christi Lung, Grades 7-8
Christi Lung began teaching in progressive education seven years ago after receiving her teaching credential and Masters Degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2000. For the next several years, she worked for Open Classroom in Ventura as an elementary school teacher, and eventually moved up to the middle school level where she helped to create and implement a new middle school program there in 2005. She currently teaches 6th and 7th grades and continues to enjoy working with middle school students. Christi is passionately dedicated to creating a safe, project-based, hands-on learning environment that embraces adolescent students' growing social and emotional needs.
Karen Mercer, Grades 7-8
Karen Mercer has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Antioch University. She has been working with children for over 10 years as an outdoor educator and early literacy tutor. Karen's years as an outdoor educator convinced her of the power of experiential constructivist learning. She decided to bring those experiences to the profession of "indoor education" at Ventura Charter School. Karen has also worked as a science specialist for Fillmore School District and as a Math intervention teacher for Ventura Unified School District. She is committed to making the Ventura Charter middle school a meaningful and exciting place to live and learn together as a community.
Parent Teacher Council 