Candidate for
State Senator; District 13

I was raised by a single mother. She worked multiple jobs to make sure I went to good public schools. Her sacrifices paid off, and I was blessed to have amazing teachers that inspired me to become a teacher myself. I completed my teacher training and master's at Stanford University, and then went on to teach in New York City at an Urban Assembly school that was part of an urban school reform movement funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was there I met my wife, who was a fellow New York City teacher. We moved back to teach in the Silicon Valley, where I began collaborating with local companies (Google and Microsoft) to transform classroom instruction.

In 2007, I created a program to prepare students to do nonpartisan policy development and advanced study of the Constitution in DC. In 2010, I was Teacher of the Year at Monta Vista High School for my use of technology and project based learning in teaching economics and government.

In 2011, I worked at the Castilleja School in academic technology integration, examining how private schools were leading their own school reforms around 21st century learning. Outside of the classroom, I traveled back to New York City in the summers to study school reform, and I earned my second master's in educational leadership at Columbia University.

In 2005, I taught in 3 different classrooms. I built this cart to ensure my teaching wasn't impacted by all the moving.

In addition to my experience at traditional public schools, I then went on to spend my summer studying innovative teaching methodologies at High Tech High, a charter school in San Diego. My work has allowed me to learn from teachers across the world: from Finland to our own nation's most innovative public traditional, public charter, and private schools.

I worry about the state my baby daughter will inherit. I am running to make sure our legislature leaves California better off financially, environmentally, and ethically for our children.