Meet the Team
We have an incredible team of committed educators and administrators who step up every day to extend the wonder of childhood for our students. They model what real leadership looks like while at the same time create opportunities for students to practice the many ways to lead.
Lower School (K-5)
Grades K/1 Lead Teacher
Amari Brown
Curriculum Overview
abrown@auroraschool.org | Extension 303
Amari Brown is a Bay Area native. She has six years of teaching experience. Most recently, Amari taught kindergarten and 1st grade at Emerson Elementary School in Arizona. She is also a Teacher Mentor and Coach and currently the K-2 Team Lead at her school. She holds a Masters Degree in the Science of Elementary Education. She is passionate about literacy, childhood education, and committed to empowering students and educators through collaboration, equity, and reflective teaching practices that drive continuous improvement. When not teaching, Amari enjoys baking.
Grades K/1 Teaching Assistant
Emma Wanon
Emma is a Bay Area native, and is excited to be back after getting her BFA from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2023. She has served many roles at Aurora over the past few years including Middle School Teaching Assistant, Extended Care Staff, and working at Aurora Summer Camps. When not at work, Emma enjoys going to concerts, reading, and baking.
Grades 2/3 Lead Teacher
Isaac Pasternack
Curriculum Overview
ipasternack@auroraschool.org | Extension 303
Isaac is excited to be part of the Aurora community. He has taught for the last three years at a public school in Oakland, serving a diverse community of learners. Before that he worked as a teaching assistant for many years at an East Bay independent school, and looks forward to returning to a small community of families at Aurora. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Washington, and obtained his master’s degree in Education through the BATTI (Bay Area Teacher Training Institute) program at the University of the Pacific. Isaac is committed to infusing joy, social justice, and social emotional learning into all subject areas he teaches. When he’s not at work he can be found listening to music, sewing, or riding his bike through the many parks in the East Bay hills.
Video: Isaac teaches math
Grades 4/5 Lead Teacher
Karissa Cognata
Curriculum Overview
kcognata@auroraschool.org | Extension 301
Karissa has over 13 years of experience in education, including teaching grades 3-5 for 4 years at Acorn Woodland Elementary and Oakland Academy of Knowledge. Since 2022, she has been an instructional coach at Oakland Academy of Knowledge. She'll be teaching all subjects to the 4/5s, including 4G math. Karissa holds a BA and teaching credential from Sonoma State, which turns out some of the best educators in the country! When not teaching, Karissa enjoys hiking with friends, walking Lake Merritt, improving her Spanish, traveling, salsa dancing, and tending to her many house plants. She also loves to sing and play guitar.
Grades 2-5 Teaching Assistant
Dana Culpepper
Dana is a San Luis Obispo native who relocated to Oakland to attend Mills College, where she studied English and education. She has previously worked in many educational settings, including preschools, summer school programs, and camps. She has been with Aurora since 2020 and is dedicated to providing an equitable experience for all students that recognizes their full social, emotional, and academic potential. When not in the classroom, she can be found discovering new restaurants, at a board game or trivia night, on the pickleball court, or out exploring the greater Bay Area.
Middle School (grades 6-8)
Middle School Humanities Guide
Jamila Edwards
jedwards@auroraschool.org | Extension 306
Jamila has taught for nine years in middle school in her hometown of Vallejo, and upper elementary school in Oakland. She earned her teaching credential and Master’s in Education from UC Berkeley. Prior to teaching, Jamila worked in the policy and advocacy field, supporting policies to improve the lives of children and families. She is mom to Reile (rising 10th grader) and Kaia (rising 5th grader) and together they enjoy traveling, eating pizza and playing card games. In addition to attending Beyoncé concerts, Jamila listens to podcasts, does crossword puzzles and tries new restaurants with her partner, Erin (an art teacher in San Francisco).
Middle School STEM Guide
LaCardia Walker-Strickland
Curriculum Overview
lwalker@auroraschool.org | Extension 306
LaCardia has always considered herself to be a knowledge seeker driven by her own curiosities. She loves being able to empower students to find the paths that allow them to be their most authentic selves.
LaCardia received a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Wellness from UTM, a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Wellness from Ashland University, and a master’s degree in Education from the Relay Graduate School of Education. She has guided students through Science, Math Intervention, and Facing History throughout her teaching journey thus far. LaCardia enjoys working with the youth outside of school and has been a coach on several Step Teams.
LaCardia loves spending time with family, cooking plant based meals, exercising, Marvel movies, reading, gardening, and enjoying all of the moments that life offers her.
Middle School Math Guide
Dr. Tom Howard
Curriculum Overview
thoward@auroraschool.orgl | Extension 306
Dr. Tom received his Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of California Santa Barbara and a BS in physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Tom has taught math and physics for over 14 years, working with students from elementary school through university. He is passionate about sharing the beauty and power of these fields of study, understanding how they shape the world around us, and discussing the cutting-edge research being done by the mathematicians and physicists of today.
Learning Resources
Ann Levinsohn
alevinsohn@auroraschool.org | Extension 206
Ann earned her MS in early childhood education from Bank Street College of Education in New York. While raising her two kids in Chicago and then East Bay, she held teaching positions in pre-K through first grade. In 2002 Ann made the jump to working with kids with learning challenges, acquiring her Educational Therapist certification from UC-Berkeley Extension. She has been working with these amazing and diverse students for the last 19 years, in private practice and at The Berkeley School. Ann enjoys hanging out with her grown children and her two dogs (Bea and Esty).
Woodshop
Casey Nutt
Casey grew up fishing and sailing at the Berkeley Marina. He developed an affinity for carpentry in high school while building sets for plays. He graduated from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in 2002. Since then he has worked as a marine and residential carpenter. In 2008 he began teaching classes and summer camps around the Bay Area with Kids’ Carpentry. He enjoys exploring hands-on education with his students and is passionate about primitive survival skills, permaculture, and martial arts.
Librarian
Grace Deaton
Grace grew up in Grass Valley, a small town in Northern California. She has a BA in Creative Writing and Economics from Mills College and a Master's in Library Science from San Jose State University. Grace has loved reading her entire life, but in recent years she has found a passion for instilling that same love of reading in the younger generation. Her goal in working as a youth librarian is to teach kids that reading is a great resource for learning or purely for enjoyment. She believes reading should bring joy first and foremost, and that joy pushes kids to want to learn. When Grace isn’t teaching or in the library she can be found playing tennis, playing board games with friends, or, of course, reading!
Grace manages Aurora's expansive school library.
Art
Julie Pollack
julie@auroraschool.org | Extension 210
Julie received a BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts) from the University of Michigan in Photography and Graphic design. Since graduation, she has worked as a freelance designer, stylist, and consultant for home interiors, events, print, and textile design. Julie started her teaching career as a volunteer in the art room at Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito. This position eventually led to assisting and substitute teaching roles with the school. Since 2012, Julie has been the Art Director at Mr. D’s Music Camp, teaching thematic, integrated art classes to children ages 7 to 13. A mother of young adults, Julie emphasizes process over product, and follows the Aurora motto, “Take Risks, Make Mistakes!”
Middle School Learning Resources
Kaitlin Higuera
khiguera@auroraschool.org | Extension 210
Katie is an Oakland native who obtained her bachelors degree at the University of California Santa Barbara. From 2003-2019 she worked at Aurora schools summer camp as a counselor and CIT director. She is passionate about supporting the diverse needs of students. Katie obtained her mild/moderate teaching credential and a masters degree in special education at Holy Names University. She taught for 14 years as a 4/5 classroom teacher and 6-8 learning specialist at a school for students with learning challenges.
Outside of school Katie enjoys spending time with her husband and two young boys whether it be bubbles on the balcony or a trip to the beach. She will take any opportunity to travel and tries to explore a new state or country every year.
Lower School Math (K, 3, 5)
Mary Grace McGhee
Mary Grace grew up in the Bay Area, and has a BFA from California College of the arts. She is a practicing artist and loves drawing, painting, and sculpture. She was Beacon Day School’s Art teacher for 9 years and then, switching careers, worked for OUSD for 18 years as a classroom teacher. There she fell in love with teaching Math; loving the excitement children feel when they start playing with numbers and seeing things in new ways! She is inspired by working with children and creating caring and intellectual communities in her classroom that support learning and student leadership. She is excited to be joining Aurora School to teach third grade Math!
Spanish, Music & Band
Moisés Osorio
A native of El Salvador, Moisés has over ten years of experience teaching elementary school students music and Spanish. Moisés received his B.A. in Music Education from CSU East Bay. As a music teacher in El Salvador, Moisés planned and implemented special events and activities, including seasonal concerts, holiday celebrations, and ceremonies. Moisés is also a professional musician, and in his spare time, he enjoys playing jazz and Latin piano at gigs and events throughout the Bay Area. Moisés taught Spanish with Viva el Español for four years and is excited to be part of the Aurora community.
Physical Education & Mindful Movement
Otillia Hoops
Otillia was born in South Africa and came to the USA in 2004. While completing her bachelors here in San Francisco she discovered her love for hula hooping, and was performing and teaching all over the Bay Area. Otillia holds a teaching credential and focuses on physical education aligning with her personal beliefs and experiences. She believes hooping, and any sport is, a joyful activity with health benefits both for the mind and body at any age.
Head of School
Lynsey Kamine
lkamine@auroraschool.org | Extension 202
Lynsey thrives given opportunities to be authentic and creative, and to empower students to be their most dynamic selves.
Since graduating from The Ohio State University with a BA in English and Creative Writing, Lynsey has worked as a teacher and administrator in Memphis, TN and San Jose, CA, specializing in approaches for diverse learners, writing workshops, and restorative practices. Lynsey helped launch Aurora Middle School in 2021, and was previously Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction at Aurora. Outside of school, Lynsey is either attempting to teach her cat to enjoy camping and hiking with her and her dog, trying out a new craft, kayaking, or reading.
Director of Admissions and High School Placement
Summer Lee
slee@auroraschool.org | Extension 204
Before joining Aurora, Summer served as the Associate Director of Admission at The Athenian School, where she collaborated with faculty, staff, and families to design meaningful admissions events, support prospective students through the application process, and build lasting community relationships. Prior to that, she was the Director of Admission at The Academy School, where she worked across departments to strengthen enrollment efforts, enhance outreach, and foster strong connections with new and returning families. Her background also
includes school operations, event planning, and ambassador programs, all of which have deepened her commitment to creating inclusive and welcoming school environments.
Summer holds a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Seattle University. She looks forward to engaging with the Aurora community and building relationships with current and prospective families.
Extended Care & Camps Director and Facilities Manager
Josh Johnson
joshj@auroraschool.org | Extension 208
Josh has over 20 years of experience in the recreation field, both in school and camp settings. Josh grew up in San Francisco, moved to Alameda in 2004, and started working at Aurora in 2009. When not at Aurora, Josh enjoys spending quality time with his wife and daughter enjoying the many family attractions in the East Bay, from the Oakland Zoo to the Alameda Beach.
Assistant to the Head of School and HR Coordinator
Katheryn Negrosa
knegrosa@auroraschool.org | Extension 201
Katheryn manages the Front Office and Human Resources. An Oakland native, she is happy to work with the community she was born and raised in. Katheryn studied Early Childhood Education and Psychology in college, and comes to Aurora with an extensive background as a former preschool teacher, banker, and most recently, school administrator. Katheryn “lives in the details” and enjoys helping people, thanks to her patient, understanding demeanor. A passionate mother of two boys, she believes that any time with her kids is time well spent! Her favorite pastimes are indulging in delicious cuisine, traveling near or far to explore different cultures and events, exploring nature, and exercising.
Communications and Marketing Director
Mike Woolson
mwoolson@auroraschool.org | Extension 226
Mike is a writer, designer, photographer and cartoonist. His previous experience includes positions as marketing and communications director for Oakland First Fridays, creative director for a Silicon Valley marketing agency, producer of interactive educational materials, design editor for a newspaper in Taiwan and even some time as a classroom teacher. He’s documented art and artists in the East Bay for more than twenty years, created a couple of obscure but clever comic strips, and has had his photography and art published in several books and shown in venues including the Smithsonian Institution and the Oakland Museum. He's a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence and part of the Oakland artist collective Five Ton Crane, and holds a Master’s in Journalism and Visual Communication from Ohio University, and a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. Mike lives in West Oakland with his partner, two cats, and an astonishingly lazy dog.
Finance Manager
Aimee Moss
accounting@auroraschool.org | (925) 482-2620
Aimee works for our accounting firm, Moss CPA, in Walnut Creek. She has been assisting Aurora’s Business Office since 2021, helping to manage all aspects of Aurora’s finances. Aimee has over 20 years’ experience working with public and independent schools in a variety of capacities. She finds it gratifying to support the work of such an inclusive and welcoming community.
Aimee is a native of the Bay Area and graduated from Smith College with a degree in Education. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, baking, puttering in the garden, and finding new places to explore around the bay.
Our Board of Directors is a supportive and forward-thinking group comprised of Aurora parents and friends who care deeply about the school. They volunteer their time and expertise to ensure that Aurora stays fiscally strong and that the Aurora mission continues to thrive for years to come.
Board President
Arjun Saroya
Arjun is an LA native, a New Yorker at heart, and an East Bay resident since 2013. He’s a proud father to Kailash and aspiring partner to his better half (Deepali), who both seem to have an eye rolling condition.
With a degree in mechanical engineering and a lifelong dedication to the environment, he co-founded an energy efficiency company in 2009. Its helped hundreds of thousands of small businesses reduce their carbon emissions while improving their buildings.
Today, he is an advisor to startups, a consultant on product and corporate development, and an investor focused on India. His latest professional interests are at the intersection of blockchains and global public goods.
In his down time he likes tinkering on DIY projects, trying to kite board, and playing tennis and pickle ball with friends.
Vice President
Jaime Bartlett
Jaime is a litigation partner with the international law firm, Sidley Austin LLP, where she has worked since 2008. Her practice focuses on defense of public companies and their officers and directors in state and federal courts. Jaime lives in Alameda, CA, with her husband, Matt, and their two daughters, Abby and Edie. They became an Aurora family in 2023.
Treasurer
David Hinton
A native of Cleveland, OH, David arrived in the Bay Area in 2007, by way of Boston, and has lived in Oakland since 2010. He has over 20 years of institutional money management experience at Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., and currently serves as a member of the 3-person team responsible for managing the firm’s Small Cap Value strategy, which has $5B of assets under management. He is the proud parent of Daniel and Nora (an Aurora 4th grader), and lucky to call Chinwe his wife and better half.
In his spare time, he enjoys staying physically active, spending time with family, traveling, cooking and learning new things.
Secretary
Marley Degner
Marley is a former big law litigator who transitioned to being an in-house counsel with broad experience. She is now a Director at The Clorox Company, where she leads the insurance team and is a member of the litigation and cyberlaw teams. Marley arrived in the Bay Area in 2007 by way of New York, but she grew up in Portland, Oregon. She has a B.A. from Wellesley College and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. Marley and her husband Dan live in Oakland and have two kids at Aurora (Winter and Ethan). In her down time she reads, runs, hikes, camps, and takes care of the family pets. She also recently started learning to rock climb.
Brian Gleeson
Since 2006, Brian has worked as a consultant for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan where he currently leads a regulatory affairs team addressing clinical and legal matters. He conducts ethnographic and historical research with California Indians and serves as Editor in Chief and Co-founder of the digital journal, California Cultures: a Monograph Series. Since 2015, Brian has taught Cultural Anthropology courses at CSU East Bay with an emphasis on the Indigenous Peoples of North America and California. Brian currently serves as President of the East Bay Council where he leads seven schools in the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools. Brian has lived in Oakland since 2001, enjoys coffee, Futures studies, playing drums and guitar, and is the proud parent of Aurora students Theo and Camila.
Doug Sovern
Doug is the Political Reporter at KCBS Radio in San Francisco. The winner of more than 250 journalism awards, including the duPont-Columbia, Edward R. Murrow and National Headliner Awards, he began his career at The New York Times and later worked for the Associated Press. He has covered every U.S. presidential election since 1988 and reported from every continent except Antarctica, and in 2017 was elected to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. Doug is also an award-winning fiction writer. In 2011, he wrote the first novel-in-tweets on Twitter, and since then his short stories have appeared in a wide range of literary magazines. Now he is polishing his first conventional novel. He is also a professional bass player and songwriter and veteran of too many bands to count. Doug was born in New York City, is a graduate of Brown University, and has lived in the East Bay since 1985. He and his wife Sara have twins, Maya (Aurora Class of '28) and Jacob. They live in Oakland with their very cute dog, Obi.
Mark Schirmer
Mark is an Aurora parent to Ayla (‘25). He was sold on the Aurora mission observing the amazing teaching team in action as he chaperoned the overnight class trip to Walker Creek.
As an architect, his focus has primarily been multi-family housing, with design experience including a wide variety of projects from colleges, theaters, and dance studios, to wastewater treatment plants and community gardens. He is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of architects daily in the office and outside, writing educational study material for the Architectural Registration Exam and coaching licensure candidates. Mark enjoys building, whether on his own or a friend’s house or volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Early in the morning you can find him running the trails in the East Bay hills. He has a BA in architecture from Syracuse University.
Paul Sytsma
Paul is a seasoned leader with executive experience at both early-stage and multi-billion dollar high-growth companies across healthcare, food, and technology. Most recently, he spent seven years at Virta Health, leading corporate marketing and communications from company launch through Series E, contributing to a $2B valuation and $365M in funding. Paul also served as a trustee at Escuela Bilingüe Internacional for six years, including two as treasurer. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Paul is a proud parent of an Aurora 6th grader, and has been an East Bay resident for nearly 20 years. In his free time you’ll find him outdoors with his family, or at his home slowly but surely learning jazz piano.