Aspire
Susheela Nath, Project Director
Email: Susheela.Nath@aspirepublicschools.org
Website: http://aspirepublicschools.org
Logical, innovative, organized, problem solver, critical thinker, and fun loving are a few
qualities that I poses. I am a native of Stockton, CA where I graduated high school as valedictorian
and moved away to go to college to UC Santa Barbara. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science as
Summa Cum Lade with a major in BioChemistry and a minor in Physics. With medicine being my focus I
moved back to Stockton to attend the University of the Pacific, where I was accepted into their
pharmacy school. After two years of pharmacy school I became very bored and I needed some excitement
in my career choice. Seeing that I come from a long lineage of educators I decided to complete the
teacher credential program and my Masters of Arts in Education with a specific focus in Curriculum
and Instruction through UOP. Even though I had a major change to the education field I could never
let go of my love and curiosity for the medical field. While working on my masters for the education
I was concurrently working on and finished my Masters of Science in Forensic Science. Once again I
graduated Summa Cum Lade for both masters degree as well. As is if working towards two masters
degrees wasn't enough I was also pregnant with my first child, Mason Marley Memory. Needless to say
I delivered Mason shortly after graduation with both of these degrees.
My teaching career started with Stockton Unified School District, where my first teaching
assignment was 4th grade. During my 5 year span at SUSD, I taught grades 8 through 12 and was
assigned to be a literacy and science specialist to Pulliam Elementary School. Due to unforeseen
outcomes specialist positions were being cut and I had to seek employment elsewhere. The science
lead teacher from Aspire Ben Holt Academy heard about my teaching skills and came to observe my
teaching. Soon I was called by the principal of that school and offered a job with Aspire. After
being in the classroom for a few more years my knack for the medical field kept getting stronger and
I decided to apply for medical school. As soon as I found out my acceptance into the medical school,
I also found out that I was pregnant with baby #2, Mia Minét Memory. Medical school has been put on
hold and my work with Aspire has continued. As the Science Content and Curriculum Lead for Aspire
and Science Instructional Coach for the Central Valley my work is not yet done and I am looking
forward to making the science program at Aspire Public Schools amazing and innovative. As life has
thrown me curve balls along the way I have preserved to be the person that I am today. My life and
journey have just began and the future holds many blessings and possibilities. Stay tuned for what
is yet to come as the best has only scratched the surface...
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Galt Joint Union Elementary School District
Lisa Hegdahl, Project Director
Email: lhegdahl@galt.k12.ca.us
Website: http://gjuesd-ca.schoolloop.com
Lisa Hegdahl is currently the Science Curriculum Coach for the Galt Joint Union
Elementary School District. Lisa began teaching in 1991 in Galt and taught 8th grade
Science in the district until 2019. As Science Curriculum Coach, Lisa serves as the
Project Director for the CA NGSS K-8 Early Implementation Initiative. She served on the
Board of Directors of the California Science Teachers Association from 2011 to 2019,
from 2015-2017 as President. Lisa was one of the 21 members of the Science
Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee which advised the writers
and editors of the 2016 Science Framework for California Public Schools. She has also
been a Co-Writer and Lead Presenter for the CA NGSS Rollouts. Lisa received her
Bachelor of Science Zoology degree and Science Clear Credential from the University
of California at Davis. She also has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Lisa
recently started an Environmental Club for students that focuses on service learning
and education at the Cosumnes River Preserve.
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High Tech High
Ryan Gallagher, Project Director
Email: rgallagher@hightechhigh.org
Website: http://www.hightechhigh.org
Twitter: @ryangallagher35
Ryan Gallagher is a Project Director of the NGSS Early Implementation Initiative at HTH and helps
to facilitate and support various improvement science projects at High Tech High. He has taught
middle and high school within the High Tech High system since 2004. Last year, Ryan co-designed and
facilitated HTH's Deeper Learning MOOC. Ryan holds undergraduate degrees from UC San Diego and was a
member of the first graduating cohort of students in the HTH GSE where he is now a faculty member.
Ryan is a member of the Distinguished Educators Panel at the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center
and is featured in Kathleen Cushman's recent book The Motivation Equation
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Kings Canyon Unified School District
Brad Schleder, Project Director
Email: Schleder-b@kcusd.com
Website: www.kcusd.com
Brad Schleder is the NGSS Early Implementation Initiative Project Director for Kings Canyon Unified
School District and the District Science Instructional Coach. Brad began his career as a middle
school science teacher and science specialist in the Bay Area. He was project director for two
California Math and Science Partnership (CaMSP) projects with one being a Science Demonstration
Center. He was the lead evaluator for 10 CaMSP projects and has served on several California
Department of Education panels reviewing CaMSP proposals for funding. He also serves as a panelist
for the Presidential Awards of Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. Brad has a BS in biology
from San Francisco State University and completed his MS in biology at Fresno State University where
he used citizen science as a vehicle to better understand urban bird communities.
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Lakeside Union School District
Dave Tupper, Project Director
Email: dtupper@lsusd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lakesidengss/
Twitter: @lakesidengss
Dave Tupper is the NGSS Early Implementation Initiative Project Director for Lakeside Union School
District, an SDSU NOYCE Master Teacher Fellow, and current Board Chair of the Lakeside River Park
Conservancy. Dave is a former elementary and middle school science teacher and 2016 San Diego County
Teacher of the Year Finalist. Prior to his current position, he most recently worked as a 7th Grade
science teacher at Tierra del Sol Middle School in Lakeside, as well as the Project Director for a
Ca. Math Science Partnership Grant servicing 3 districts near Lakeside. Additionally, Dave served on
the 2015 California Framework Content Committee for the California Science Framework. He has a BS in
Kinesiology from SDSU and an MS in Curriculum & Instruction from Chapman University.
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Oakland Unified School District
Sarah Pipping, Project Director
Email: sarah.pipping@ousd.org
Website: http://www.science.ousd.org/
Sarah Pipping is the Project Director of the CA NGSS K-8 Early Implementation Initiative at the
Oakland Unified School District and works as part of team to lead the implementation of NGSS across
the 87 schools in the district. Previously, Sarah worked as the High School Science Specialist for
Oakland Unified and as a High School Biology teacher and 8th grade science teacher in the district.
She has been part involved in the K-12 Alliance NGSS Early Implementation Initiative since the
beginning, participating both as a teacher and a member of the core leadership team. Sarah
collaborated with her fellow Oakland science teachers to write one of the first NGSS curriculums
freely available. Sarah holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison and a
Single Subject Teaching Credential and Masters in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University.
Sarah's love for science and math started with her playing with her cousins at her grandparents farm
and making change selling goods at the farmers market with her grandma in Wisconsin. She is
passionate about merging outdoor education, field experiences, and citizen science with high quality
classroom learning for students in Oakland.
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Palm Springs Unified School District
Website:
http://www.psusdscience.weebly.com
Debbie Gordon, co-Project Director
Email: dgordon@psusd.us
Debbie Gordon is an Elementary STEM TOSA in the Palm Springs Unified School District. She taught
elementary grades for 18 years prior to this position. Debbie is co-Project Director for PSUSD's CA
NGSS K-8 Early Implementation Initiative. Additionally, she has presented at CSTA's California
Science Education conference and is a writer and trainer of trainers for the CA NGSS Roll Outs.
Debbie holds a BA in Communications from California State University, Fullerton, and an MA in
Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix.
Philip Hudec, co-Project Director
Email: phudec@psusd.us
Philip Hudec is the Secondary Science/STEM Curriculum Specialist for the Palm Springs Unified
School District and co- Project Director for PSUSD's CA NGSS K-8 Early Implementation Initiative. In
that role, he creates and facilitates professional development trainings for teachers and
administrators on science, technology, and engineering content and pedagogy. He specializes in
inquiry-based science education and is passionate about providing equitable opportunities for all
students to learn and thrive in our schools across the state of California. He also teaches courses
and facilitates sessions as a leader in science and engineering education at the statewide CA NGSS
rollouts, Riverside County office of Education, and The University of California, Riverside.
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San Diego Unified School District
Zoë Randall, Project Director
Email: zrandall@sandi.net
Website: http://bit.ly/sdusdscience
Twitter: @CreativePBL
Zoë Randall is currently a TK-12 STEAM Resource Teacher at San Diego Unified School District as
well as the Project Director for the CA NGSS K-8 Early Implementation Initiative. She writes
curriculum and leads professional development for teachers in the district. She also facilitate
workshops in the US and abroad for educators interested in Project-Based Learning, Deeper Learning,
and STEAM.
She graduated from the University of California San Diego with a B.A. in Visual Arts Media and Film
and earned her Masters of Education in Teacher Leadership from the High Tech High Graduate School of
Education. She taught 6th-8th grade Multimedia at High Tech Middle Media Art and Elementary
Engineering and Design at High Tech Elementary Chula Vista over the course of 11 years. Now, she is
working with TK/K teachers who are implementing STEAM curriculum based in NGSS science inquiry and
developed through Project-Based Learning.
Zoë believes that doing work that matters and making meaningful connections to the community is
essential in education. She hopes to empower others to pursue their passions and create amazing
educational experience for their students.
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Tracy Unified School District
Debra Schneider, Project Director
Email: dschneider@tusd.net
Blog: https://clover88.wordpress.com
Twitter: @TUSDLibraries
Instagram: @TUSDLibraries
Debra Schneider is the Director of Instructional Media Services and Curriculum
for Tracy Unified School District, Project Director of TUSD's CA NGSS K-8 Early
Implementation Initiative, and a Teacher Consultant of the UC Davis History
Project and the CSU Stanislaus Great Valley Writing Project. In 2019 she
became the director of an Education Innovation and Research grant from the US
Department of Education to create a PreK-12 STEM pathway for all students in
TUSD. She earned a Ph.D. in Language, Literacy and Culture from UC Berkeley
and a Teacher Librarian Credential from San Jose State University; she
supervises 16 library sites in TUSD. She has taught reading, writing, and history
to middle and high school students, with a special focus on teaching English
Language Learners. She directs the ELA and Science initiatives at TUSD.
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Vista Unified School District
Jeff Schmitz, Project Director
Email: jeffschmitz@vistausd.org
Website: http://www.vistausd.org
Twitter: @VistaNGSS
Jeff Schmitz is currently the Project Director with the Vista Unified School District for the CA
NGSS Early Implementation Initiative. As the project director for VUSD, he is a part of the Core
Leadership Team with K-12 Alliance working to collaboratively develop and participate in leadership
training for teachers and administrators, and in teacher professional development in content and
pedagogy to meet the conceptual shifts required by NGSS. Prior to this position, Jeff was Assistant
to the Project Director for a year as a district TOSA, and was a member of the Core Leadership Team
supporting 6th and 7th Grade teacher leaders the previous two years. He taught Math and Science for
19 years at Madison Middle School and Roosevelt Middle School (1997-2016). From 1991-1996, Jeff
served in the USMC as an Artillery Officer. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from the
University of Illinois, and M.A. in Education Administration from California State University San
Marcos.
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The Initiative, developed by the K-12 Alliance at WestEd with collaborative input on its design and
objectives from the State Board of Education, the California Department of Education, and Achieve, is a
fast-start demonstration project to build 8 school districts’ (funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation)
and two charter management organizations’ (funded by the Hastings-Quillin Fund) capacity to fully
implement the NGSS as a core subject in the elementary grades (K-5) and as the SBE’s preferred integrated
model in grades 6-8. The six-year (2014-2020) initiative, engaged participants in a deep understanding of:
policy implications, building administrator and teacher leadership, changing teacher practice, increasing
student opportunities to learn science, and disseminating learnings across California and other states
adopting the NGSS.
