K-2 Lead Teacher & Kindergarten Teacher, Michelle Kellman
Ms. Kellman is in her twelfth year of teaching and her fourth year at Lighthouse.  She has taught grades K – 3 and also worked as a learning specialist and curriculum writer.  She received her Bachelors of Arts degree from Swarthmore College in English Literature. Ms. Kellman holds a California K – 8 Multiple Subject CLAD Clear Credential from Saint Mary’s College. Ms. Kellman states, “My goal as a teacher is to help students develop into confident learners who associate school with empowerment and joy.  I teach at Lighthouse because I believe that going deeply into a subject activates students' curiosity and love of learning.  I also teach at Lighthouse because I feel respected and supported as a professional.” When she is not teaching and learning, Ms. Kellman enjoys singing, reading and spending time in nature.

1st Grade Teacher, Noelle Apostol
Ms. Apostol is in her seventh year of teaching and her fifth year at Lighthouse.  Before teaching at Lighthouse, she taught K/1st grade at Jefferson Elementary School in Oakland.  She received her Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in Latin American Studies and her Masters of Arts degree from University of San Francisco. Ms. Apostol holds a California K – 8 Multiple Subject B-CLAD Clear Credential.  Ms. Apostol states, “My goal as a teacher is to foster a community where students care about each other and take responsibility for their own learning.  I want students to understand that they have choices in life and give them the skills, resources, and belief that need to be happy and make the world a better place.  I teach at Lighthouse because I love seeing the joy and passion that expeditionary learning brings out in students and I love being a part of a staff that values and supports my own learning as a teacher.”  When she is not teaching and learning, Ms. Apostol keeps learning. This year, Ms. Apostol is taking acting classes at ACT, facing her fear of cold water and surfing in the Pacific Ocean, and sailing on the Bay.  She also enjoys live music and playing records.

Founding Teacher & 2nd Grade Teacher, Helen Spruill
Helen Spruill is in her thirteenth year of elementary teaching, having worked in urban districts in both the Bay and Los Angeles areas. She also spent a year teaching English Immersion Kindergarten at The American School of Durango in Durango, Mexico and is working toward fluency in Spanish. Ms. Spruill holds a California K-8 Multiple Subject Clear Credential, a California Specialist Instruction in Reading and Language Arts Clear Credential, and is a trained reading recovery teacher. Ms. Spruill was a 1995 Teach for America Corps Member in Compton, California.

2nd Grade Teacher , Cynthia Rosario

Founding Teacher & 2nd Grade Teacher, Heather Thompson
Ms. Thompson is in her eleventh year of teaching and has taught at Lighthouse for six years as a part of the founding team. She received her Bachelors degree from Linfield College and her teaching certificate from University of Texas Pan American. Ms. Thompson holds a California K – 8 Multiple Subject CLAD Clear Credential and a Masters of Arts in Education, Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of California – Berkeley. In addition to teaching at Lighthouse, Ms. Thompson facilitates Early Literacy Institutes for Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound.  Ms. Thompson states, “I believe that every child in the city of Oakland deserves an excellent, free, public education.  I work every day to ensure that my students are achieving proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics, to ensure that they develop their abilities as critical thinkers, and to give them a sense that they can change the world.  I teach at Lighthouse because at Lighthouse I have the freedom to use my professional knowledge to teach in a way that I know students learn best.” When she is not teaching and learning, you can find Ms. Thompson cheering for the Oakland A’s!

3-4 Lead Teacher & 3rd Grade Teacher, Tamara Arroyo
Ms. Arroyo is in her tenth year of teaching and her fifth year at Lighthouse. She holds a B.A. from New York University and majored in Sociology and Latin American Studies.  She has a Master of Arts in Education from the Bank Street College of Education.  She has an Elementary Education credential from Bank Street and a California K – 8 Multiple Subject Credential.  Prior experience includes teaching in first grade in Washington Heights & Explore Charter School in Brooklyn, NY.  Ms. Arroyo states, “My goal as a teacher is...to impress children with the value and wonder of learning.  I teach at Lighthouse because I appreciate working with so many talented and passionate colleagues.”  When she is not teaching and learning, she likes to ride her bike, be outside, garden, visit with her family, hike, cook and read wonderful books.

3rd Grade Teacher, Tina Morris
Ms. Morris is in her thirteenth year of teaching and is in her third year as a teacher at Lighthouse. She received her Bachelors degree from California State University at Chico in English, Masters degree from California State University at Hayward in English with an emphasis in African American History and Literature. Ms. Morris holds a California K – 8 Multiple Subject CLAD Credential from the New College of California. Previous experience includes being an Equity Coach at California Tomorrow, College instructor, and working at Executive Director of Divine Minds Educational Service.  Ms. Morris states, “My goal as a teacher is to provide a nurturing environment in which students are supported to excel beyond their expectations by creating learning experiences that are joyful and intellectually stimulating.  I teach at Lighthouse because the staff is supported in their efforts to provide instruction that enables children to become experts and critical thinkers.  It is my belief that preparing students to become experts, in their given fields, who think deeply about their work, position them to be world leaders.”  When she is not teaching and learning, you can find Ms. Morris enjoying quiet time reading the Bible and decorating her home.  

4th Grade Teacher, Benjamin Seay

4th Grade Teacher, Melissa Trubo
Ms. Trubo is in her fourth year of teaching and her second year at Lighthouse. Before teaching at Lighthouse, she taught for two years at Milani Elementary School in Newark, CA. Ms. Trubo holds a California K-8 Multiple Subject Clear Credential. She received her Masters Degree from the UC Berkeley Developmental Teacher Education (DTE) program and her BA from UC Davis.

Founding Teacher , 6-11 Math/Science Lead Teacher,
& 5th Grade Math/Science Teacher Laura Kretschmar
Laura is in her eleventh year of teaching and has been at Lighthouse from its inception as a founding teacher.  She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Geology from Middlebury College and a Masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  She has a California Single Subject Credential in Geosciences and is California HOUSSE certified in both Math and Science.  Prior to teaching at Lighthouse, Laura taught in New Orleans, Louisiana through Teach For America and the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, Massachusetts.  Laura has also advised and taught beginning teachers for Teach For America at their summer institutes in Houston, Texas.  About teaching and learning, Ms. Kretschmar states, “My goal as a teacher is to give students meaningful opportunities and learning experiences that will challenge, inspire, and most importantly, prepare them for college or a career of their choice.  I teach at Lighthouse because I believe through our mission and strengths of all community members, we will make the world a better, brighter place.”  Laura also manages the Alex Graf Memorial Scholarship Fund at Lighthouse, in memory of her cousin Alex Graf.  The fund seeks to provide selected students from Lighthouse with scholarships to help finance higher education.

5th Grade Humanities, Wanda Watson

6th Grade Humanities, Clark Janklow

6th Grade Math/Science, Dana Thiercof

Instructional Aide, Christopher Heath

Instructional Aide, Columba Lopez

Instructional Aide, Lola Prieto
Ms. Prieto has been teaching for six years and has been at Lighthouse for five years.  Previously, Ms. Prieto worked in a day care center.  Ms. Prieto states, “My goal as a teacher is to keep studying and becoming better as a teacher and also as a person.  To help children in anything and with anything that I can.  I teach at Lighthouse because I think Lighthouse is a very good school that helps not only children, but also families like mine to reach goals and to set new ones and complete them.”  When Ms. Prieto is not teaching and learning, she enjoys being with her family, cooking, and most of all spending time outside with them.  Ms. Prieto has both of her children enrolled at Lighthouse.

Instructional Aide, Angela Tam