History
Middle School

Alexandra received her BA in History of Art & Architecture from the University of Santa Barbara and is about to complete a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. After working as an Archivist at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, where she taught college-level courses and learned in-depth about historical research practices, Alexandra decided to pursue a career in education as a history teacher. Currently an eleventh grade US history teacher at Nipomo High School, Alexandra uses project-based learning and primary source analysis to make learning come alive for her students. Although she has primarily worked with high school students, she is looking forward to taking on a new role at KLS as a middle school history teacher. She has already utilized Khanmigo and other AI to enhance the educational experience for students and she looks forward to taking our middle school students to archives in the area.

Chief Financial Officer
Administration

Formerly the COO at ASU, Learning Enterprise, Kate brings a deep background in finance, strategic planning, and operations/legal compliance to her new role as CFO at KLS. She has designed, implemented, and overseen organization-wide strategic planning including multi-year forecasts to inform decision making. Prior to ASU, Kate was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey and Company, where she led comprehensive strategic and financial transformations in the education and public sectors. Kate holds a B.Sc. from Georgetown and a MSc. from Oxford.

Director of College Counseling
Administration

Brennan Barnard, M.Ed, is the Director of College Counseling and Alumni and the College Admissions Program Advisor with Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was also the founding Director of College Counseling for US Performance Academy, an online independent high school for elite athletes.During over two decades in education Brennan has worked as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, admission officer, counselor and administrator at a number of independent high schools and colleges. He has counseled Olympians, thespians, artists, cadets, social workers, engineers, philosophers, doctors, writers, lawyers and everything in between. Brennan is a member of the Advisory Board for the New Hampshire College and University Council’s New Hampshire Scholars Program and on the Executive Committee for the Character Collaborative. He presents regularly on character, athletic recruiting, mindfulness, discipline and other topics in college admission.

He has written about college admission for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes.com, Thrive Global, HuffPost, Concord Monitor, Journal of College Admission, and other publications. He has also been featured in articles in the Boston Globe and Associated Press. An occasional featured guest on New Hampshire Public Radio, he has been interviewed about college admission by New England Cable News and ABC News. He also hosts a live weekly webinar series with college admission leaders. Brennan was a New England Association of College Admission Counselors Professional of the Year for 2017. He is co-author of the book, "The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together," and a new accompanying workbook. A native of suburban Philadelphia and practicing Quaker, he is a graduate of Westtown Friends School. Brennan earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish from Franklin & Marshall College and a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from The University of Vermont. This father of two lives in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, where he is a volunteer firefighter.

STEM
Lower School

Ronan grew up in Colorado, but moved to the Bay Area for college, completing a Bachelor's degree in Earth System Science from Stanford. He then spent a few years leading public and K-12 educational programs at Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, before returning to San Jose State University for a Master's degree in Geology. He is always looking for opportunities to connect students with the wonders of the natural world, and has taught science in many different contexts, from K-8 summer camps to college lab classes to digital self-paced courses. He has previously developed and designed NGSS-aligned labs and curricula, and additionally taught math at the elementary and middle school levels.  He is very excited to return to the classroom at KLS!

Outside of school, Ronan enjoys musical theatre and ballroom dancing, and can occasionally be found performing in various productions around the Bay Area.

Data Manager
Administration

Head of Operations and Technology
Administration

Chi-Ray graduated from Stanford University with B.A. and M.S. degrees in Biomechanical Engineering. He spent a few years applying his studies as General Manager for a local company, prototyping and manufacturing coronary stents. Soon, he decided to pursue his interest in system thinking, and he became an operations generalist for small-to-mid-sized organizations. Chi-Ray has held a number of roles similar to what he does at KLS, including serving as Director of Operations, Technology, and Facilities at a large church in Boston; working as Program Director for the Digital Media Academy at Stanford; and most recently, working as Director of IT and Employee Services at One Kings Lane (the online home goods retailer). In his spare time, Chi-Ray has been known to lead scouts, root for the New England Patriots, play banjo, listen to country music, wish he had a pick-up truck, and dream of seeing the U.S. on an extended RV trip with his wife, Erica, and kids, Timothy and Megan. You'd never guess he was born in Boston and raised in L.A. Chi-Ray has been a member of the KLS team since its founding in 2014.

Director of Business Operations & People
Administration

Executive Director
Administration

With more than two decades of experience in schools, research, and business environments, Kim is the KLS Executive Director. Most recently, she was the Chief of Academics at US Performance Academy — an online middle-high school for elite athletes. During her career, she has held key leadership roles at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, National Sports Academy, Emergent Academy and LRN. She has also been a consultant for a wide range of companies and organizations. Kim holds a B.S. in Physics from Marlboro College, an M.S. in Astrophysics from the University of Arizona, and an M.Ed from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Humanities
Upper School

Nick returns to KLS for another year of epic adventure, where he will focus his attention on the English courses "Methods and Meanings: The Art of Storytelling" and "Comparative Literature: Multimedia Remixing." Prior to KLS, he taught English at Saint Monica Preparatory after completing his master's degree in Classics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. His graduate work combined his passions for Homeric epic, narratology, and reception studies—interests kindled during his time working in film and television. Before grad school, Nick worked as a stage manager and became a member of the Directors Guild of America. He lived in Budapest while working as a writer's and director's assistant on two films (Spy and Spectral). Tracing his path back further, he worked at Disney in the live-action motion picture department, in development and production at Chernin Entertainment, and began his career as an agent trainee in the motion picture literary department at United Talent Agency. It was during this time that Nick developed a love for working with writers and all things related to storytelling. Delving deeper into his past would draw us beyond those misty mountains of myth, so he will end by noting that he is a Williams College alumnus (and history major!) and a grateful son to parents who cared deeply about education.

Marketing Manager
Administration

Marcus is a product of the Bay Area, though he really loves all of California as he worked for over a decade in the sports, entertainment, and hospitality industries across Los Angeles and San Francisco before coming to KLS. While Marcus could spend days talking about the things he has seen while working in entertainment, he equally enjoys working with students who want to learn more about the latest digital technologies and the nuances of the Oxford comma. When Marcus isn’t in front of a computer at KLS, you can find him in front of a computer somewhere else!

Upper School Director
Administration

Serving most recently as the STEM Academy Dean at Saint Monica Preparatory, Laura Haney has held a number of school leadership positions in independent schools in addition to teaching high school Physics. At Saint Monica Preparatory, she trained teachers across the school in Project Based Learning approaches and developed STEM-oriented experiential learning opportunities. As a founding science department chair at Sequoyah School she taught a series of science classes including Physics, Astrobiology, Geology, Design Thinking, and Scientific Writing. At Sequoyah School she also facilitated a social innovation program, initiated the STEM Institute, and helped to develop credit areas for the Mastery Transcript Consortium. Laura holds a BA in Astrophysics from Barnard, an MA in Astronomy from UCLA, and PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from UCLA.

Math
Middle School

Marine began her journey in education with a notable achievement, placing third in the high school Math Olympiad in Armenia as the only female competitor. This early success set her on her future path to be a math teacher. She now has more than 20 years of experience teaching middle and high school students, and she continues to be actively involved with math competitions, coaching students to win numerous medals and awards both nationally and internationally. Marine holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a Master's in Educational Management. She is also currently pursuing a PhD in Math teaching methodology.

Extended Day
Lower School

Extended Day
Lower School

Humanities
Upper School

Alexandro comes to KLS from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he was a Visiting Professor of History in the Department of Chicano and Latina/o Studies.  He research is focussed on Ethnic Mexican, Urbanism, Culture and Politics in Silicon Valley between 1940-1980. Alexandro holds a BA in Latin American History from Santa Clara University, an MA and PhD from the University of New Mexico. Alexandro is a San Jose native and is looking forward to returning to the Bay area.

Humanities Grade 4
Lower School

Faith is passionate about the world and the young people in it. She grew up in the mountains of Los Alamos, New Mexico and is no stranger to the importance of unconventional education. In third grade, hoping to take charge of her education in the way she hopes for KLS students, she asked to be homeschooled and was lucky enough to have parents who homeschooled her and her four siblings for several years. As a fifteen year old she was a Rotary exchange student to France for a year. This solidified her love for foreign languages and cultures. Faith went on to study International Relations at Stanford University. This solidified her belief that education is the truest passport to the world. After attending Stanford, she considers the bay area her second home. She has tutored bay area students in foreign languages, writing, and the art of conversation for over five years. After graduating from Stanford she taught English in Corsica, France and taught early learners reading and math at a Kumon center in New York City. She most recently was living in London. She is happy to be settling down and getting married this year. Faith loves to ask important questions about the meaning of life and faith, experiment with GF cooking in the kitchen, dance, explore outside, learn, create art, and spend time with kids.

Director of Athletics & Outer Wellness

Morgan is an experienced middle school teacher and coach who comes to KLS after seven years at Head-Royce School as a middle school teacher and coach. Morgan has coached a wide range of sports and activities including: lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and tennis. Morgan has also led many outdoor education excursions for students focussed on skiing, snowboarding, and rock climbing. Morgan holds a degree in elementary education from Indiana University, and an M.Ed. from Boston University in Curriculum and Instruction.

Associate Teacher
Lower School

Middle School Director
Administration

With over 25 years of experience in education, Natasha has taught at every school level from Pre-K through university. She is particularly passionate about project and game-based learning, as well as utilizing technology to transform educational experiences. Natasha also has extensive experience in administration, most recently serving as the Dean of Curriculum and Global Education at San Domenico, a K-12 international school in Marin County. In this role, she supported the expansion of the Upper School academic program, including the addition of both the Game Design and Integrated STEAM programs. She holds a BA in History of Public Policy from UC Santa Barbara and an MA in TESOL from San Francisco State University.

Humanities Grade 5
Lower School

Lower School Director
Administration

Bringing over twenty years of diverse experience in education, Silicon Valley organizations (including a startup), and executive coaching, Joni has recently joined KLS as our Lower School Director.

Most recently, she served as the Head of Learning & Development at Google through Cushman & Wakefield, where she spearheaded Leadership, Communication, Unconscious Bias, and Empathy workshops for over 800 employees.

Throughout her career, Joni has taught in grades K-8 , served as an Assistant Principal at a comprehensive high school, and held the position of Principal at Yavneh Day School in Los Gatos. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Masters in Educational Leadership. Additionally, Joni has obtained certificates from programs such as the Harvard Graduate School of Education Principal Leadership Program and the Urban Change Leadership Program from Harvard GSE. She also had the privilege of collaborating with renowned educators Lisa Lahey, Bob Kegan and Tom Vander Ark, facilitating experiential workshops for Principals worldwide and changing comprehensive high schools into Small Learning Communities with support from the (former) Bill & Melinda Gates Education Foundation.

Art Specialist
Upper & Middle School

Priyanka Reddy is an illustrator, art educator, and artist with a passion for watercolor painting. She studied fine art in Bangalore, India, and worked in advertising agencies and design studios as a visual designer specializing in fashion advertising, and identity design. After moving to the US, she taught art at CSMA and Lincoln Elementary School for several years and led art classes for adults at corporations like Google and Intel. She also led the art program for homeschool children from Mountain View public school and supported fundraising efforts for school through art.

She later co-founded Two Paperboats Design Inc., a children’s book company, where she created and published customized books that bring children’s own stories to life.

Outside of teaching, Priyanka is a mom to a curious 4-year-old and a sweet dog. In her free time, she enjoys singing and collaborating on music, training for triathlons, and skiing with family in the winter.

Art Specialist
Lower School

Over the past 5 years, I have exhibited an acrylic painting at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, an acrylic portrait for Consulado General de Mexico in collaboration with Mexican author Monica del Valle for her book Alma de la Bruma. Another exhibition featured my series of 10 black and white ink drawings as part of a live panel and showcase for San Jose Museum of Art in conjunction with Silicon Valley Pride. Summer of 2024 I was an artist in Residence for San Jose Children's art museum where I ran an art workshop for a few months and exhibited my first Solo Exhibition: Whimsy and Woe depicting a mix of acrylic and spray paint murals and smaller works. Most recently I was commissioned by the Santa Clara Behavioral Health Department at the QCenter for an acrylic mural depicting the attribute of Liberation to be displayed as a permanent fixture. Lastly, I partook in an afterlife exhibition at the Mexican Heritage Plaza for the Day of the Dead Celebration festival.

Part of the journey has been teaching for a diverse group of people, my first teaching opportunity began in a rehabilitation center for dual-diagnosis inpatient care. Here the main goal was to create an environment that was trauma-informed to empower individuals to look within and find value in self expression. This experience shaped my teaching philosophy and furthered my desire to inspire and pave the way for younger generations who are eager to express themselves and have no limit to their imaginations. My emphasis is on traditional art and creativity, the goal is cultivating an atmosphere where the students are willing to take creative risks and express themselves comfortably.

English
Middle School

Kanishka transitioned into education after a corporate career, bringing a unique perspective on workplace skills. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and a Master of Science in Education Technology. Her passion for education was inspired by her love for being a big sister and a growing interest in educational technology during the pandemic. Kanishka values the privilege of watching young people solve problems and grow, and she champions project-based learning. She integrates innovative tools like VR, escape rooms, and simulations to make lessons engaging and meaningful.

Passionate about teaching critical thinking, Kanishka uses AI to help students evaluate the authenticity of sources. She enjoys working with middle and high school students, appreciating their dynamism and potential. With experience teaching Business Management, Humanities, and English across A levels, iGCSE, and IB curriculums, her multicultural background from growing up in Hong Kong enriches her teaching.

Outside the classroom, Kanishka loves swimming, kayaking, hiking, and gardening. She volunteers with the California Garden Foundation and nurtures her herb and vegetable garden. Her goals include excelling as a teacher, deepening her expertise in educational technology, and eventually moving into teacher training to share her passions with fellow educators.

Math
Upper School

Lana is a passionate and creative high school and middle school teacher with 8+ years of experience in developing curricula and teaching Math and Science courses, including Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus at advanced and honor levels. In addition to her teaching experience, she has 18 years of diversified experience as a Software Engineer, specializing in DevOps and programming for UNIX and PC systems.

Extended Day & Exploration Lab 
Lower School

Gabi is a Menlo Park native who holds a BA in Economics from Mount Holyoke College. Throughout her work across multiple industries including education, nonprofit, and tech, she has developed impactful communications strategies and partnerships, analyzed marketing and social media campaign effectiveness and performance, built community and engagement through outreach programs, taught English as a second language, and tutored and mentored middle, high school, and college-aged students.

In her free time, she dances ballet, flamenco, and salsa, solo travels, hikes throughout Northern California, and enjoys making hand-made birthday and "thank you" cards for friends and family. She is thankful to be at KLS as part of the Exploration Lab and Extended Day Team.

Spanish
Middle School

Kylie completed Michigan State University's Teacher Preparation Program in 2016 and holds a teaching credential in Secondary Spanish and ESL. Eager to teach and improve her Spanish, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua from 2016 to 2018, where she trained English teachers and organized gender equity events. Upon her return to the U.S., Kylie managed an AmeriCorps program in Michigan, taught elementary and middle school Spanish at a Montessori school in Chicago, and later became the director of an adult education program in Denver. She is excited to explore the Bay Area's diverse restaurants and outdoor activities.

Spanish 
Upper School

Cristina received her BA in Spanish and International Relations and MA in Spanish from the University of California at Davis and is currently completing her PhD in Hispanic Literature and Languages from UCLA (expected 2024). A native speaker, Cristina has advanced knowledge of Spanish grammar and current theories of second language acquisition. She has taught at the college level for a number of years and is excited to make the transition to K-12 education. She is intrigued by the educational model at Khan Lab School and looks forward to experimenting with AI and other online tools to enhance the learning experience for students. In addition to teaching Advanced Topics in Spanish and Spanish 4 at KLS, Cristina will also teach an English elective on Hispanic or Latin American literature. 

Science
Middle School

Raised in the Pittsburgh area, Ann first developed a deep love and respect for the natural world through frequent trips to her grandparents' home in Huntingdon, PA. She is excited to bring her passion for the outdoors and experiential learning to KLS, where she hopes to foster a scientific community that is inquisitive, supportive, and sustainable.

Previously, Ann participated in an AmeriCorps program focused on outdoor education with Teton Science School in Jackson Hole, WY. She also has over three years of experience substitute teaching, coaching, and guiding in Jackson.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Ann holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Rice University, where she studied abroad at Polytech Nice Sophia in France. She has also studied Product Design at TU Delft in the Netherlands.

In her free time, you can find Ann outdoors surfing, hiking, or biking around San Jose. She also enjoys glassblowing at the Bay Area Glass Institute.

Music
Lower & Middle School

Michael Young is a Bay Area native, originally from Santa Cruz, and a life-long musician proficient in more than a half dozen instruments. With over ten years of experience in music education, Michael Young has taught children's choir, marching band, and private lessons for piano, voice, guitar, and more. He is particularly passionate about fostering a love for music through a comprehensive approach that is fun and engaging, while including elements of musical performance, theory, and musicianship. Michael holds a Bachelor’s of Music with an emphasis in Education from San Francisco State University.