Elementary Teachers

Mount Saint Mary's University, MA
Mount Saint Mary's University, BA
California Teaching Credential

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mary has been a teacher for almost 20 years. She has taught at several private westside schools and has been a lead teacher for 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Mary has also tutored children from kindergarten through elementary school. She has worked with children with a wide range of learning differences and differentiates her instruction to accommodate each. Mary is a dedicated, compassionate, organized, creative and professional educator and has a passion to bring out the best in her students. Mary is the Director of Academic Achievers' Early Elementary Program.

Mt. St. Mary's University, MA, Child Psychology
George Mason University, MA Ed
Virginia Tech, BA
CA Multi-Subject Credential
Virginia PK-6 Teaching License

An educator for 15 years, Kristie recently has been a principal at a middle school in Los Angeles, and previously taught first, second, fifth and sixth grade. She has been a Director of Curriculum, Curriculum Specialist, and Dean of Humanities in schools in Virginia, New York, and Los Angeles. Kristie has a passion for education, especially literacy and reading. She has developed curriculum for a wide variety of learners and learning needs. Kristie believes in aiming instruction and curriculum to the child's needs and interests and developing a growth mindset with young learners.

University of California at Los Angeles, MA
University of Wisconsin at Madison, BA
CA Teaching Certification

Michael has been tutoring French to elementary, high school and college students for 6 years. He has also been an assistant teacher for French at UCLA. Michael has been an elementary teacher at a private school in Los Angeles for the past 6 years. He has also homeschooled elementary students focusing on project-based learning. He utilizes Montessori and Emilio Reggia strategies to guide cognitive, physical and social-emotional flourishing. Michael holds a Bachelors with honors in French and Political Science and a Masters in French studies. Michael is currently doing post graduate work at UCLA in Early Childhood Development.

National University, MA Ed
University of California at Los Angeles, BA
CA Elementary Credential
National Board-Certified Reading Specialist
Gifted & Special Certification

Ari was a classroom teacher for over 10 years. She has taught 1st through 4th grade. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts for Early and Middle Childhood and she has supplemental credentialing in reading assessment and literacy intervention. She has been teaching for 20 years and was awarded LAUSD’s Teacher-of-the-Year in 2018. Ari loves teaching and specifically teaching reading, writing, and language. She has taught children who are gifted as well as those on the spectrum. Ari works with each child from where they are and tailors her instruction to accommodate their differences. She has worked with children who have behavior or learning challenges and finds a way to help them with appropriate supports.

University of California at Santa Cruz, M.Ed.
University of California at Santa Barbara, BA
CA Teaching Credential
UCLA TEFL Certification
Gesell Developmental Assessment Certification

Marissa has been a Kindergarten and Elementary educator for 17 years.  She has presented at Growing Educators for their Literacy Program and has designed units of study in American History for the California Charter School Association. Marissa designed and directed Academic Achievers’ KinderPrep Camp for several years. She is a literacy coach and also leads professional development trainings in schools. Marissa is certified to administer the Gesell Developmental Assessment for children ages 2.5-6, an age-appropriate assessment to determine a child’s developmental age and readiness for Kindergarten. Additionally, Marissa is a certified Ayurveda Health Coach and Yoga Instructor. She was the Director of Academic Achievers Early Elementary Division for 3 years.

California State University Northridge, MA Ed.
Mount Saint Mary's University, BA
Special Needs Certification

Kristie is an elementary teacher with a Masters degree in mild/moderate special needs and a degree in child psychology. She has taught 3rd and 5th grade in private school, kindergarten in Spain, and English and science in middle school. Kristie is bilingual and has also taught reading, writing and speaking in both Spanish and English. She prioritizes student engagement, interests, and strengths in her teaching practices. Her goal is to help build a student's confidence and challenge them to obtain a growth mindset as lifelong learners. Kristie is patient and caring and works one-on-one with children with ADHD, processing differences, and social-emotional challenges.

Chaminade University of Honolulu, M.Ed., summa cum laude
UCLA, B.A., English, Education
Teaching licenses in Hawaii and in California
NCLB National Recognition Award
Lindamood-Bell Learning Method and other reading programs

Monique has taught K through 12th grade in California and in Hawaii for over 20 years. She specializes in early intervention for children, including assessments and IEPs. Her teaching skills include phonics, reading, writing, math, and science. Monique is an experienced kindergarten and elementary teacher creating individualized learning plans, assessments, and providing curriculum using cognates from L1. She is a Blue Ribbon educator and recognized as a National Highly Qualified Teacher. Monique has worked with children of all skill levels from special needs to highly gifted. Monique has been a KinderPrep and early elementary homeschool teacher for Academic Achievers for over 6 years.

California State University, MS (in progress)
University of California, Irvine, BA, psychology
Loyola Marymount, Education Specialist Credential

Sion has been working with special needs children for over 6 years. She was placed by the highly selective Teach for America program as a Resource Specialist Teacher for LAUSD. Sion has worked as an Inclusion Facilitator helping students with developmental delays participate in afterschool programs through behavior goal completion.
She has also worked as a Behavior Interventionist for 5th and 6th-grade students on the Autism Spectrum. Sion is currently pursuing a Master of Science in School Psychology to further support students with their academic, behavioral, and mental health.

University of California at Los Angeles, BA
K-8 Credentialed Teacher
Ranked Chess Master

Vanessa is a National Chess Master with 10 years of chess teaching experience. She has taught students of all levels and ages ranging from age 4 and up and she has worked with beginners to experienced tournament competitors. In addition, Vanessa is an accomplished chess journalist, winning the 2017 Chess Journalist of the Year award from the Chess Journalists of America. Competitively, Vanessa is currently ranked within the top 10 women chess players in California. She has qualified for and competed in the US Chess Championships twice. As a teenager, she represented the United States at the World Youth Championships in Crete, Greece. Vanessa specializes in interactive teaching techniques that showcase the fun of the game while optimizing learning.

Boston College, M Ed.
Boston University, BA

Millie has had a wealth of teaching and tutoring experience for over 20 years, most recently as a private tutor working with children who need extra support with reading, writing, math, and homework. She incorporates creativity in her teaching style, understanding that many students learn best when visual, tactile, and auditory senses are engaged. She believes that students must grow to trust their teacher and tutor, and that as a teacher you must learn to adapt to a student’s needs. While she has not utilized a specific teaching methodology, her intuition has been informed over the years from her training in Educational Therapy practices, as an art and music teacher, and as a mother of a child with special needs herself. Millie has been working with students since 1999, tutoring in reading, math, writing, and other subject matter for grades Preschool-6th

Seattle University – MA Ed
Western Washington University – BA

Michael has been an elementary and middle school classroom teacher for more than 15 years. His teaching focus has been in the humanities with social studies and English language arts. His philosophy centers on individual student’s achievements in learning by recognizing students learning abilities and strengths by showing care and support for each learner. His teaching strategies encourage students in an honest and kindhearted way through building positive rapport and structured attention to learning needs. Michael has worked with Academic Achievers since 2016 teaching students from 3rd grade through middle school.

Illinois State University, B.S., Elementary Education (K-9)
Multi-Subject 4-8 and ELAR 8-12 Teaching Credential

Since 2008, Matthew has been a professional educator across elementary and high school. He's deeply invested in his students, not just as academics but as people. His ability to foster student-teacher relationships catalyzes dynamic growth among pupils—while he understands pedagogical logistics, he takes a deep interest in harnessing student mindfulness and independence. Matthew has taught and tutored grades K-12 for over 14 years. He is also an elementary homeschool teacher. Matthew understands teaching is both a science and an art and utilizes every opportunity to incorporate creativity and critical thinking. His students have described him as warm, gifted, inspirational, and very, very random!

Relay Graduate School of Education, New York, MA Ed.
University of Michigan, BA, summa cum laude
DC Regular II License, Early Childhood
NYC Transitional B License, Elementary

Ian has been a lead classroom teacher for Kindergarten - 3rd grade in New York and has tutored all elementary subjects for 8 years. His approach to education is highly differentiated based on each student’s need, but unified by the belief that all good teaching starts with collaboration, authentic student / teacher rapport, and a shared love of learning. Ian believes in a classroom culture where the student feels safe and inspired to learn. He has worked with students with a variety of learning and behavioral challenges and always meets the child where they are.

University of Costa Rica, BA
Teaching Credential
Special Needs Certification

Patricia has been teaching for over 15 years. Before her teaching career, Patricia was an on-air reporter in Costa Rica. She has taught preschool and began her career at Bright Horizons in Santa Monica. She has also taught elementary for LAUSD and Spanish at Wildwood School. Patricia currently teaches Spanish at Crossroads School. She encourages social interactions and fosters a creative learning environment. Patricia believes young students should have a fundamental educational foundation to prepare for a successful school year and beyond. She teaches Spanish to pre-kindergarten children as well as adults.

California State University, M.Ed.
California State University, BA, cum laude
California Teaching Credential

Kristin is a Master teacher and has been teaching kindergarten through high school to rave reviews for 20 years. She has a Master's degree specializing in language and literacy. Kristin has been a kindergarten teacher, a homeschool teacher, and a private tutor for elementary through high school. She is also an admissions reader for CSU college essays.  Kristin has worked with Academic Achievers for 6 years. She loves to teach and makes learning fun!

Occidental College, BA

Zoe has taught students kindergarten through 7th grade. She has developed customized curriculum in-line with the CA State Standards for many homeschool students as well as original STEM enrichment. Zoe’s educational background in cognitive science has prepared her to assess, plan and differentiate for specific learning needs. She is particularly fond of teaching organizational and executive functional skills to encourage self-reliance in her students. Zoe works equally well with gifted as well as children in need of remediation. She is invested, focused, organized, and remarkably patient.

Wheelock College, Boston, MA Ed
Northeastern University, BA
Elementary Teaching Credential
Orton-Gillingham Certification

Tara is a highly experienced elementary teacher who has taught in the classroom for over 10 years. She's creative and enjoys augmenting her lessons with STEM projects. Tara was the Academic Coordinator for an Education and Enrichment Services program in Massachusetts. She was also the Director of Holbrook High School Extended Learning Program. Tara is a Reading Specialist trained in the highly effective Orton-Gillingham Method. She also works with deaf children and children who have visual, auditory, and sensory processing disorders. Tara uses an integrated approach to teaching and has taught 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade.