Ventura Charter School has recruited a staff possessing a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise in progressive, constructivist education. Our teachers are skilled at using project-based, structured cooperative learning strategies, integrated thematic units, multicultural education and conflict resolution. They enthusiastically collaborate to provide an academically challenging and enriching educational environment for our students.

Mary Galvin, Director of Operations

Mary Galvin holds a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge; an Administrative Credential and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University, Northridge; and a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She taught for 17 years in the Los Angeles and Ventura Unified School Districts where she employed the principles, theory, and research of constructivist education in primary classrooms. Mary is an unfailing advocate for progressive, innovative, child-centered education. It is her goal to provide support for a rich experiential learning environment where inquiry, creativity, and compassion are valued, and to assist in maintaining an atmosphere that supports intellectual pursuit, skill mastery and academic success.

Lisa Hildebrand, Director of Education

Lisa began her teaching career over 18 years ago and quickly realized that she wanted to be working in alternative education. After a 10-year teaching position at Open Classroom in Ventura, she took some time off to stay at home with her baby girl, Kaitlyn, and returned to Ventura Charter School five years later. Lisa is passionately committed to helping children find the joy in learning, themselves, and their world. Drawing from her experience teaching K - 5th grades, as well as holding a Masters in Education and an Administrative Credential, Lisa's focus is on creating a safe place for educators, students and parents to reach their personal potential.

Holly Johnson, Kindergarten

Holly always knew she wanted to teach. She decided early on that she would help make the world a better place by working with children. Her 15 years of experience with children covers a broad spectrum. She has been a nanny, tutor, preschool teacher, teacher’s aide, and K-6 teacher at a special needs school in the San Fernando Valley. Holly attended George Mason and California State Universities. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and a Master of Education. Holly is a firm believer in teaching to the whole child. She takes great care in creating a classroom that is supportive of academic, social, and emotional needs. Holly has a passion for all things creative and loves integrating arts into the core curriculum. She strives to nurture compassionate, critically-thinking students while building a classroom of love, laughter, and fun. In addition to teaching, she has a passion for sewing, playing guitar, and photography. She also leads a Girl Scout troop.

Laura Ruiz Bingham, Kindergarten

Laura began her teaching career in Santa Barbara at the Open Alternative School, where she taught K-2 for twelve years. During her employment with the Santa Barbara Elementary School District, Laura served as a Mentor Teacher for the district where she provided workshops to teachers on enhancing Diversity and Multicultural Education into the classroom. She also served as Co-Head Teacher for three years at OAS. After moving to Ventura, Laura worked for five years at the Open Classroom Magnet Program. She is a firm believer in progressive education and in providing families with educational choices for their children. Laura is one of the founders of Ventura Charter School and currently teaches Kindergarten. In addition to her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Laura also possesses a Learning Handicapped Specialist Credential, an Administrative Credential in Educational Leadership, and a Masters in Educational Leadership.

Liza Scheer, Grades 1-2

Liza realized she wanted to pursue teaching as a career as a senior in high school while tutoring a freshman in Algebra.  Seeing the light bulb go off in her student's head was all she needed to switch her career goals from engineering to teaching.  She obtained her teaching credential from Sam Houston State University in Texas with a major in elementary education and a minor in math.  Her 25-plus years of teaching experience is in a wide array of areas including elementary and middle school as well as several years in the homeschool community.  Liza discovered progressive education while searching for an alternative school for her oldest son and hasn't looked back since.  She spent many years with her three children at Conejo Open Alternative School in Thousand Oaks in which she was heavily involved in the classrooms of all three of her children. She also served on the board of their parent organization.  

Allison Krist, Grades 1-2

Allison grew up in Ventura and is glad to be back teaching in her hometown. She went to the University of California, Santa Barbara for her undergraduate studies and majored in Environmental Studies. After she graduated, Allison began teaching environmental education in local elementary schools. Standing among students who were singing and acting out the life cycle of a steelhead trout, she knew that she wanted to become a teacher. She gained experience as an Instructional Assistant and through working with children with special needs, and eventually went back to school and received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters Degree in Education, also from UCSB. She brings to the classroom her desire to form meaningful connections with her students, while helping them realize their full potential and become well-rounded, successful students and members of the community.

Allan Viscarra, Grades 1-2

Allan brings to the classroom his love of music, art, travel, and the outdoors. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from UC Berkeley in 2005 and now holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters Degree in Education from UCSB. Before joining Ventura Charter School, Allan gained experience at Open Alternative School in Santa Barbara working as a substitute teacher and as an in-class aide for special needs students. In the classroom Allan aims to guide young people in discovering their strengths and interests in the world around them through child-centered activities and real world experiences.

Courtney Firth-Williams, Grades 3-4

Courtney realized her passion for education and teaching through coaching skiing and soccer in Lake Tahoe. Shortly after she attended Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village to receive her Master's degree in Education and then continued to add an additional ESL endorsement. After living in Lake Tahoe for 10 years, Courtney moved down to Reno to become the educational Liaison and start writing curriculum for a company that produced energy and water efficiency programs country-wide. When presented with the opportunity to rejoin the classroom, she jumped at the chance to teach again. She has taught 5th and 3rd grade for the past 5 years and will be entering her 6th year teaching here at Ventura Charter School. She loves that every year is a new adventure and opportunity to learn new things with her students in the classroom. Courtney brings with her, in addition to a love of reading and science, a passion for the outdoors, sports, and the inquiry process. She has an approach to learning that allows for natural everyday inquiries to become learning opportunities.

Jessica Murphy, Grades 3-4

Jessica received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Bachelor's Degree in Education with a Minor in Spanish from the University of Southern California (USC). She received a Master's for Educational Leadership at California Lutheran University (CLU) in 2008. She started her career in Oxnard teaching gifted and talented students (GATE) and was a member of their Leadership Committee. With her project-based and constructivist learning approach, she made the easy transition to Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education. Outside of teaching, Jessica enjoys traveling. She spent six months in Spain as well as one month in Costa Rica enhancing her Spanish skills. She developed a love for sports, playing competitive softball for 11 years and tennis throughout high school. Jessica brings her enthusiasm and experience into the classroom as she challenges her students to think critically to construct meaning from their environment.

Bethany Ellis, Grades 3-4

Bethany earned her Masters in Education and Multiple Subject Certification from University of California, Santa Barbara. An East Coast native, Bethany completed her undergraduate work in Pennsylvania where she created her own major in Peace and Conflict Resolution. She first discovered her love of teaching as an environmental educator for the National Audubon Society in the Hudson River Valley where she led stream studies, hikes and canoe rides for young students. She went on to teach preschool and Kindergarten at a parent-teacher cooperative school in Philadelphia, PA. Since moving to Santa Barbara, Bethany has taught in a variety of local schools. She incorporates real life contexts, music, technology and character building into her curriculum. When she is not teaching, Bethany can be found birding, baking and playing with her dog, Poppy.

Chris Pena, Grades 5-6

Chris grew up in the small town of Three Rivers, CA and was surrounded by wonderful teachers who taught him the importance of education. In fifth grade he had the opportunity to experience one of the best teachers he could imagine. This teacher just happened to be his grandmother. Because of this source of inspiration, Chris has always seen the value in working to guide young people toward fulfilling their potential. After high school, Chris went to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA and graduated with a degree in Cross-Cultural Sociology. He then went on to work in the Santa Barbara community as a Residential Counselor and Street Outreach Worker at Noah's Anchorage youth crisis shelter. Chris then moved to Colorado where he continued his career in social work before deciding to follow his dream of becoming a teacher. After receiving a multi-subject teaching license, Chris took a job at Westridge Elementary in Littleton, Colorado, where he moved back and forth between teaching 5th and 6th grades. Chris is excited to be back in California and working as a part of the Ventura Charter community. He brings to the classroom his goal of connecting with each student on an individual level and is committed to relevant and meaningful subject matter, mutual respect, a diverse outlook on education, and a focus on social justice and social/environmental responsibility.

Karen Mercer, Grades 5-6

Karen Mercer has been teaching with Ventura Charter since its inception in 2006-2007. Karen has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Antioch University and a Bachelors degree in History/Politics from UC Santa Cruz. Karen has been working with children for over 10 years as an outdoor and environmental educator, early literacy tutor, math teacher, and science specialist. Karen's years as an outdoor educator convinced her of the power of experiential constructivist learning. She brings those experiences to the profession of "indoor education" at Ventura Charter School. She is committed to making the Ventura Charter middle school a meaningful and exciting place to live and learn together as a community.

Susan Melican, Grades 5-6

Susie Melican graduated from UCSB in 2004 with her multiple subject credential and Masters in Education. For nine years she worked as a second, third, and fourth grade teacher at Open Alternative School in Santa Barbara. Before stepping into the classroom she worked in a variety of outdoor education programs as a garden teacher, environmental educator, and wilderness trip leader. She shares her love for the outdoors with her students and strives to foster meaningful connections between students and the natural world. In the classroom Susie works to build a strong community of learners where all students feel supported in their academic, social, and emotional growth and celebrated for their unique gifts and talents. She shares her love for the arts with students, integrating visual and performing arts across the curriculum. Susie is excited to work with students, parents, and Ventura Charter School staff to create a vibrant and positive learning environment for all students.

Ivy Brown, Grades 5-6

Ivy  moved to Ventura from Boston where she studied International Business and Italian at Northeastern University. After volunteering in elementary schools in Ventura and Santa Barbara, Ivy fell in love with teaching, and decided to pursue a career in the classroom. She went on to earn her Master's in Education and Multiple Subject Certification from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While completing her teaching credential, Ivy was introduced to Ventura Charter School, and was fortunate enough to complete her student teaching there. After graduating from UCSB, she knew that Ventura Charter was the place where she wanted develop as an educator, and was thrilled to become a part of their staff. Ivy strives to create learning environments that engage and welcome all students, and values connecting with each of her students as individuals. Outside of the classroom, Ivy can be found cooking, gardening, and spending time with her friends.

Shelly Ballmer, Grades 7-8

Shelly Ballmer has been involved in education for more than twenty years. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from U.C.S.B. She has taught every grade from preschool to eighth grade, including one-on-one work with autistic children and at-risk teens through Home Hospital Program. Her experience includes constructivist education, multi-grade and multi-generational education, Montessori preschool, and unschooling her own children. She is experienced in alternative assessments, project-based learning, and child-centered education. An avid lover of children, she has also spent multiple years as a summer camp counselor where she pursues her main passion- drama. She has directed, choreographed, and oftentimes written plays and musicals for children for the last 20 years. She includes movement and drama into her program on a weekly basis and firmly believes in the Chinese proverb: "Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand." She believes a sense of community in the classroom to be a vital component in the learning environment, and is extremely passionate about the reality that children have multiple intelligences and learning styles that must be celebrated, not endured. Her new passions are team building, council, and outdoor education, having just gone through training at Earth Village School and directed their Native American-based drama program.

Christi Sandbach, Grades 7-8

Christi Sandbach is thrilled to return to California and to Ventura Charter School after living in New Jersey for the last 3 years and teaching at Voyagers Community School, a private progressive k-12 school in Eatontown, NJ.   Throughout her career, she has worked with children in a range of grade levels including kindergarten through 12th^th grade.  As a Ventura Charter School founding teacher, she was instrumental in developing the Middle School program.Christi received a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology in 1997 and a Masters in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2001.  She currently holds a California K-8 Multiple Subject Credential as well as New Jersey teaching credentials for both Elementary K-6 and English K-12. As a progressive educator of 15 years, she is passionate about constructivist, project-based education that honors the whole-child.  Christi is dedicated to creating a learning environment where curiosity guides the course of study, where community is strengthened through a sense of belonging, connection, and mutual respect, where teacher and student are partners in education, practicing the habits of life-long learning together.  During her spare time, Christi enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading and being in the outdoors: running, hiking, camping, and going to the beach as often as she can. 

Flow Hansmeier, Grades 7-8

I'm beyond thrilled to return this year as the Language Arts teacher on the 7/8 team. My focus is inspiring thoughtful, passionate reading and writing in a workshop model. For me a meaningful education incorporates choice, laughter, change, hands on projects, humor, real life experience, lots of time in the great outdoors, sharing good food, community building, connection, the company of Babou, outstanding teachers who love their job and are surrounded by support, trust and freedom and lots of heartfelt reading and writing. I believe our students deserve the very same. I knew I wanted to teach as a child. I love being around kids of all ages. I grew up in San Diego, attended Santa Clara University in the Bay Area and earned my teaching credential at Cal State University Channel Islands. For ten years I was an Outdoor Educator and taught students in a variety of amazing outdoor environments all over the West ranging from our deserts, forests, mountains, the redwoods, streams, creeks, rivers and my favorite place, the ocean and Emerald Bay, Catalina. I've taught a variety of grades at VCS and taught for a year in our VCS Homeschool program. I'm happy to call Ventura home where I live and play with my husband James, our children Otto and Iris and our dog Babou. If you need to find me come check put our comfy 7/8th grade enormous reading couch corner where I'll be engrossed with students pouring over the library, writers busy conferencing and our minds ablaze with inspiration. Lastly, my real name is Kim. I got the nickname "Flow" while guiding students down the Colorado River in canoes. "Go with the Flow!"

Terri Hooson, Intervention Teacher

Terri holds a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Literacy and Social Justice from Antioch University, LA and has taught for seventeen years in constructivist classrooms. Terri has taught graduate courses in Language Arts Methodology at Antioch University and at the University of California Santa Barbara, has served as a Mentor Teacher, and has lead workshops for teachers in the areas of Writing Workshop, Guided Reading, Compassionate Communication, Community Building, and Reading Workshop. She is a voracious reader and is ecstatic about her position as a Reading Intervention Teacher. She is dedicated to helping children discover joy in the process of learning about themselves and the world through reading and writing. When not at school you can find Terri reading or playing outside with her playful daughter and fun-loving husband.

Eo Reveles, Middle School PE Teacher

Eo has been a teacher for eight years. She started out as a PE teacher in Santa Barbara and then joined the Open Classroom team for two years. She also taught in K-8 as a substitute teacher for two years. She joined the VCS family in 2013-2014 as a new mother after taking a year off to raise her son, Yiorgo. She has her Bachelor’s Degree from UCSB as a double major in Global Studies and Religious Studies. Eo received her Multiple-Subject credential and Master’s in Education from Antioch University in Santa Barbara. She began her journey working with kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Santa Barbara 14 years ago. She worked in the daycare, with Teens, and on outdoor expeditions to Mammoth and Santa Cruz. Eo’s teaching philosophy is that students learn best when they feel safe to make mistakes. Eo loves to travel. She spent three months in Mexico and Central America absorbing the culture and improving her Spanish speaking skills. Her parents are both Greek and she has spent many a summer visiting extended family in Greece and traveling around Europe. Eo loves to bring her culture and interests into the classroom.