Gail Ewell is the founder and Executive Director of the Hope Technology School. She brings both personal and professional experience creating inclusive educational environments to our school. Her dream for combining both typical and special needs children in a classroom where everyone's potential can be developed has become our defining vision. Gail's leadership and management strength, rooted in her belief that teamwork and inclusion are essential for success, have helped our staff and students make Hope Technology School a reality.

She demonstrates an aptitude and passion for working with both neurotypical students and students with developmental differences. Gail fosters a culture of collaboration with clear communication, rigorous goal setting, and exceptional service delivery that pervades the entire school. As a team leader she develops and designs comprehensive programs for the schools growth and productivity. Gail works together with HTS Program Managers in an ongoing process of evaluating and refining the school's existing educational and therapeutic model and its implementation. Gail provides a genuine and sincere commitment to the mission of inclusion at HTS, as well as strategic plan and vision.

She has a proven track record of building partnerships and alliances across sectors, communities, and fields of practice with an ability to inspire and attract leadership to HTS.

Gail has been a successful public speaker, coordinator of special conferences, and innovator of special projects. She graduated from Northeastern University in 1983 with a degree in education and an emphasis in Human Services. In 1998, she created an Exceptional Children's Program worldwide, a non-profit project which empowers families through specialized classes and inclusion services for children with special needs, parent support groups, community conferences, as well as inclusive sports programs. Before founding Hope Technology School in 2001, Gail assisted in founding E-Soccer, an inclusive soccer program that was honored with the Jefferson Award in 2007.

John Taliaferro serves as the Principal for the Hope Technology School. He has over twenty years of experience in elementary education as a teacher and administrator. He has written curriculum for use in the elementary classroom in math and history and has taught in a center for gifted education as a math and science teacher. During his career he has taught both traditional classes in a regular classroom setting and multi-grade combination classes. The combined classes provided services for gifted and talented students as well as those in the special education program.

John received his Master's Degree in 1986 from Virginia Polytechnic University in elementary administration. He received his BS in Biology from Abilene Christian College. John was trained as a fellow in the Northern Virginia Writing Project as a teacher of writing and led workshops for teachers. John also has teaching experience with middle school and high school students in summer school programs. He is proud to be a part of the HTS program.

Tracey Howell has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Princeton University. After graduation she taught math, biology, chemistry and general science to secondary school students. She was recognized as one of the new up and coming teachers and given a fellowship to Columbia University for their Master's Program in Curriculum. She worked for Teach for America, a non-profit group that matched Ivy-League graduates with inner-city schools for a two-year commitment to teach.

Her love for children and her own experience as a mother of a special needs child has led her to help establish support services for families. She has assisted in organizing conferences and support group meetings for parents as well as developing programs to support special needs children in class situations outside school. She is bringing a variety of experience to the program.

Sandra Burke has been working with children and adults with communication difficulties for 15 years. She has worked in several settings, such as home health care, assistive living facilities, special day classes, public and private schools, and university clinics.

She received her Master of Science degree in Communicative Disorders with an emphasis in Speech and Language Pathology from San Francisco State University in 2005. She finished her clinical fellowship year in September 2006 at Hope Technology School. Sandra is a licensed speech-language pathologist, has her national certification through the America Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and obtained a California Credential in Clinical Rehabilitative Services. Prior to graduate school, Sandra studied Special Education and Linguistics at San Francisco State University.

She has been trained in ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), Integrated Play Group therapy, Links to Language, Tomatis Auditory Re-Education Therapy, Feeding Therapy, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She is very excited to be working at school that focuses on full-inclusion.

Laura Garcia has been working as a teacher in the Preschool Program since 2005. She has been directing the Hope Technology preschool program since 2006. She began working with both neurotypical children and children with special needs in 1998. Laura received her Bachelor's degree in Child and Adolescent Development with an emphasis in 'The Young Child and Families' at San Francisco State University. She has earned all of her Early Childhood Education units. Her experience includes teaching in after-school programs and working one on one with children with special needs. She has experience as a bilingual reading tutor and a teacher assistant in a kindergarten Spanish speaking class.

Gema Geronimo graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University and received a BA degree in English and a credential and Master's degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Mild to Moderate disabilities in 2010. Gema has experience working with children of all ages from infancy through high school and is excited to join our preschool team!

Jynette has been working at the Hope Technology School since the summer of 2004. She began as a para-educator while working to complete the credential program through California State University, Fresno. She has worked with children of all capacities since 1997; she has experience teaching pre-school through 2nd grade. Jynette also has experience in the public school system, non-profit organizations, as well as working with individual families.

In addition to her experience working at Hope Technology School, Jynette has volunteered for organizations and individuals to enrich the lives of children. She volunteers for a non-profit soccer program, and has worked one-on-one with children with special needs in both school and home settings. She has volunteered as a storyteller for public schools, and has also hosted track and field clinics for students of ages 8 through adult. She takes pleasure in working with children to help them succeed to the best of their ability.

Jynette earned her Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and multiple subject CLAD (Cross-Cultural Language Academic Development) credential from California State University at Fresno.

Bob earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Portland State University. Prior to coming to the Kindergarten and 1st grade at Hope Technology School in 2002, Bob's experience teaching had been in 3rd through 5th grade at New Vistas Christian School in Martinez, CA. New Vistas specializes in working with children with Specific Language Disabilities. Bob is trained and certified to teach the Slingerland Method, which is a sequential, simultaneous, multi-sensory approach to teaching language arts.

Bob's vision and experience in working with individual children integrates perfectly into the inclusion program at HTS. He is constantly on the lookout for the ways that each child can grow and learn, and how he can help them to meet their full potential.

Amy has been working in the field of education since 1994. She has experience teaching preschool through 3rd grades and is certified to teach through the 8th grade. Amy brings much experience in reading instruction and assessment to HTS, and was involved in the California Reading and Literature Project.

Amy continually expands her knowledge of reading/writing instruction for young children through professional development workshops and conferences. Amy has also added to her experience with children with special needs by volunteering in an inclusive soccer program. She is also trained in Integrated Play Groups, and she has served as a mentor teacher for student teachers in the credential program.

Amy earned her Bachelor of Arts in Child Development with a minor in Psychology from California State University at Chico. She holds a multiple subject CLAD (Cross-Cultural Language Academic Development) credential that she earned at California State University at Sacramento.

Kim Murray serves as our 3rd grade teacher at HTS She joined our staff in 2005. Kim studied Art at the University of Hawaii and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1995. She went on to earn her Elementary Teaching Certificate in Regular Education.

After completing the program, she began teaching Visually Impaired students at a middle school while simultaneously enrolled in a state funded program training teachers in the area of Mild-to-Moderate Disabilities in Special Education. As a result, the State of Hawaii awarded her a Special Education Endorsement for her Teaching Certificate. She has also taught in the special day class setting in Hawaii and California for grades three through five. Kim is comfortable working with a range of students' needs and abilities.

Gina Kiyuna has been in the field of education since 1994. In her early career, Gina worked with a diverse population in an elementary school of an inner-city school district where she educated typical first and third grade students many of whom were bilingual. She then entered the field of deaf education where she taught deaf/hard-of-hearing students in various junior high, elementary and early intervention classrooms using American Sign Language (ASL), Total Communication (using SEE), and an Oral/Aural approach. In addition to teaching this specialized group of students, Gina also has experience working with children who have speech and language delays (not related to hearing loss), and children who have autism/PDD.

Gina has been trained in ABA (applied behavioral analysis, TEACCH, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and in facilitating Integrated Play Groups. She has also been through a number of trainings and workshops for GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science), the California Reading and Literacy Project, and Tribes (fostering classroom community and inclusion).

Gina earned her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991. She holds two California credentials: a regular education multiple subject CLAD (Cross-Cultural Language Academic Development) credential, as well as a special education communication-handicapped credential, with an emphasis in deaf education. In 1999, Gina received her Master's degree in Special Education, with an emphasis in deaf education from San Francisco State University.

Gina also serves as Hope Technology School's Full-Inclusion Specialist. Having a dual credential, as well as teaching experience in both regular and special education enables her to provide consultations for classroom accommodations and curricular modifications that support both the special needs child and the classroom teacher. Gina thrives on teaching and seeing the students grow, and is especially excited to be collaborating with such a talented staff.

Nadia has been working at the Hope Technology School since of 2005. After graduating from San Francisco State with a double BA in Liberal Studies and Dance Education, Nadia went on to earn her multiple subject CLAD (Cross-Cultural Language Academic Development) credential from San Francisco State University. She has worked with children of all capacities and has experience teaching pre-school, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade. Nadia also has experience in the public school system, non-profit organizations, as well as working with individual families. She has mentored children with special needs through a mentoring program, taught dance as well as reading in inner city schools and worked in afterschool programs facilitating programs in the arts. Nadia has gone through a number of trainings and workshops to extend her education and to continue her education in the field of Mild to Moderate disabilities. She received training and certification to teach the Slingerland Method, which is a sequential, simultaneous, multi-sensory approach to teaching language arts. Nadia enjoys teaching children how to reach their full potential in an inclusive environment.

Christine Jones has been working with children of all abilities in various settings for over 10 years. She has been working for Hope Technology School since 2002.

After receiving her Bachelors of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University, she continued her studies to pursue a graduate degree. Christine received her Master's degree in Mild-Moderate Disabilities in May 2005. In September of that same year, she completed coursework and training for a certificate in Educational Therapy, enabling her to assess and provide intervention for students with learning disabilities.

In the Spring of 2006, Christine received her special education credential in Mild-Moderate Disabilities. In addition to these accomplishments, Christine has also received training in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Aumentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Tribes - a program that promotes inclusion in the classroom. Christine finds great joy in working with students and seeing them grow and change.

Howard has taught at the Hope Technology School since its inception in 2001. Since then he has been nominated to the "Who's Who Among Americas Teachers" for three consecutive years.

He has a Masters Degree in Mild-to-Moderate Special Education and a teaching credential in Mild-to-Moderate Special Education from San Francisco State University. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Child Development, with a minor in Music, from California State University, Sacramento.

During his 13 years of working in Early Childhood Education, he has worked as a Head Teacher, Site Supervisor, and as a case manager for various county agencies.

Through the use technologies such as student video projects, Howard's has brought another dimension to the classroom. Howard Kiyuna is a cornerstone in Hope Technology School's foundation.With his "make-it-happen" attitude, creative teaching, and broad range of talents, Howard is an asset to our staff at Hope Technology School.

Jennifer is the social studies teacher in our middle school program. Jennifer graduated Magna Cum Laude from California State University in Monterey. She has a degree in Liberal Studies. She is continuing her education to receive a Master's Degree and teaching credential in special education from San Francisco State University.

Aubrey works with our fifth graders and she has a degree in History from the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated with Honors. She is looking forward to pursuing her teaching credential while gaining experience at the Hope Technology School.

Beverly received her Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication from Menlo College; she is working with our first and second graders. She has spent many hours volunteering in community programs tutoring and mentoring high school and middle school students.

Tajmah has been working at Hope Technology School since the fall of 2007. She is currently working as a para-educator and attending school at Canada College to get her degree in Child Development with an emphasis in mild to moderate disabilities. Tajmah has volunteered for a non- profit soccer program and has worked one- on one- with children with special needs in both school and home settings. She has also had experience working in the public school system through volunteer work and community service as well. Tajmah enjoys working with children and seeing them grow.

Zack graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Sociology and an emphasis in Human Services and Technology. He has experience working one on one with children with autism and has volunteered extensively with children with special needs. Zack will be assisting in the 6th and 7th grade.