Mindy has been an educator for over 20 years and earned her Bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and her Master’s degree in Education from High Tech High Graduate School of Education.
Mindy taught various grades from kindergarten up to 8th grade in Northern California. She moved to San Diego 8 years ago to earn a M.Ed. degree in Teacher Leadership and was part of the founding staff of an innovative public school in Poway School District, Design39Campus. Additionally, Mindy has supported new teachers as an adjunct professor at USD and speaks regularly at education conferences and as a consultant with PBLConsulting. Most recently, Mindy was the Founding Principal of Sisu Academy, a tuition-free boarding school for young women here in San Diego.
Mindy brings 20+ years of experience creating meaningful and relevant learning experiences with students in elementary and middle school grades to Benchley-Weinberger Elementary. While serving in these positions, Mindy has demonstrated profound expertise and passion for blending entrepreneurialism, Design Thinking, Personalization and Project Based Learning together to create hands-on, engaging projects that connect students to the world outside the classroom.
As a passionate educator and learner, she believes that every student in every classroom deserves to have the best education possible; not by chance but by design and effort.
Whether teaching in a classroom or leading a school, Mindy’s core values are relationships, trust and learner-centered education. She works hard to know her staff and students well. She is excited to join a school that already has such a positive, loving culture and can’t wait to expand the communication vision already in place.
When Mindy takes a rare break from thinking about education, she can be found on the beach or camping at a National Park drinking coffee in the fresh air with her husband Tom and two children, Chase and Noah.