A message from our founder

When I began my teaching career in 2007, it was with the goal of providing equality of opportunity through education to more children in our country. In the past twelve years, what opportunity looks like, and the skills needed to take advantage of opportunities when they appear, have evolved quite a bit. Advances in technology have meant that more people can create and connect than ever before, but to take advantage of that technology and all the new tools at our disposal, people need the know-how and the confidence that they can put these tools to good use. That means a sense of agency.

Regardless of what a child wants to do in life, having a sense of agency is an essential disposition for achieving satisfaction, significance, or success. This is the mission at the heart of Red Bridge – to develop a sense of agency in every child as the foundation for academic and life success. Traditional schools are designed to reward and support compliance. Red Bridge is designed to reward and support agency. Instead of passively receiving information, students become active drivers of their own learning. The result: lifelong learners who can’t wait to get to school each morning.

Shifting the core school design principle from one of passive transfer of knowledge to one of “agency” means redeveloping all the systems and structures of school. That means the student experience won’t look just like what you remember from your K-8 days, but the meaningful pieces will still be there: teachers your children love, exciting hands-on projects, academic challenge, and the stuff every child looks forward to - field trips, the Halloween parade, etc.

While many of the tactical approaches of Red Bridge are new, the values come from a long history of progressive educators, including John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Deborah Meier. And in addition, we’ve learned a lot about child development thanks to advances in cognitive science, and psychology over the last fifty years, all of which will be incorporated into the Red Bridge curriculum and implemented by a team of experienced teachers and subject-matter experts who share the Red Bridge mission.

I welcome you to join us on our journey as a founding family, curious educator or champion of this new approach to K-8 education.

BioOrly Friedman is the founder and Head of School at Red Bridge. Before launching Red Bridge, Orly was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Transcend. She spent a year creating a blueprint for a new model of education designed to foster a sense of agency in students. Prior to that, she spent four years as the Head of Lower School and a member of the founding team of Khan Lab School in Mountain View. She taught elementary school for five years in Washington, DC where she was a Teach for America corps member. She has spoken around the globe on the topic of student agency, and had her writing published in Education Week and EducationNext.EducationStanford Graduate School of Business, MBAGeorge Mason University, MA Early Childhood EducationYale University, BA Urban Studies — **Bio**
Orly Friedman is the founder and Head of School at Red Bridge. Before launching Red Bridge, Orly was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Transcend. She spent a year creating a blueprint for a new model of education designed to foster a sense of agency in students. Prior to that, she spent four years as the Head of Lower School and a member of the founding team of Khan Lab School in Mountain View. She taught elementary school for five years in Washington, DC where she was a Teach for America corps member. She has spoken around the globe on the topic of student agency, and had her writing published in *Education Week* and *EducationNext.*
**Education**
Stanford Graduate School of Business, MBA
George Mason University, MA Early Childhood Education
Yale University, BA Urban Studies

Orly Friedman
Founder

School team

**Bio**
A Bay Area native, Nikita began her journey in the field of education after college when she joined Teach for America as a 5th grade teacher for Clark County School District in Las Vegas. In her career as a teacher, she has taught everything from 1st grade to 4th grade at district, public charter, and independent schools. She also spent two years designing curriculum for an education technology company in San Francisco. As both a teacher and curriculum designer, Nikita understood the power of engaging students in deeper learning. She is passionate about designing learning experiences for students that are meaningful and rigorous.
**Education**
UNLV, MEd in Curriculum and Instruction
UC Berkeley, BA in Public Health

Nikita Khetan
Head of Program & Small Group Instructor

Abby has worked in education for over ten years, focusing on early childhood education. She has experience as a teacher and administrator at Red Hook Playgroup and AltSchool. Most recently, Abby worked as Assistant Head of School and helped her school transition to distance learning.
Abby has spent her years in education prioritizing social justice, specifically engaging in conversations with even the youngest learners. She wrote her master’s thesis on peer friendships and peer relationships, which culminated in writing a children's story about a dog named Zadie who travels throughout New York City, finding friends along the way.
Abby has lived in Brooklyn for the past 11 years. This summer she is moving back to her home state of California.
**Education**
Bank Street College of Education, M.S. in Early Childhood Education
Connecticut College, B.A. Gender & Women Studies, B.A. Religious Studies

Abby Wilkes Head of Operations & Small Group Instructor

Kristin Goodell has been teaching pre-kindergarten to second grade for the past ten years. An educational background in psychology grounds her teaching in child development and drives her inquiry to ascertain how each student learns best. Her aspiration is to translate her passion for teaching into a love of learning within each child. She is inspired daily by the enthusiasm and creativity of children and loves guiding student learning through discovery, exploration, and peer collaboration. Kristin is dedicated to educating the whole child through social-emotional learning, instilling a growth mindset, and fostering intrinsic motivation. Above all else, she works to ensure that each child feels safe, loved, heard, and appreciated in the classroom and beyond! She is thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with families and actualize the Red Bridge mission.
**Education**
University of Northern Colorado, M.A. in Literacy Instruction
BYU, B.S. in Psychology

Kristin Goodell Learning Guide Autonomy Level 1

Rachel believes that relationships are the foundation to growth and success in the classroom. She is excited to be part of a team that places students at the center of all choices. Rachel’s passion for teaching developed early while teaching dance in her hometown in Southern California. Her studies as an undergraduate psychology student at UC San Diego motivated her to join Teach For America as a Las Vegas Valley Corps Member in 2012 and she has been committed to developing joyful learners ever since. In 2014, Rachel moved to San Jose and spent 7 years in elementary charter, district, and independent schools. Most recently, she was a 3rd grade teacher at Campbell School of Innovation, a public school with a focus on design thinking. When she is not designing curriculum or hunting for the next great read-aloud, Rachel enjoys playing with her pets: a dog, a cat, and a rabbit!
**Education**
UNLV, MEd in Curriculum and Instruction
UC San Diego, BA in Psychology

Rachel Smallwood Learning Guide Autonomy Level 2

Jenny Bennett has been an educator for more than a decade. Most recently she served as a third-grade teacher and literacy curriculum leader at an innovative, independent school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She also has experience in early childhood education. Jenny believes that children learn best in an environment where they feel a sense of belonging, have voice and choice, and can work with others to accomplish things that really matter. Over her career, Jenny has developed expertise in curriculum development, culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional learning, and Mind, Brain, & Education (MBE). Outside of school, you will most likely find her on a paddle board, cruising in a sailboat, or snuggling with her rescue cat.
**Education**
University of Minnesota, B.A. Foundations of Elementary Education
University of Minnesota, M.A. Elementary Education

Jenny Bennett Learning Guide Autonomy Level 3

After growing up in the Philadelphia area, Eric Gladstone moved West where he became a lecturer in Cinema at San Francisco State University. Interested in working with younger students, he transitioned to elementary education and found his true calling and joy. After teaching at various schools in the Bay Area for the last 10 years, Eric is thrilled to be joining the Red Bridge team, where he is excited to share his passion for math and the way it informs our understanding of both the natural world and human-made enterprises like art and music. Eric loves spending time with his wife and two young children, whether taking walks or playing sports.
**Education**
Williams College, B.A. in American Studies
San Francisco State University, M.F.A. in Cinema

Eric Gladstone Math & Observation Specialist

Born and raised in the Central Valley, Jimmy has spent the last 8 years in the Bay Area. He is passionate about interrupting inequitable outcomes and strives to meet the needs of all learners. He believes children learn best when they feel safe and welcome in the classroom. His teaching experience ranges from teaching literacy to 2nd graders to instructing classes on college application writing for high school seniors.
Jimmy is excited to be a part of Red Bridge’s founding community and carry out a new approach to education. Beyond teaching, he enjoys strength training, exploring new trails, and searching for the best hot chicken sandwich spot!
**Education**
Stanford University, B.A. in Sociology, Minor in Education

Jimmy Vang Associate Teacher

Michelle Capobres has over twenty years of experience in education, program design, and nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she spent over ten years working for Aim High where she oversaw curriculum development, teacher professional development, and program evaluation. She began her career in education as an English teacher in China, and taught high school social studies for several years.
Michelle is skilled at developing curriculum grounded in deeper learning and project-based learning, and is committed to educational equity. She served on the Executive Board of the People of Color in Independent Schools of Northern California and was in the second cohort of the Deeper Learning Leadership Forum. Outside of work, you might find Michelle listening to music, cheering on Detroit sports teams, or floating in a body of water.
Education
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, B.A. Asian Studies
Teachers College Columbia University, M.A. Social Studies Teaching
San Francisco State University, M.P.A. Nonprofit Administration
(in progress) University of San Francisco, Ed.D. Organization and Leadership

Michelle Capobres Middle School Lead

PaJah Vang is passionate about creating purposeful, adaptive, and accessible education. As the oldest of five children, she has seen how an intentional childhood education can transform the lives of students, families, and entire communities. Her joy for teaching evolved from her time as a Kindergarten teacher's assistant. Since then, she has gone on to mentor high school students through the college application process and lead workshops at youth conferences. Most recently, she taught extracurricular math, writing and public speaking classes to students between the ages of 7-14.

She is thrilled to be at Red Bridge where creativity and student initiative are centered, and is excited to teach and learn from her students. Outside of the classroom, you'll find PaJah curled up with a good book, crocheting, or watercolor painting!

Education

Stanford University, B.A. in English