2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Learning by Doing
The Bay Area Teacher
Training Institute (BATTI) is the Bay Area beacon for how to prepare and support aspiring independent and public school teachers and leaders.
Message from the Executive Director
Dear BATTI Community,
As I reflect on this past year, I feel a profound sense of pride, not just in what we ' ve accomplished, but in how we ' ve grown together as an organization committed to transforming education.
This year has been one of remarkable evolution. We've expanded our reach, launching BATTI Beyond the Bay, to bring our signature residency model to aspiring teachers throughout California. We've deepened our commitment to building a diverse teaching force that truly reflects the students in our classrooms. We've continued to refine our practice, ensuring that every resident receives the mentorship, instruction, and support they need to become exceptional educators.
None of this would be possible without the partners who have stood alongside us, some since our founding in 2002. To the schools that open their doors to our residents, the mentor teachers and supervisors who generously share their expertise, the instructors who bring passion to every seminar, and the donors who invest in our mission: your steadfast belief in our work sustains us. You are the foundation upon which we build.
As I look toward the future of education, I see both challenge and extraordinary possibility. The landscape is shifting rapidly, yet this fundamental truth remains unchanged: great teachers change lives. In an era of increasing complexity, young people need educators who can create joyful, purposeful learning environments, teachers who see each child's potential and possess the skills to unlock it.
This is the work that calls us forward. This is t this is the legacy we are building together, o one transformed community at a time.
With deep gratitude and boundless optimism, Dr. Ashlee Gutierrez Executive Director
BATTI’s Impact by the numbers
Cohorts of Graduates
Job Placement Rate
Teachers Trained
Partner Schools
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the mentors, supervisors, instructors, and partner schools who collaborate with us to make this impact a reality.
Innovating for Impact
This year, BATTI launched our inaugural Innovating for Impact Awards, honoring alumni who exemplify excellence in teaching and educational leadership. At a spirited celebration, we recognized three outstanding educators whose innovative approaches are transforming classrooms and shaping the future of education in the Bay Area and beyond.
Congratulations to our 2025 honorees: Kate Juergens, Christine Park, and Gina Cargas
We look forward to making this an annual tradition celebrating the extraordinary impact of BATTI graduates who continue to inspire students, lead with vision, and strengthen our vibrant community of educators.
7:30 AM — Arrive at School
A Day In My Life
Meet Madeleine, a firstyear BATTI resident at Head Royce in Oakland.
Madeleine unlocks her classroom, coffee in hand, and arranges materials for the day. Her mentor teacher pops in with encouragement and a quick tip about the afternoon transition that makes Madeleine laugh.
8:00 AM — Greet Students
Twenty eager second-graders burst through the door seeking high-fives and hugs. Madeleine notices Carlos hanging back quietly. She makes a mental note to pull him aside during centers.
8:30 AM — Morning Meeting
The carpet circle erupts in giggles during a group activity. Madeleine catches her mentor teacher's approving nod from the back and feels a surge of confidence.
9:30 AM — Pull a Reading Group
While students buzz through literacy stations, Madeleine huddles with five readers at the table. "What do you think the character is feeling right now?" The lightbulb moments are why she does this.
12:00 PM — Supervise Lunch Recess
Two students approach with a playground conflict. Madeleine takes a breath and channels last week's BATTI discussion on restorative practices. It works! The kids leave as friends again.
1:00 PM — Run a Science Center
"What's happening to the ice?" Madeleine asks, watching eyes widen with discovery. She's using questioning techniques from her Teaching STEM course, and the kids are completely hooked.
3:30 PM — On the Road to Class
After debriefing with her mentor, Madeleine joins her carpool across the Bay Bridge. They discuss tonight's readings, swap classroom stories, and laugh about the chaos of picture day.
4:30 PM — Practice Math Instruction with Cohort
Madeleine teaches a mock multiplication lesson to her cohort. Her instructor offers feedback that shifts her whole approach. Her classmates cheer when she nails the revision.
7:30 PM — Head for Home
Driving home, Madeleine plans tomorrow's math stations using tonight's new strategy. Exhausted but energized, she texts her cohort group chat: "We've got this."
Alumni
Rick Sutton, Cohort 2
This year marks the fifth year I have organized an art fund raiser. The FES art program basically pays its own way. The money that ordinarily would go to art can be used for other important learning opportunities.
Cameron Yuen-Shore, Cohort 8
Starting year 10 at Brandeis and year 10 in independent school leadership
Judy Ennis, Cohort 8
I'd like to shout out Lili Beechinor, fellow BATTI alum, that is now teaching at my son ' s school in Davis! She is an absolutely exemplary educator and I am so impressed by her every day.
LeAnne Devol, Cohort 9
I have been working on an accessible bi-lingual document that supports the faculty and families of our school in the selection of inclusive literature using prompts that reflect our school communities DEI + values.
Mike Morrison, Cohort 9
I’m in my eighth year in China and switched to teaching second grade this year. My twin children turned 3 this year.
Alumni
Christine Park, Cohort 9
I presented at my first conference last year, and that was really fun. My doggedness at school has proven fruitful, and we are finally going to have a K-4-8-12 student crossover! I was asked to co-chair the strategic plan at my school, and that has been a really interesting and professionally-rewarding experience. My older son, Aiden, joined my school this year as a fifth grader!
Bret Turner, Cohort 10
The company I work for, Lovevery, released what we call The Reading Skill Set, which is a phonics-based reading program. Divided into three parts, it supports early literacy skills through games and books. I wrote all the books, from early decodables with one word per page all the way up through early chapter books, with all kinds of phonics rules and sticky words in between. I relied heavily on my experiences in Batti as well as teaching first and second grades during my teaching career, and was also excited to dive into the latest research and best practices in early literacy education.
Alumni
Renata Martin, Cohort 11
I am now the Changemaker Program Coordinator at my school! I had been teaching middle school humanities and science while doing service-related projects and facilitating the student Green Team on the side. I proposed starting an official service learning program a couple years ago -- and now it's happening! I am developing community partnerships and projects for grades K - 8, teaching a maker-style "Social Impact Studio" class for 6th - 8th grades, and expanding student leadership through the (96-person!) Green Team. I LOVE it -- I get to collaborate with teachers, administrators, students, families, and folks outside of our school walls, and support the students as they learn how to turn their dreams about justice and equity into reality.
Elise Holston, Cohort 12
Last year (2024-2025), I was awarded Teacher of the Year for the Central California Region (from CCEA plus)
Khara Cormia, Cohort 13
This year marks one decade of teaching post BATTI! Woohoo!
Lucy Clark, Cohort 12
I am still living on Gili Air, a small island in Indonesia, finding ways to support education here through fundraising and raising awareness to increase opportunities for children of the island.
Dawn Coons, Cohort 14
Shoutout to all BATTI alum and to the current cohort. It’s more important than ever that we remember what we were taught and that we support each other’s work.
Carole Lupi, Cohort 12
I got married this summer! Now my students call me: Mrs. Jackson!
Luke Bailey, Cohort 15
As a consultant in CDE’s School Fiscal Services Division, I have been grateful for the opportunity over the past year to public schools with technical assistance on a new statewide education program, Attendance Recovery.
Alumni
Maddy McGuire, Cohort 13
I ran into not one, not two, but three, of my students from my first year teaching after graduating from BATTI this summer! One of them was my preschooler’s swim instructor. It may seem trivial, but it has felt like such a milestone to now be running into my grown-up students so frequently. It is rewarding to hear their stories, share reflections with them about our time together in the classroom, and connect with them again when they’re all grown up. It’s been incredibly rewarding!
Taryn Colonnese, Cohort 14
My school, Vermont Farm and Forest School, was awarded a USDA Farm to School Grant in summer 2024. I have been writing curriculum focused on soil health, food systems, and climate resilience, which we are currently piloting in 17 3rd-5th grade classrooms across Vermont. Each teacher is paired with a local farmer for field trips to enhance the curriculum as well as for local food procurement. It has been amazing to be able to collaborate with so many teachers and farmers across the state!
Zach Bell, Cohort 15
I just ran into a student who was so hard on me my first year of BATTI and teaching (7th grade humanities) that I considered leaving teaching — and 9 years later, she hugged me, apologized, referred to me as her mentor, and seems like a caring young adult! Even when it seems like we really can't reach a student, we never know the impact we make.
Alumni
Jana Hattersley, Cohort 2
Jana and Jen DiPrisco ended up living in the same neighborhood of Lafayette, and their kids attended the same elementary, middle and high schools together. Now that their kids are older and more independent, Jana and Jen have returned to the classroom. Jana subs across K-5th grade at Happy Valley Elementary often and Jen works as an instructional aide in first grade, as well as with English Language Learners in the reading lab. Back together after twenty years!
Meredith (Kleinschmidt) Lentini, Cohort 4
married Rob Teague on September 20, 2025 at St. Stanislaus Latin Mass Catholic Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. I retired from teaching gifted and talented students and homeschool my son, Nino Lentini, and run Widowed Women Write, a group for widowed authors. I also chair the Lentini Symposium for Catholic Ethics in Patent Law, named in honor of my late husband, David P. Lentini, Esq.
Denise King-Howell, Cohort 4
My growing family is thriving and enjoying life!
Alumni
Eddy Imbsweiler, Cohort 16
I started graduate school to become a counselor. I am considering doing my internship with a child-centered counseling group.
Antona Stanley, Cohort 15
I’ve taken on a leadership role in addition to teaching I don’t want to leave the classroom but I love being able to support the my students as a whole class. This year will also be my 3rd year planning and running graduation. And last year the student asked me to give the commencement speech!
John O’Connor, Cohort 16
This summer, my family had a visit from an old friend and BATTI alumni Alex Taylor and his family on the east coast!
Hai Do, Cohort 17
It is really awesome to still be teaching in the classroom, but also be in a leadership position. Shoutout to Katie Ost. because we work at the same school now, did not go to BATTI at the same time, but have connected SO much on our experience of it.
Alumni
Sophie Eckert, Cohort 16
Shout out to Max Raynard for all his hard work fighting for public education in San Francisco and his Activism with the SFUSD teachers union!
Sean Delizo, Cohort 16
I’m now a parent of three wild and loveable children. They always keep me on my toes and make sure life stays spicy.
Professionally, as the Director of Education at the California Museum, a history museum in Sacramento, I’m afforded the honor of teaching other informal educators how to teach young people history and ethnic studies from perspectives often omitted from history books. I credit Marty for helping shape my teaching pedagogy rooted in social justice ans uplifting the voices of those too often silenced.
Alumni
Ben Doyle, Cohort 17
I’ve built out a physical computing, robotics lab at Claremont Middle over the last couple years and this year I’m collaborating with researchers at Sonoma State to pilot a coding/physical computing curriculum focused on learning electronic engineering.
I now have 3 credentials, Multi subject, Science, and Computer Science Supplementary authorization after completing additional training programs at UCLA exrension and San Fraancisco State.
Andrew Birling, Cohort 17
For the past two years I served on a subcommittee to help choose new foundational skills curriculum for OUSD. We reviewed three curricula individually, met and disseminated the materials as working group, chose two for district piloting, and then evaluated them in pilot classrooms to put forward a recommendation for adoption by the district.
Monica Kirkpatrick, Cohort 18
I was certified in Wilson Reading System Level 1.
Angie Gonzalez, Cohort 17
Last year I cleared my credential through BATTI, I was also a fellow at the UCLA Writing Project, and next summer I will have a Teaching Certification for Ethnic Studies.
Amelia Li-Bell, Cohort 18
I got married last summer!
Alumni
Frankey Ithaka, Cohort 18
When I transferred my credential to Washington State in 2022, I could only obtain an elementary endorsement. That summer, I was able to study for just one day for each test and easily take and pass the West E/NS tests for Multilingual Learners and for Humanities. This allowed me to enter teaching in Washington with three endorsements.
This past summer of 2025, I took and passed the West E/NS for Social Studies, allowing me to now be able to teach social studies at the high school level should I decide to do so.
I truly attribute my ability to transfer my credential and easily add endorsements to the work and time I spent with BATTI.
Emma Ambler, Cohort 20
I am having by far my favorite year of teaching of my life! Transitioned to a new age group and it is really lighting me up in a new way. It has transformed my teaching experience. I feel lit up by my work in a brand new way, and after 3 years struggling teaching middle schoolers, it feels like teaching could actually be my forever career. I live with my partner (who I met while in BATTI!) in a lovely communal house in Berkeley, walking distance to my school. Life is good these days!
Alumni
Julia Gonsalves, Cohort 20
Super proud of our current PBL “how can we unlock the magic of books and share it with our community.” Also, I got married last summer!
Josue Camacho, Cohort 22
I am working on my Induction Program and will be done with it in 2026. Apart from being a math teacher I am also now an 8th grade advisor and will be supporting students as they transition to high school.
Elena Byrd, Cohort 22
I’m in my first year as a lead middle school math teacher, and I’m loving it!
Ben Bronstein, Cohort 21
I enrolled in BATTI Induction this year.
Jennifer Vicente, Cohort 21
Once I graduated from BATTI, we were able to get pregnant and welcomed our baby boy, Isaías, in January 2025.
Keani Lastra, Cohort 22
Going from a classroom with 20 students and 2 teachers to having my own of 24 has been hard, but I’m managing alright! 3 of those 24 are also a part of the district’s special ed inclusion program I take pride in educating myself and my students on neurodiversity in general education spaces
Special shout-out to Christy Chang, a true mentor during BATTI and after So much of what I’m doing successfully in my own classroom now is a result of what I learned from Christy ❤
Message from the Board Chair
Dear Friends of BATTI,
It is my pleasure to share this year’s Annual Report and reflect on another season of growth, innovation, and purpose at the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute. As an organization, BATTI continues to demonstrate what’s possible when we invest deeply in people our residents, mentors, and school partners who are committed to creating equitable, joyful, and engaging classrooms.
This year marked an important milestone for BATTI with the launch of our new online cohort, expanding access to our combined credential and master’s pathway. This initiative allows aspiring teachers—wherever they are located—to experience BATTI’s hallmark model of “learning by doing” while maintaining the strong sense of community that defines our programs.
Looking ahead, we are thrilled to host the second annual Innovating for Impact event in January 2026. This gathering brings together educators, alumni, and partner schools to celebrate creativity, leadership, and transformative practices in teaching. Events like this reinforce BATTI’s role not only as a training institute but also as a hub for collaboration and innovation within our broader education community.
The Board remains focused on advancing BATTI’s strategic priorities: expanding program accessibility, deepening our equity commitments, and strengthening the pipeline of teacher-leaders who are shaping schools for the future. We are also committed to maintaining strong partnerships with schools that share our belief in mentorship, inclusion, and continuous learning.
I want to extend my gratitude to the entire BATTI team our faculty, mentors, staff, and partners—for their extraordinary work, and to our Board colleagues for their thoughtful stewardship and vision. To our donors, alumni, and friends, thank you for believing in this mission. Your support enables us to nurture educators who not only teach well but lead with purpose, empathy, and imagination.
I am proud of all we have accomplished together and inspired by what lies ahead. The work of teacher preparation has never been more essential, and I am confident that BATTI will continue to lead with integrity, innovation, and heart.
With Gratitude, Terri Hamer Board Chair
BATTI PROUDLY PARTNERS WITH
Alta Vista School
Katherine Delmar Burke School
East Bay Innovation Academy
Edna Brewer Middle School, OUSD
Hamlin
Head-Royce
Julia Morgan School for Girls
Kittredge
Marin Country Day School
Marin Horizon School
New School of San Francisco
Northern Lights School
Nueva School
Oakwood School
Park Day School
Phillips Brooks School
Presidio Hill
Presidio Knolls
Prospect Sierra
Redwood Day School
Sacred Heart Schools
Sacred Heart School Atherton
San Francisco Christian
San Francisco Friends School
San Mateo Park Elementary
St. Matthew’s Parish School
St. Paul’s Episcopal School
The Brandeis School of San Francisco
Town School for Boys
West Coast Mandarin School
Yu Ming
THANK YOU DONORS
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO THE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHICH HELP MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE!
Alexa Johnson
Alice Moore
Ally Beard*
Ana and Aaron Zamost *
Anne Mudge
Anonymous
Anonymous
Antona Stanley*
Ashlee Gutierrez and Tom Bauer
Ava Lindenmaier*
Black Pine Circle
Bob Houghteling and Elizabeth Fishel
Brooklyn Joseph
Carly Cheng*
Corbett Simons
Crystal Land
Daniel Scuderi*
Elisabeth Long*
Isaac Jacobs-Gomes
Jalen Allen *
Janet Fung *
Jennifer Liu
Jewel Devora
Jimmy Santosa *
Johanna and Harris Brody
Juna McDaid
Kate Juergens*
Kathryn McElvaney
Katie Vestal*
Kristen Goggin
Kristiana Thompson
Lea Van Ness
Leslie Powell
Lisa Haney
*Indicates BATTI alum
Lisa Scarsella*
Lucia Blakeslee
Margot Zahner
Matt Reno
Melisa Block
Miriam Phillips and Charles Eley
Nancy Kehoe
Nancy Nagramada
Quise Rodriguez*
Raleigh and Michael Zwerin
Rick Powell
Samuel Simons
Sarah Shields
Sheila Puckett
Simone Wolk*
Tammi Abad
Terri Hamer
Wendy Horng Brawer
To support our work visit: https://www.ba-tti.org/donate or scan the QR code
FINANCE REPORT
BATTI TEAM
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Ashlee Gutierrez
Executive Director
Ana Zamost
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Raleigh Zwerin
Director of Programs and Operations
BOARD
Jalen Allen
4th-6th Grade Science, Technology, and Engineering
Teacher and Summer Camp Coordinator, San Francisco School
Kristi Farnham Thompson
Student Wellness and Support, Head Royce, Oakland
Kristen Goggin
Assistant Head of Middle School, Head-Royce, Oakland
Terri Hamer, Board Chair
Interim Chief Financial Officer, Black Pine Circle, Berkeley
Luís Hernandez*
Lead Teacher-3 Grade, San Francisco Friends School rd
Kaili Hwang
Associate Head of School and Director of Teaching and Learning, San Francisco Day School
Brooklyn Joseph
Lead Program Facilitator, Mills College, Oakland
Alice Moore
Associate head of School, Katherine Delmar Burke School, San Francisco
Leslie Powell
Assistant Lower School Head/Dean of Students & Programs, Head-Royce School, Oakland
Quise Rodriguez
Elementary Division Head, Prospect Sierra, El Cerrito
Jimmy Santosa
Lower School Makery Facilitator & Technology
Integration Specialist, Katherine Delmar Burke School
Corbett Simons
Director of Teaching Learning and Innovation, Town School for Boys
INSTRUCTORS
Jane Bleasdale
Megan Fu
Abel Guzmán
Jeremy Hilinski
Tyler Powles
Annie Roach
Quise Rodriguez
Katrina Tilds
Sarah Wheeler
SUPERVISORS
Hanin Benchohra
Danny Blumrich
Natalie Crowley
Emily Grossberg
Lana Harkness*
Melissa Holman-Kursky*
Hillery Jaffe-Urell*
Charlotte Mooney
Quise Rodriguez
Rachel Rosner
Lynna Tsou*
*Also serve as induction coaches