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» Mary Gaukel Forster, Principal
» Bruce Neustadter, LMFT, School Counselor
» Matthew Thomson, Teacher
» Mark Gustus, Teacher
» Jen Coco, Teacher
» Sarah Raskin, Teacher
» Trevor Cavanaugh, Teacher
» Gillian Blair, Teacher
» Anita Natale, Teacher
» Kim Hardin, Art Instructor
» Katie Akagi, Directed Studies Supervisor

» Other Staff Members
Kris Neustadter, Special Education
»Amee Chapman, Tech Support
Barbara Frank, Office Manager
Olivia Pratt

Mary Gaukel Forster, Principal [mgaukel@deltaschool.org]
Mary Gaukel Forster has been a teacher and an administrator for over 23 years. She has taught grades 1-12 and has been an elementary principal, a high school assistant principal, an alternative school principal and a director of curriculum and instruction. Mary holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Santa Clara University, a Teaching Credential and a Bachelors Degree in English and Spanish from San Jose State University. As an alternative principal, Mary created, staffed and opened a high school program and a middle school.

Mary was named the Alternative Administrator of the Year, 1996/97, by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), Region X. She is a representative to the ACSA state level Educational Options committee. In addition, Mary has served as an educational consultant to the Pajaro Valley Student Assistance and Prevention Program and as a member of the Monterey Bay Regional Partnership (School to Career), the Cabrillo College Articulation Committee, California Department of Education Department Drop-out Prevention Team, and the Pajaro Valley Healthy Start Collaborative Committee.

Bruce Neustadter, LMFT, School Counselor [bneustadter@deltaschool.org]
Bruce Neustadter has worked with at-risk youth for over twenty-five years. He has worked ten years in community-based programs and fifteen years in school-based programs.

Mr. Neustadter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with expertise in working with families, especially adolescents. He has been in private practice for twenty years.

Bruce has served as counselor for Delta High School since its inception. In addition to providing counseling support and services to students, he also provides staff support and development. He created the Delta senior advisor program which focuses on academic achievement towards graduation. This program develops and enhances student self-esteem in a way which supports her or his education goals beyond high school.

Matthew Thomson, Teacher [mthomson@deltaschool.org]
After being a substitute teacher for over 15 years as well as designing, promoting and leading outdoor adventures in nature, he decided to completely focus his professional direction as a full-time Math teacher. In December 2003, he completed a multiple subject CLAD teaching credential with a supplemental credential in mathematics. Matthew is a returning teacher to Delta High.

Before working at Delta, he substitute-taught at-risk teens at alternative high schools in Monterey and Sonoma Counties. He received his bachelor’s degree from Sacramento State University and his teaching credentials from Sonoma State University. He is a member of The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Matthew attended the 2005 Annual Conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

As a native of the Monterey Bay area, he has always loved and enjoyed the surrounding mountains and beaches. His outdoor adventure programs included heavy emphasis on outdoor education and natural history. Some of his hobbies include walking, hiking, camping, biking, yoga, meditation, and leading rafting trips. He has spent time on yoga retreats in India and Brazil.

Mark Gustus, Teacher [mgustus@deltaschool.org]
Mark was involved in education prior to coming to Delta in 2005. He worked in a Math, Art, and Social Studies class at McKinleyville Middle School in McKinleyville, California.

Mark currently teaches Social Studies, Art and Student Government.

Mark enjoys running, playing basketball, lifting weights and drawing. He loves music and some of his favorite artists include Led Zepplin, Bob Marley, Ray Charles, and The Roots.

Mark earned a Bachelor of Art degree and his Secondary Education Credential from Humboldt State University in the redwoods of beautiful Northern California.

 

Jen Coco, Teacher [jcoco@deltaschool.org]
Jen Coco is a first year English teacher here at Delta. She grew up in Southern California and moved to Santa Cruz six years ago to attend UCSC. She recieved her BA in English Literature with a minor in Education, and recently completed UCSC's MA/Credential program where she got her MA in Education andher Single Subject Credential to teach English. Before coming to Delta, she did a year of substitute teaching in the Santa Cruz area, and student taught at Watsonville High School for a semester. In her free time, Jen loves to surf and be outdoors, but also enjoys reading a good book and watching movies.

Sarah Raskin, Teacher [sraskin@deltaschool.org]
Sarah is joining Delta School team as a Science and Health teacher. Prior to coming to Delta, Sarah taught for four years at Soquel High School and one year at Mission Hills Middle School. Sarah moved to Santa Cruz to attend UC Santa Cruz for her undergraduate degree and hasn't left since! She earned her teaching credential at San Jose State University, and currently has a multi subject credential, single subject Health credential, and single subject Science credential. In her free time Sarah enjoys surfing, hiking, swimming and reading.

Other staff members include:

Kris Neustadter, Special Education (kneustadter@deltaschool.org)
I have been teaching for 20 years, three years of them here at Delta Charter High School. I grew up in Southern California and have lived in Santa Cruz since 1979. I graduated from UCSC with a BA in American Studies. I have had the pleasure of teaching social studies, English, Math, and Special Education classes, as well as my summer school classes Sierra Adventure and JumpStart. I hold a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from SJSU. I have a passion for travel, especially in Italy and a great love of dogs. I live with my wonderful husband Bruce our dog Lily and our newly adopted cat Max.



Amee Chapman, Technology Coach and Support
(achapman@deltaschool.org)

Amee has been offering technical support for the last two years. While working at Delta, she has also worked for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District as an Applications Analyst, specializing in the Student Information System, until recently, where she found a job working for the Firelight Foundation as an IT Systems Engineer.

 

 

 
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