Dave Orphal

Background

About Dave Orphal

This is my second year as a Northwood Charger. After graduating from Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton CA in 1989, I left the East Bay suburbs for the redwood forrest and Humboldt State University. After receiving a BA and Teaching Credential at HSU, I began a ten-year career at Zoe Barnum High School in Eureka CA. While in Eureka, I was honored to be selected for our school Strategic Planning Team. Additionally, I enjoyed leading our school's implementation of the Community of Caring program, which reduced absences and discipline issues and increased graduation rates for our continuation high school. In addition to my duties at the high school, I taught in the evening at Humboldt State University. I taught classes in the Education department, helping to train our schools' next generation of teachers. After nine years teaching in rural California, I moved back home to the SF Bay Area. Over ten years at Skyline High School in Oakland, CA, I have had numerous opportunities to pursue my goal of creating positive changes to our public education system. After my first year, I took the opportunity to redesign a history class for Skyline's freshmen that would better prepare them for the rigors of AP World History. After piloting the curriculum for one year in my classroom, Skyline has now adopted the curriculum for all freshmen. At the end of my second year at Skyline, I was asked to lead our school-redesign team. The results, Atlas, have been credited in three WASC reports as a key factor in our school's improvement. I helped train the next generation of teachers, mentoring student teachers from Cal State East Bay in addition to co-directing our school's Education Academy. Specialties: Teaching, curriculum development, workshop/lecture for professionals, conference organizing, union negotiations, public relations, branding and identity, team/group organizing