Director - Rachael Bishop
Rachael Bishop was born in Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Texas, and moved to California with her family in 1964. At 18 years old, Rachael began her career with children at a Head Start Program in Marin City, California. A cum laude graduate in psychology from Sonoma Sate University, Rachael trained in Montessori teaching techniques, Piagetian cognitive psychology and child development, and worked at various preschool programs specializing in early childhood education.
While raising her twin daughters, she earned a nursing degree and a California State Teaching Credential at Sonoma State University. Later, she became co-founder of the Sonoma Valley Waldorf School. During the next three years, she served as lead teacher and board member developing the grades program and coordinating administrative functions. Dedicated to the pursuit of Waldorf education, Rachael went on to study at the Rudolf Steiner College completing her Waldorf certification.
For the next three years, Rachael taught in the public school system while implementing a successful educational consulting and tutoring business. In 1996, Rachael took the position of 3rd-4th grades teacher and faculty chair at the Sonoma Meadow Oaks School, a pioneering Waldorf school.
Shortly thereafter, Rachael was offered the position of administrative director at the Novato Charter School which, at the time, was in danger of closing its doors. She put into place effective administrative systems, recruited a seasoned teaching staff, assisted in promoting effective curriculum aligned with current state standards, rewrote the charter, led the efforts for a successful charter renewal, and secured interim facility funding to ensure the continued operation of the school. Under six years of her direction, The Novato Charter School is now a high-ranking model charter school operating in Marin County.
Motivation (“What Fires Me Up”)
Rachael's educational mission in life is to blend Waldorf methods with best current educational practices bringing together the best of both worlds to the children and families in the California public school system. |
