Maer has been working in technology in independent K-12 education since 2000, more than half of which occurred at French bilingual schools. He holds a BSS in IT Management and an MA in Educational Technology. Maer joined EB in€ 2016.

Cécile is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley since 2016. Her role is to raise awareness about the school and its programs to attract prospective families, while streamlining and enhancing communications inside the organization. Prior to EB, she was part of the communications' team at the Lycée Français de New York for four years. A French native, Cécile’s background is in multimedia journalism and content production. She has lived in the US since 2005 and she and her husband have one son at EB.

Manon has been the Director of Admissions at EB since 2015. A French native from Paris, Manon moved to the East Bay in 1999 and has worked in preschools since 2001. Before joining EB, Manon was a preschool teacher, then the Site Director of Duck’s Nest Preschool in Berkeley for seven years. Manon has two daughters enrolled at EB in the Lower and Middle Schools.

Richard is an educator with 17 years of experience as a teacher and administrator at the Middle School level. His multi-faceted experience of Middle School education gives him a unique understanding of the student experience both inside and out of the classroom. He has held various positions working with students in grades 4 to 8 as an English Language Development instructor, Choir Director, Humanities Teacher, Athletics Director, and most recently, as the Middle School Director of Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito.

In addition to his campus experience, Richard holds a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from Mills College and obtained credentials in theology, history and music. He has also worked for many years in culturally diverse schools, teaching for five years at the American School of Guadalajara in Mexico, and for the last nine years at Tehiyah, a Jewish school. There, among many responsibilities, he was in charge of assisting with the organization of the 8th Grade trip to Israel.

Antoine is a French native and moved to the Bay Area in 1990.  He holds a “Maîtrise d’Administration Economique et Sociale” and has been with EB since 1992.  He has two children at EB in Preschool and in Elementary.

Marie-Anne Allain is originally from the center of France. After studying English and education she used her teaching diploma to explore new countries. After Ireland and England she lived in Thailand and the Philippines where she volunteered with “Ecoles Sans Frontières” mainly teaching French to refugees accepted by French speaking countries. In 1993 she joined EB as a Preschool teacher and she is now a 1st and 2nd grade teacher. She enjoys being with family and friends, reading, theaters and art, outdoor sports and yoga.

Caroline is originally from the Southeast of France. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and has a background in Linguistics and French as a Foreign Language. She has been teaching for ten years in France and in North America (Minnesota, New Jersey, Toronto). She enjoys helping students find their independence, believe in their abilities and develop their eagerness to learn.

Bénédicte holds a State Diploma of Psychometrics. She worked as an occupational therapist in a special needs school (motor and sensory disabilities, dysphasia).  Then Bénédicte obtained her teaching credentials and taught several years in France before being hired at EB in 1997 where she taught mostly first grade. She has been teaching first and second grades for 8 years and most recently worked with the Student Support Team as a Learning Specialist to improve the students’ experience. Bénédicte and her husband Mark have two daughters: Clarisse and Amélie.

Andrea Cavallo was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, raised in Albuquerque, and graduated from the University of New Mexico. She holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education with honors and an emphasis in Language Arts. She is accredited to teach Preschool-8th grade but is especially passionate about early childhood education and literacy. She has worked as a Preschool and Kindergarten English Teacher at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley since 2007. She has two children that attend EB. Andrea loves spending time with her family, doing yoga, and baking.

Jean-Baptiste Cochereau is originally from the Center of France in the Loire Valley. He studied biology and education in Tours and Orleans. Then he moved to the beautiful city of Nantes on the west coast to get his teaching diploma in 2002. Then he taught on the West Coast for 8 years from preschool to 5th grade. In 2010, he visited a friend in the Bay Area for couple of months and got hooked to the place! The next year, he was hired at EB to teach in Preschool. Since then, he’s been living in San Francisco. Jean-Baptiste enjoys reading, cooking, camping, surfing, snowboarding and all nature’s activities!

Originally from the Bay Area, Emilie Crofton completed her undergraduate studies in Québec with a degree in English and Communications from Bishop's University. After completing her B.A, she spent over three years in the Peace Corps living in Burkina Faso, West Africa, working as an English teacher and community liaison in the Girls Education and Empowerment program. Upon her return, she went back to school to earn a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and teaching credential from the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute and the University of the Pacific. She has taught multiple elementary grades in independent and bilingual schools. Emilie is also an EB alumna.

Aurelia Filato is originally from Marseilles, Provence in south of France. She holds a degree in history from the University of Aix-en-Provence and taught history and geography for 13 years in middle school in Paris. She moved to Berkeley to start a new adventure in 2013 and started to teach at EB as a History-Geography teacher (4th to 8th grade). Aurelia is passionate about French culture, sustainable development, history and art. During her free time, she loves to travel, visit museums, listen to live music and dance.

Florian comes from Franche-Comté, in the east of France. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and holds teaching credentials since 2006. He spent his first five teaching years in France, working mostly in pre-K to grade 2. He then furthered his experience by teaching at the elementary level at the Lycée International in Los Angeles for three years. His last four years have been spent in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in an International Baccalaureate bilingual school. He believes the most important goal in teaching is to ensure each student enjoys learning and that they can apply their learning to the world around them. He promotes the use of inquiry and reflection to allow students to think outside the box and express their own personality.

Gabrielle Hedlund is from Oakland, CA. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from U.C. Santa Cruz. Gabrielle worked as a technology journalist for nearly a decade before moving to the business side of technology, building sites in the early days of the Internet. Later, she transitioned to teaching, earning her credential at CSU Hayward. Gabrielle taught English at Castro Valley High School for several years, then took time off to raise her two children and live in NYC. She joined the EB Middle School staff in 2015 where she teaches sixth through eighth grade English. Gabrielle and her husband, Marc, have two children at the Lower School.

Alix has been a frequent preschool substitute teacher at EB over the last year. She is originally from France, where she received her credentials in education and worked as a physical education teacher for many years. She eventually moved to Oakland, where she obtained additional credentials in early childhood education at Merritt College. Alix is also the mother of two preschool-age children.

Emmanuel holds a Teaching credential from France (CAPES de Lettres Modernes) and has been teaching in France, in Réunion Island, in French Guyana and for the past nine year at Ecole Bilingue. At E.B., Emmanuel worked as Academic Technology Coordinator and Librarian (Emmanuel holds a CAPES de Documentaliste too). Over the past 6 years Emmanuel has been a chaperon for the trip in France with the 5th graders. Emmanuel knows the students well and the students know him well too!

Thibaut is from Toulouse in the south of France and holds a Master in Management from Bordeaux Business School. He has been teaching for several years in France at different levels from kindergarten to grade 5. Thibault’s approach to pedagogy is one in which the child is an actor of his learning through activities or projects that interest, involve and stimulate him or her. He recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and is passionate about outdoor activities like biking, hiking, traveling, literature and cinema.

Originally from Philadelphia, Heather started her teaching career at the International School of Luxembourg before moving to Paris to teach English. In 1990, she moved to San Francisco and has been teaching english at the French American International School for 28 years. Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Boston’s Wheelock College and an MA in Second Language Education from McGill University in Montreal. She is fully bilingual and lives in Berkeley with her Quebecois husband and daughter. 

Corinne is originally from the Aquitaine region in France. She holds an engineering degree in Fluid Mechanics and has worked in defense electronics before moving to the Bay Area in 1994. When Corinne joined EB as a Math in French and Computer teacher in 1997, she taught fourth through eighth grade, which allowed her to watch her students grow into young adults. Since 2013, she’s been exclusively at the middle school as the Math in French teacher and as the technology coordinator. Corinne has two daughters, both who graduated from EB. Clémence, her oldest, is a Boston University graduate with a degree in advertising and works for this industry in San Francisco. Aurélie will graduate in 2018 from McGill University with an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degree. When not at school, Corinne trades her compass and protractor for dance shoes. Most weekends, she can be found on a dance floor as she is part of a salsa company and performing in various events around the Bay Area and nearby regions.

David Pruess is an EB Alum who attended College Preparatory School, then earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Economy at UC Berkeley. He spent the last year teaching French at the German School in Emeryville. David has taught English at EB (in 6th and 7th grade) in 2017-2018. We are excited to have him back as our International Track French teacher this year and as our 6th-grade social studies teacher as well. David is passionate about chess and has designed the chess curricula at Chesskid.com and Chess.com. He is the father of two children.

George Speckman comes from St. Monica School in San Francisco, where he began teaching middle school science in 2016. During summers from 2015-2018, he taught Physics to incoming 9th graders at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep. He values hands-on scientific exploration in his science classes and has a history of establishing working relationships with other local science communities such as the USF Chemistry Department, the Golden Gate Audubon Society, and Point Reyes’ Science at the Seashore. George has a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Master of Arts in Theology.

Lorelei holds a Masters in Education and studied cinematography before spending a year abroad in Australia. Throughout her career, Lorelei had an extensive educational experience in Preschool. Her goal as a teacher is to make the students feel good about coming to school. She really enjoys working on projects that bring the students together and engage them in their learning.

Sylvie Thomas-Droz holds a Masters of Science in chemical engineering and spent 12 years working as Senior Chemical Engineer at Membrane Technology and Research in Menlo Park, CA. During her time there she felt drawn to the field of education and in 2016 began as a math and science tutor at Mountain View High School. In 2017 she enrolled at San Jose State University and completed her requirements for her teaching credential this spring. This past year she taught at Lincoln High School in San Jose as a high school chemistry teacher. She looks with enthusiasm towards pairing with Ms. Pluche next year as they work together to build upon the high standards for math education at EB.

 

Elodie Voleau holds a certificat d’aptitude professionnelle pour les aides spécialisées, les enseignements adaptés et la scolarisation des élèves en situation de handicap (CAPA-SH) and has three years of experience working as a support teacher at a Paris middle school. Since 2016, Elodie has been teaching French in the Lower School, and has been part of the Support Team, helping individualized instruction for students who need it. For the last two years, she held the position of French as a Foreign Language teacher at EB. Elodie loves to understand how students are learning and give to all students the same knowledge by using multiple approaches so they can find the one that fits them.

Hannah has been teaching 3rd grade English at EB for many years, and is also part of the Student Support Team as an English Support Specialist.

Originally from Philadelphia, Heather started her teaching career at the International School of Luxembourg before moving to Paris to teach English. In 1990, she moved to San Francisco and has been teaching english at the French American International School for 28 years. Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Boston’s Wheelock College and an MA in Second Language Education from McGill University in Montreal. She is fully bilingual and lives in Berkeley with her Quebecois husband and daughter. 

Camille Trou is a French learning specialist and speech therapist. She studied Speech-Language Pathology at the Institut Supérieur de Logopédie de Ghlin in Belgium and has furthered her education and expertise by attending regular trainings and obtaining certifications in France, Brazil and the US. She has multiple years of experience working with children from early childhood through teens, and more specifically with bilingual children with special needs. She has been working with many students at Ecole Bilingue since 2013 and is very excited to further this partnership by joining the school. She is a dedicated professional who is passionate about her job, and enthusiastic to help both teachers and students. Camille lives in San Francisco since 2010 and is a mom of three little girls. 

Abass Bella has 10 years of experience in facilities' maintenance and is originally from Ghana.

Nghi is an American citizen with Chinese and Vietnamese origins. She has been residing in Oakland since 1979 and joined Ecole Bilingue’s Business Office in 2002. Nghi has held various positions in the finance field (accounting, finance representative, payroll administrator) with various companies in the San Francisco and Bay Area since 1982.

 

Vanessa Lerude is originally from Orleans in France. She graduated from INALCO ("Langues’O") in Paris, with a Bachelor degree in Japanese, and in French as a Second Language (FLE). After graduating, she moved to Tokyo where she worked as a French teacher for almost five years and thoroughly enjoyed living in Japan! She met her husband there and she moved to Seattle, Vancouver, and now Berkeley. She has been working as a bilingual customer service coordinator and front desk agent in the travel and hotel industry since 2011. In her spare time, Vanessa practices fitness and does volunteer work at the Berkeley Humane shelter, next door to EB. New to Berkeley, she enjoys being able to ride her bicycle everywhere, which is rare in the US!

Chauncey Burnett has worked at EB since 2006 in the Enrichment and Athletics department as a supervisor. She loves doing story time, organizing crafts and activities, and dancing with the children. Since 2019, she is the department's coordinator. Chauncey is a Bay Area native, raising her two boys in San Francisco.

Joe started as a substitute in the Enrichment department in 2009, and was hired as a full time supervisor soon after. Joe enjoys making arts and playing outdoors with the students. He is tirelessly dedicated to teaching children. 

Coach Rodriguez was born in Salinas, California, raised in Castroville and graduated from the California State University at Chico (Chico State). He holds a BA degree in Social Science and a minor in Physical Education with a Professional Clear California Teaching Credential for both subjects. He is accredited to teach Preschool-12th grade but is especially passionate about middle school sports. Coach has worked as a Physical Education Teacher at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley since 1992. His EB Jaguars Sports Teams have won 53 East Bay Independent Athletic League Championships. He loves spending time with family and friends, rooting for the Raiders, Warriors and Giants, playing softball and wine tasting.

With a Degree in Art education and over 20 years of teaching experience, Heather is an accomplished interdisciplinary multi-media teaching artist with an expertise in ceramics. Her focus is on empowering youth through art and creativity with an emphasis on community-building activities. A former art consultant for New York City Creative Arts Unit, Heather developed an interest in art as a medium for helping underpriviledged kids express themselves and forge relationships. This passion for helping kids find and build community led her to become the Art Director and Chugim (Enrichment) Teacher at the Berkeley Jewish Community Center and Enrichment Program Fine Art and Ceramics Teacher for the Berkeley Unified School District, before coming to Ecole Bilingue. Heather lives in Berkeley with her daughter, Violette, and their cat, Pretzel.