Curriculum Facilitators

Emily Mellquist is a veteran mathematics teacher at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, where she teaches Precalculus and Aerospace Engineering. She has served as an induction mentor and contributed to district efforts in secondary mathematics assessment and placement. Emily’s work centers on supporting teachers and helping students access meaningful mathematics pathways. She values collaboration and the professional communities that make teaching sustainable and rewarding. As she steps into her role with the South Bay Consortium, she looks forward to working alongside mentors and new teachers to strengthen teacher development and student success.

Suzy Kipp has more than 20 years of experience as a secondary English teacher and has taught all levels including English Learners and Honors classes.  Although she has taught in three different states, the majority of her experience is in the South Bay teaching first in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District and currently in the Redondo Beach Unified School District.  For over 10 years, she has been the lead content teacher in a co-taught classroom environment utilizing Universal Design for Learning strategies to reach all students.  Suzy has been a mentor with the South Bay Induction Program for 5 years, mentoring multiple candidates, and working to realign the program to the needs of mentors and candidates.

Alma Orozco has been an educator since 2010, teaching kindergarten for 11 years and going into her 6th year as a first grade teacher. She has taught in a Spanish Dual Immersion setting in the Redondo Beach Unified School District for 13 years, giving her a strong understanding of language development, biliteracy, and Universal Design for Learning strategies to support students learning Spanish as a second language. Alma has served as a mentor with the South Bay Induction Program for three teachers and is looking forward to mentoring her fourth candidate this year. Her experience as a Dual Immersion teacher provides a unique perspective on supporting new teachers as they navigate language development, differentiation, and inclusive instructional practices. Alma values collaboration with her grade-level English counterparts and vertically with Dual Immersion colleagues. She especially enjoys helping new teachers reflect on their practice, recognize their strengths, identify areas for growth, and build confidence as they develop their own teaching practice.

Michele Garcia has over twenty years of experience as an educator. She is passionate about literacy education and has dedicated years working to improve learning outcomes for students. Her experience includes fourteen years as an elementary classroom teacher across first through third grades.  As an interventionist, Michele has five years of experience working with students with unfinished learning related to literacy skills across Kindergarten through Eighth grades.  Michele has created and strengthened Tier 2 literacy intervention programs across multiple school campuses with data to support a positive impact to student achievement.  She has also served as the school lead for Student Study Team, Title 1, and worked closely with initiatives to support English Language Learners as well as professional development for teachers.  Michele is committed to collaborating with teams of colleagues, administrators and families to support the needs of students. As a BTSA mentor, she has worked closely with teachers to help build their capacity in their own practice. Michele has spent most of her career with Redondo Beach Unified.