Faculty & Staff Directory

Kia is a native of the Bay Area.  She graduated from Loyola Marymount University where she earned a B.A. in Communication Studies with minors in African-American Studies and Studio Arts, as well as, a Master of Arts in Education. Prior to Gateway she taught 6th grade English in OUSD, and worked in the District of Columbia as a teacher and curriculum writer. In her free time she enjoys attending sporting events and concerts.

Elizabeth joined the Gateway Middle School team as a founding teacher in 2011; though some may say she rejoined the Gateway team as she is proud alumna of Gateway High School. After 5 years of teaching 6th grade both at Gateway Middle and a previous school in Whittier, CA, she transitioned to 8th grade to help get its pilot year off the ground. Elizabeth has a degree in History with an emphasis in United States history, and a Masters of Education from Whittier College. She is currently working on pursuing her National Board Certification in History. While not teaching, you can find her running the trails of Golden Gate Park or the Presidio, practicing yoga, reading a good book or traveling to a new place.

Laura Deanovic joined the math department faculty at Gateway twelve years ago. She has been an educator for twenty five years and previously taught music and/or math at South San Francisco High School, Campolindo High School, St. Catherine Indian School, and Santa Fe Community College. She was also a high school administrator at Desert Academy in Santa Fe, NM for six years. Laura has a bachelor's degree in music and teaching credentials in mathematics and music from San Francisco State University and holds a master's degree in education from the College of Santa Fe. In addition to teaching, Laura is a professional boxer, a boxing trainer,  and a percussionist/drummer.

Cassandra is a proud San Francisco native! Cassandra began her teaching career as a New York City Teaching Fellow. After teaching at a school in the Bronx for five years, Cassandra worked as a coach for the Office of Inclusive Education in New York City. Upon returning to her hometown, Cassandra worked as a Content Specialist in the Special Education Department of San Francisco Unified School District. In her free time, she enjoys exploring all of the food, music, and culture San Francisco has to offer.

Originally hailing from Maine, John enjoys the great outdoors, including backpacking, cycling, and camping. Prior to joining Gateway, John worked in facilities and operations at an independent school for children with language-based learning differences. John holds an MFA from San Jose State and is an active local sculptor. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Stephen Flynn started at Gateway on January of 2013 and currently serves as Gateway's Athletic Director, PE teacher, Houseball coordinator, co-teacher for the Student Leadership class and as Head Coach of the Baseball team.  He has degrees in Developmental Psychology and English Composition from University of California, Davis and has professional experience in athletic administration, corporate communications, youth development, mentorship and coaching.  Born and raised in Oakland, CA, he enjoys watching, playing and coaching sports at all levels, photography and cooking and eating vegetarian.