Ms. Esther Pyon
Mental Health/ ERMHS Counselor
Ms. Esther is a mental health therapist for our CSCE. She grew up in Southern California, and attended UC Irvine to receive her B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior. After graduating, she moved to South Korea, where she taught English to Korean students and adults and worked in English curriculum development for nine years. In 2017, she returned to the U.S. to work towards her Master's degree in Counseling at CSU East Bay. Now, she is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, and is working towards getting her license. She has worked in Oakland schools since 2019 throughout all school levels. In her free time, she enjoys watching tv, playing with her cat, and spending time with her loved ones.
estherp@communityschoolforcreativeeducation.org
Ms. Alina Kagan
Special Education Program Manager
Ms. Alina is excited to be returning to CSCE for her second year as the Special Education Lead. She earned her Mild/Moderate credential at Loyola Marymount University and has worked as a Special Education teacher for 4 years and a Mental Health Counselor for 3 years prior to that. She loves learning about the unique backgrounds and interests of each student, building strong relationships with each of them, and is passionate about ensuring that each student has every opportunity to succeed. Alina was born in Russia, and loves to share about her background and learn about others’ cultures and traditions. She loves all sports, singing, dancing, eating, and being silly!
Ms. Emily Clinton
Special Education Specialist
Ms. Emily's first year as the special education teacher (TK-5th) at Community School. She was born and raised in the Bay Area (Alameda). She attended College of Alameda, Mount Holyoke College (in Massachusetts) and San Francisco State University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and completed her teacher preparation education in special education through San Francisco State, focusing on early childhood education. She was also a paraeducator in special day classes for five and a half years. Outside of school, Emily can be found with her 15 pound, furry companion - a dog named Sage.
emilyc@communityschoolforcreativeeducation.org
Mr. Zack Steele
Behavioral Intervention Specialist
Mr. Steele was raised in Northern California, and attended the University of California, San Diego to attain degrees in Human Biology and Biochemistry. After leaving medical school to pursue a career in education in 2008, he worked for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, and returned to the Bay Area. He worked for 2 years as an SDC/CEED teacher in Hayward, CA, and received advanced training in behavior management with emphasis in trauma. With 15 years of educational experience, Mr. Steele is happy to call the San Antonio area his home.
zacks@communityschoolforcreativeeducation.org