Berkeley High Welcomes Wide Array of Talented New Teachers

and Abbey Chaver

Not profiled: Kenny Contreras, Mary Dougherty, Nirvana Encisco, Katy Garfinkel, Cory Henrickson- VanTassel, Mikel Jackson, Amanda Levin, Gina Lucariello, Jasdeep Malhi, Kristen Michael, Eric Monrad, Tosca Necoechea, Jorge Palafox, Johnetta Sayah, Tracey Taylor

Beverley Berning

Beverly Berning is very excited to start her first year as a teacher at Berkeley High School. “I’m teaching first period French 1, and after the first day, I’m pleased to see that my students are all very excited about learning French,” she explained. Berning is no newcomer to the Berkeley High community, however. “I subbed a lot last year, so I already know my way around.” Berning also completed her student teaching at Berkeley High, under the mentorship of Madalyn Theodore and Kate Rosen. Berning is an Arkansas native, but claims to have, “never once said ‘y’all ’, during my whole childhood!” She enjoys traveling, and spend time living in Paris, as well as traveling throughout Europe. Berning studied film at San Francisco State, and occasionally writes online film reviews. She also enjoys dancing, which she does regularly, “even though my aging muscles constantly complain.”

Jeffrey Allen

Jeffrey Allen will teach Algebra 2 and Math Analysis during his first year at BHS. He decided to pursue a career in education because, “life is so darned interesting, I want to influence the way people experience it.”

Allen is also a Berkeley native, and has a taste for adventure. “I’m the second human to windsurf in the Arctic Ocean. A buddy and I went to great lengths to get our gear up to the north slope of Alaska, planning to go out together as soon as the ice moved off shore enough to leave some free water. He couldn’t resist being the first so he sneaked out one morning without telling me! I learned about it via a color photo on the front page of the Anchorage newspaper the next day,” he explained. Allen is excited to become a part of the Berkeley High community, and looks forward to this year.

Keldon Clegg

Keldon Clegg is a “man that majored in women’s studies.” He is also joining the Berkeley International High School teaching team this year, and will teach Global Studies and IB History Year 2, which covers topics in 20th century world history. Clegg currently lives in North Oakland, but was born in Castro Valley. “After attending UC Santa Cruz, I taught at Hercules Middle and High School, as well as Amador Valley High School,” he explained. Before joining the BHS faculty, Clegg coached a constitutional speech and debate team that placed second in the nation last year. “I also take great joy in taking down students in Call of Duty on XBOX live!” he joked.

Rosa Guzman

Rosa Guzman will teach English 1, English 4, and AP Language and Composition in the Community Partnerships Academy this year. An inspirational teacher she had during her high school years inspired her to pursue a career in education. “I decided to be a teacher because of a teacher I had in high school. Ms. Saxton changed my life! She was able to see my potential, potential I thought I never had. It was her passion for education and love for her students that inspired me,” Guzman remembered. Guzman hails from Santa Ana, about half an hour south of downtown Los Angeles. She is also trilingual; fluent in Spanish, Italian, and English. “I studied abroad for a year in Italy!” she explained. Guzman considered a musical career, and even, “took singing lessons for 9 years [before] deciding a singing career w as not for me.”

Adam Edell

Adam Edell will be the new Garden teacher this year. “In my class, in addition to learning about ecology, social justice, and sustainable agriculture, we’ll learn how to grow healthy food, how to cook it, and make it taste like something we’d actually want to eat,” he explained. Edell has had a plethora of outdoors-y jobs, “after college I did a year of national service with Americorps, doing everything from trail building in state parks, building a house with Habitat for Humanity, tutoring in Brooklyn, NY, and disaster relief with the Red Cross. I then went on to be a wildland firefighter with the National Park Service for several seasons before I got into organic farming.” Edell became interested in teaching because he wanted to teach “the whole person,” not just a narrow subset of skills. Edell is also an avid biker, and completed a 5-day, 300 mile bicycle ride last fall.

William Gow

William Gow is excited to join the Berkeley High community this year. “I will be teaching World History in CPA and US History in the Green Academy,” he described. Gow decided to start teaching because he wanted to create “a more equitable world,” as well share his passion for history.

A Bay Area native, he is “originally from San Francisco, where [he] grew up attending the cities public schools. [He] left San Francisco to go to college in New York and has lived in both Osaka and Los Angeles since then.” During his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and doing historical research.