Principal's Message

aleWelcome to Mountain View! My name is Rhea (she/her), and I am proud to support the wonderful teachers, students, and families at Mountain View as the Principal. I love being part of the Mountain View community of changemakers. It is a privilege to lead a school that truly honors the growth of each individual child and partners with families to provide a nurturing, supportive learning environment where all children are empowered to reach their highest potential.

Mountain View is the very first Pilot school in San Diego Unified, and we are excited to bring our unique educational program to the district. Our school is grounded in social justice and changemaking, where students of all ages gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become changemakers who are lifelong learners, contributing community members, and empathic human beings connected to purpose. The dedicated teachers and staff of Mountain View create an active, hands-on, and community-based learning environment that focuses on the social, emotional, and academic growth of our students. We recently became a designated Community School for the 22-23 school year, and we are looking forward to expanding our programs and services for our students and families as a Community School.

At Mountain View, we emphasize family and community engagement, meaningful relationships, and social-emotional development as a basis for deeper learning and academic growth. Our classrooms are learner-centered multi-age communities where teachers facilitate meaningful learning experiences that support empathy, collaboration, problem solving, and innovation. Instruction is based on the needs of the students in front of us, and teachers facilitate project-based learning experiences where children have meaningful opportunities to apply academic knowledge and skills in a variety of authentic ways. As a school grounded in social justice, all aspects of our school, from our multiage structure to our curriculum, are intentionally designed to uplift, nurture, and empower all of our students by keeping equity, culturally responsive teaching practices, and anti-bias, anti-racist commitments at the heart of our work.

About Me:

I completed my undergraduate degree at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where I combined my love of astronomy with my passion for teaching and social justice to earn my science teaching credential. I’ve taught math, social studies, engineering, and science in classrooms ranging from upper elementary through high school. Before I moved to San Diego, I taught middle school science and led a school-wide project-based learning initiative in a small district just outside of Boston. After arriving in San Diego, I completed a master’s program in school leadership at High Tech High, where I focused on restorative practices and project-based learning. My research examined the school-to-prison pipeline and looked at using a constructivist approach to restorative justice as a means of reducing racial disparities in school discipline. I’ve always been passionate about innovative teaching practices, social justice, and social-emotional learning, so I was thrilled to find a school like Mountain View. I joined the Mountain View family in 2016 as the Dean of Students and Middle School STEM teacher. Mountain View is a school unlike any other, and I am grateful to be able to work alongside staff, community members, students, and parents to create a unique approach to education where all children can thrive.

Contact Ms. Rhea: Phone: 619-344-6210 E-mail: [email protected]