Contact Us
Leadership
Jina Kim, Head of School, earned her B.A. in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. at the University of Chicago in Social Service Administration. She went on to earn a J.D. at Northwestern University. Jina was Associate Head of School and Admissions Director at Schoolhouse from 2018 through 2023. Jina has worked with elementary-aged children in multiple capacities, including developing and teaching a Bridge Kindergarten, creating and leading an educational program for Vietnamese immigrant children, teaching science classes at the Lawrence Hall of Science, and interning as a social worker at a children’s hospital. She also spent several years at Morrison Foerster LLP as an attorney, leading teams of 20 or more individuals on complex litigation cases. Jina has two children attending Schoolhouse this year, twin girls in eight grade, and a son who graduated from Schoolhouse in 2022. She has also been a Board member since 2016.
Betsy Fowler, Director of K-5 and K-8 Continuity of Curriculum, comes from a family of visionary educators. For the past 18 years, Betsy has committed their life to building inclusive K-8 progressive education as both teacher and administrator. They hold a Master of Science in Education in K-12 Progressive Leadership from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Rhetoric, Professional Writing, and Community Engagement from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Betsy began their career teaching middle school English in Seoul, South Korea, and in 2012, they shifted to elementary education. They have been teaching at San Francisco Schoolhouse since 2015 and feel honored to help “grow” a school that aligns so closely with their educational philosophy. Betsy’s greatest passions are design thinking, arts integration, educator communities, and progressive education theory and research.
Patrick Ardinger, Director of Middle School, joined the Schoolhouse faculty in 2018. Originally from Kansas City, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Stanford, and a Masters Degree in Teaching English from Teachers College, Columbia University. Over the years, Patrick has taught grades 4-12 in a variety of disciplines, including literature, writing, history, public speaking, drama, and chorus. He is excited to grow Schoolhouse’s vibrant and engaging middle school program.