I was born in San Francisco and have spent most of my life in California. I completed studies at Deep Springs College, then spent five years becoming an Army officer and pilot, and flying in Germany. I earned a BA at UC Davis, an MA and PhD in History at UC Berkeley, taught college students for ten years, and then spent twenty years as a small businessman.

Besides college teaching, I've had a variety of experience helping people learn: as a military instructor; as a professional instructor of flying, skiing and SCUBA diving; as a manager, teaching employees to operate a travel agency; as a substitute and student teacher in classes from Kindergarten through High School; and as a father and grandfather.

In the past decade I've been increasingly concerned with the predicament of public schools and the widespread dissatisfaction with student achievement. I began substitute teaching in local schools and reading widely in education, child development, psychology, and neurology. Then I enrolled in the teacher credential program at Sonoma State University--I am now credentialed to teach, Kindergarten through High School.

I base my criticism of education policymaking in Sacramento on three things:

1. PhD level training and many years of studying how societies and institutions work.
2. Many kinds of experience as a learner, parent, and teacher.
3. Having combined these two kinds of personal resources for eight years of intensive study of child development and K-12 schooling in California today.