Bright Star Schools
Kristina Parker has extensive experience in special education, currently serving as an Inclusion Specialist at Bright Star Schools since August 2019. Prior to this role, Kristina worked as a Special Education Teacher at Leeway School for Educational Therapy, where a program was developed to address students' social and emotional needs alongside core curriculum activities. Early career experiences include roles as an Intern Teacher at Leeway School, a Special Education Teacher Assistant at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, and a Teacher's Aide at C. Lamar Learning Center. Kristina's educational background includes a Master's degree in Mild to Moderate Special Education and a Bachelor's degree in Child Development from California State University, Los Angeles, complemented by earlier studies at Riverside City College.
Bright Star Schools
At Bright Star Schools, we prepare our students to become leaders who act with integrity and champion equity to enrich our communities and the world. In nine, tuition-free public schools in three communities in Los Angeles -- South Los Angeles, Koreatown, and the San Fernando Valley -- our 3,500+ students experience rigorous academics, inclusive education, social-emotional support, and rich life opportunities beyond the classroom. We are people-first as an organization, and we are students-first across all of our school sites. Our educators join a family that is passionate and committed to developing all students to become well-rounded citizens. We make it a high priority to create a safe and inclusive environment for our students and staff and to cultivate leaders from within who are invested in Bright Star Schools’ mission. We offer small class sizes, comprehensive teacher support, and numerous collaboration opportunities across the organization and within school sites. We strongly believe in teacher voice, and we work to increase teaching practice and effectiveness through our data-driven and feedback-derived professional development.