A San Francisco native and director of Smart Start SF, Allison has been an elementary-school teacher for six years, primarily in kindergarten and first grade. After graduating from UC Davis, Allison pursued her passion for education and went on to obtain both a multiple subject teaching credential and a master's in elementary education focusing on mindfulness. 

Allison has served students with a diverse set of learning needs, including students with ADD, ADHD, and visual and auditory processing issues. Her focus has been on social/emotional learning, teaching students to effectively use mindfulness and other best practices to filter out background noise and focus on the present. These tools provide tremendous help to students with an array of different learning styles and personalities. Developing social and emotional learning tactics has been proven to not only keep students engaged in the present, but also builds self-esteem.

With a passion and enthusiasm for children, Allison is looking forward to continuing to see students flourish, gain confidence and excel in and out of the classroom.