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Julia Rubin is the Upper School Director of Teaching and Learning at Crystal Springs Uplands School. Before moving into an administrative role, Julia taught English, French, and Creative Writing at the middle school, high school and community college levels for 12 years. She mentored early career teachers for 5 years at Hillbrook School, where she…

A few weekends ago, my colleagues and I took thirty students out to a farm in Pescadero for 24 hours of deep listening, solo reflection, and council practice around a fire. We prioritized being present with ourselves and each other. The patterns of activities, classes, social media, and homework were for a moment paused to…

Illuminated by COVID’s unwelcome 2019 arrival, the term adolescent mental health crisis has continued to sift through the stratosphere, rising with increasing urgency to the apex of our societal discourse over the last twelve months.  Look, for one, at The Anxious Generation’s notable 25-week-run on the New York Times Bestseller list since its release last…

Last year was one of the most challenging ones we’ve experienced as educators, and—between the continued fallout from the war in Gaza, the upcoming election, and the ongoing pushback on DEI—there are sure to be many tense and complex moments this fall. As white educators, we’re often conditioned into silence; this year especially, silence will…

With deep gratitude for the part you play as a member of this unique learning organization, I am looking back with pride at another year of challenge and change. Our new CATDC team hit the ground running last August, and I cannot imagine a better group of individuals to help create and manage the professional…

Participating in CATDC’s Leadership Fellows cohort this year has impacted me deeply, both personally and professionally, in ways I could not have foreseen. The essential question of this fellowship is, “Who am I as a Leader?” and this is indeed a question that needs to be asked and deeply reflected upon at every stage of…

I spent much of the summer immersed in professional development with California educators as Executive Director of CATDC. I reveled in the opportunity to be a participant observer, witnessing months of planning come to exuberant life, soaking up what I could from the facilitators as well as the teachers and administrators in the room or…

I am thrilled to introduce myself as the newest member of the CATDC team, stepping into the role of Program Manager. The opportunity to join this organization dedicated to empowering educators and fostering professional growth truly excites me.  I have long been passionate about education and have had a hand in it for the last…

In the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, record numbers of white people heeded the national call to step out of the shadows. White educators were no different. We heard countless stories of racism shared by BIPOC students—both online and within our independent school communities. For white educators, that summer was particularly…

I was invited to the CATDC Board in 2018 as the first non-Head of School Trustee to the Board and now in 2023 have just completed my first year as Chair. I am deeply honored to be part of such an important organization, vital to the transformation of the educational landscape. As CATDC approaches its 25th…