Leadership | Sand Hill School

Cindy Lopez

Head of School at Sand Hill School

Cindy has more than 20 years of experience in K-12 education, as a classroom teacher, a curriculum developer in educational publishing, and as Director of Curriculum Development and Professional Growth at Charles Armstrong School. With a deep understanding of what works and doesn’t work for children who don’t fit the mold of a traditional classroom, Cindy has poured her wisdom, experience, and commitment into the founding of Sand Hill School.

Education:

B.S., Child Development/Family Studies, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential

Professional affiliations:

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

Rosalie Whitlock, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Children’s Health Council

Sand Hill School is founded under the leadership of Rosalie Whitlock, former Head of School for Charles Armstrong School, a private school for children with language-based learning differences. Dr. Whitlock joined Children’s Health Council as Executive Director in August of 2009 after serving nine years on Children’s Health Council’s Board of Directors. As a Children’s Health Council board member, Dr. Whitlock also served as Chairman for two years. In her 25+ years’ experience, Dr. Whitlock has become a leader in learning. As Head of School at Charles Armstrong School for 11 years, she led the development of cutting-edge curriculua to help kids with learning differences succeed based on their strengths. Her experience has given her an intimate understanding of parents’ concerns and the impact on the whole family when a child struggles with learning differences, anxiety or ADHD. Currently serving on the International Dyslexia Association’s Board of Directors, Dr. Whitlock is also a founding and current Board member of Parents Education Network (PEN). Her previous positions include:

Teacher in urban schools – Washington, D.C.Vice President of Product Development of elementary and secondary textbook programs for a major educational publisher
Executive Director of the Accelerated Schools Project at Stanford University
Head of School, Charles Armstrong School
Director of Charles Armstrong School
Adjunct faculty in special education at Notre Dame de Namur University

Education:

University of Maryland, Ph.D. Diagnostic and Prescriptive Teaching in Mathematics and Reading Education
University of Maryland, M.A. Education
Ohio State University, B.S. Elementary Education

Chris Harris, M.Ed.

Director of The Learning Center & Esther B. Clark School, Children’s Health Council

Chris has served as a leader at several specialized schools for children with learning disabilities and emotional challenges, including Crossroads School (Paoli, PA), Chartwell School (Seaside, CA), The Janus School (Mount Joy, PA) and currently as Director of Children’s Health Council’s Learning Center and Esther B. Clark School (Palo Alto, CA). As a teacher for 10 years and as leader in many educational settings, Chris has developed expertise in effective, innovative educational programming for youth at elementary, middle school and high school levels. Chris believes in engaging students, professionals and families to maximize the potential of each child to thrive in life and as they return to standard educational settings.

Education and Degrees

B.A., Trinity College
M.Ed., Boston College

Professional Affiliations

California Association of Private Special Education Schools
International Dyslexia Association

Joan Baran, Ph.D.

Young Child Psychologist and Director of Clinical Services at Children’s Health Council

The Clinical Services Director at Children’s Health Council, Psychologist Dr. Baran has expertise in the assessment of and provision of therapeutic services for infants and young children with a variety of developmental, behavioral and social issues including Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Baran has over 20 years of clinical experience, working with families in both English and Spanish, and oversees continuing education, as well as presents at parent education classes. Dr. Baran serves as an advisor to the Sand Hill School.

Education and Degrees:

Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Licenses – Board Certifications:

California Board of Psychology (Psychologist)
License #PSY14679

Professional Affiliations:

Member, American Psychological Association

Glen Elliott, Ph.D., M.D.

Child Psychiatrist, Anxiety & Attention Specialist and Medical Director at Children’s Health Council

Dr. Elliott is an internationally respected expert in ADHD and anxiety disorders. As an advisor to Sand Hill School, Dr. Elliott provides invaluable expertise in identifying and understanding children with behavioral problems such as inattention, impulsivity, high activity levels, poor impulse control, anxiety and low self esteem. As a clinician and as a researcher, Dr. Elliott strives to clarify the appropriate use of psychoactive medications to help children and adolescents while minimizing risks to their immediate welfare and long-term development. Specific disorders of interest include autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and bipolar disorder. In 2006, he authored Medicating Young Minds, a book for parents facing the difficult decision of whether medication is appropriate for their child. Prior to Children’s Health Council, Dr. Elliott directed The Children’s Center at Langley Porter at UCSF from 1989 to 2006, when he retired as an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychiatry.

Education and Degrees:

· M.D., Stanford School of Medicine

· Ph.D., Stanford School of Medicine (Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences)

· B.S., Michigan State University (Chemistry)

· Psychiatry Intern, Stanford School of Medicine

· Visiting Fellow, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences

· Macy Fellow, Harvard University, Health Policy

· MacArthur Fellow, Harvard University, Mental Health Research

· General Psychiatry Resident, McLean Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine

· Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident, Stanford School of Medicine

Professional Affiliations:

· UCSF faculty, currently Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychiatry

· Stanford School of Medicine, Clinical Professor (Affiliated) Psychiatry

Lynne Huffman, M.D.

Developmental Pediatrician and Director of Evaluation and Quality Improvement, Children’s Health Council

Dr. Huffman is an expert in the early identification and treatment of childhood developmental and behavioral disorders, as well as in the use of evaluation research to improve services. Her current efforts include serving as a member of the Children’s Health Council’s Executive Management Team and as an advisor to Sand Hill School. In addition to her leadership at Children’s Health Council, Dr. Huffman is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine, where she provides clinical care, conducts clinical and health policy research, and trains pediatric residents and fellows.