Teaching and Learning Team
Gina McLain – Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning
Gina spent the first eight years of her educational career teaching first and second grade at Mooberry Elementary School. She then spent seven years as Mooberry’s instructional coach before moving to the District Office to become an elementary literacy TOSA. In the summer of 2016, Gina was named principal of Lenox Elementary School, and this past year she has served as the principal of Butternut Creek Elementary School. Throughout her six years as an elementary principal, Gina has led and promoted educational equity, identified school improvement goals and implemented action plans to attain them, planned and implemented professional development, and led various school committees. She is a strong instructional leader who is dedicated to student-centered instruction, engagement, and equity.
Arcema Tovar – Director of Multilingual Programs
Arcema began her educational career in Lancaster, CA in 1993 as an instructional assistant/Community Liaison Specialist. She worked as a bilingual, ELD and Spanish immersion teacher from 1999-2009. She came to Hillsboro as an English as a Second Language Specialist and Bilingual Instructional Coach from 2009-2013. She believes in creating multilingual, nurturing and caring educational environments where all children can learn, and focuses on supporting and furthering OSP’s work with elementary schools and our K-12 Dual Language Program.
Becky Kingsmith – Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning
As the Director of Secondary Teaching & Learning, Becky focuses on the implementation of standards-based teaching and learning. She supports teachers throughout the district on best practices in instruction, assessment and grading.
Jenny Cary – Coordinator of Mental and Behavioral Health
Jenny currently works as a social worker on special assignment (SWOSA) and is the District’s mental health specialist - a position she has held for the past two years. In this role, she coordinates HSD’s suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention plan, and ensures compliance with Adi’s Act. She collaborates with internal teams and community partners to develop and implement school-based mental health and substance use programming. She also provides professional development, training, and consultation to school teams regarding student mental health and wellbeing, trauma-informed practices, behavior response systems, and workforce wellness.
Melissa Pendergrass – Coordinator for Career and College Pathways
Melissa coordinates the development and implementation of clear and viable pathways for postsecondary opportunities through high quality K-12 Career and College Pathways responsive to the needs of Hillsboro students, community, and industry. Melissa works closely with CCP and CTE teachers, building administrators, counselors, and community and industry partners to ensure programming is robust and accessible to all students in HSD.
Alano Ciliberto – Coordinator of Technology Integration
Alano supports the investment in technology for the duration of the bond cycle including the implementation of tech-enhanced leadership, learning and instructional practices for K-12. His objective is to create a culture of tech-supported efficiencies in districtwide communications, data systems, and digital resource development.