Personal Profile

Stephanie Roth is a Bay Area native.  With the exception of two years of private schooling in England during high school, she attended Oakland public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade, graduating from Skyline High in 1982.

Ms. Roth graduated from Harvard in 1986 with a BA in German Studies.  She started out as a German technical translator, then one day found herself in a classroom, was bitten by the teaching bug, and switched careers.  In 2000, she completed two teaching credentials, Single Subject Mathematics and Education Specialist: Mild Moderate Disabilities, at Holy Names College.

Ms. Roth first worked with students at Piedmont Middle School, where she was a special education instructional aide from 1997 to 1999, primarily helping Learning Center students who struggled with math.  From 1999 to 2004, she taught Math 7, Science 7, Algebra 1, and Geometry at Bret Harte Middle School in Oakland.  She also developed curriculum and served as math department chair at Bret Harte for four years.  She has been teaching Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry at Piedmont High School since 2004.  She feels very lucky to have a job she enjoys.

Helping young people develop both academically and personally is Ms. Roth’s primary goal as a teacher.  She aims to teach students solid mathematical content and the value of being honest and true to themselves.  She wants to cultivate a passion for learning in them, not just a sense of obligation to learn for grades and college entrance.  Her own three children (all presently in college) and over 10 years in the classroom have given her a lot of experience with teenagers and an inkling of how a teacher can try to understand, support, and motivate them.  They say raising teenagers is like trying to nail Jello to a tree.  It’s a challenge, but very rewarding!

Besides doing her best to be a positive part of her children’s and students’ development, there are many other things Ms. Roth enjoys.  Because over half of her family lives in Switzerland, she is very connected to Europe and has worked, studied, and lived in Switzerland and Germany for a total of over 13 years.  She returns as frequently as she can for visits.  She loves foreign languages, travel, fine food, independent movies, good books, Peet’s coffee, the Splashpad market, the Parkway Speakeasy Theater, and running around Lake Merritt.  She especially likes spending time with her kids and better half, Steve.