Mike Berry:
At 31, I have been teaching for 12 years! I began substituting in the Sacramento area for all grades and all subjects beginning in 2000. I have a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. I received many scholarships myself for my work in high school as Student Body Vice-President, Debate Club President, and Cross-Country Team Captain, all the while taking a most rigorous schedule including 6 AP courses. I went to the National Debate Competition for an oratory I wrote, and placed in numerous speech contests during my high school years. My teaching credential was earned through Chapman University, and I earned my Master's degree in Business Administration in 2005.
While never having attended culinary school, I have taught college-level culinary arts based on my vast experience in the food industry (running high school cafeterias) and management experience.
In my second year of teaching, I was voted "Teacher of the Year" by the senior class at Oak Ridge High School.
I currently teach English, Public Speaking, Television and Radio Production courses at Bella Vista High School. I have consulted with Holt Literature, reviewing English textbooks before they are released and approved for printing. This past year, I helped write our successful California Distinguished School Application and each year I earn thousands in grant money for our VAPA courses at BV.
I clearly recognize the gravity and potential that doing well on standardized tests means for the future of our students, as I have been part of the staff that has raised the API scores of BV students to over 800 in two continuous years, an unheard of feat.
I am also very honored and proud to work in conjunction with John Bullock, who's unequaled qualifications speak for themselves. The bottom line for me is that this is a labor of love. I want to have a positive impact on my students, and I know we are offering the best service for the best price.
Feel free to e-mail me directly!
John Bullock:
Hi folks! First of all, I want to thank you for your interest in getting here. Mr. Berry and I are honored that you have taken the time to look into our program. We encourage you to take a look at the other SAT prep companies, both the local and national ones, and focus on their price, along with their "instructors." We think you will find our program is superior with instruction, at a price that can't be beat.
Okay, here's a little about me...
My teaching began in a small farming community north of Sacramento in 1988, called Gridley High School, home of the Bulldogs. I was 25 back then. Twenty-two years later, I think I have taught just about every level of math, from middle school through high school, from 7th grade math to AP Calculus and Statistics. Now my home is at Del Campo High School, where I will be teaching AP Statistics, Algebra 1 and 2, and Geometry, all wonderful classes to teach.
I earned my degree in mathematics from CSU Chico in 1987. I paid for most of my education back then as a firefighter for the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and the United States Forest Service (USFS). I obtained several student loans that took many years to pay off I remember. Along with my teaching credential, I earned my Masters in Education through Grand Canyon University in 2008. I also have a degree in Forestry and was a counselor at Churchill Middle School.
I come from a family of educators. My father taught at Woodland High School for over 30 years. My mother was a special education teacher in Woodland for over 40 years. (In fact, at 75, my mother still teaches part time. Wow!) My grandparents were teachers. My sister and her husband even teach in Southern California. My dad often jokes of where he went wrong with us. He is my hero.
I have been lucky enough to receive awards as The Most Influential Teacher multiple times, the prestigious Teacher of the Year award, and have been represented in Who's Who in America's Teachers. I was also the "Mathcounts" coach for Churchill Middle School and represented the team at many regional and state competitions, often bringing back trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
In my 22 years in education (and several schools), I have served on the leadership roles of Site Base, textbook selection committees, adapting curriculum for Special Education, served on the Student Assistant Program (SAP) at both middle and high school, was a speech judge for ACA DECA, served on test writing committees for both the state and district, was a track coach, attended numerous AVID training workshops for both Bella Vista and Del Campo High Schools, and was on the famous Bella Vista Chain Gang crew. I was also the math department chair for nine years at Bella Vista High School. Currently though, I will be serving on Del Campo's "Leadership Team" for the next three years, as we plan to lead the school into a Perferred Learning Community (PLC), the first PLC school in the district. I have taught SAT prep classes at multiple locations over the past 12 years through three different companies, this last one being the best one ever.
Mike Berry and I have decided to put together our unique SAT prep class that virtually all other companies cannot offer. Both he and I are San Juan Unified high school teachers that are actually in the classroom teaching these subjects every day. We know and understand the dynamics of the classroom and what teenagers are expected to know for these tests. Our student's SAT scores this past year have been our best ever, with many raising their scores over 300 points, getting them into the colleges they deserve. We know what is working and especially know how to teach our students. Plus, the price you will pay is hundreds less than those other companies, who normally have non-credentialed "teachers" running their class. Our bottom line is we can teach your success on the SAT.
I hope you find our SAT services as rewarding as our past students AND parents have found. We are sure you will.
Thanks again.
--Mr. Bullock.
Feel free to e-mail me directly!