Dr. Sofía Tannenhaus is an Improvement Coach with the CARPE College Access Network at High Tech High’s Center for Research on Equity & Innovation. Motivated by her background, nearly all of Dr. Tannenhaus’ research has sought to improve educational outcomes for low-income Latino students. She has immersed herself in work with various organizations and institutions to provide better opportunities for students who grew up similar to her.
While attending K-12 Title I public schools in South San Diego County, Sofía witnessed many of her peers crossing the border each day from Tijuana into the U.S. Despite student, teacher, and administrator awareness of this common practice, this student population acted as a sleeping giant within the education system due to the sensitive nature of their transnational residency. For her dissertation, Sofía returned to her hometown to conduct a year-long qualitative study with cross-border students.
While her research projects have been meaningful, Dr. Tannenhaus sought to better understand the world of practice by becoming an educator. As a teacher, she designed meaningful learning experiences for students in their Spanish class at High Tech High. Education can be transformative for students when service learning is combined with high expectations and a rigorous curriculum – when it engages “the heart, the hands, and the mind,” as we say at High Tech High. This is what Sofía considers the purpose of education to be – that which challenges and inspires us while making our community a better place.
Dr. Tannenhaus holds a preliminary administrative credential and a clear single subject teaching credential in Spanish. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from UC Berkeley and her B.A. in Sociology from UC San Diego.
Dr. Sofía Tannenhaus is an Improvement Coach with the CARPE College Access Network at High Tech High’s Center for Research on Equity & Innovation. Motivated by her background, nearly all of Dr. Tannenhaus’ research has sought to improve educational outcomes for low-income Latino students. She has immersed herself in work with various organizations and institutions to provide better opportunities for students who grew up similar to her.
While attending K-12 Title I public schools in South San Diego County, Sofía witnessed many of her peers crossing the border each day from Tijuana into the U.S. Despite student, teacher, and administrator awareness of this common practice, this student population acted as a sleeping giant within the education system due to the sensitive nature of their transnational residency. For her dissertation, Sofía returned to her hometown to conduct a year-long qualitative study with cross-border students.
While her research projects have been meaningful, Dr. Tannenhaus sought to better understand the world of practice by becoming an educator. As a teacher, she designed meaningful learning experiences for students in their Spanish class at High Tech High. Education can be transformative for students when service learning is combined with high expectations and a rigorous curriculum – when it engages “the heart, the hands, and the mind,” as we say at High Tech High. This is what Sofía considers the purpose of education to be – that which challenges and inspires us while making our community a better place.
Dr. Tannenhaus holds a preliminary administrative credential and a clear single subject teaching credential in Spanish. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from UC Berkeley and her B.A. in Sociology from UC San Diego.
