My Story

I grew up in Davis California where I played baseball and soccer and enjoyed growing up within a small community. My father was a military officer and my mother was an elementary school teacher. Upon retiring from the Air Force my father realized that teaching was a way to support community, so he then got his credential and taught elementary school. After attending The Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington, where I studied writing, art history, and critique, I followed the family profession with a year of teaching in Japan, after which I started work in WCCUSD in 1999.

I taught at Richmond High for 7 years before being told that I should consider school leadership. I then attended UC Berkeley for my Masters in Urban Education at the Principal Leadership Institute. After graduating I worked in the WCCUSD central office for a year before landing at Portola Middle School as a Vice Principal. Within three years I became Principal. For the past 10 years I have steered Korematsu (formerly Portola) through a name change, increasing enrollment, a new building and site, and improved academic performance. I am honored to have been named Principal of the Year twice during my decade at Korematsu.

Throughout my time as an educational leader, my wife Megan and I have been raising our three children, all of whom attend local public schools (our oldest attends Korematsu!).  I greatly enjoy my role as a coach for both recreational baseball and soccer, and I love to cook. Megan is also an educator with a deep commitment to our community - this deeply held belief in the power of community and social service is felt by our entire family; all three Burnham children worked with me to create my campaign, and are my biggest supporters in this endeavor.