Hello, I am Christopher Snyderbrown(he/him), MLC's high school Social Studies and Health teacher.

The courses I teach vary slightly year to year. I craft my courses to teach my students typical social studies and health skills, with the intention that these skills will serve students beyond high school. I teach with the belief that study of history is not an exercise in trivia but an avenue to empower people to positively impact their communities and futures. I strive to teach students to think analytically, follow their passions for learning, connect to historical figures with empathy, and find ways to act.

I was born and raised in California  and moved to Portland after I graduated with a History degree from Occidental College. I spent much of my 20s teaching at Outdoor school, after school programs, and teaching English in Italy. Eventually I earned M.A.T. at Lewis and Clark and then began teaching at MLC. I have been joyfully teaching at MLC since 2007-08.

Outside of school I enjoy getting out into nature, reading and playing with my two kids, basketball, music, movies, eating, and following the news. 

Feel free to contact me with any questions. I am most easily reached via email at csnyder1@pps.net

Hi! My name is Catherine and I've been at MLC since 2020. I've taught a variety of high school math classes and recently started teaching middle school coding and high school personal finance as well. As a teacher, my goal is for my students feel supported and confident in their math/coding skills.

Outside of school, I love spending time with my family, friends, and my black cat (Six). I also enjoy cozy stay-at-home days with blankets, tea, and books. 

One word to describe Catherine: Sincere

Hi, I’m Kelly. As you know, we’re all here to see to it that our kids grow and thrive. We all recognize the value of experiential learning and storytelling to unlock various modes of literacy, and I know I have learned more from the MLC community than I could ever teach. So let’s step up together to make this another fabulous year!

One word to describe Kelly: Tall

This is my 3rd year at MLC, but my 32nd in the Portland metro area. I was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. Interests include listening to music, solving Sudoku puzzles, non-power walking, playing fantasy football, and identifying birds. Teaching math is in my comfort zone. My first high school math tutoring student graduated from MLC in 1997!

One word to describe Dave: Consistent

Hey there! My name is Liz; I've been teaching English for thirteen years now and have had the pleasure to spend the last seven of those in room 300 at MLC! Here, I teach 7x8 and 9x10 blended ELA as well as a Mass Media Career & Technical Education class that helps students earn diploma endorsements in that field of study. In addition, I guide seniors in Metro advisory and teach dual-credit writing classes through Portland Community College, helping MLC students earn college credits while in high school. I pride myself on engaging with students, meeting them where they are, and sneaking creative and fun projects into every corner of my classes. Field trips and outdoor excursions are my jam, and I will die defending the Oxford comma. Outside of school, you'll find me playing volleyball and pickleball, writing, cleaning something, hanging out with my son and dog, and exploring all the fun that Portland has to offer. Oh, and books. Always books. :) 

One word to describe Liz B: Adaptable

I've been at MLC almost 20 years! There are so many reasons I enjoy working and being here, but number one is probably having the freedom to weave into my teaching my various interests, particularly in Friday Focuses and electives. It's always a pleasure to watch (and assist) my students as they develop and mature as math people, problem solvers, and teammates. Please feel free to contact me at any time by email.

One word to describe Andy: Enthusiastic

I have worked in education since 1998 and love working in the alternative school environment. I am a single mother of a beautiful 17-year-old daughter and we live in SE Portland. I love music and dance, swimming, snowboarding, gardening, and thrift shopping. I look forward to working with you this year!

One word to describe Sharon: Resilient

While I am a born and raised Californinan, Oregon has been my home since 2001. My daughter was born here in 2003 and I cannot imagine living anywhere else! I have worked with children and families my entire adult life in a variety of roles including babysitter, camp counselor, camp director, preschool teacher, support staff for students, case manager/therapist, and parent coach. After an 8 year stint as a stay at home mom, I decided to go back to school to pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching. In 2016, when I learned 2 days before the school year officially started that I landed a job teaching 6th grade at MLC I felt as though I had won the lottery! It was the perfect fit for me with my love of play and experiential learning. Teaching is relationship based work and I am grateful for my past experiences as a social worker which have laid the foundation for my work with students at MLC. 

When I’m not teaching I can be found reading, dancing, hiking, watching movies with my daughter, cooking, baking, spending time with my family, or singing and playing guitar.

Minna Mauney is a book worm with a passion for hair dye, Ms. Frizzle, and collecting vintage blazers. In her off time you can find her painting her nails, playing with her two dogs Swift and Paisley or basking in the sun with her fiance. She has been teaching for most of her life, having started with a small classroom consisting of her herd of stuffed animals and three year old brother when she was only six. Minna got her Masters in Teaching from UP in 2016 and with a fierce passion for alternative education has used constructivist, experiential, and democratic practices in the classroom to build vigorous, joyful learning opportunities for her students. She firmly believes that relationship and experience based learning are the way of the future, and is determined to remind the world that teaching is life long, intrinsically rewarding, and most importantly, fun.

One word to describe Minna: Expressive