Sara-Jean Lipmen

Sara-Jean, or “SJ,” Lipmen an educator and native Los Angeleno with roots in Mexico and Guatemala. She has had the opportunity to work in a diversity of environments of both informal and formal education.  She has taught, run programs, directed schools, supervised educators, led professional development, created curriculum, and worked with students, at all stages of life, in a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, all over the world including; Los Angeles, DC, rural China, London, Jerusalem & Mexico City. She received her BA in Educational Understanding of Religion & Government from the American University in Washington DC, her MA in Education and Teaching Credentials in Secondary Education History, Secondary Education Spanish, Elementary School and BCLAD from Pepperdine University and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on Teacher Education in Multicultural Societies from USC.  She also has in-depth training in group dynamics in the Tavistock tradition, which she has taught and applied to work with both adults and teens.  In 2005, she received Congressional Recognition (USA) for Excellence in Student Teaching and in 2008, she was awarded National Recognition (UK) at Masuot Awards for most innovative youth work. Currently, she works in LAUSD as a Newcomer Instructional Coach, creating professional development for educators and teachers around supporting, teaching, and advocating for students that are recent immigrants and advocating for those inspirational students. SJ believes in student-led education, using their own experiences and realities, to create a learning environment in which everyone is valued, knowledge and skills are co-created, and students work towards a more just and equitable future for all.  SJ is honored to be a lecturer at USC.  She lives with her partner and is proudly raising their three beautiful children in the LA urban jungle.

• Fellowship Award - Germany Close Up - November 2011 
• National Recognition (UK) at Masuot Awards for Most Innovative Youth Work - December 2009
• Congressional Recognition (USA) for Excellence in Student Teaching - November 2005

EDUC 673 Applications of Curriculum and Pedagogy in Secondary Social Science Classrooms, Parts A and B

• Lipmen, S. The third rail of curricular choices: Religion in the classroom. In A.J. Griffen  (Ed). RACE Mentoring and P-12 educators: Practitioners contributing to scholarship. IAP.
• Lipmen, S. (2017). Inadvertent Evangalisms (Or Not): Teachers' Views on Religion, Religious Beliefs, Positionality and Presence and Their Influence on Their Curricular Choices in the Classroom (Order No. 10287583). Available from ProQuest Central Student; Publicly Available Content Database. (1953259472). https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/inadvertent-evangalisms-not-teachers-views-on/docview/1953259472/se-2

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles, CA, USA

• Newcomer Instructional Coach 2019 – Present
• Magnet Coordinator 2018-2019
• Teacher 2005-2008, 2009-2011

Lipmen Consulting Los Angeles, CA, USA

• Principal, Consultant and Student Advocate 2016-Present

Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, CA, USA

• Director of Education, Head of School, 2013-2016

North American Federation of Temple Youth - URJ Los Angeles, CA & New York, NY, USA

• Regional Director for Youth Engagement, Southern California 2011-2013

North West Surrey Synagogue Weybridge, Surrey, UK

• Visiting Educator 2008-2009

Globe Academy London, UK

• Teacher & Visiting Educator 2008-2009

Public Schools # 2 & 7

• Yanqing, China Teacher & Consultant 2005

Temple Sinai Washington, DC, USA

• Lead Teacher & Curriculum Development 2002-2004

• California Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential, Social Science, since 2006 
• California Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential, Spanish, since 2006 
• Bilingual Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development Certification, 2006
• Future Ready Educator, LAUSD, 2020 
• Psychological First Aid for Migrants, Refugees & Displaced Persons, December 2021