Q: What inspired you to become a teacher?
A: One of my greatest inspirations was the movie Stand and Deliver. It sparked my desire to teach math in an urban school, a dream I had avoided for years. Although I spent a lot of time pursuing other paths, deep down, I always knew that teaching was my true calling.
Q: What is your educational and career background?
A: I initially studied Finance and started my career in investment banking. I was good at it, but it didn’t fulfill me. Despite my success, I felt a persistent longing to teach, which eventually led me to reevaluate my career choices.
Q: Can you share your journey in education?
A: In 2003, I moved to Los Angeles and joined Green Dot as the VP of School Development, where I helped expand their charter school network from two to seventeen schools, serving nearly 8,000 students. Afterward, I worked with LA’s Promise to restructure underperforming schools and served as Executive Director for LA’s FUND, where we funded crucial programs in LAUSD. Despite a budding career in education, I wasn’t fulfilled and longed to be in the classroom. After speaking with my wife, I took a leap of faith and applied to LA Unified for a math teaching position through EnCorps. They provided the training and support I needed to make my dream a reality. In 2018, I became a math teacher, and it felt incredible to finally be doing what I was meant to do, all while balancing family responsibilities.
*Dan is currently running for LAUSD School Board seat. You can learn more about him at www.chang4change.org