STAFF AND FACULTY

Kevin Sved

Head of School

Kevin Sved is a Founder of The Accelerated School (TAS) in Los Angeles. Together with Johnathan Williams, Mr. Sved developed and implemented all the steps necessary for TAS to open its doors in September 1994. Since its founding, Mr. Sved grew the school from an initial population of 50 students to a network of schools serving 1,400 students, oversaw construction of a 140,000 square foot facility, managed a $12 million annual budget, and developed a vibrant community with over 800 parent volunteers. The Accelerated School is recognized as a leading charter school and has received a number of awards, including being recognized as Time Magazine School of the Year in 2001. He also earned The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for Innovative Solutions in 2006, and The Gleitsman Foundation 2004 Citizen Activist Award. Subsequently, Mr. Sved founded Wallis Annenberg High School, Accelerated Charter Elementary School, and the Keck Early Learning Center, all of which are managed under The Accelerated School's governance and business Structure.

Mr. Sved began his career in education at age 19 as teacher's assistant at an urban elementary school in Los Angeles, and taught 3rd grade from 1991 to 1994. As an adjunct faculty member at California State University Los Angeles, he served as a field supervisor for student teachers as well as the Co-Principal Investigator for Woodrow Wilson Foundation's Early College Initiative at Wallis Annenberg High School. A true pioneer in the charter school movement, Mr. Sved has shared his experience and expertise with numerous charter school developers. He has presented at numerous local, state, and national education conferences. Mr. Sved was born and raised in Los Angeles, attending Los Angeles Unified School District schools from kindergarten to high school. He is a proud father of two children.

California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC), Charter School Administrator of the Year, 2001 University of California Los Angeles: BA in Political Science University of California Los Angeles: Masters of Education

Anthony Witte

Assistant Head of School, Director of Admissions

Anthony began his career in education teaching ESL in Beijing and Taipei. His love for Chinese calligraphy led to a life-long interest in Mandarin, which he now teaches at VIA. For the past five years, he worked at Chinese American International School in San Francisco teaching, developing curricula, and designing programs for students and faculty. Serving as its Director of Diversity and Inclusion since 2007, he focused on building a more inclusive community, school wide. Anthony has also been affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools, and served on its national think tank. Previously, he was a cultural consultant for CCTV Beijing, a writer / producer for CTS Taipei and CNN World Report, and worked in various start-up companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Anthony is a jazz enthusiast, qi gong practitioner, and with his wife Angela, proud parent of son Miles.

San Francisco State University: M.A. Education, Equity, & Social Justice
UC Berkeley: B.A. Asian Studies
Peking University: Education Abroad Program

Robert Arne

Dean of Academic Affairs

Former Headmaster of The School of Choice, Robert Arne joins VIA as Dean of Academic Affairs. He was a Ph.D. Candidate and published author in history at the University of Chicago. Robert has a passion for words and great books, and loves teaching history, political science, English and other humanities subjects. He obtained a M.Litt. from Oxford University on a John Olin Fellowship, and holds a M.A. from the University of Chicago. He has published articles for academic journals and popular magazines, and has taught a range of subjects in San Jose area high schools, reaching diverse populations including reform school boys and co-ed students from acclaimed academies.

U.C. Berkeley: B.A. History, Political Economy
Oxford: Master of Letters
University of Chicago: M.A. English

Harumi Arne

Operations Manager

Harumi will be joining VIA as Operations Manager, School Nurse, and Japanese instructor. Previously, she worked in high tech and business as an ISO 9000 auditor, engineering meeting planner, and patent preparer. Harumi has a teaching credential in Japanese language, and has been teaching Japanese for over 10 years in Tokyo, Japan, Chicago, and San Jose.

St. Margaret College, Tokyo: A.A. English Literature
Tokyo Language School, Japan: Teaching Certificate
Northeastern Illinois University: B.S. Marketing
Georgia Southwest University: Nursing

Nicole Michna

College and Guidance Counselor

After graduating from Tufts University, Nicole spent seven years developing curriculum and teaching middle school in both public and private schools. She also served as Director of Breakthrough Collaborative, a comprehensive summer and after-school college-prep and teacher training program for middle school students. At Breakthrough, Nicole oversaw the all aspects of the middle school program, including student recruitment, teacher-training, program design, and financial management. Most recently, Nicole served as Dean of Instruction at a public middle and high school in Oakland, California where she coached teachers, led professional development, data-inquiry, and vertical alignment, and supported the development of the IB Program. Nicole is very excited about fusing her experiences together at VIA.

Columbia University: M.A. Educational Leadership
Lesley College: M.A. Education
Tufts University: B.A. Psychology