HISTORY
The original California Partnership Academy grant was written and approved in 1999. The founders, Matt Chamberlain, Bonnie Galloway (now Klatt), Pete LeBlanc, and David Warfield were the original teachers. In 2000, Kristen Clements and Vernon Bisho joined the team. The following year, Amy Chaney joined the academy. As student enrollment grew, so did the staff. We currently have 8 teachers: 2 social science, 2 English, 1 Spanish, and 3 Media.
The focus was a new career path, blending Center's award winning programs in publications and broadcasting, while mixing in core classes of Social Science, English, and Spanish. The original academy began with 30 students and has grown to over 180.
In that time, we have taken overnight field trips to San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Hawai'i, as well as local trips to notable historic sites or media hubs. All field trips include elements that encompass all areas of the program: writing, history, Spanish, media, culture, and college and/or career.
Amy Chaney
Program Director
English 11, 12
Heather Woods
World History, Government
Amy began her teaching career in 1998 at Oak Hill Elementary - teaching Special Education classes. In 2000, she 'graduated' to Center High School, her alma mater, and has taught most levels of English (9, 10, Honors 10, 11, 12) as well as New Media and Introduction to Theater. Her home has been in the Media Communications Academy since 2001, primarily teaching MCA English 11 and MCA English 12 - but has taught MCA 10 English as well. Amy's goal every year is to make English relevant and enjoyable, where one can take elements learned in class and use them effectively.
Heather graduated from Cordova High School in 1991. She went on to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earned a BA in history in 1997. She continued with her education, earning a Sac State teaching credential in Social Science in 1999, which was also her first year at Center. Heather joined MCA in 2013 and currently teaches MCA US History, AP US History, and Government, and the Social Science Department Chair. She was also the 2019 Senior Class advisor and assistant swim coach. She can also be found at almost every CHS non/sporting event.
Kristen Clements
Spanish
Kristen began teaching at Center High in 2000 and was immediately immersed in the Academy.
Bonnie Klatt
English 10
Bonnie grew up in Redding, California, and attended Anderson Union High School. She earned her English degree at UCLA and master’s degree in English at Sacramento State before starting her teaching career in 1993.
She spent most of the first half of her teaching career at Center High from 1995-2008, where she co-founded the Media Communications Academy. She spent some time working for the California Department of Education/State Board and teaching at Natomas Charter School Performing and Fine Arts Academy before returning to Center High in 2021.
She lives in Colfax with Mr. Klatt and her daughter Audrey, who is attending online college. She enjoys reading, backpacking, and spending time outdoors.
.jpg)
James Magedman
Intro to Media and Design
James Magedman (Mr. M) has had a long and varied career in the entertainment industry. He has worked as an actor on stage and in both television & film. Behind the scenes, he has worked on film & television sets, in reality TV post production, and a multitude of roles as a theater technician.
In the world of music, Mr. M worked as a photographer and videographer on large tours, including Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban and more.
Now married, with two children, Mr. M has happily settled in the Sacramento area and loves teaching Video, Animation and Graphic Design at Center High School.
Brina Jope
Intermediate and Advanced Media and Design
Brina graduated from Rio Americano High School in 2004. She went to American River College and earned an AA in Liberal Arts and AS in Anthropology. She transferred to UCSB and earned a BA in Anthropology and Minor in Sports Management.
From there, she worked at Fox Sports Network for 5 years, and 1 year at NFL Network. After leaving Los Angeles, Brina worked as a substitute teacher before getting her teaching credential and masters in Education. Her broadcasting background made it easy to apply for a CTE credential in Arts, Media and Entertainment and Information, Communication, and Technology.
She worked one year in Oceanside, before finding a home at Center. She piloted the Sports Broadcasting program in 2017-8.
Scott Elfving
US History
Scott graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2007 with a BA in history and minors in business and art history. He received his Master’s Degree in Education from UCLA in 2013.
Scott has been teaching Government and US History at Center High School since 2019. Prior to his time at Center, Scott taught history at Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto from 2013-2019, and taught English for a year in Costa Rica in 2008-2009. Scott and his wife moved up to the Antelope area from San Jose, CA in 2019.
Outside of school, Scott likes to spend time with his wife and son. They enjoy traveling, exercise, and watching sports (Giants, 49ers, Warriors, Sharks).