Travis Unified Teachers Association member Mark Kleinman has started his 2nd year and teaches Kindergarten at Travis Elementary. This is quite a difference from his math/robotics assignment at GW last year. While Mark is new to public education, he has been teaching for years as a fighter aircraft flight instructor in the US Air Force. His experiences teaching young pilots from a variety of backgrounds has prepared him for the rigors of kindergarten where intuition and concept building are essential survival skills. He found his calling through the DoD—Troops to Teachers program—where he saw an opportunity to give back and prepare students for jobs that don’t even exist yet by showing kids that that they are capable. Mark has been building and repairing computers since 1973; his skill set is diverse. He’s traveled the world—including Antarctica, but someday he’d like to practice the Russian-speaking skills he learned in college by visiting Russia.
