
Administration
John Carlstroem
Head of School
John Carlstroem has more than 25 years of experience in a variety of educational environments, 19 of them as head of school at Black Pine Circle School. Prior to his time here, John was the assistant head of school and middle school head at the Hamlin School in San Francisco. John has consulted with the National Park Service, East Bay Regional Parks, The San Francisco Education Fund, The Moore Foundation, and others on the subjects of teacher training, curricular design, and management in the environmental and education sectors. He served as director of education and outreach, and later executive director, for the Headlands Institute (now NatureBridge), as executive vice president for Yosemite National Institute (now NatureBridge), and chair of the board for Save the Bay. He is currently on the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI) board, and he serves as the Audit Committee Chair for Save The Bay. He remains deeply committed to environmental causes. John’s educational background includes a B.A. in marine biology from UC Santa Cruz, work in nonprofit administration at the University of San Francisco, and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University. He lives in El Cerrito with his wife. His daughter, Marina, is a theater director in New York, and attended Black Pine Circle School, K-8. John loves to write, perform, and listen to all kinds of music.
Why I Work with Children
Every day is full of possibilities to make learning fun and challenging.
A Favorite Book
White Noise by Don Delillo
Quick Fact
Played music with Jonathan Richman & They Might Be Giants