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Tina
Kafka

Tina Kafka- San Diego, CA

San Diego, California

Tina Kafka, an accomplished educator and award-winning writer based in San Diego, California, has enjoyed success teaching many grade levels and subjects throughout her career.

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of California, San Diego, Ms. Kafka earned her Elementary Teaching Credential and began serving children at two San Diego–area schools: a private school for kindergarten through sixth grade called The Children’s School and a charter elementary school. Ms. Kafka taught multiple subjects and grades for eight years before taking on more specialized positions teaching science and developing curricula. In her role as Curriculum Coordinator at the charter school from 2000 to 2006, Tina Kafka applied school-wide interdisciplinary themes, as well as supervising and guiding teachers of kindergarten through sixth grade in the implementation of reading and math programs. Combining her talent for curriculum design with her skills as a writer, Tina Kafka worked with the Pearson Teacher Education and Development Group from 2004 to 2006 to write and edit numerous instructional materials.

She has written six volumes of the award-winning Hot Topics nonfiction series. Two of those books (DNA on Trial and Cloning) garnered San Diego Book Award honors. In 2006, Ms. Kafka turned her focus to adult literacy and English as a second language, volunteering on a weekly basis for IRC First Things First, a literacy class for Somali refugees. Ms. Kafka then became a Adjunct Instructor in family literacy for the San Diego Community College District, which involved helping parents with young children improve their English and literacy skills. An Adjunct Instructor position teaching GED preparation and basic skills followed. Tina Kafka noted with satisfaction that her teaching strategies were largely effective, resulting in many GED success stories for her students.

Presently, Tina Kafka is working toward her Master of Arts in the reading specialist program at Columbia University’s Teachers College. In addition to her studies, Ms. Kafka contributes to the program as a Graduate Assistant and Supervisor of the literacy specialist program. As an Arthur Zankel Urban Fellow, Ms. Kafka works with a reading specialist to improve the reading skills of struggling high school students in Harlem. Tina Kafka is currently writing a book about her experience as an older student living in a dormitory 3,000 miles from home.


Tina Kafka's Publications

  • Campaigns of Amnesty International, Tina Kafka
    March, 2011
    An experienced educator and current student at Teachers College of Columbia University, Tina Kafka supports the efforts of the global organization Amnesty International.

    Founded in 1961 as a way to protect human rights across the globe, Amnesty International currently manages a number of campaigns to address some of the most pressing issues in the world today.

    Abolish the death penalty – According to Amnesty International, the death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment that stands in direct opposition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The organization makes no exceptions to its anti-death penalty stance, regardless of the nature of the crime or the methods used by the state to carry out the punishment. For more than 30 years, Amnesty International has monitored the status of the death penalty in countries across the world and urged governments to cease the use of capital punishment. During that time, Amnesty International has contributed to the abolition of the death penalty in more than 75 countries worldwide.

    Control arms – In war-torn countries across the globe, hundreds of thousands of people lose their lives every year to armed violence. There are no global standards regulating the international trade in arms, and many governments allow the importation of small arms and other light weapons. Inadequate police and military training, and poorly monitored weapons distribution systems result in a large number of human rights abuses every year. The organization collaborated with the International Action Network on Small Arms and Oxfam to establish the Control Arms campaign, which seeks to limit the transfer of weapons, especially in countries where there is a high risk of human rights abuses.

    Demand the “Three Freedoms” for Myanmar – In the country formerly known as Burma, there are more than 2,000 people who have been incarcerated for political dissent. In Myanmar, people who express views contrary to the government put themselves at risk of harassment, imprisonment, and execution. By organizing a worldwide campaign to pressure the Burmese government to reform its policies, Amnesty International hopes to restore the Three Freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association to the people of Myanmar.