LMSV Heart: People at the heart of La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools

Summer 2026 with Jennifer Montez, Director of ESS & ELOP; Season 3, Episode 9

You may think of summer as a time when schools are quiet and there isn’t much happening, but for Jennifer Montez and her team, summer is one of the busiest times of the year. Jennifer is the Director of ESS & ELOP for La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools, and oversees before- and after-school programs for the district year-round. This summer, Jennifer’s team will host close to one thousand students each week during a six-week summer program. On this episode, she’ll provide an overview of the amazing range of opportunities students can experience, from a theater production to 3D printing, sports, STEM, and weekly field trips across San Diego County. Summer is a fantastic time for students to learn and grow in a fun, engaging environment, and have experiences that can ignite their interests and inspiration for years to come.

Michelle Valdez, Director of Child Nutrition; Season 3, Episode 8

School nutrition is one of the most vital and under-the-radar aspects of daily life at school. On this episode, we talk with Michelle Valdez, the Director of Child Nutrition for La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools. She’ll share lots of information about how our program operates, how many meals are served every day, the nutrition guidelines schools are required to follow, facts versus myths about school food, California’s Universal meals leadership, and the impact that school nutrition professionals have on the lives of students.

Christian Tordahl: Leading Arts & Music Education; Season 3, Episode 7

Christian Tordahl is in his third year as Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts for La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools. He oversees a team of art and music teachers across the district. That team engages all TK-5th grade students, creating a consistent arts education path that can continue at the middle school level. Funded by California’s Prop 28, the program ensures that La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools’ 10,000+ students will receive art and music education throughout their time in the district’s schools. When the VAPA Coordinator position opened three years ago, Tordahl said he immediately recognized the opportunity to build something meaningful. With a career in music education spanning three decades - teaching band, orchestra, and general music at both the elementary and secondary levels across four states - he brought both experience and a clear vision. “I was a band kid from third grade,” he recalls. “I was very fortunate to have grown up in a suburban New York school district where we had music and art from kindergarten through eighth grade. It was something that really connected me to school.” That early exposure shaped his career path and continues to guide his work today. “I decided to be a music teacher during college thanks to the music teachers who helped me get through school. I know how important art and music were for my own school journey, and I wanted to make sure that every student has access to the arts.”

Oscar Nava, Assistant Principal of LMAAC; Season 3, Episode 6

Oscar Nava has had a unique pathway leading to his current role as Assistant Principal at La Mesa Arts Academy (LMAAC). His career in education began more than two decades ago when he worked for La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools in what is now known as ESS. Inspired by his work with students, Oscar pursued a career in education, working as a night custodian (also in La Mesa-Spring Valley) while in school at San Diego State University.  From there, he has been a classroom teacher, a Dean of Students, and an Assistant Principal, first at Spring Valley Academy, and now at LMAAC. These diverse experiences give Oscar a unique lens through which to view virtually every aspect of a school and how students, staff, and parents encounter their schools. Through it all, a focus on students and a vision for education and growth fuels and grounds him. As Oscar said on the latest episode of the LMSV Heart Podcast, “Anytime I feel things begin to get heavy, I step out, and I go see kids. I go to the PE department, I go to the language arts classrooms, I go visit our culinary and our electives. These are wonderful places. It centers me and gets me back to the next thing.”

Carrie Faulk, Principal of Casa de Oro Elementary; Season 3, Episode 5

On this episode we talk with Carrie Faulk, Principal of Casa de Oro Elementary, commonly known as CDO. Carrie shares her pathway into education, including the inspiration of an elementary school teacher with whom she later taught during her first teaching job.  We talk about the pathway from classroom teacher to administrator, including her time as an Assistant Principal at La Mesa Arts Academy, as well as the powerful culture at Casa de oro, where the phrase “Tiny But Mighty” guides and inspires the students, staff, and families. “When you come on campus, [you’ll see] the way that the staff is so supportive - every staff member believes that every student on this campus is their student, and they go out of their way to make sure that they're helping each other, supporting each other. And I feel the same way about our students.” The conversation also covers the ways the school engages the community via coffee hours, parenting resources, and a commitment to growth and navigating change. https://www.lmsvschools.org/casadeoro/ https://www.instagram.com/cdoelem