Retiring Employees

from Cross Sections (Summer 2022)

by Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences

Class Notes

RETIRING EMPLOYEES

Ana Maria Floyd

When Ana Maria Floyd arrived in Los Angeles, she was looking for a change. Ana had practiced family and civil law in her native Spain; her husband’s job transfer to Southern California provided the perfect opportunity to try something different. After interviewing to be a Spanish instructor at Crossroads and presenting a teaching demonstration, she was told, “You are a natural.” Twenty two years later, the statement still holds true.

Ana has helped transform the World Languages Department. She’s served as department chair and has taught every level, from Middle School and Spanish 1 through Crossroads Advanced Studies (CAS) classes. In her CAS courses, Ana challenged her students to practice real-world activities in Spanish, including debating current events, resume writing and job interviewing. For 16 years, Ana also took the lead role in helping to plan a cultural exchange program with a school in Zaragoza, Spain.

“Ana has an amazing ability to really hold kids to high standards, but in a very generous, kind, thoughtful way,” said Upper School World Languages Chair Molly Cavallaro. “She’s so supportive, and she really sees the whole student that’s showing up in her classroom.”

Ana also served as an advisor, helping students navigate academic life and personal changes. Her colleagues think of her as an advisor of sorts, too. “She’s been an amazing mentor for me,” said Molly. “I think a lot of who I am as a teacher and who I am in our community at Crossroads is thanks to Ana’s mentorship.”

Ana is known for her empathy, passion, professionalism and wonderful sense of humor. She looks forward to spending more time with her husband, cats and dog and her family in Spain. While finishing her California teaching credential at San Diego State University, Antoinette Parker interviewed to be a math teacher at Crossroads. To her surprise, one of the interview questions was whether she ever went camping. It was fortunate that she did—all Crossroads teachers at the time were expected to chaperone the School’s Environmental and Outdoor Education trips!

Antoinette taught math at Crossroads for a remarkable 45 years and is the second longest-serving faculty member in the School’s 50-year history. In the late ’80s, during a well-earned sabbatical, she worked on a long-term study on adolescent alcohol and substance abuse.

Antoinette’s favorite parts of teaching are the relationships she built with students and how a class becomes a family. She found it especially rewarding when she saw a student’s face light up as they suddenly grasped a difficult concept she’d explained.

“Antoinette is even- tempered, flexible and generous,” said Upper School math teacher Barbara Kahn. “She always upheld high academic standards and spent almost all her nonteaching hours at Crossroads working with students who needed extra help and support. It’s hard for me to imagine working here without her.”

During her tenure, Antoinette taught everything from seventh grade math to advanced calculus. In addition, she created enriching learning opportunities for students, including the Geometry Fair, scheduled school service opportunities for sophomores and planned annual field trips to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Science Center. While honored to have served as the Math Department chair for a time, she found teaching students the most rewarding.

In her retirement, she looks forward to being active outdoors and spending time with daughters Nadine Parker ’06 and Shannon Parker ’09 and her first grandchild.

Antoinette Parker

Tracey Porter

Tracey Porter loved teaching eighth grade in Hawthorne, but she disliked the tightly controlled curriculum. An ad in the paper led her to an interview with Crossroads co-founder and then- headmaster Paul Cummins, which turned out to be, as she described it, “one of the best conversations” she’s ever had. Paul hired her within 20 minutes; they spent the rest of the hour talking about books.

With a master’s degree in English literature from the University of London, Tracey never imagined herself teaching middle school for her entire career. She was sure she would pursue a Ph.D. and teach at the college level or travel the world. But Crossroads became a haven for her—a place where she could pursue her lifelong passions of reading and discussing modernism, history, politics, justice, poetry, novels and more. She loved the challenge of presenting complex material in lesson plans that engaged sixth graders.

A proud parent to Sarah Corner ’11 and Sam Corner ’15, both Crossroads “lifers,” Tracey counts her many creative writing projects among her career accomplishments. She once used a “Tom and Jerry” cartoon to demonstrate how medieval iconography about heaven and hell remains embedded in popular consciousness. Tracey has also written four published novels, including “Billy Creekmore,” which was named to Oprah.com’s Kids’ Reading List, compiled by the American Library Association.

One of Tracey’s Middle School colleagues, Todd Baron, describes Tracey as “a novelist; a visual artist; a friend of 30-plus years.” He remarked, “Tracey was a master at her craft, but so egoless as to be the proof I needed that children, Middle School children, would always be seen as brilliant lights.”

Catherine “Cat” Ramos

Catherine Ramos, better known as Cat, has served Crossroads Elementary School with passion, laughter and creativity for 30 years. She has been a second grade teacher, fifth grade teacher, Life Skills coordinator, assistant director, curriculum coordinator, student council coordinator and the dean of fourth and fifth grades. For the last 20 years, she’s been the assistant head of Elementary School.

While she may not have anticipated these varied roles, Cat knew from the moment she arrived in Los Angeles in 1992 that she could fully be herself. She has thrived in the respectful yet daring Crossroads community, where dissenting views are safely aired. Most importantly, Cat has been able to apply her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in every role she has held at the Elementary School.

One of her proudest accomplishments was helping to develop the All School Reads program, focusing on books featuring DEI themes. During remote learning—when students were unable to get to know new teachers in the community—Cat filmed the readings and invited new teachers to share their cultures through related literature.

“Cat pushed us to think more deeply about DEI issues before they became common in Elementary School curricula,” explained her successor, longtime teacher and administrator Sasha Moore. “She demonstrated to our young people what true advocacy looks, sounds and feels like. We will miss her wisdom, compassion and sense of humor.”

Cat was also responsible for designing fifth grade sweatshirts and Moving Up materials. Ever-inclusive, she always sought to highlight artwork from every child who submitted a design proposal.

As Cat retires after 30 magnificent years, we wish her endless hours of rest, gardening and time spent with her beloved family (including husband Ramón and daughter Arielle Ramos ’04), friends and dog.

RETIRING EMPLOYEES

Bob’s Farewell Party

What a celebration! Bob Riddle’s retirement party drew hundreds of Crossroads community members to the Alley on June 16 to honor his incredible 38-year legacy. Parents, guardians, faculty, staff and alumni from across the decades gathered to commemorate the retiring head of school with food, drinks and entertainment. Bob, an avid music lover, was honored with musical performances by the Brass Monkey Band, Inara George ’92 and the Parent Band, featuring Susanna Hoffs and special guest Maiya Sykes ’96. Current and former colleagues took to the mic to give heartfelt thanks to Bob for his invaluable friendship, inspiring leadership and dedication to the Crossroads community.