Our Team
Jonathan Tran
Principal
Mr. Tran is excited and honored to be the principal at Edna Brewer Middle School, the very middle school he attended as a youth. As a proud OUSD graduate, Mr. Tran experienced the impact effective and caring educators had on his educational journey. He remembers learning English in Mr. Lai’s bilingual class at Manzanita, grappling with science experiments in Ms. Pisciotta’s class at Brewer, and seeing himself as a scholar in Ms. Haugen’s history class at Oakland Tech. Mr. Tran went on to graduate with honors from Harvard University and completed the Principal Leadership Institute at UC Berkeley for his master’s degree and administrative credential.
Right after undergrad, Mr. Tran applied to be the science teacher at Edna Brewer, and he has been at Brewer ever since (10 years and counting!). As a teacher, Mr. Tran strived to instill the same love of learning and create a space of belonging for his students the way his Oakland teachers did for him. As a site leader, Mr. Tran prioritizes developing human connections, school systems, and educator capacities to ensure all Brewer graduates have a joyful experience and world class education. He is excited to continue his work with his community of brilliant Brewer staff, passionate Brewer families, and talented Brewer students. Go Panthers!
Courtney McLaughlin
Assistant Principal, 6th Grade
I am so excited to be in the Brewer community and am grateful to be part of the 6th grade team. Before starting as an assistant principal, I taught 7th and 8th grade math for 10 years here in Oakland. I completed my masters in educational leadership and administrative credential at UC Berkeley, where I also spent my undergraduate years studying mechanical engineering. When I am not at Brewer, I enjoy going on walks, reading, quilting, and spending time with my niece and nephew.
Jenny Founds
Assistant Principal, 8th Grade
I am excited to be part of the Brewer community as the eighth-grade Assistant Principal! I have been working in public education for 13 years. I spent the majority of my time working in a San Francisco middle school as an eighth-grade humanities teacher and restorative practices coach. Outside of the classroom, I love spending time with my partner and two daughters, Malaya and Kai.
LaShuan Green-Bland
Assistant Principal, 7th Grade
My name is Ms. LaShuan Green-Bland, most folks call me Ms. Bland, but some call me Ms. Green-Bland and you may even hear Ms. Green; any variation works. After serving the Brewer Community as a Math teacher, it is my honor to now serve as the Assistant Principal. I come to you as a mother, sister, aunt and a person with feelings, life experiences and situationships that provide me an opportunity to support and encourage the Brewer community.
I am originally from the Midwest and moved to California about 10 years ago. My story is simple: I have a niece that was struggling in 4th grade math. My brother called and said he needed me. I moved here to support her (and them) full-time. I am happy to report my niece has conquered her fears. She has just finished Algebra 2 with an A and is a rising senior looking forward to AP Statistics.
I share my story to let you know that math is not genetic. Everyone is capable of performing well; it is the mindset that has to change. Thus far, my time at Brewer has spoken for itself. Many students are thriving in high school and are thankful for the experiences we have shared. Yes, I have high expectations, but I care about our children’s learning and put forth the time and effort to support every student during, before, and after school.
I am looking forward to continuing my journey at Brewer and getting to know more of the community as the assistant principal.
August Spafford Community School Manager
I have been supporting students and families at Edna Brewer Middle School since 2011 when I was fresh out of college and was an AmeriCorps volunteer. I have held a variety of roles and titles in my time at Edna Brewer and the community is like my second family. In 2019, I officially became one of our school leaders by assuming the role of Community School Manager. I love this school community and plan to be here for a very long time!