Mihoko Chida
Mihoko Chida
Mihoko Chida, our Lower Loop Leader, was born in Japan and grown up in California, Mihoko holds a BA from Occidental College, an MA from UCLA, and is working on her Doctorate in Education through East Carolina University. She started teaching in public schools that served students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in Southern California. Fluent in Japanese, she worked at Nishimachi International School in Tokyo for eight years, serving as the Curriculum Coordinator for three years and as the Elementary School Principal for three years. She has always wanted to work in education because of her love for learning and enjoys being in a ‘job that allows you to be creative, solve problems, and forces you to think on your feet’. She has presented at EARCOS conferences and served on accreditation teams for WASC and CIS at schools. She admits to loving boy bands, was known to be ‘very shy and quiet’ in high school and loves to travel.
Cameron Fox
Cameron Fox
Cameron has been immersed in international education for more than 25 years and has been involved in the VERSO project from its inception. Originally from Scotland, Cameron has lived and worked in Hong Kong since 1993, and for the past 14 years has served as the Head of School at the American International School. As well as being a long-serving Head of School, he has significant expertise in school accreditation through his work with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). As an experienced and respected WASC Visiting Committee Chair, Cameron has worked with many international schools across the East Asia region to support their ongoing growth and school improvement processes. As a school leader Cameron is inspired and excited by the future of education. By reimagining and redesigning the school experience in a bold and exciting way, VERSO offers students, teachers and families a learning environment that will inspire everyone to reach beyond the traditional expectations of school.
Jarret Voytilla (J)
Jarret Voytilla (J)
Jarret Voytilla, or J, is our Upper Loop Leader who started teaching Science in Mexico back in 2003 as a gap year project, intending to return to Canada for a MSc the following year. That did not happen. Seven years later he left Mexico as an IB teacher of Environmental Systems and Extended Essay Coordinator and a lead teacher and curriculum designer for biology, chemistry, and physics. This was a significant shift in his career trajectory. He then joined Think Global School, a non-profit traveling boarding school, and spent the next 9 years homeless and exploring the world with 30 amazing students and 10 other educators. The Think Global Odyssey has helped J become a versatile, flexible, and innovative curriculum designer who adapts quickly to new scenarios and information, and has shaped him into a compassionate and empathetic human. J holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta, Canada, a Postgraduate Certificate Education (International) and a Masters of Arts in Education from Nottingham University. He admits to having served in every post within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), but is now a reformed educator who believes that traditional pedagogy is obsolete, and standardized testing does not fairly measure learning, nor prepare anyone for the future. In an interconnected world of easily accessible artifacts of knowledge, it is skillsets of knowledge application, collaboration and evaluation combined with creativity that have the most value for tackling the new challenges and complexities that will arise in our children’s future.
Chad Walsh
Chad Walsh
Chad Walsh, our Middle Loop Leader, is an experienced international educator. After completing his degree and teaching in Australia, he has spent the last 20 years working as a teacher and administrator across the globe with positions in Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Up to now he has held teaching and leadership positions in 7 different countries. This is his second time in Bangkok. His educational philosophy has been influenced by strong pedagogical mentors that he still connects with from time to time.
Chad embraces new opportunities for learning, reflection and growth. His passion as an educator lies in developing connected and meaningful relationships.
Chad believes learning should be inclusive, flexible, challenging, and fun. He believes that our role as educators is to inspire and empower learners to explore and discover who they are by providing them with authentic experiences. He believes that promoting a culture where students learn to struggle, fail, and make mistakes is essential.
Chad is excited to gear up for year 2 at VERSO and build a school where there is a rich and rewarding culture of collaboration among colleagues and learners. That way, learning at VERSO can be vibrant, meaningful, and relevant for everyone.
