About Kristen Atkins
Kristen Atkins has worked with students with diverse learning profiles for the past three decades, in the capacity of teaching, program development, curriculum development, leadership, and teacher training.
She has worked at The Landmark School, The Janus School, Chartwell School, and California State University at Monterey Bay, and began her teaching career with students with learning difficulties in the Watermark Program at Landmark School, which took dyslexic teenagers on a tall ship sailing across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Mediterranean for an academic year. She has also worked in international schools in Guatemala for three years.
Presently, Kristen is the Head of School at The Winston Preparatory School in San Rafael, which specializes in understanding and educating neurodivergent students through decades of evidence-based research and practice. In this role, she sees firsthand how the combination of individualized instruction with social-emotional and essential skill development translates into measurable gains in academics, confidence, and independence. When a school understands a child, challenges become opportunities– and learning comes to life.
Kristen was born and raised in the Hudson Valley in New York. She received her B.S. from the University of California Davis, and her Master’s Degree from the University of Southern Connecticut in New Haven. She has always had a keen interest in science, mathematics, anthropology, and community health issues, and her educational career has incorporated all of these areas over the years.
During her tenure at Chartwell, Kristen was instrumental in obtaining a Literacy grant from the Community Foundation of Monterey, where she supported early identification of reading challenges in preschool children, supporting private and public schools with the science of reading (The National Reading Panel Report), and she trained adult literacy volunteers in county libraries for 5 years.
Kristen has always maintained a strong conviction that all children can learn with the right support, and she has dedicated her professional career to this mission.
Additional Background Information (i.e., Education, certifications, notable acheivements, classroom or leadership experience)
- B.S. from the University of California Davis
- Master’s Degree from the University of Southern Connecticut in New Haven
Winston Prep School’s Mission
Winston Preparatory School, founded in 1981, is a network of campuses both physical and virtual offering students with learning differences, including dyslexia, executive functioning difficulties (ADHD), and nonverbal learning disorders (NVLD), a highly individualized, holistic, and responsive education. Our nationally-recognized model serves students ages 8-21, along with offering a multi-faceted gap year program for students who are not yet ready for college or the workplace. In addition, our newest venture includes one-to-one support for college students.
Winston Prep Mission Statement:
Facilitate the independence and meaningful participation of students with specific learning disorders through a Continuous Feedback System that develops skill acquisition and the Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner. Winston Preparatory School also seeks to influence the field of education with research and implementation models that achieve these ends, in this way.
Winston Prep Marin County
Grades 3 – 12
1 Saint Vincents Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 993-5533 • https://www.winstonprep.edu/
To learn more about Winston Prep Marin County please click on this link: https://parentspress.com/schools/california/san-rafael/winston-prep-marin-county-campus/
About Leaders in Education
Leaders in Education is a special profile series from Parents Press, highlighting the vision, values, and leadership of heads of schools and key administrators across the Greater Bay Area. Through these features, we aim to give the community a deeper understanding of the people shaping children’s educational experiences.
