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Our Story
Present Education started the way a lot of good partnerships do: with two teachers recognizing a kindred spirit in each other.Tori and Lana met at a district professional development Lana was leading, back when they were both teaching 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies. Tori saw someone equally obsessed with UDL, accessibility, and academic rigor — and after months of talking curriculum, SEL, and everything in between, they officially founded Present Education in 2023, over a plate of nachos in Daly City, California.We built the company the way most teachers build anything worthwhile — around the edges of a full-time job, using summers and breaks, until Lana went full-time in 2024 to grow it further. That scrappy, teacher-first start still shapes how we work: we believe that even the most rigorous, beautifully designed curriculum fails if the teachers delivering it aren't supported. So we build support first.
Our mission is to cultivate a generation of empathetic leaders by equipping educators with resources to assist in the pursuit of knowledge and a better life.
We're reimagining schools as centers for student-led innovation, civic engagement, and creative expression — through resources, trainings, and partnerships that support educators, students, and communities alike.
Who We Are
Present Education is still a small, hands-on team — Lana and Tori, both career classroom teachers before (and alongside) this work. Between them: 9+ years of classroom experience each, curriculum development, PLC and team leadership, and district-level work in restorative justice and curriculum specialization. Tori is still in the classroom today.