Faculty Spotlight: Ken Considine, Mathematics Department Chair

Ken knew he wanted to be a teacher since elementary school even though his mother always thought he would go into law or become a stand-up comedian. Drawn to the joy and beauty of mathematics, he eventually became his high school’s go-to peer tutor, earning him the respect of his classmates and a steady stream of clients from his math teachers.

In college, Ken pursued a degree in industrial engineering as it combined two of his favorite topics, math and computer science, towards the goal of solving business problems. Recipient of the college's engineering department’s senior project award, Ken thought he had found his career path. However, when all of his classmates lined up to interview with engineering firms on Career Day, Ken was nowhere to be found.

Instead, he was putting the finishing touches on his application to Stanford’s Teacher Education Program because of an intrinsic call to teaching. Countless sessions as a tutor and a transformational experience when he and some fellow students founded the East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA), an enrichment program aimed at underserved students (now in its 29th year), were enough to convince him that this was what he was meant to do. Ken told me that despite the fact that the EPASA program was one of the hardest teaching gigs of his life, he loved every minute of it, including the poetry course he had to teach.

Armed with a Master’s degree in secondary education, Ken secured a temporary position at Burlingame High School and eventually came to Crystal. Interestingly, he was hired the same year as Bruce Pollock by then Head of School, Dick Loveland, who spent the rest of his tenure confusing the two.

Not long after his arrival, Ken married and started a family. The responsibility (and cost) of supporting his family led him to leave Crystal for the more lucrative world of High Tech. Stints at PG&E, Apple, and Concert (a subsidiary of British Telecom) were gratifying, but he missed working with students. Eventually he moved his family to Massachusetts to get back into the educational realm. However, when a math position opened up at Crystal, he returned to our campus where he now leads the Mathematics Department and enjoys the reputation as one of our school’s master teachers.

At Crystal, Ken is known as one of the funniest teachers on campus. His comedic timing, dead-on impressions of colleagues, vast knowledge of trivia and strong auditory memory make him the guy everyone wants to sit next to at a boring faculty meeting. On his days off, he enjoys orienteering, which he describes as “competitive hiking.” If he weren’t a math teacher, Ken would love to teach a course on ancient Greek and Roman history.

Along with his grandfather, who was unwavering in his support of Ken’s teaching career, Ken counts San Diego Padres' Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn as one of his heroes. Gwynn’s loyalty to Ken’s home town, exceptional talent, love for his profession, and modesty are qualities that not only describe this legendary athlete, but are also ones that serve as touchstones for this veteran teacher.