Farnaz Kaufman, SCVi Director

Santa Clarita Valley International, a free public charter school serving learners in grades TK through 12, has welcomed veteran educator Farnaz Kaufman as its new School Director.

Kaufman will be on hand to welcome students and interested members of the community at SCVi’s Prospective Family Night at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the Shakespeare Theatre on campus at 28060 Hasley Canyon Road in Castaic.

Kaufman brings two decades of educational experience as a teacher, founding charter petitioner and school director to her new role.

Most recently, she served as the director of iLEAD Encino in the San Fernando Valley. Early in her career, Kaufman was a teacher at Carpenter Community Charter, a charter school authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

She also served as curriculum committee chair, LEARN and governance board member, lead teacher, gifted and talented student coordinator, and PTA teacher representative.

Kaufman is an expert on differentiated curriculum and specializes in teaching highly gifted and twice exceptional students and regularly conducts trainings for educators and parents on a variety of topics.

Before working in education, Kaufman focused her professional energy on environmental science. The recipient of an Army scholarship, she received her Master’s degree in Earth and planetary sciences from The Johns Hopkins University while earning her commission as an officer in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps.

As iLEAD’s founding school, SCVi offers a student-centered approach to education that focuses on project-based and social-emotional learning principles. Its curriculum is designed to equip students with the critical thinking, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skills necessary to succeed in a 21st-century world.

The school offers personalized college track planning for every student and features the Santa Clarita Valley’s only International Baccalaureate program, as well as numerous NCAA sports participation opportunities and a rigorous arts and theatre curriculum.

“For years, Mrs. Kaufman has been an invaluable member of the iLEAD family and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her as the school director at SCVi, our founding school,” said Amer Kuric, CEO of iLEAD Schools Development.

“Throughout her incredible career, she has proudly advocated for the role of individualized, project-based learning in the development of our young people, and we know she will be a galvanizing force to lead SCVi forward with excellence,” Kuric said.

iLEAD Schools, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is a network of 13 charter schools throughout California and the Midwest. iLEAD empowers learners to become conscientious, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world, and inspires them to become creative thinkers and leaders with a lifelong love of learning.

The iLEAD learning model promotes individualized instruction, active learning methods and opportunities for self-directed learning. The organization celebrates and fosters each child’s individuality, and supports them in discovering their highest potential in the environment which best suits their learning needs.