We are small group of parents and educators who want to make the lives of teachers a little bit easier.
Scroll down to learn a little more about us.
This is us.
Eric Maxen
Executive Director/Board Member
Eric is the child of public school educators. They and the unending generosity of his in-laws are the inspiration behind Admire Teachers. He remembers watching his parents buy things for their students out of their own pockets even when money was tight. He has had several careers from the music business to photojournalism to nonprofit management and filmmaking. He was also a stay at home dad for several years. He served as the board treasurer of The Emerson School for three years. Currently, he is a Court Appointed Special Advocate and he recently joined the board of Artichoke Community Music.
Rachel Plotinsky
Board Member
Rachel is an infectious disease physician and mom to two middle school girls. Growing up, she watched her mom teach ceramics in the basement of their San Francisco home to kids after school. She has fond memories of helping her fourth grade teacher grade papers after school, and credits her chorus director for teaching her the discipline and focus she drew upon to complete many years of medical training. She has worked at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center since 2008.
Renee Anderson
Board Member
Renee’s teaching career began in 1974 in Compton, CA and was followed by teaching positions in Liberia, West Africa for the Peace Corps and later at Berkeley High. She later became the Director of the Mathematics, Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Program at San Francisco State University, a program she brought to Portland Public Schools in 1985. In 2000 she returned to the classroom and taught mathematics at Grant High school until she retired in 2012. She presently serves on the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) and the Oregon Alliance for Black School Educators (ORABSE) boards.
Danny Walker
Board Member
Danny Walker has worked in middle and elementary schools for 18 years in both San Francisco and Portland. 15 of those years have been in the classroom and three have been working within school administration. Prior to entering the education field, he worked as a copy writer and event producer. He lives with his wife and daughter in Portland.