Robbie Torney

Senior Teacher Policy Fellow

Robbie is a founding teacher at Lodestar, which opened in the Fruitvale District in August of 2016. Before helping to open Lodestar, he taught kindergarten at Lighthouse Community Charter School for 4 years. Robbie has been a teacher for seven years. He has also worked on collecting baseline information about new teacher support and teacher engagement in Oakland. Robbie graduated from Stanford University in 2009 with a BA in Political Theory and from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2010 with a MA in Elementary Education.

Why public education?

At Lighthouse, I’ve seen firsthand the transformation power that a great education can have on Oakland students and families. Going to and graduating from college has changed the trajectory of our students’ and families’ lives. I work to make this experience the norm, rather than the exception, in our great city.

Why Oakland?

Oakland is my home. It has amazing potential, and I work to unlock that potential in our students and in our schools.

What are your vices?

I watch a lot of football. I am also obsessed with cats.