Mr. Packman started as a substitute teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District. Within three months, he was asked to take on a full-semester assignment teaching computer classes at Willard Middle School.

From there, he became a full-time history teacher at Elmhurst Middle School in East Oakland, where he taught American and World History for eight years.

In his final year there, he stepped into leadership as Coordinator of Extended Learning Programs. He oversaw after-school programming and managed city and state grant reporting.

It was his first close look at systems-level work.

He later became Assistant Principal at Montera Middle School in Oakland. Then he moved to Bohannon Middle School in San Lorenzo, where he worked in the same role for five years.

Eventually, he became Principal at Abbott Middle School in San Mateo.

That role came with one of the toughest tests of his career: COVID-19.

“We were leading through closure and reopening,” he says. “There was fear. There was resistance. There was no playbook to work with. My superintendent joked that regardless of whether you are a first year administrator, or a seasoned veteran, we are all embarking on something that we have never seen”. With this level of uncertainty, growth mindset is a hard thing to sell, but a necessary venture for all of us to adapt to. With this, his approach was consistent.

“I try to meet folks where they are,” he explains. “You incorporate change into what’s already being done. You make it less scary. You focus on possibility and understanding.”

Across various schools and districts, his expertise centered on student services and special education. He became known for understanding education law and compliance, while also focusing on people.