San Quentin Prison Helps Inmates Earn AA Degrees

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

San Quentin Prison Helps Inmates Earn AA Degrees

Lifelong educator Cissy Lewis served most recently at the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. Cissy Lewis is now teaching an introduction to literature course at San Quentin Prison through an accredited program from Patten University.

Patten University offers special extension classes at nearby San Quentin Prison, where inmates can earn an associate of arts degree. To complete the degree, students must earn a minimum 61 credits and pass core classes.

Classes at San Quentin are introductory-level, making them accessible even to inmates who are behind in their academic training. These courses include introduction to reading and composition, introduction to literature, U.S. history, and art or music appreciation.

Elective course options are available as well. Students who would like to transfer to University of California or Cal State in the future can use elective credits to fill transfer requirements. Meanwhile, courses such as introductory Spanish and pre-calculus can help inmates prepare to earn their BA when they leave prison.

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About Me

Cissy Lewis, an award-winning educator, has been involved in schools all of her life. As an eleven-year-old, she started her first school in Santiago, Chile, teaching reading and writing to children who had no school options. She comes from a line of educators – her mother earned a Ph.D. in political science in an era when few women were earning advanced degrees, and her grandfather taught Greek and Latin.

She started her teaching career at The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas, where she taught English in both the Upper and Middle Schools. At The Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee, she was honored with the Best New Teacher award. At the Castilleja School, she twice received the Distinguished Teacher Award.

Cissy Lewis held leadership positions at The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at The Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. At Baylor, she joined the administrative team, initially as Dean of Girls and then as Assistant Head of School, to help the school implement the transition from an all-boys school to coeducation. At Castilleja, she was academic dean, Head of Upper School, Assistant Head of School, and interim Head of School. Her responsibilities included oversight of the daily academic operations of the school, and coordinating the recruitment and hiring of new faculty. She also oversaw curricular review, the faculty evaluation system, and faculty professional growth.

Ms. Lewis attended Mt. Holyoke College and subsequently received bachelor’s degrees in both biology and English cum laude from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She pursued graduate studies at The Bread Loaf School of English where she received her M.A. and was honored as Class Marshall. She also earned an M.Ed. at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where she was influenced by Carol Gilligan’s groundbreaking research as reflected in her seminal work In a Different Voice, and focused on the psychology of adolescence and the education of girls.

Ms. Lewis has served on the Board of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California, and The Carey School in San Mateo, California. She enjoys reading, hiking, yoga, and travelling.