Christina Simon holds a bachelor's degree in political science from U.C. Berkeley and a master's degree in urban planning from U.C.L.A. Christina is a past winner of the prestigious California State Senate Fellowship. She is a former vice president at Fleishman-Hillard, a global public relations firm. She is the mother of a son and a daughter who attend elementary school at The Willows Community School in Culver City. Christina served as Co-chair of the Willows School Auction in 2007-2008 and was actively involved in the annual fundraising campaign this year. Christina's daughter attended Montessori Shir-Hashirim preschool in Hollywood. Her son attended preschool at A Children's World on Robertson Blvd. Christina was born and raised in L.A.. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Coldwater Canyon. 

Anne Simon spent four years as the head of Wildwood Elementary School. She is also the former dean of the Middle School at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, where her daughter is a graduate of the high school. She has more than 30 years as a private school educator in Los Angeles and nationally. After eight years at The Hill School in Middleburg, VA, Anne retired in 2011 as head of the Hunter McGuire Lower School at Stuart Hall in Verona, VA. Anne is married to Lee Simon, Christina's father who is an award winning retired teacher. Anne received her Master's Degree in Education from Columbia University. She is the mother of two children and the grandmother of four, soon to be five, grandchildren. Anne and Lee have also foster parented twenty children over the past 12 years.

Porcha Dodson is an admissions assistant at St. James Episcopal School in L.A, reporting to the admissions director. Porcha spent five years as a teaching partner and director of diversity at the Curtis School in Bel Air. She is the founder and president of Project Knapsack, Inc. www.projectknapsack.org, a non-profit organization that partners students in the U.S. with pen pals in Africa and provides school supplies to students in developing countries. Porcha has a B.S. degree in Arts Management from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA. She is working on a Master's Degree in Education with a multiple subject teaching credential at California State University Northridge. Last year, Porcha was a speaker at the California Association of Independent Schools regional meeting held at Campbell Hall School. Porcha lives in Sherman Oaks, CA. 

Kasia Daum is a contributor to the book. She is a child and family psychotherapist and a consultant for admissions at The Hill School in Middleburg, VA. She lived in Los Angeles for several years and is the parent of two children.