As parents we knew our children would be just fine in traditional schools. They would get good grades, volunteer somewhere, and go to college. But we wanted something more meaningful and inspiring out of their education.
The more we were honest with ourselves, the more we felt the traditional school model was limited and outdated; where success is based simply on regurgitating information and following instructions.
In our years of searching for something better, we discovered a proven model in Acton Academy. Launched in 2009 in Austin, it is now the largest micro school community with over 300 campuses in 25 countries.
Our dream was for an environment where our children developed a love for learning, self-awareness, and a strong character – pillars we believe are necessary for their happiness and success in both personal and professional life. So, in 2020 we launched Tej Acton Academy – where children have the opportunity every day to discover their inner genius, or ‘Tej’.
If you want to experience this powerful school environment for your child, please schedule a tour.
We look forward to meeting you!
Tej Acton Academy is located at 1 W Campbell Ave, L-54, Campbell, CA 95008
We are centrally located in the Silicon Valley between CA-85 and I-280 off of the CA-17 freeway
Our beautiful, new campus at the Campbell Community Center (formerly Campbell High School) has all of the amenities including:
• Access to after-school programs
• Sports facilities: outdoor track and field stadium, large fields, large playground, indoor basketball/volleyball courts,
tennis courts, racquetball courts, skateboard park, swimming pool, indoor large and small gyms, weight room.
• The Heritage Theater
• Library
• Conference rooms
Meera is the mother of two beautiful daughters and is Director and Co-Founder at Tej Acton Academy. She has earned her Teaching Diploma in Lower Elementary Montessori Education and a Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy, which she practiced for 8 years.
Her passion for alternative methods of education comes from her twenty years of experience as both a participant and facilitator of youth discussion groups centered on cultivating strong character and human dignity.
She believes that along with academic excellence, education should also bring joy and develop leadership qualities such as strong character, clarity in thought and communication, and the ability to face adversity. Acton Academy's principles of deep respect for children and trust in their abilities resonated immensely with her, as did its Hero's Journey for each student to find their calling.
Brenda was born and raised in the South Bay Area. She graduated from UC Davis with a degree in English and Creative Writing. She has experience working with children of all abilities and backgrounds, including those on the autism spectrum as well as incarcerated youth in various educational programs and settings. Brenda is also a 200-hour certified yoga teacher and Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator.
She played a key role in helping establish Acton Academy Invictus near Dallas, Tx and served as their lead guide for four years. She believes the Acton method provides a learning environment that gives children permission to practice self-reliance and interdependence that will enable them to grow into effective leaders. She believes nurturing children's natural resilience, emotional intelligence, and agency is the key to enacting positive change in the world.
Pajaree believes that Acton's unique systems and hands-on experiences empower children to be lifelong self-motivated learners. As a guide in a learner-driven studio, she continues to be amazed at how Acton's approach and freedom levels actually guide learners towards responsibility and ownership of their education, more than she had ever seen in a traditional school.
After working as an auditor at Deloitte, Thailand, Pajaree earned her MBA from UT Dallas and moved to the Bay Area with her family. The transition from the corporate world to education was driven by her own children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. This transformation, followed by the time she spent at Tej Acton Academy, transformed her perspective on how education can and should be approached.
Pajaree enjoys conducting scientific and engineering experiments with her 6- and 9-year-old children. She also co-builds a small online business with them.
Judy comes to us with over thirty-five years of teaching experience from Mulberry School, a progressive, independent, Positive Discipline Certified Lab School. Her other duties included lead teacher, mentor teacher, and program director. She is a Positive Discipline certified teacher and was the Positive Discipline liaison for the Positive Discipline Lab School at Mulberry School.
Judy holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership, Supervision, and Administration, a Multiple Subjects Credential from San Jose State University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Chico State University. She is a proud alumni of the CWI’s Summer West Institute: Service Learning with a Lens of Equity and Inclusion, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Consortium Climate Action Projects Summit, and the Trout in the Classroom Project, connecting students with their watershed.
Judy believes that through a student driven learning curriculum, community & service-based engagement, inquiry and project-based experiences, students become directly involved in working together as change makers and better understand what it is to be a global citizen.
Nate is a dedicated advocate for physical wellness, music, the arts, personal growth, mindfulness, and breathing exercises, to which he has devoted his professional life. Drawing from his own experiences of feeling marginalized by traditional education, Nate is committed to fostering a holistic approach that promotes free thinking and creativity.
His journey has led him to design customized courses aimed at building confidence, self-respect, and acceptance among individuals and groups, including those who may feel overlooked. He firmly believes that embracing messiness, making mistakes, and facing challenges are essential elements of the developmental growth process.
Nate is enthusiastic about exploring innovative pathways to joy, self-discovery, and well-being through fitness and music with our learners, including his own two children.
Jeff Sandefer is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he served for over twenty years on the school’s governing committees. Jeff went on to co-found the Acton School of Business, an MBA program perennially ranked by the Princeton Review among the best in the nation. In 2012 The Economist honored him as one of the top fifteen Business School professors in the world.
He currently lives a dual life as an entrepreneur and a Socratic Guide. As an entrepreneur, he founded his first company at age 16 and went on to found or co-found seven successful businesses. As a Socratic teacher at the University of Texas, Jeff’s students five times voted him the school’s Outstanding Teacher and Businessweek named him one of the top Entrepreneurship professors in America.
Jeff Sandefer was a longtime director of the Philanthropy Roundtable and National Review magazine and one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
Laura lived on both US coasts and in between as a child, then settled into Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science. After being awarded the highly competitive Walter Wattles Fellowship at Lloyd’s of London, Laura worked in the aviation insurance industry in New York City.
Deciding to follow her calling into the world of education, Laura returned to Nashville and earned her Master of Education at Peabody College. This led her to her work at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, creating fine arts education programs for teachers and talented high school students.
Laura married Jeff Sandefer and is the happy mother of Sam and Charlie and step-mother to Taite. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to co-found Acton Academy.
Her greatest hero is her mother who was a Master Teacher. Her wisest mentor is her father who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious."
Dr. Srujal Shah carries a doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Southern California along with Diplomates in the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. He earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from UC San Diego with a specialization in signal processing. He continues to teach around the country in these fields and is involved with several related professional committees and boards.
Dr. Shah is a native of San Jose where in his home growing up, grades were never the goal but just a by-product of learning for mastery and for joy. Following his passions, he studied abroad for one year in Mumbai, India at the Tatvagyan Vidhyapith college where he was introduced to new systems in learning. The education was value-based, Socratic, and holistic. He saw that when students were trusted, they developed a love for learning and immense pride in their school.
With Tej Acton Academy, Srujal is excited to bring his depth of experiences into the field of education for his own children and members of his community.
.png)
Colleen Ster is the CEO and Founder of Reflections Publishing and former Director of Marketing at Scholastic. She earned her Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University in Psychology out of concern for the self-harm cases among youth worldwide.
Colleen created The Resilience Game Plan: The Playbook for Developing Cognitive, Communication, and Mindfulness Skills to provide a curriculum for middle schools, high schools, and colleges to help adolescents and emerging adults build resilience by giving them tools for improved communication and to understand how the brain works to aid in dealing with difficult life situations. With a focus on taking neuroscience, neurobiology, self-harm, and cognitive behavior therapy courses, Ster is determined to try to reduce self-harm cases among youth around the world.
Proudly born and raised in Indiana, Ster has called San Diego home for more than 20 years, and is married with three daughters and a son-in-law.
Dr. Amar Patel graduated from Harvard University and subsequently earned his doctorate in medicine from Johns Hopkins University. He further honed his expertise through advanced training at both UCLA and UCSF Medical Schools. Currently, he serves as Senior Director of Early Clinical Development in Immuno-Oncology and Cell Therapy at Bristol Myers Squibb, and he is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Hematology and Oncology at UCSF.
Dr. Patel attributes much of his success in oncology research to the strong educational foundation he received during his primary and secondary school years in Southern California, which emphasized experiential learning, a curiosity-driven approach and experiences outside of school. With this background, he is uniquely positioned to guide Tej Acton Academy in offering a world-class education that fosters innovation and critical thinking. Additionally, he will support the school's next phase of growth by integrating professional apprenticeships and dual college enrollment for middle and high school students, preparing them for their futures.
Lisa Daniels brings a wealth of expertise in both education and technology. She currently serves as an ELPAC Tester for Union School District, where she assesses English language proficiency and helps guide the educational journey of students. Prior to this, she was a Board Member and Substitute Educator and Consulting Program Director at Mulberry School, fostering project-based learning and promoting social-emotional development.
Lisa's corporate career spans leadership roles in technology, including directing global cybersecurity initiatives at RSA and managing strategic communications at Cisco. At RSA, she spearheaded the launch of a global cybersecurity safety initiative for children and parents, making a lasting impact on digital safety education.
Lisa earned her Bachelor of Arts from California State University, San Jose, with concentrations in Psychology, Child Development, and Communications. Her career reflects a commitment to both innovative learning environments and technological advancement, embodying leadership in two dynamic fields.
Begin a Hero’s Journey.
Discover precious gifts and a commitment to mastery.
Become a curious, independent, life-long learner.
Embrace the forging of a strong character.
Cherish the arts, the physical world, and the mysteries of life.
Treasure economic, political, and religious freedom.
We believe each person has a gift that can change the world in a profound way.
We believe in learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be.
We believe in a closely connected family of life-long learners.
We believe in economic, political, and religious freedom.
