Raised in Menlo Park, three siblings grow up and become teachers in Menlo Park

There is one thing that the Kleeman-Keller siblings got instilled in them growing up in Menlo Park — the importance of education. This was before their mother, Alice Kleeman, became the resident expert on the college application process at their alma mater, Menlo-Atherton High School. So, it may be only slightly surprising that all three of them became teachers — and all three of them are teaching in the Menlo Park City School District.

“Teaching was just in my blood,” said Lexy Keller (pictured right), the eldest of the three, who teaches 8th grade history and high school algebra at Hillview Middle School (which she also attended). “For about three days in AP Biology I thought about being a doctor. But for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher. I loved my elementary school teachers so much.”

To underscore that, she recalls her 7th grade teacher, Mrs. Crawford, whom she describes as “amazing.” “She’d take me to Giants games with her three-year-old son Brandon.” And yes, astute baseball fans, that young Brandon grew up to be the Giants shortstop.

Georgia Walton, the baby of the family, now teaches 4th grade at Encinal School. “Like Lexy, I had great relationships with my teachers, and I also had my big sister to look up to. I thought about nursing a bit in college but teaching easily won out.”

Nick teaches 5th grade at Encinal and came to his profession a bit more circuitously. “I entered the classroom by way of outdoor education and early childhood education. Sometimes I think there are things that I could do better than teaching.

“But education is our family’s highest value. I don’t think there is anything more important than teaching.”

Photo by Irene Searles