Anissa Sonnenburg is an Education Administrator with the California Department of Education's System of Support Office in Sacramento, CA.
From 2000-2012, Anissa was an elementary school teacher, 11 of those years with Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento. During her 12-year tenure in the classroom, she taught grades K, 4, 5, and 6, and believes that her relationships with her students were just as important as the curriculum she taught.
In 2007, Anissa spent two years as visiting educator at the CDE in the After School Programs Office and returned to CDE in 2012 to again work in after school programs in the re-named Expanded Learning Division.
During her career at CDE, Anissa serves in various leadership roles for different projects, including continuous quality improvement, the System of Support for Expanded Learning (SSEL), and the larger California System of Support. In each of these roles, Anissa uses the Compassionate Systems Framework in order to build a stronger, more generative K-12 field to help bring about true systemic change through leadership, collaboration, and relationship building with school districts, county offices of education and community stakeholders.
Prior to CDE and teaching, Anissa worked as a budget analyst for the State of California for both the Department of Finance and Student Aid Commission, and for the City of Santa Fe Springs (where she started as a recreation leader) in Los Angeles County as an Administrative Aide working in social service programs. Anissa holds a Master in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach, a BA in Political Science from San Diego State University, and a teaching credential from California State University, Sacramento. Anissa is married, and the proud mother of two beautiful and energetic boys.

Most recently, Anissa received a Certification from the Center of Systems Awareness of MIT in their Program for Compassionate Systems Master Practitioners. Anissa continues to build her capacity and understanding of how to bring about positive changes and outcomes rooted in compassion that ultimately benefits the students and families she is dedicated in serving.