Candidate for
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Grant Mitchel McMicken was born on April 15, 1945 in San Pedro California. He attended Halldale Avenue Elementary School, Stephen M. White Junior High School, and Gardena High School, all in the LAUSD. After graduating from high school, Grant joined the U.S. Army, completing basic training at Ft. Ord and was subsequently stationed in South Korea, Ft. Meade, MD, and Ft. Bliss, TX.

After completion of military service, he married and began college While in college his children, Timothy and Sarah, were born. To support his family, he worked and attended college at the same time. While completing an AA degree at Sacramento City College, he worked for a local bank, taking an extended lunch hour each day for two years, allowing him to complete Calculus during the day and general education courses in the evening. He transferred to CSU-Sacramento, driving an armored transport at night while earning a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and receiving a Standard Teaching Credential.

After completing college, he taught mathematics for four years. In 1975, he resigned his teaching position in Ft. Bragg, returned to the Sacramento area and began an administrative credentialing program at CSU-S, while working in a machine shop. The next year he began teaching, but his position was terminated at the end of the year. The following year, Grant accepted a Computer Programmer position with the California State Department of Finance. His assignment was to complete the development of the first on-line legislative information system for the governor's office.

While working at DOF, he and a colleague began developing a newspaper customer circulation system for a major newspaper in the Sacramento area. In 1979, Grant began his own business, moving to Washington, DC in 1982, developing automated systems for newspapers, hospitals, and many federal government agencies.

In 1986, he returned to Sacramento, beginning a twenty year career in education as a mathematics and computer programming teacher in the San Juan Unified School District. Additionally, at various times, teaching mathematics at Folsom Lake College and Mathematics for Elementary Teachers at National University, Sacramento. Simultaneously he became involved with many organizations ( see resume ) to promote mathematics education and the use of technology as both a learning and teaching tool. He has been a presenter at local, regional, and national conferences, a consulting teacher/trainer for a major calculator company, and been involved in educational grants, resulting in the development of mathematics text books, TV broadcasting, video development, and teacher training and activity materials. Presently and for the past three years he has taught mathematics at Alisal High School in East Salinas, CA.

Two quotes summarize his career: "he is the consummate teacher", 1993, Mr. David Terwilliger, principal San Juan High School; and "You are the quintessence of the American entrepreneur ", 1986, Mr. James Czaban, MIS manager, FHA, Washington DC.