Thank you to everyone who met our finalists, asked thoughtful questions, and shared feedback. Your participation helped inform the committee’s recommendation, and your warmth gave both candidates an opportunity to experience what makes PHA special.
For Dr. Previna, joining PHA is a homecoming. Her roots are right here in Cambridge, in Central Square. A first-generation Haitian American, her story reflects the hopes we hold for our own students: finding opportunity and purpose through education. Her education at Milton Academy, Wellesley College, and Harvard University could have taken her in many directions. But since sixth grade, she has known her calling was to make educational excellence and joy accessible to all children.
Dr. Previna began her career as a classroom teacher in Boston Public Schools and went on to help establish and lead several Boston-area charter schools. She holds a doctorate in Learning and Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and currently serves as Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC.
She now returns to the community and mission that shaped her, bringing deep experience in curriculum, teacher development, and executive leadership that aligns closely with PHA’s work ahead. She understands that strong schools depend on students and teachers who feel supported, valued, and excited to be there, and on families who feel welcomed and included. Her commitment to a strong curriculum and investment in educators will guide her efforts to strengthen our culture, support and retain faculty, and help more families discover and choose PHA.
She also brings experience building effective organizational systems and thoughtfully designed school facilities that support educational goals. As we advance our facilities planning, she will help ensure that our educational priorities guide the process, with the goal of creating spaces that offer a sense of joy and possibility for students, teachers, and families.
Dr. Previna said, “It is truly an honor to be selected as Prospect Hill Academy’s fifth Head of School. I am eager to immerse myself in this special community and build on the strong foundation that so many others have helped lay over the past three decades. Together with students, faculty, staff, and families, I look forward to envisioning and actualizing a wondrous future where PHA continues to thrive and positively influence the lives of its students and the adults who teach and care for them.”
As we look toward this next chapter, we also express our deep gratitude to our current Head of School, Dr. Angela Allen, for the extraordinary work and dedication she has brought to PHA over the past decade. Her steadfast commitment to our students, educators, and families—and to PHA’s mission—deserves our heartfelt appreciation. We look forward to opportunities in the months ahead to celebrate her leadership and the lasting contributions she has made to our school community.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Debby Saintil Previna to Prospect Hill Academy—and home to Cambridge. We will share more about the transition and opportunities to welcome her in the coming months..
With gratitude for this community,
Jennifer Gala
Chair, Prospect Hill Academy Board of Trustees