District Leadership Team

 

 

 

Dr. Angela Allen became the Head of School at Prospect Hill Academy in 2015. Dr. Allen has 25 years of experience in education that spans from Kindergarten through college. She started her career as a math teacher in Atlanta, GA and has since worked at Shady Hill School, the Boston Public Schools, and most recently the Brookline Public Schools where she served the past ten years as the K-8 Math Curriculum Coordinator and then as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. Dr. Allen attended the University of Georgia (BBA) and Emory University (M.ED), and also holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University.

 

Alison Bradley started at Prospect Hill in September of 2017. Prior to her position as the Director of Special Education, Alison worked as the Special Education Team Chair at the Upper Elementary Campus. She has a Master's Degree in Special Education from Lesley University and a Bachelor's of Science degree from the University of Virginia. Prior to working at Prospect Hill, she worked with students with complex and significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs at both a therapeutic, residential setting and in a public school district. As a special educator at heart, Alison firmly believes that all students can meet high expectations and achieve their goals when given the supports they need.

Anja Rauh Bresler joined Prospect Hill Academy in 2003 (when it was still the Somerville Charter School) as Director of Development and External Relations. She enjoys working with a team of dedicated and passionate educators and community members and is proud of PHA’s many accomplishments. Prior to working at PHA, she was a marketing communications manager and marketing consultant in the software industry. She obtained a BA from the University of California at San Diego, an MA in art history from Boston University, and an MBA also from Boston University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Carothers joined Prospect Hill Academy in 2019. Anne brings a wealth of diverse experiences and skills to the PHA community. For the past three years, Anne served as Principal of the Lilja Elementary School in Natick Public Schools. Prior to that, she served as the Principal of the William Diamond Middle School for six years and two years as Vice-Principal at the K-8 Michael Driscoll School in the Public Schools of Brookline. Anne also brings six years of expansive coaching experiences in Literacy and Whole-School Change in Boston Public Schools. Anne holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College, a Master’s Degree in Education from Lesley University as well as a Principal Certification for PreK-8, a School Counselor Certification for PreK-9 and Elementary Certification.

 

 

 

 

 

Christine Douglas has worked at Prospect Hill Academy since 2000, first as a Spanish Teacher, then Spanish Coordinator, Upper School Assistant Principal, and Principal of the Collegiate Institute. She is passionate about supporting students’ social emotional growth as well as providing equity and access through education. She is inspired by the tenets in PHA’s mission and excited to work with PHA’s oldest students and think differently about what preparing each student for success in college can look like in our unique model. Chris earned her BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Union College, an EdM in School Leadership at Harvard University and her Massachusetts Principal License through the Principal Residency Network at Northeastern University.

 

 

Dr. Ruth Farmery joined PHA in 2016 as Teacher of Computer Science and Engineering in the High School. Prior to starting at PHA, Ruth taught at North Shore Community College in Lynn and before moving to the US, taught Computer Science and ICT in Wiltshire, England for 9 years. Ruth holds an MEng in Computer Science from University of Bristol, UK; a Postgraduate Certificate of Education in Secondary Education from University of Bath, UK and and EdD in Education from Cardiff University, UK. Ruth is dedicated to Computer Science for All and providing authentic learning opportunities within and beyond the CS curriculum.

 

 

 

Sarah Ferguson joined the Prospect Hill team in 2014 as our Human Capital Director. In this capacity, she oversees employee relations, recruitment, retention, and other human resource initiatives. She is honored to have the opportunity to support the amazing educators at PHA, and to see the impact our faculty have on students every day. Prior to this role, she worked as Assistant Director of Recruitment for Mastery Charter Schools, ran an internship program for high school students, and taught 7th grade humanities. She earned her BA at Tufts University and her MEd at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Osiris Gonzalez is an experienced IT professional.  He started at Prospect Hill Academy in August 2022.  Prior to working at PHA, he worked as a director of technology for over 12 years in various other school districts, most recently in Randolph Public Schools.  Before embarking into the public education space, Osiris worked as a network administrator for Brown University in their Computing & Information Technology department. Osiris holds a bachelor's of science degree from Rhode Island College in Marketing/MIS and a master’s degree in Information Technology from New England Institute of Technology. His goals include workflow automation and bringing more innovation to PHA.  In his free time, Osiris enjoys a good AUDIBLE book, working on his grass, and keeping up with his 2 adult sons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Johnson joined Prospect Hill Academy in 2008 as the Out-of-School Time Director. Following six years of service in that role, she then moved into the Assistant Principal role, where she served for the past seven years. Mrs. Johnson has over ten years of experience in leadership, management, coaching, training, and development of teacher leaders, students, and families in youth development, out-of-school time, and early childhood education. It is her belief that students learn best and have the most chance of success in a smoothly managed atmosphere, where they are inspired, respected, and pushed to do their utmost best. Mrs. Johnson received a degree in leadership from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, and has also earned several certifications for management, school, and organizational leadership at the University of Massachusetts, Boston College, and Boston University. During her free time, Mrs. Johnson enjoys reading, learning about different cultures, becoming a runner, and spending time with family.

 

 

 

Michael O’Donnell joined Prospect Hill as the CFO to put business experience in banking, manufacturing, travel, and consulting to work in a public educational setting. He earned a BA degree at Trinity College, an MA at Georgetown University, and an MBA at Boston University. During his time outside of work, Mike enjoys spending time with his family particularly doing activities that involve being outdoors or on the road. Mike recently commented that “While I could never have predicted that my early interest in teaching or later experience in business would have brought me to Prospect Hill Academy, I can think of no place I’d rather be than working at a successful school where students learn, teachers thrive, and the business office supports the school’s mission.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to coming to PHA, Amy worked in various roles across the education sector. She spent the first decade of her career in New Orleans public schools where she had the opportunity to teach various elementary grades before moving on to serve as a school leader. She came to Boston to study technology and innovation at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. While working on her master's degree, Amy served as the data analyst and assessment designer for a network of schools in Liberia. Most recently, Amy worked at LearnLaunch, an education non-profit in Boston, where she was the founder and director of their Innovative School Leaders Network. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, she helped lead the organization's pivot as co-author of the Building Blocks of Equitable Remote Learning. She is thrilled to be a part of the Prospect Hill Academy community and learn from the amazing students, families, and educators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before joining Prospect Hill Academy, Karen was the Deputy Superintendent of Student Services in the Public Schools of Brookline where she served for over a decade and most recently, the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services in the Newton Public Schools. Karen began her career in the non-profit human services sector and was in the forefront of introducing wraparound technologies and system of care principles in the areas of public mental health, child welfare and education in Massachusetts. Karen taught English as a Second Language and Literacy to children and adult learners in Johannesburg, South Africa and St Louis. Karen also has her Teachers Diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity College of London, and in Dance from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in London. Karen received her Clinical Psychologist training and degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and her Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeanette Verdone started at Prospect Hill Academy in 1999. After 13 years as a third-grade teacher, she became one of our English as a Second Language Specialists, teaching our linguistically diverse students for seven years. She has also been a Kindergarten Teacher, K-5 Math Specialist and Lead Teacher Mentor. Jeanette has a Bachelor of Science in Teaching with a dual concentration in Early Childhood and Elementary Education with Special Needs from Wheelock College. She holds certificates from organizations such as Responsive Classroom, Wilson Reading Systems, Orton Gillingham, MATSOL and WIDA. Jeanette believes it takes a village and that developing strong relationships is essential in creating an inclusive and supportive community, like PHA, that encourages growth and learning.

Sarah Joslyn Wahl's passion for restorative practices and anti-racist education drew her to join Prospect Hill's unique school community in 2016. She worked with teachers, instructional coaches, fellows, and administrators across all of our campuses as the Director of Teacher Development before joining the Upper Elementary campus as the Assistant Principal in 2020. Before joining PHA, Sarah taught 8th grade humanities and led Breakthrough Collaborative's teacher development efforts at its local and national offices. A proud "double Jumbo," Sarah has both her BA in English and her MAT from Tufts University.