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2004-2005 Fellow Profiles

Alenor Abdal-Khallaq

Alenor"As an educator I want to lift my hands and build the pyramid. It is my responsibility, and I see the Boston Principal Fellowship as a means of doing so…I will use my knowledge of and experience with classroom management, community outreach and educational research to create and foster efforts that will contribute to creating safe and structured learning environments where a sense of community is established and time spent on learning and teaching is maximized."

Education:
Doctorate of Education, Administration Planning & Social Policy, Harvard University
Masters, Special Education, Simmons College
Bachelors, Education and Human Services, Simmons College

The Road to Principalship:
Alenor brings to the Boston Principal Fellowship 13 years of elementary education experience, most recently as a teacher at the William M. Trotter Elementary School. During her nine-year tenure at the Trotter, Alenor assumed substantial leadership roles including serving on the school's instructional leadership team, school based management, and the Trotter Parent focus Group. Her commitment to education and community pushed her to pursue and earn a doctorate in Administration, Planning and Social Policy with a concentration in Communities and Schools from Harvard University.

John Arlauskas

John"I believe that schools will be a more positive place for children when they also help our youth to develop a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence, and competence."

Education:
Masters of Education, University of Massachusetts at Boston
Bachelors of Science, Applied Social Sciences, State University of New York at Binghamton

The Road to Principalship:
John Arlauskas brings to the Boston Principal Fellowship experience as a leader in the community, working in public schools on projects to provide youth development and mental health related resources to students and other members of the school community. In John's most recent position as a bullying project director at the Jacobs Elementary School in Hull, he was responsible for leading a school wide change initiative that involved providing bullying prevention training to the staff and students at the school and integrating it into the school's instructional focus.

Rachel Bonkovsky

Rachel"My core values in education are those of equity, and quality instruction for all children. I strive to shape them into a comprehensive vision for school reform, combined with the six essentials that Boston has put forth, to create institutional change."

Education:
Masters of Education, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Bachelors, Biology and English, Amherst College

The Road to Principalship:
Rachel brings to the Boston Principal Fellowship strong skills in developing curriculum, an understanding of the importance of instructional management and professional development, and a passion for working with students and teachers. Rachel has taught high school level science in the Boston Public Schools for the past six years. In her most recent position as a teacher at Boston Adult Technical Academy, Rachel assumed several key leadership roles including serving as science department chair and learning community leader. Rachel was also an active member of the school's instructional leadership team.

Barbara Ferrer

Barbara"Good schools are built on a foundation that has clearly articulated goals and objectives, resources dedicated to staff training and evaluation, and a fundamental belief that work must be organized in a manner that promotes the ability of every person to learn and grow."

Education:
Doctorate, Health Policy, Brandeis University
Masters, Public Health, Boston University
Bachelors of Arts, Community Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz

The Road to Principalship:
A longtime resident of Boston, Barbara has had a variety of community leadership experiences, most recently as the deputy director of the Boston Public Health Commission. In her role at the Public Health Commission Barbara was responsible for directing health programming, creating youth and family initiatives, and initiating efforts to eliminate disparities in health. Skilled in issues of leadership and management, Barbara is clear and articulate about the culture and relationship building required to ensure that students receive high quality instruction and support.

Erica Herman

Erica"As a leader it is critical to know your own core values and that they are reflected in your decisions, actions and words… I believe a true instructional leader should approach change through collaboration and a consistent push for improvement."

Education:
Certificate of Advanced Educational Specialization, Educational Administration, Boston College
Masters of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Boston College
Bachelor of Science, Inclusive Education, Syracuse University

The Road to Principalship:
Erica brings to the Boston Principal Fellowship a background in educational leadership and school community partnership development. For the past five years Erica has served as the director of the Gardner Elementary School's Extended Services Program, coordinating all aspects of a full service school and obtaining funding to support the design and implementation of school day and out-of-school time programs to support the school community. While in her role at the Gardner, Erica assumed several leadership responsibilities including serving as a member of the school's instructional leadership, technology and student support teams as well as serving on the Gardner Extended Services school's steering committee.

Carrie-Ann Kerwin

Carrie-Ann"I realize how much there is for me to learn and how important it is for me to gain exposure and mentorship from a BPS principal who is doing this job well. The duties to the district, the requirements of the BPS structures, the formal documentation of data, progress, and supervision and evaluation are all areas upon which I would like to focus."

Education:
Masters, Special Education, Boston University
Bachelor of Science, Human Development and Family Studies/Child Development, Pennsylvania State University at University Park

The Road to Principalship:
Serving most recently as an Assistant Program Director for the Boston Public Schools Unified Student Services department, Carrie-Ann has tremendous knowledge of the resources required to meet the learning needs of special education students and a passion for working on behalf of youth. In her role as an Assistant Program Director, Carrie-Ann served as a conduit and resource to families, advocates, teachers and administrators regarding the special education process, legalities, and federal regulations. Before coming to USS, Carrie-Ann was the Educational Director at the Stephen Hastings Bennett School, a private school in Brighton, MA.

Nicole Mack

Nicole"As educators, we must respect the individual intelligences and the personal histories of people. We must create an environment where students, parents and teachers alike feel comfortable…All of the changes within the school should consider the whole child. The school culture should make all students feel comfortable. We should celebrate the diversity and accomplishments of the students."

Education:
Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, Boston University

The Road to Principalship:
Nicole comes to the Fellowship from the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, where she was a fourth grade teacher, a member of several student support teams, and a soccer coach. Nicole has served on both the Instructional Leadership Team and the Data Analysis Team at the Kennedy School. In 2003, she used her vast knowledge of statistical data analysis to look at the current grade-level curriculum calendars and MCAS scores in order to show teachers how best to plan lessons around the standards, and to help the school develop new curriculum calendars for 2004.

Sung-Joon Pai

Sung-Joon"…miracles are possible when we take on things that are far larger than ourselves." (Myles Horton, The Long Haul; Teachers College Press, 1997.)

"It is important to create a culture of safety-where teachers can feel free to share their messy moments and dilemmas, especially in front of the principal and in front of other teachers, without fear of reprimand or repercussion…I would want my staff to know that we may not find solutions, but we will begin to ask better questions every year."

Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania; Masters of Education, High School Chemistry, Harvard Graduate School of Education

The Road to Principalship:
Sunny was a founding faculty member at the Boston Arts Academy (BAA), where he has spent the last seven years as a high school science teacher. His leadership roles at the BAA included having served as the chair of the science department and an advisor to freshman and sophomore students. During this time, Sunny also helped to start the Rainier Scholars, an academic summer program for students in Seattle Public Schools.

Naia Wilson

Naia"What most makes a difference in the lives of children are educators with the belief that all children can succeed if given the opportunity to do so, educators who will do everything to ensure success through personalization and perseverance…It is the belief systems of educators that must be challenged so that they understand the power of denying students the option to fail."

Education:
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Connecticut; Masters of Education, Secondary Math, Eastern Nazarene College;

The Road to Principalship:
Naia began her career as an engineer, but in her quest to change women's roles in the technology industry, she discovered her passion for teaching. It has been more than twelve years since she came to the field of education, and she has used that time to gain valuable experiences working with high school students. Most recently, she has been the Dean of Students at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. As Dean, it was Naia's responsibility to oversee the academic achievement of each of the students, as well as their day-to-day interactions, discipline, and attendance.