Linda Nathan, Headmaster Dr. Linda Nathan holds a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University, a Master’s in Education Administration from Antioch University, and a Master’s of Performing Arts from Emerson College. She has a long history of success in urban public education and experience in the arts. Ms. Nathan was the founding headmaster of Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s first and only high school for the visual and performing arts. Under her leadership, the school has gained state, national and international recognition including the 2002 Exemplary Art School Award from the International Network of Visual and Performing Art Schools, the 2003 Compass Grant Award from the Massachusetts Department of Education, and the 2004 National School Library Media Program of the Year Award from the American Association of School Librarians. Also in 2004, Boston Arts Academy was honored as a Breakthrough High School – one of 12 schools nationwide – by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The school sends to college well over 90% of its graduates. Ms. Nathan was instrumental in starting Boston’s first performing arts middle school, and was a driving force behind the creation of Fenway High School which is recognized nationally for its innovative educational strategies in school-to-work programs. She also is a co-founder of the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston, an education reform organization dedicated to creating more equitable and democratic schools. She has served as a Board member at CCE for the past five years. From 1995-1998 Ms. Nathan served on the National Academy of Science’s commission for the science of learning and she was honored by Channel 5’s Chronicle program as the 1990 Teacher of the Year. In 2003, the Longy School of Music presented her with the Nadia Boulanger Educator’s Award for her groundbreaking work in education. Over the past several years, she has published numerous articles addressing educational issues and concerns and has recently worked on issues of school reform in Puerto Rico, Brazil and Argentina. Ms. Nathan is currently a lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education and is teaching a course entitled “Building Democratic Schools.” For a digital photo of Linda Nathan, go to our documents page or right click here and download the linked file. Carmen Torres, Assistant Headmaster Carmen Torres is a product of the New York City public school system. She came to the New England area to attend Brandeis University, where she earned her B.A. She then returned to the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis to earn her Masters Degree in Human Services Management. Ms. Torres was instrumental in establishing the Health Careers Program at Brighton High School. She comes to the BAA from Fenway High School, where she developed and managed all aspects of the school-to-career collaboration with the CVS Corporation. She worked extensively on the development of curriculum that integrated science and career concepts and prepared students for the challenges of careers in pharmacy and science. She has had the opportunity to present her work at several national conferences. Ms. Torres has served as a lead teacher and mentor for beginning teachers for several years. Her passion is helping teachers develop strategies that foster excellence and achievement for all students, regardless of their backgrounds. She has also served as a member of several visiting teams for the New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. Most recently, Ms. Torres was one of only three Boston high school science teachers to complete the rigorous process for National Board Certification. Abdi Ali, Humanities Teacher Abdi Ali has been teaching Humanities at Boston Arts Academy since its opening in 1998. He serves as the faculty advisor to Slateblue Arts, a student-run magazine for the visual and literary arts. He is instrumental in bringing Boston University Creative Scholars Program, yearlong writers' residency, to our school. He also serves on BAA's nominating committee on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Ali began his teaching career at Boston Latin Academy in 1994. He holds degrees from University of Massachusetts at Boston, from Boston University, and he an advanced doctoral candidate at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research is in youth cultures in public schools. Mr. Ali has a daughter, Amalia Elena, and a son, Amir Michael. William I. Baer, Math Teacher William Baer moved from his native Denver to Boston in 1983 to attend the Berklee College of Music where he studied alto and soprano saxophone performance. Mr. Baer financed his studies at Berklee by working in the hotel industry. After completing one year at Berklee, he decided to pursue a Bachelors of Science degree in Hotel and Food Administration from Boston University and received his degree in 1989. After working for several years in the hospitality industry, Mr. Baer wanted to focus on his lifelong interest in education and mathematics. He was awarded a Masters degree in Secondary Education and Curriculum Development with a special focus on Mathematics in 1994. Inspired by a combination of his prior coursework, teaching experience, and by what he perceived as a real need in public education, he went on to receive a second Masters degree at Boston College in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation and was granted his degree in 2001. Mr. Baer taught high school mathematics at the Greater Egleston Community High School (GECHS) for four years before arriving at Boston Arts Academy when it opened in 1998. BAA provides Mr. Baer with the opportunity to combine his strong interests in progressive educational practices utilizing collaborative learning and assessment through portfolio and exhibition. As a musician and supporter of the arts, Mr. Baer is thrilled to work in an arts and academic institution. Beth Balliro, Senior Institute Coordinator and Visual Arts Teacher . Beth Balliro has worked as an artist/educator with Boston youth for over ten years and at the Arts Academy since its opening. She has taught visual arts and music, supervised teen mural projects, and directed public performances in conjunction with national initiatives against youth violence. Ms. Balliro holds a Bachelors of Arts degree cum laude from Smith College and a Masters of Science in Art Education from the Massachusetts College of Art. She is a former Surdna Fellow and has also received grants from the Fund for Teachers and the Art Renewal Grant program. In 2003 she was the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's Teacher-in-Residence. Her work was featured in this year’s New England/New Talent exhibition. Other exhibitions include: Wichita Center for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Fitchburg Art Museum, Forsyth Chapel, Massachusetts College of Art, Starr Gallery, Gordon Gallery. Publications include: Salamander Journal, Cover Illustration for poetry text "Untold" published in Pakistan and India. Joy Bautista, Science Teacher Joy Bautista began her music and science career in high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Her percussion training there allowed her to teach percussion, in addition to science, at BAA in previous years. She received her BA in biology and educational studies from Brown University, and her MAEd in science teaching from Wake Forest University. Before coming to BAA, she was instrumental in developing curricula and administrative systems for New Mission High School in Roxbury. She has mentored teachers for the Urban Scholars Program at UMASS Boston, presented science curriculum at numerous national and local education conventions, provided professional development for Boston public school teachers, and served on the Center for Collaborative Education's teacher board. In 2003, Wake Forest University named her the recipient of the Wadill Marcellus Excellence in Teaching Award. Stephen Bobrow, Math Teacher Mr. Bobrow believes that all people can solve problems. His goal for teaching is that students learn how to use their individual strengths and collaborate to learn from others as well. These are necessary skills to succeed in all aspects of life. He has taught math in several different schools surrounding the Boston area since 1997 and first came to teach in this building as an intern for Fenway High School in 1998. After 2 years in a suburb north of the city, he has been back here at BAA since 2001. Besides math, Mr. Bobrow enjoys sculpting ceramic instruments, playing music, and being outdoors with his wife, daughter, and dog. Blanca Esther Bonilla, Outreach and Community Coordinator Blanca Esther Bonilla was born in Lares Puerto Rico, one of thirteen children. Moved to Boston with her family at the age of thirteen. She is product of the Boston Public School system. She holds a CDA (Child Development Associates) from Wheelock College. Blanca worked as community liaison for Kevin Fitzgerald, former state representative of Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain and the Fenway. She also directed the Tobin Family Theatre Program for three years at the Tobin School in Mission Hill. Currently, she is part of the Street Feet Theatre & Writers Company and collaborated in the publications, Many Voices, The Road to Beijing and Laughing in the Kitchen. She also writes screenplays with her sister Fina and two were finalists in the Sundance Screenwriters Competition with I Love You So Much and On Trial. Sonya Brown, Humanities Teacher Recipient of the Boston Teacher of the Year Award 2004, Ms. Brown has been teaching in the Boston Public Schools for seven years, four of those at Boston Arts Academy. She received her B.A. in Government and Philosophy from Harvard University, and specialized in teaching and curriculum development at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Previous to BAA, she worked at Harvard's Institute for the Arts and Civic Dialogue exploring how artists can use their work to promote social justice. A dancer herself, Ms. Brown studied jazz and ballet in high school and college, West African dance forms, hip-hop, flamenco, and currently focuses on salsa. Her work with adolescents began as director of two Boston youth programs: Boston Area Health Education Center's Middle School Program and a teen crisis intervention hotline. In addition to her formal education and professional experience, Ms. Brown career preparation includes extensive world travel. She has visited and lived in several areas outside of the U.S. including Finland, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Italy, France, Spain, Yugoslavia, Portugal and Morocco. Most recently, she was able to combine her love of dance and love of travel through a grant she received from Boston Plan For Excellence to research Afro-Cuban Folkloric Dance in Cuba. Mark Buchanan, Technical Theatre Teacher Mr. Buchanan is a professional scenery and lighting designer committed to sharing his experience with young designers. He is dedicated to keeping abreast of the rapidly changing entertainment industry not only by staying involved professionally, but also by pushing the envelope artistically by continually exploring new and exciting ideas techniques and materials. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston University in 1991 and an MFA in Theatre Design and Technology from Northern Illinois University in 1998. With his freelance design and production company, Mr. Buchanan has designed productions for such institutions as Harvard University, Boston University, Westford Academy, the Park School, and Lawrence Academy. He has also been the technical director for several theatres, including the Groton Dunstable Performing Arts Center, The College of Holy Cross, and the Park School. Mr. Buchanan has a deep interest in dance lighting and has lit hundreds of dance performances across central Massachusetts. During the summer, he teaches at Creative Arts at Park, a summer arts program in Brookline. Fernadina Chan, Artistic Dean and Chair of the Dance Department Fernadina Chan is the founder, artistic dean and the chair of the dance department of Boston Arts Academy. She is the lead teacher in dance for the Boston Public Schools, and has taught at English High School for 20 years before joining Boston Arts Academy. She also founded and direct the All City Dance Company, an after-school program for BPS high school students. Ms. Chan's performance and choreographic credits include television, film and stage in Hong Kong, the US, and Canada. She founded the East/West Dance Theater in 1977 and was its Artistic Director until 1988. Mandala Folk Dance Ensemble and the MJT Dance Company have performed her works, and her collaboration with modern dancer Jen-Jen Lin was one of seven winners of Dance Umbrella's 1993 "Boston Moves." She received her M.A. in Dance from the University of Illinois and has studied at the Fu-Hsieng Chinese Opera School in Taiwan and the Harvard Summer Dance Center. A Conant Fellow, Ms. Chan received her M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1993. Before moving to Boston, she was on the faculty of the State University of New York in Binghamton. She has been a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and a member of the Massachusetts Department of Education Arts Curriculum Framework Committee. She had served on the Board of the Boston Dance Alliance. In 1999, the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education named her the "Distinguished Arts Educator in Dance". Most recently, Ms. Chan was awarded a Surdna Arts Teacher Fellowship to explore dance and technology at Arizona State University in the summer of 2001. She was also honored with the Topf Center for Dance Education's 2001 Terpsichore Award and a Dance Belt Award in 2002 for her service to the dance community. Anne Clark, Curriculum Coordinator Anne Clark is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard/Radcliffe College and a Mellon Foundation Fellow for the Humanities. She received her Master's in English and American Literature in 1993 and is A.B.D. in secondary literary theory and instruction, both from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Prior to coming to Boston Arts Academy, Ms. Clark taught writing, cultural studies, and literature at the University of Wisconsin. She also worked with the Boston Annenberg Challenge, the Boston Public Schools school reform initiative, on high school curriculum, school organization, and professional development. She is currently pursuing a C.A.G.S. in Educational Leadership and Special Education. Gladys Cortiella, World Languages Teacher Gladys Cortiella has been teaching for more than twenty years throughout New England, Puerto Rico, and the Middle East. She holds a B.A. from Universidad of Sagrado Corazon, Puerto Rico as well as a Masters degree in bilingual and special education from Regis College MA. Ms. Cortiella began teaching in the Boston Public School system in 1977 and then returned to graduate school to complete a English as a Second Language certification program at the University of the Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico. She then left to teach in the Middle East; there she taught in a Special Education school, specializing in working with autistic children and training teachers in behavior modification techniques. Ms. Cortiella returned to the United States in 1996 to work in a bilingual program in Connecticut. Prior to coming to Boston Arts Academy, Ms. Cortiella worked at the Phillis Wheatley School and was active in the Citywide Textbook Adoption Committee with the Boston Public School system. Ms. Cortiella was also part of a professional development team of Spanish teachers from across the country who attended a unique summer in-service program in Queretaro, Mexico. Most recently, she completed a semester course in Culture and Identity in the Spanish Speaking World at the University of Massachusetts. Ms. Cortiella just returned from Oaxaca, Mexico, where she spent a month in an immersion program for BAA students. Hieu Do, Registrar Hieu Do was born in Vietnam, and immigrated to the United States in 1975 as part of the "Operation Babylift". She settled and grew up in Acton, Massachusetts. She earned an Associates in Accounting, and a Bachelor's in Business Administration in MIS at Northeastern University in June 2003. Her proudest moment was being inducted into the Sigma Epsilon Rho Honor Society at Northeastern University and walking down the runway on her Graduation Day. Recently, she became a board member and served on several committees at the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center. Her past enjoyable employment had been a subcontract administrator, a camp counselor, and an arts & crafts teacher. In her spare time, she loves to draw, work on arts and crafts, and quilting with friends. David Dunston, Student Support David Dunston comes to BAA via many places, but most recently the Mary Lyon School where he was a special education and humanities teacher for two years. Before arriving at the Mary Lyon School in Brighton, Mr. Dunston taught special education in Everett, MA where he received the Golden Apple Teaching Award for excellent service to his school community. Although Mr. Dunston has only been in the Boston area for six years he has gained much experience through his work with many different student populations. He has been a teacher for severely disabled students for the Shore Collaborative in Somerville and a teacher at the Joseph Lee School in Dorchester with the Extended Year Autistic program. Mr. Dunston attended The University of Texas in Austin and in 1997 earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Learning and Development and became dually certified to teach both special and regular education students. In 2003 Mr. Dunston earned a Master of Education degree in Teaching with Internet Technologies. Barrington Edwards, Visual Arts Teacher Barrington Edwards was born in Boston and is currently a resident of Roxbury, where he is active in community development and works with the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Gang Peace, Roxbury Multiservice Center, the Gallivan Community Center and the Jamaican Progressive Society. Mr. Edwards was educated at Hampton University and Massachusetts College of Art, where he was awarded the Roylt Brown Scholarship Award and Hall of Black Achievement Honors. At Massachusetts College of Art he received a degree in communication design and illustration as well as a Master of Science in Art Education. Before coming to Boston Arts Academy, Mr. Edwards taught visual arts at McKinley Vocational High School and McKinley Middle, a special education school with an emphasis on behavior management. Mr. Edwards is dedicated to developing young visual artists who have an interest in pursuing careers in the arts. Corey Evans, Executive Coordinator, Center for Arts in Education Corey Evans moved to Boston from Kansas in 1998 after graduating from The University of Kansas with dual degrees in Sociology and Human Development. She spent a year working in the Brookline Public Schools, primarily in Special Education at Brookline High School. From 1999 until coming to BAA in October, she did research for Boston University while completing her Masters Degree in Arts Administration. Ms. Evans came to BAA after interning in the Office of the President at The Boston Conservatory. Raul Garcia, Humanities Teacher Raul Garcia has been working in the Boston Public Schools for the past seven years. He is currently beginning his fourth year of teaching sophomore and senior level Humanities at BAA. During his teaching years at BAA he has taken on a number of leaderships roles including Humanities Department Chair, 10th Grade Writing Seminar Leader, and Curriculum and Leadership Team Member. In the last year he as also begun to facilitate workshops regarding teaching practices, discipline training and teaching in the log block in area Boston Public Schools. In addition, Mr. Garcia was a key member of the B.A.A. Summer Institute Conference for teachers and administrators around the nation interested in establishing and modeling best practices on a public arts school. Prior to BAA, he was an Assistant Principal at the Greater Egleston High School in Jamaica Plain where he worked for three years. His academic accomplishments include a dual BA from the University of Michigan in sociology and Latino/a Studies, a Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University School of Ecuation and Principal Certification through the Principal Residency Program at Northeastern University. Ramiro G. Gonzalez, Science Department Teacher Ramiro Gonzalez is a thirty-year veteran of teaching. Originally from Texas where he earned a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in biology. In 1990 he was recognized as Texas Teacher-of-the-Year. In addition to being certified in Biology, Mr. Gonzalez holds credentials as an Educational Diagnostician as well as training in the education of the exceptional child. In 1999, Mr. Gonzalez moved to Boston to begin a new job with Boston Arts Academy. At BAA, he has been a science teacher, a member of the Governing Board, and a member of the Leadership committee. In 2003, he received recognition for his teaching by being selected as one of Boston's Teachers-of-the-Year. Currently, in addition to his teaching duties, he is enjoys being the sponsor of both the yearbook and prom. Cynthia Hairston, Student Support/Guidance Cynthia Hairston worked at the Higher Education Center, at the Boston Public Library as Director before coming to Boston Arts Academy. During her tenure at HEIC, Ms. Hairston oversaw the provision of information and counseling and outreach services for hundreds of Massachusetts high school students and their families. She also served on various community based committees. In addition to her work a The Higher Education Center Ms. Hairston was involved in helping to establish College and Career Centers in Washington D.C., Kentucky, St. Louis Missouri, and the Boston Public Schools. Ms. Hairston has a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services from the University of Southern New Hampshire, and a Master's Degree in Education from Cambridge College. Robert Handy, Student Support Services Robert Handy grew up in the South End, where he enjoyed playing football, baseball, and basketball; reading science fiction; and singing as a member of a local group. Mr. Handy attended English High School and Boston State College majoring in History and secondary education. He was president of the Black Students Association at Boston State and also managed and played percussion for a singing group. His work experience includes jobs in the human service field in the area of vocational development and employment. In educational settings, he has extensive experience working for Boston Public Schools as a sub and in special education departments. Some of the schools he has worked at include Dorchester High, Cleveland Middle School, English High and the Jeremehia Burke High School. While at the Dorchester High school he was a theater arts coordinator and produced a variety and talent shows as well as a theatrical performance for Black History Month. Greg Holt, Music Teacher While Mr. Holt comes to Boston Arts Academy from New York City, he has had a long association with Boston. He moved to the area after earning a BA in music and graduating with departmental honors from the State University of New York in Plattsburgh. He also received a M.M. degree in music education from the New England Conservatory. He then started a long, free-lance musical career, which has included playing with numerous local organizations and a variety of musicians including the Brookline Symphony, Boston Civic Orchestra, Longwood Symphony, The New York Voices, blues artists Johnny Adams and Sam McClane, jazz artists Kurt Elling and Deborah Henson-Conant, folk artists Susan Werner, Martin Sexton, Eric Schwart and the Thompson Sisters. During his time at NEC, Mr. Holt was also involved in the Boston Music Education Collaborative and taught at several schools in the Boston Public Schools system. In 1998, Mr. Holt moved to New York City and began teaching in the Ossining Public Schools system. While there, he conducted two of the student orchestras and arranged music for those orchestras. He is responsible for teaching courses in music technology, strings and directing the new String Expansion Program at BAA. In his spare time, Mr. Holt still maintains a busy free-lance musician schedule. Gina Higgins, Special Education Gina Higgins comes to Massachusetts by way of New York. After attending the University of Miami in Florida and earning a Bachelors Degreee in English, Mrs. Higgins moved to Massachusetts to earn her Masters Degree in Special Education at Lesley College in Cambridge. Prior to coming to BAA, Mrs. Higgins was the Special Education Coordinator/Special Educator at New Mission High School in Roxbury, a Boston Public School Pilot School. During this time, she also served as MCAS Prep Coordinator, Math Teacher, Advisor, Prom Advisor, Photography Teacher, Student Support Member, Yearbook & Newspaper Photographer and Cluster Team Member. In her role as a Special Educator, Mrs. Higgins has worked with students with moderate to severe special needs. Mrs. Higgins outside interests include spending time with her husband Neil, newborn son Ryan and her dog Buddy. She also enjoys taking photographs, drawing and painting. Allyssa Jones, Music Program Coordinator and Voice Studies Teacher Allyssa Jones began piano lessons at the age of 5, and continued at Adelphi University receiving a B.S. Music Education and Northern Illinois University where she received a M.M. Music Education. She has taught at the Coatesville Area School District in Pennsylvania. A recipient of the Massachusetts Department of Education's Attracting Excellence to Teaching Award, she has served as the Artistic Director of the Boston Children's Chorus Inaugural Camp and has taught college-level courses in music appreciation and teaching methods. Currently, Ms. Jones is the Curriculum Coordinator for the Bubs Foundation's "Be the Music" initiative, which brings acappella choral programs to Boston area schools without music programs. An active workshop leader/panelist, Ms. Jones has presented during the NARAS Careers in Music Seminar at Berklee College of Music in 2001 and 2002, the LCMS Eastern District Convention in 2003, and the Summer Institute at Boston Arts Academy in 2004. At the 2005 International Association for Jazz Education annual conference, she is a presenter at the first-ever workshop on teaching vocal jazz ensembles in urban schools at the International Association for Jazz Education's annual conference. Named one of Boston Magazine's "40 Bostonians to Watch" in 2001, Ms. Jones is a professional vocalist and recording artist. She has performed in numerous festivals and clubs, including Southport Records' "Women of Southport" Jazz Festival in Chicago and the Regattabar in Cambridge. Her credits also include music direction/score adaptation of West Side Story, original compositions for The Colored Museum, and sound design for Company One's 2002 production of Twighlight: Los Angeles 1992. In March 2004, she released her debut solo recording, Daughter's Dance, on the Mine Records label. Mary Keyes, Special Education After studying history at Alfred University in upstate NY, Ms. Keyes attended the State University of New York at Geneseo receiving her B.S in Special Education with a minor in Art in 1979. She has worked in the field of human services in upstate NY, NH and MA with a concentration in program development, management and supervision of residential and vocational programs. In academic settings she has worked as an inclusion specialist, job developer, assessment coordinator and learning center special educator. In 1994 Ms. Keyes received her M.Ed. from Lesley University in Special Education with a concentration in inclusion practices. Prior to coming to Boston Arts Academy three years ago she worked as a learning center coordinator for eight years at Reading Memorial High School in Reading, MA. In addition to teaching certifications in special education, Ms. Keyes holds certifications in Visual Art and is currently completing requirements for certification in reading. Ms. Keyes enjoys playing the piano, listening to music, and traveling. Lois Lerra, Business Manager/Operations Lois Lerra has worked for the Boston Public Schools since 1978. Her experience in the BPS has included the elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, 26 Court Street, and finally, Boston Arts Academy. Born in the Midwest, she attended Northwestern University, moved to East Lansing, Michigan (Michigan State) and there she met her husband. Her greatest accomplishment to date, with the exception of her position at BAA, are her two children. Her greatest passions are travelling, hiking, reading, and gardening. Cara Livermore, Spanish Teacher Cara Livermore has been teaching in the Boston Public Schools for seven years. Previously, she taught English as a second language and worked as the assistant director at The Instituto Cultural Oaxaca in Mexico. She is passionate about travel and creating opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning. She directs Artes in Oaxaca, Mexico, through which ten BAA students study Spanish, Theatre, Folkloric Dance, Cooking and Weaving in southern Mexico for the month of July. As part of her own professional development she continues to travel and research regions of the Spanish-speaking world. She has studied in Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Cuba, The Dominican Republic and Argentina. She was also a 2004 recipient of a Boston Plan for Excellence Fund for Teachers grant, which enabled her to spend two weeks in Cuba studying Afro-Cuban folkloric dance. Most recently, in May of 2005, she traveled to Buenos Aires to collaborate with Dr. Linda Nathan and a group of Argentine educators on the development of arts integrated schools. She received an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from The University of Wisconsin-Madison in Spanish and English. Mark Lonergan, Math Teacher Mark Lonergan received his B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia in 1995 and his M.Ed. in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2000. Before coming to Boston Arts Academy, Mr. Lonergan worked in Kumamoto, Japan as an elementary and middle school English teacher. He taught math at South Lakes High School in Reston VA and was a student teacher at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. He joined Boston Arts Academy in 2000, after being selected by the Massachusetts Department of Education to receive a new teacher-signing bonus. Since joining BAA, Mr. Lonergan has served as student government advisor, department chair, teacher representative to the Leadership Team and a mentor teacher. Mr. Lonergan served as lead teacher and curriculum developer for the BAA/ MassArt Summer Enrichment Program. This year, he will take charge of a Math Curriculum Development Project that will integrate the arts into BAA's math curriculum. He has taken classes in math, architecture, design science, Geometer's Sketchpad and special education training. Harriet Lundberg, Music Department As a faculty (Piano and Theory) member of the Boston Conservatory for 33 years, Ms. Lundberg has served as both chair of the music division (1988-1993) and associate dean ( 1997-2002). Presently she teaches Harmony and Counterpoint at the Boston Conservatory and is the Liaison for the Boston Conservatory to Boston Arts Academy and is the coordinator of the BAA Piano Program. Ms. Lundberg has extensive experience as a teacher, administrator and accompanist and her music degrees are from Indiana University and the Boston Conservatory. She also received the BAA Music Award at the 2002 Graduation. Susan Mantel, Deaf Education Teacher Susan Mantel received her B.A. in English and American Sign Language/Deaf Studies from the University of Rochester (Rochester, New York) in 1998. She then attended Boston University, where she completed her Master of Education degree in 2000, with an emphasis on education of the deaf. She is a member of Pi Lambda Theta International Honor Society and Professional Association in Education. Ms. Mantel joins Boston Arts Academy after four years of teaching at The Learning Center for Deaf Children at the Randolph Massachusetts, campus. Ms. Mantel has more than twenty years of training in ballet, point, tap and jazz. While residing in New York State, she worked for six years as a dance instructor at the Stramonine School of Dance. She continued her training throughout college and graduate school, studying and performing under Margot Parsons while at Boston University. She has performed professionally for the Boston Lyric Opera, the Bank Boston Celebrity Series, and the Waltham Reagle Players. She was invited to participate in a residency at The Yard on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the spring of 2004. This project sought to combine the elements of American Sign Language (ASL) and dance. Ms. Mantel has also performed in several plays that incorporated both ASL and spoken English. Recently (spring of 2004), she appeared in A Nice Place to Live at the Wheelock Family Theatre. This production chronicled the history and culture surrounding the use of sign language on Martha's Vineyard. Cosmin Marculetiu, Dance Department Cosmin Marculetiu is a native Transylvanian from Sibiu, Romainia. At age 9, he was discovered in a nation-wide search for artistic talents and accepted into the Academy of Arts and Choreography in Cluj-Napoca, RO. He completed the Academy with honors and also received certification in pedagogy and choreography. After graduating, Mr. Marculetiu was engaged as a soloist with the Romanian National Ballet in Cluj-Napoca, Fantasio in Constanta, RO and the touring company Europe Ballet. He continued his professional dance career with the Croation National Ballet in Croatia's capital, Zagreb. He danced in various productions and commercials produced by Zagrebacka Televizija, which was the leading television network in Croatia. In 1992 he was engaged as a soloist with the Landesbuhnen Sachsen in Radebeul (Dresden), Germany where he danced for 10 years. The Sachische Zeitung and The Morgen Post followed his dance career and published many excellent reviews and articles about his life and performances. Mr. Marculetiu is currently a soloist and faculty member with Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, MA. He has also received excellent reviews for his performances in the various productions of Jose Mateo from the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and the Metro. He has established himself as a master ballet instructor in New England and the East Coast since his arrival in 2002. He was accepted the dance faculty position at BAA in 2003. Kathleen Marsh, Chair, Department of Visual Arts After studying voice at the Eastman School of Music, Kathleen Marsh received her B.F.A. in sculpture from Syracuse University, where she was a Wirt-Newman scholar, and her M.S.A.E. from the Massachusetts College of Art, where she received the Hugh Sloan Award for distinguished teaching. Ms. Marsh has exhibited her work locally and nationally and has been affiliated with several local projects, including First Night, Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, and Worcester Art All-State. She is also a founding faculty member of the Boston Arts Academy. Prior to teaching at Boston Arts Academy, she taught in the Boston, Somerville, and Georgetown school districts; Massachusetts College of Art and Wheelock College; and in specialized programs, such as Arts in Progress and the Museum of Fine Arts. Ms. Marsh lives in Roslindale, MA with her husband and daughter. Peter McCaffery, Student Support and Guidance Peter McCaffery is an educator whose life work is the wellness of urban youth. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard College where he majored in English Literature. He began his career doing community service with Phillips Brooks House, the student run organization on campus.Å0Ñ2After graduation, Peter taught and coached in secondary schools in New York, co-writing the school charter at the McBurney School in Manhattan. In Boston, he took a position as teacher in an experimental work-study program sponsored by MIT and the Department of Education at the Educational Collaborative for Greater Boston. He has also served as a field coordinator of enrichment programs in District 6 through the Institute for Learning and Teaching at the University of Masschusetts. More recently, he served as director of educational programs at the Boston Area Health Education Center, student support and coordinator of the Children's Hospital/Fenway Summer Collaborative. Bill McLaughlin, Guest Choreographer Bill McLaughlin has performed with Impulse Dance Company, Concert Dance Company of Boston, Prometheus Dance Theater, Marcus Schulkind, Granite State Ballet, The Dance Prism and Boston Dance Collective. He is currently on the faculty of The Boston Conservatory, The Jeanette Neil Dance Studio and The Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. Mr. McLaughlin has also appeared in and or choreographed live/video industrials for such corporations as Trak Ski's, Puma, Party Lite, Honeywell Bull, Parachute Clothing, Frank Xavier, David Nicholas Makeup, EMC and Dae Woo. Amy E. McQuiggan , Staff InterpreterAmy McQuiggan is a recent graduate from the Northeastern University's Interpreting Training Program with a minor in Political Science. She has made a recent appearance as an interpreter in the recent senior play of Twelfth Night. When she is not working part-time at BAA or as the Office Supervisor at the Massachusetts State Association of the Deaf, she is learning to play bass. Nicole Mullen, Special Education Nicole Mullen grew up in Massachusetts attending both private and public schools on the South Shore. After some on the job exploring and traveling, she has been working towards a degree at Lesley University in literature and writing with an education focus in creative arts and learning. She comes to BAA via The Mary Lyon School, where she worked for four years. During those four years she has taken on many different roles including, paraprofessional, student teacher, after schoolteacher, drama teacher, yearbook designer/coordinator, playwright and director. Ms. Mullen has worked with students at the Mary Lyon ranging from K-2 through 8th grade. Lana Niles-Malcolm, Family Advocacy Advisor Lana Niles-Malcolm was born on the Island of Trinidad and Tobago and immigrated to Boston, MA with her parents, sisters and brother in 1972. Ms. Niles-Malcolm was educated in the Boston Public Schools and graduated from Jeremiah Burke High School. Ms. Niles-Malcolm received her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Emmanuel College where she was on the Dean's list several times received an award for academic excellence. Ms. Niles-Malcolm comes from a corporate financial background having worked at John Hancock Financial Services for 16 years, her last position as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman and CEO. After leaving John Hancock, Ms. Niles-Malcolm came to work for the Boston Public Schools, first at the Chittick Elementary in Mattapan and then at the Oliver W. Holmes Elementary in Dorchester. She has also tutored second graders and served as the Basketball Coach to 4th and 5th graders. Because of her love for family and her strong conviction that every parent should have a voice in his or her child's life, Ms. Niles-Malcolm has come to BAA to serve as our Family Advocacy Advisor. Jeannette Ocampo Welch, Educational Interpreter Jeannette Ocampo Welch, an artist and sign language interpreter, shares her work life between staff interpreter for Boston Arts Academy and freelance interpreter specializing in the areas of deaf-blind, conference, performance, and business interpreting. She is a graduate of Northeastern University. She has just ended a 5-year commitment as program director for the Deaf-Blind Contact Center. She is the chair of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Special Interest Group Interpreters and Transliterators of Color. Ms. Ocampo Welch is also on the board of directors of the Show of Hands Theater Company and Mano a Mano, an organization for tri-lingual interpreters. She is a member of T.R.I.B.E., a multi-cultural leadership interpreter council under the auspices of B.U.C.I.E., Phi Mu Fraternity Boston Alumni Chapter, R.I.D., and A.A.D.B. and Stagesource. Jeannette has always found herself on, near or back stage. Be it acting, directing or singing the blues, keep an eye out for her upcoming projects on www.browngirlblue.com. Deidre O'Halloran, Health and Wellness Coordinator Deidre O'Halloran was born and raised in Hollywood, FL. She moved to Boston in 1976 to attend college on a full tennis scholarship. Ms. O'Halloran received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology and a Masters of Education degree in counseling from Boston University in 1982. Ms. O'Halloran was a social worker for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services for five years prior to entering the educational field. Through the Private Industry Council, Ms. O'Halloran implemented a drop out prevention program for two years at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School. While employed by the University of Massachusetts, she continued her work at the Burke coordinating the ninth grade cluster and teaching guidance course to ninth grade students. In 1993, Ms. O'Halloran joined the Boston Public Schools and remained at the Burke as team leader of a small learning community that included seventeen teachers and over two hundred ninth and tenth grades students. In addition, Ms. O'Halloran coordinated the after school program and was director of the Burke Works academic and employment summer program hosted at Boston University and Northeastern University. Ms. O'Halloran was made acting Assistant Headmaster at the Burke high school in 2001-2002. Ms. O'Halloran brings her years of clinical and educational expertise to her new role as health and wellness coordinator and member of the student support team at Boston Arts Academy. Sheryl Pollard-Thomas, Dance Teacher Sheryl Pollard-Thomas is a graduate of Purchase College where she received a B.F.A. in Dance. She was also trained at the Alvin Ailey Dance School and she is a high school graduate from the North Carolina School of the Arts. She has performed with modern dance companies and also musical theatre. She was a principle dancer with the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company for ten years. While performing in various musical productions she was afforded the opportunity to work with such notable choreographers as George Faison, Graciella Danielle, Judith Jamison and Gene Anthony Ray, in a role as a dancer and/or assistant choreographer. Ms. Pollard-Thomas has conducted master classes in the Horton technique in Italy, Germany, Detroit and Boston. During her performing career she has also taught modern and jazz dance at various NYC public schools after-school programs and was an adjunct dance teacher at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. After relocating to Boston to teach at the Arts Academy, Ms. Pollard-Thomas has been on the faculty of The Boston Conservatory and the Jeannette Neil Dance School. She is also a guest teacher for Boston University's dance ensemble. Ms. Pollard-Thomas teaches modern, ballet, jazz, and West African dance techniques and she choreographs for main stage and in studio productions at BAA and outside of school. While teaching at BAA she has conducted presentations with her colleagues at the Model Schools Conference and the Coalition of Essential Schools for Arts High Schools; material about assessment in the arts and "best practice" in making the "arts/academic" connection for students. She is now working towards her goal of attaining her master's degree. Juanita Rodrigues, Theatre Teacher Ms. Rodrigues was born in Springfield, MA and relocated to Boston at the age of four. She attended the Boston, Wellesley, and Somerville School systems and graduated from Somerville High. She holds a B.S.S.P. in Speech and Communication and a Masters of Arts in Theatre Education from Emerson College. Ms. Rodrigues has been involved with the performing arts for over 20 years. Her training began at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts where she studied both acting and dance. Juanita's dance training continued in Boston as she studied with such teacher as Consuelo Barkara, Danny Sloane, Adrienne Hawkins, and Christian Polos at the Joy of Movement Center Co. At Jacobs' Pillow Juanita was accepted as a scholarship student where she trained with James Truitt, Carmen DeLavallade, Milton Meyers, and Judith Jamison. She has also studied, taught and competed in a number of martial arts systems. Juanita is a well-respected teacher and director in the Boston area and has held workshops on acting for colleagues in the Boston School System. Most recently she was a panelist at Emerson College as the Theatre Education Department looked at how arts can thrive in a MCSA world; and participated in Boston Arts Academy Mentor Program. Juanita has also has acted in both theatre and film in Boston and New York. She is also the founder and artistic director of Tri Cord Prodructions a Christian-based theatre company which was nominated for an I.R.E.N.E award for best ensemble for Bostons' 2003 theatre season. Brunildo Rodriguez, Media Literary Teacher Mr. Rodriguez teaches media literacy and media production as part of theatre arts education. In addition, Mr. Rodriguez teaches a teaching a writing course, and Spanish for native speakers. Prior to joining Boston Arts Academy, Mr. Rodriguez worked as a fifth grade teacher at the Paul. A. Dever Elementary school. At the Dever, he motivated teachers and students towards the new methods of teaching and learning utilizing new technologies and computers. Mr. Rodriguez has also enjoyed a successful career in television broadcasting. He worked as a line producer for Noticiero Telemundo/CNN, a national Spanish language newscast, and as producer on Noticiero CNN Internacional, an international Spanish language newscast. In addition to his national broadcast experience, Mr. Rodriguez produced The Monitor Channel's international Spanish language news broadcast El Monitor de Hoy. Furthermore, Rodriguez worked as producer of the AQUI program at WCVB-TV where he was the recipient of an Emmy Award from the New England Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Marc Seiden, Science/Math Teacher Marc Seiden teaches both math and science at Boston Arts Academy. He first came to BAA as a teaching intern while completing his Masters degree at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. Previous to that Mr. Seiden spent several years teaching preparation strategies for the SAT, GRE, GMAT, and MCAT. In addition to his teaching duties at BAA, he has served as the Boston Teachers Union building representative, on the Leadership Team, on the Board of Trustees, and on the Governing Council. George Simpson, Department of Music George Simpson, a native of Toronto, Canada, began his music studies on trombone. He attended the University of Western Ontario and earned degrees in music and education. He also attended Humber College in Toronto with studies in jazz and commercial music. Mr. Simpson's music credits include numerous performances in the greater Toronto area from jazz to musicals. An avid composer and arranger, Mr. Simpson has studied composition with grammy-award winner Rob McConnell, multiple Juno winner, Phil Nimmons, Art Blakey alum Charles Tolliver, and Buddy Rich composer Dick Lowell. Other studies of note in include trombone studies with Alastair Kay and conducting with Wayne Jeffrey. He has several publications with Eight Note Productions.After launching a music program in Calgary Alberta, Mr. Simpson began as chair of the music department at Boston Arts Academy where he has taught wind ensemble techniques, music theory, music history and big band. Additionally, he also directs CB3 the award-winning jazz ensemble with numerous performance credits throughout New England.He is the founding director of the Berklee College of Music Preparatory School at Boston Arts Academy and serves on the advisory board of the Boston Classical Orchestra. Lise Simring, Educational Interpreter After years of classical vocal, instrumental and dance training; hailing from a family of folk musicians in Northampton, MA; and spending a semester abroad living in a 12th century Dutch castle, Lise graduated from Emerson College in 1993 with her BFA in Children's Theatre. She was promptly hired by a Broadway Producer, for whom she had interned during her senior year. A few years later, her creative yearnings led her to work for the off-Broadway production of Blue Man Group. Ultimately, her love of language and learning led her back to school to become an American sign language/english interpreter. Ms. Simring graduated with high honors from Northern Essex Community College's Deaf Studies/Sign Language Interpretation Program in 1999. Ms. Simring is thrilled to have been working at Boston Arts Academy since the fall of 2000, where she is able to apply experience from both her careers in a creative, nurturing, academic community environment. In addition to her ongoing professional development work, she is also a member of the Massachusetts Department of Education/Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Statewide Task Force on Educational Interpreting. She co-leads a support group for Metro-Boston area Educational Interpreters and has recently been awarded the Certificate of Transliteration (CT) from the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Currently the national president of Zeta Phi Eta she is on the planning team for their 2005 National Convention to be held in Boston. She recently relocated to Arlington, MA, with her loving husband, Robb and daughter, Ella. Gail Stryker, School Nurse Gail Stryker RN, BSN, BS, M.Ed. received a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Colorado in 1984. Before moving back to her native New England in 1992, Ms. Stryker was employed as a therapeutic recreation specialist and as an instructor working with various physically, cognitively and emotionally challenged populations in Boulder, Colorado. Ms. Stryker graduated cum laude from Curry College School of Nursing in 1996. She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau - The International Honor Society of Nursing - in that same year. Working at BAA since the school first opened, Ms. Stryker has been able to put a holistic model of nursing into practice, she see's students in regards to both their physical and social/emotional health. In 2002 Ms. Stryker was awarded the Boston Public Schools Superintendent's Exellence in Service Award. In order to be more professionally prepared in her role as a high school nurse, Ms. Stryker earned a M.Ed., in Counseling Psychology and Guidance Counseling from Cambridge College in 2003. Ms. Stryker's first love and major in her first undergraduate program was theater, which she studied abroad in England. Working at Boston Arts Academy has been personally rewarding to her in the sharing of the excitement of the arts with students and colleagues alike. Rick Tagliaferri, Executive Director of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation Rick Tagliaferri came to Boston's only public high school for the visual and performing arts from the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. There he led the staff effort in building the Alexis de Tocqueville Society (comprised of individuals contributing $10,000 or more annually) from 280 to 900 members over a four year period. He has served as director for Florida's Coast to Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross and as director of youth services for CAMBA, a large community based organization in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, NY. Of all the youth programs he has helped to design and implement, those with the greatest impact were grounded in the arts. Prior to obtaining a Masters of Public Health from Hunter College, Rick made his living as an actor performing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theatres across the country. Guy Michel Telemaque, Visual Arts Teacher and Director of the Sandra and Philip Gordon Gallery Mr. Telemaque was born in Queens, NY and grew up in Miami, FL. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Flagler College and his Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art. He has been an instructor at the Southeast Museum of Photographic Studies, the Southeast Museum of Photography, and at the Massachusetts College of Art. His work has been exhibited nationally and been collected by the Southeast Museum of Photography. Rosalind Thomas-Clark, Chair, Theatre Department Rosalind Thomas-Clark received her undergraduate degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, with an education degree from London University, an associate degree from the London Academy of Music and Drama and a masters degree from Brown University. For several years, Ms. Thomas-Clark has worked professionally as an actor and director for stage, radio, and film, but her passion has always been the development of educational theatre. She was the founder and director of the Theatre Workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland; the South Island Workshop and the Music Theatre Group in London, England; the Open House Community Arts in Yorkshire, England; the Watershed at the Bristol Arts Centre in Bristol, England; and The Maidment Arts Centre at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Her work with the urban community has included founding TOY (Theatre Outreach for Youth) during her time at Brown University. Ms. Thomas-Clark has received many honors and awards, and in 2003 was the recipient of a Surdna Arts Teacher's Fellowship to study with Augusto Boal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Center for the Theatre of the Oppressed. This resulted in a powerful theatre piece on human rights, which opened at BAA in fall of 2003. Allison Wade, Support Team/Teacher Allison Wade received her Bachelor of Science in Human Rehabilitation Counseling and Career Services from Boston University in 1996. Ms. Wade spent 5 years working as a -social worker for a minority owned foster care and adoption agency. In 2002, Ms. Wade received her Masters of Social Work from Simmons College and was licensed by the state of Massachusetts as a Certified Social Worker. During her time at Simmons, Ms. Wade interned at the Boston Juvenile Court Clinic where she participated in the Massachusetts General Hospital Children and the Law Seminar Series. Ms. Wade completed her second internship at the Child Witness to Violence Project and the Development Assessment Clinic located at Boston medical Center. Prior to coming to BAA, Ms. Wade worked as the 8th grade coordinator for a prevention program affiliated with Harvard University and based at the Grover Cleveland Middle School in Dorchester, MA. Ms. Wade is certified by the Trauma Center in School and Community-Based Critical Incident Stress Management and Classroom Based Psychosocial Interventions. Ms. Wade also sits on Governor Romney's Commission on Justice and Accountability in the area of domestic violence. Vera Weiss Math Teacher Vera Weiss was born and raised in New York City on the upper west side of Manhattan. She is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts where she studied dance with an emphasis on Classical Ballet and The Martha Graham Technique of Modern Dance. During high school she was also a competitive level ten gymnast and trained at The Chelsea Piers Field House. In her senior year of high school she was recruited by Penn State University and became a Nittany Lion. In her freshman year she became intrigued by Mathematics. After attending a number theory course taught by a very inspirational professor, she decided to make mathematics her major and earned her Bachelors of Science in Mathematics. Weiss then moved to Boston to omplete her Masters in Math Education from Boston University. Vera is a new teacher at Boston Arts Academy and is working on incorporating her love for dance and athletics into her math classroom. She is currently dancing with a company in Boston called Jam'nastics and is working on a curriculum for a program which teaches students mathematics through dance. M | Mission | Curriculum | Admissions | Development | Contacts |