WriteBoston is always looking for dedicated educators to join our team. If you are interested in our work and would like to join our team, please contact Sarah Poulter with a resume.
WriteBoston does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national and/or ethnic origin, age, disability, and military or veteran status in any of its educational programs, employment practices, and activities.
kellyknopf-goldner@writeboston.org
617.541.2665
Kelly’s 25 years in education—as a teacher and coach—have all been dedicated to uncovering the writer and reader in every student. Whatever a child’s passion, she believes strong communication skills will ensure they achieve it. She also believes in the necessity of literacy to make sure young people enter the world beyond school as informed, critically thinking citizens. Kelly has taught in private and public schools, coached teachers in and around Boston, and edited and published teen writers at TeenVoices Magazine and Boston Teens in Print. She has been at WriteBoston since 2003, aside from a recent stint back in the classroom. She’s a book junkie and with her family loves to cook, hike, camp, and watch old comedies.
julietabiegner@writeboston.org
617-541-2628
Julie Biegner is the AmeriCorps VISTA for Teens in Print. She studied Communication at Boston College, falling in love with issues of social justice and youth development along the way. After graduating, she worked for a freelance writing boutique where she enjoyed writing, editing and drinking too much coffee. Julie then joined a startup as a Community Manager and developed a fascination with the possibilities for technology and digital media in social impact. Now, she is excited to join Teens in Print and work with amazing students on putting together an amazing newspaper.
bettysouthwick@writeboston.org
617.541.2604
The founding Executive Director of WriteBoston (2002–2016), Betty Southwick currently serves as a part-time strategy adviser for the organization. She brings business, management, and teaching experience to her work, including consulting on work-life and dependent care issues for major Fortune 500 companies for ten years. She is an educator with experience as a teacher and a guidance counselor and the parent of two Boston public school graduates.
617.541.2650
Alyssa Vaughn is the AmeriCorps VISTA for WriteBoston’s Teens in Print program. A St. Louis native, Alyssa moved to the East Coast four years ago to attend Boston College. During her time at BC, Alyssa majored in English and American studies, performed with the Boston College Dance Ensemble, and studied abroad in both Brussels, Belgium, and Venice, Italy. She also interned at a local pilot high school as part of BC’s PULSE program, which piqued her interest in high-school-level youth development. Prior to her Americorps service term, Alyssa pursued her passion for journalism with internships at St. Louis Magazine and Boston Magazine, and she is excited to share that passion with the students of Teens in Print.
anneshackleford@writeboston.org
617.541.2663
Anne Shackleford joined WriteBoston in 2012 and manages the organization’s communications, grant writing, and fundraising. (If you call the office, you’re also most likely to hear her voice.) Prior to coming to WriteBoston, she lived in Providence, RI, where she amassed an impressive collection of art created by other people’s children from working in communications and development at a youth arts organization. Before that, she spent two years working one-on-one with college students as a writing center tutor: helping freshman football stars navigate their first college essay to working with international graduate students as they express the minutia of turf grass science. The experience of working closely with other writers—talking and thinking about the writing process—gave her a deep appreciation of how writing can push real reflection and growth in thinking. Anne is a proud alumna of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, having served two years. She graduated summa cum laude from the Ohio State University with a BA in English and minors in professional writing and business. She’s inspired by great theater, weird art, and the amazing perspectives and voices of young people.
alexgeorgiadis@writeboston.org
617.541.2626
Alex is thrilled to join the WriteBoston team as the Writing Center Coordinator at Boston International Newcomers Academy! After graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Public Policy and Spanish, Alex braved the move up to New England, despite warnings from well-meaning relatives about the unbearable winters. She spent the past year serving as an AmeriCorps member at Lynn Classical High School, where she supported English Language Learners in Algebra and Biology classrooms. The role that brought her real joy, however, was developing an English conversation group after school where students debated the merits of various pro-soccer players, listened to pop songs, and played many, many rounds of “trashketball” over the course of the year. Alex is passionate about advocating for her students and providing holistic support to help them thrive in their academic and personal lives. Outside of the classroom, Alex enjoys running along the Charles, hiking, and following golden retriever accounts on Instagram.
While teaching in Boston Public Schools for over thirty years, Roberta Logan worked collaboratively with colleagues as well as interns from Harvard University and Tufts University. Since retiring from Boston Public Schools, she has continued to work with educators at various levels, who are at different career stages. She is an adjunct faculty member for The Boston Teacher Residency Program. Her appreciation of authentic voices has led to an ongoing relationship with the Africa Outreach Program at Boston University, where she co-facilitates a book group for k-12 educators. Beyond her work with classroom teachers, she serves on the Mission Hill School Governing Board and enjoys gardening, long walks and making soup. Her most recent writing project focused on the historical relationship between African Americans and the legal system in Massachusetts.
kierancollier@writeboston.org
617.541.2627
carlagualdron@writeboston.org
617.541.2635
Carla’s story with WriteBoston is a quintessential one of things coming full circle. As a sophomore at the former Media Communication Technology High School in West Roxbury, she joined the Teens in Print newspaper as a staff writer. It was there that she got her first taste of ink. That feeling of accomplishment in seeing her name in print sent her on a quest to become to journalist. A Boston native, Carla stayed local and attended Emerson College where she earned her degree in print journalism. Since then, Carla has quenched her thirst for bylines through the Boston Herald, El Mundo newspaper, and The Enterprise. In 2016 Carla returned to Teens in Print as the Program Director, hoping to inspire budding cub reporters.
Merle Berman’s husband wants to move out of their hometown of over three decades to savor the freedom of anonymity because Merle’s visibility in town extends far and wide—as wife, mother, educator, child and social justice advocate, coach, community leader, fitness fanatic, garden aficionado. Perhaps to her husband’s chagrin, she isn’t leaving town anytime soon. Instead, she is exploring new territory through an uncharted shift to working in urban schools, mentoring a maximum security inmate, and teaching pronunciation to new immigrants, with her South African accent.
It’s no secret that Merle is a Bruce Springsteen devotee. Bruce is an iconic educator, and like The Boss, Merle’s career springs from the ground up. Through teaching children, and training, coaching and leading teachers and administrators, Merle knows how to empower learners to break barriers in their thinking and writing – in life transforming ways. Ask Merle what skills have been most critical to her success and her answer might surprise you: humility and nuance. When not steeped in schools and scholarship, you’ll likely see her wheeling or chasing her grandchildren, throwing pots, braving steep downhills on her bike, or consuming stunning sunset views!
jessiegerson@writeboston.org
617.541.2664
Jessie’s previous work has included serving as the Literacy Director for McCormack Middle School in Dorchester, MA, and directing the Oakland Practitioner Teacher Training Program in Oakland, California. She started her career as a middle school English and Social Studies teacher, and has worked as a coach and consultant with district and charter schools, helping to train new and experienced teachers and strengthen building-wide literacy practices. She earned her Masters in Policy, Organization and Leadership Studies from Stanford University and her Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Louisville, Kentucky.
sarahpoulter@writeboston.org
617.541.2631
A native Oregonian, Sarah moved to Boston for love in Y2K (despite the hype, the world didn’t come to an end) and hasn’t looked back. While she remains curious about the many career possibilities left unexplored – professional sewist, craft blogger, face painter, fabric designer – her passion for education is fueled by the insatiable curiosity of her two children and her husband, the dedicated middle school teacher who convinced her to pack her bags for Boston.
Before assuming the role of Executive Director in July 2016, Sarah worked at WriteBoston for 5 years in roles ranging from Grant Writer, Director of New Business and Evaluation, to, most recently, Deputy Director. Sarah brings over 15 years of leadership, program management and partnership development experience through a range of roles within education intermediary organizations. Notable past employers include City Connects, the Boston Plan for Excellence, and the Boston PIC. She earned her Master’s degree from the Education Policy and Management program at Harvard University.
When she’s not learning how to play Pokémon or supervising messy cooking projects with her children, she should be reading, running, or improving her garden.
