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Leadership Team

A message from the Leadership Team....

To the Marblehead Charter Community,

As we emerge from the pandemic, the 2021-2022 school year marks the 27th anniversary of our school. At the heart of all we do is building community. As we continue to tackle the challenges of leading a school during the double pandemic of COVID19 and racial inequities in our country, we are committed to our mission and to becoming an anti-racist institution of learning. Our  leadership team allows the three of us to work collaboratively to support the work of our essential workers, the teachers.

In order for our school to fulfill its mission in these challenging times, we need everyone's support and contributions to the work of making incremental improvements every day together. We rely on the involvement of our  parent community and encourage parents to be involved with the PTO, the Board or Committees of the Board, and in keeping students engaged in learning in all modes: hybrid, remote, and in-person.

Respectfully,
Peter Cohen, Ed.D  - Head of School

Matt Cronin - Principal

Andrea Barlow - Director of Student Services

Peter Cohen, Head of School

A public school educator for 25 years in Massachusetts, Dr. Peter Cohen is the Head of School here at the Marblehead Community Charter Public School in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He uses his collaborative, decisive, and transparent leadership style to develop progressive professional development models, empower teachers, and support creative, project based learning.
Prior to becoming Head of School Dr. Cohen served for six years as principal of the Cyrus Peirce Middle School on the island of Nantucket, seven years as the middle school principal in Westford, MA, and ten years as a history teacher and team leader in Lexington, MA.
He received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and his Master of Arts in Teaching degree, as well as his C.A.G.S. certification in educational leadership, from Simmons College.  He earned his Doctorate from Boston College, where his research focused on the impact of leadership by school superintendents on large-scale technology initiatives in public schools.
AT MCCPS Dr. Cohen has restructured the leadership team, finalized the strategic plan, and led the school through the crisis of education in the time of a pandemic. 
Please visit Dr. Cohen’s Website for more information about our Head of School

Matt Cronin, Principal

Matt Cronin has been with Marblehead Charter for over 20 years. Throughout his tenure with the school, he has served as a Humanities teacher, the school’s technology and curriculum director, and a member of the MCCPS Board of Trustees. This is his first year as Principal.

Over the past 20 years, Matt has facilitated meaningful learning experiences for both students and teachers. Matt pioneered Marblehead Charter’s Project Based Learning program, which partnered with a dozen districts in eastern Massachusetts to support teachers in developing project-based learning units. He also worked on the Board of the Friends of Marblehead Public Schools as a Grants Committee Member, supporting all Marblehead Public School teachers in bringing innovative programs to the classroom. He also collaborated with the Center for Collaborative Education - Quality Performance Assessment Initiative in developing a framework for teachers to create engaging, local assessments used in schools in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine.

Matt is a firm believer in life-long learning. He graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in Education and History and Endicott College with a Master’s degree in Administrative Leadership. He enjoys ongoing professional development opportunities on diverse topics with the Peabody Essex MuseumRaspberry Pi FoundationMSSA, and MassCUE.

Andrea Barlow, Director of Student Services

Andrea joined the MCCPS Team in July 2020, as the Director of Student Services. She came to MCCPS from the North Reading Public Schools where she was the Secondary Team Chairperson for five years. Before that, she worked as a Special Education Teacher at the Masconomet High School for nine years and Landmark High School for five years.

Andrea earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Kent State University, her Masters of Education in Moderate Special Needs from Simmons College, a second masters in Counseling and Psychological Services from Salem State University and a CAGS in Educational Administration with a focus in Secondary Education and Special Education.

Stephanie Brant, Dean of Students

Stephanie joined the MCCPS team in August of 2022 as our Dean of Students. She came to MCCPS from the Salem Public Schools where she was a special education administrator. Prior to that, Stephanie worked for the Shore Educational Collaborative and the Chelsea Public Schools. She also brings experience from working at the District Attorney's Office in Middlesex County and their family protection unit.

Stephanie is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and has earned graduate degrees/certificates from UMASS, Boston University, and Simmons College where she also earned her Bachelor's Degree.