Red Barn Staff Bios
Kate Gorman
Director
Kate has served as the director of Red Barn since 2019. She has a master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and prior to the role of director, she had been a preschool teacher for many years. Kate loves serving as both director and teacher and most enjoys working alongside all of the Red Barn teachers.
Meghan Croft
Associate Director
Meghan has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Boston College, and a master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Nutrition Education from Framingham State University. Prior to becoming the Associate Director, Meghan taught at Red Barn for seven years. Before joining Red Barn, she taught preschool and pre-kindergarten for four years at The Tobin School in Natick. Meghan enjoys spending time with her family (including her twin brother!), cooking/baking, and camping.
Jackie Athas
Toddler Lead Teacher
Jackie has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Boston University and a master's degree from Regis College in Special Education. Prior to Red Barn, Jackie taught toddlers at Abbott School in Wellesley for seven years and toddlers at Regis College Child Care Center for eleven years. In her spare time, she loves playing with her grandchildren!
Amy Martin
Toddler Lead Teacher
Amy Martin has dedicated her career to working with toddlers. She has experience teaching very young children in both public and private preschools (including at the Weston Public Schools) as well as in early intervention. She completed her undergraduate education at Connecticut College before going on to earn a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Amy loves supporting toddlers and their families through the developmental stages that children experience as they turn two and three years old. Amy and her husband have three teenagers, two dogs, and a pet rabbit. In her free time she enjoys traveling, brushing up on her French language skills, and reading.
CJ Gradus
Toddler Assistant Teacher
CJ is currently studying early childhood education, with a special focus on the toddler age group. CJ was born and raised in North Carolina, but relocated to Massachusetts in 2021 with their two cats, Archie and Lottie. In their spare time, CJ enjoys spending time with their friends and cats, listening to podcasts, and learning new things.
Laura Bronisz
Preschool Lead Teacher
Laura has been teaching since 2007. She has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Framingham State University and a master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College. Laura is a long-time resident of Arlington where she lives with her husband Paul, son Miles, and a little terrier named Millie. When not busy with work or family, Laura enjoys time with friends, hiking, gardening and poking around thrift shops looking for treasures for her classroom.
Victoria Casey
Preschool Assistant Teacher
Victoria is currently studying Elementary Education at Salem State University. In her free time, she enjoys photography, and loves to walk the trails near her house with her two amazing dogs Cooper and Ollie.
Kierst Doolittle
Preschool Lead Teacher
Although Kierst went to school for communications, she is now on an education path at Northeastern University. Before Red Barn, she worked at Carlisle Kids' House. Kierst lives in Beacon Hill and enjoys exploring the city and going sailing on the Charles River. She was born in Weston, but grew up in North Carolina and has many family members in Weston, including a couple of Red Barn graduates!
Kristin Jones
Preschool Lead Teacher
Kristin earned her master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University. Before joining Red Barn, she taught preschool at Spruce Street Nursery School in Boston for nine years and began her teaching career at Beacon Hill Nursery School in Boston, where she taught for three years. Kristin resides locally with her husband and two children, one of whom is a Red Barn alum.
Angela Elkins
Pre-K Lead Teacher
Angela has a bachelor's degree in Humanities with a minor in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, as well as master’s course work in Early Childhood Education and Administration from Lesley University. Angela has more than twenty years of experience teaching and working with children. In the classroom, Angela has a passion for building relationships that create a welcoming community of learners as well as fostering early learning skills and embracing nature.
Jennifer Lee
Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Jen has a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She loves working in a variety of educational settings including Bowen Cooperative Nursery School, Wrentham Elementary School as a third grade teacher, SmarterKids.com, and Newton Academy Soccer as a program manager. Jen enjoys taking walks, visiting the beach and spending time with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs.
Diana Theriault
Float Teacher
Diana has a bachelor's degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and has more than ten years of experience working with children. She has also taught elementary school students and was a first grade teacher at the Meadowbrook School of Weston for ten years. Diana has three children and a toy poodle named Lexi. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to new places, and volunteering.