Philippa Sutherland

Ms. Sutherland was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and migrated to the Bronx in the early ’90s. She graduated from Harry S Truman High School and attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree with an International Business emphasis. After transitioning into education, she then continued on to earn a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership at Montclair State University.

Ms. Sutherland has been an educator for 15 years, starting her career as a Title 1 Aide in an elementary school in Newark, New Jersey. She spent 9 years in the classroom as an Elementary teacher, a dedicated, resourceful, and goal-driven professional educator with a solid commitment to her student’s social and academic growth. During her time in Newark, NJ she became an intricate part of the leadership team by helping create the afterschool program that provided the students with tutoring, boat building, performance arts, and arts & crafts.

In exploring outside of the classroom, in 2016 she became a Response to Intervention Coordinator and New Principal Support Assistant. In this capacity, she created and maintained the district’s Response to Intervention program to address students’ academic and behavioral concerns. In addition to assisting the interim principal at University Heights Charter School Junior High, Ms. Sutherland served as a mentor and coach to various novice educators throughout the district. Additionally, Ms. Sutherland trained educators districtwide to adhere to school policies by modeling effective teaching practices. Also, she partnered with the principal to transform the school culture into a results-oriented collaborative learning community.

Building on her leadership skill, in 2018 she became the Dean of Students and Site Administrator for Rosalyn Yalow Charter School in Bronx, New York.  Here she cultivated a good rapport with students, families, and staff in addition to community members to bring together meaningful communication between all stakeholders. Her experiences encompass a balance of support, consistency, and high expectations.  This experience demonstrated to her the importance of establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community-based organizations to support the academic development of all students. Understanding that communication with families is a priority, she organized many family events to communicate important information and build stronger relationships with families.  In addition, these experiences have always been with a continued focus on maintaining opportunities for discussion that enables diversity and varied cultural experiences for her students.

With a passion for developing a learning environment that targets student’s needs, in 2020 Ms. Sutherland returned to the classroom in Englewood, New Jersey where she successfully collaborated with her co-teachers and team members to think of creative lessons and centers that are geared to the development of all students’ skills. As an educator, she often introduces innovative new teaching styles that make a difference in the way her students both behave and learn. It’s this commitment to growth and her students’ well-being that makes Ms. Sutherland an outstanding educator who empowers her pupils.