From the Classroom to the Principal’s Office

Principal of Somerville High School Alicia Kersten, MAT ‘00, loves watching a school play, recital, or sports game when she can carve out time in her busy schedule. Like all principals, her days are packed with a variety of tasks and the routine chaos involved in working with students.

Kersten is in charge of the overall academic and strategic direction of Somerville High School, a public school serving just under 1,400 students in the socioeconomically and ethnically diverse city next to Boston. In this role, she oversees professional development, supports department heads to craft academic curriculum, reviews data and makes strategic decisions, establishes safety and disciplinary protocols, and connects with parents.

“Every day is a challenge and a lot of work,” Kersten reflects. “I’ve grown to accept that some days I won’t accomplish everything on my to-do list, but finding time to engage with students makes it all worth it. Somerville is an amazing city and I truly believe we have the best kids.”

Kersten has always admired Somerville High’s commitment to its mission of helping students figure out who they are and what they’re passionate about. The school offers rigorous academics and has an embedded Career and Technical Training program, preparing graduates for careers in a variety of fields—from STEM to the arts to the trades.

It is her fourth year as principal and twenty-sixth year at the school, where she previously worked as a history teacher and chair of the department.

“I enjoy the art and craft of teaching,” she says. “I like coaching and going on an academic journey with someone. I like thinking about who is in front of me, what their skills and strengths are, and how I can help them learn.”

Growing up, Kersten always knew she wanted to be a teacher. She excelled academically and studied anthropology at Yale. She taught English and History in China before pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching in Middle and High School Education at Tufts with a focus in social studies.

Kersten was drawn to Tufts because of the program’s classroom teaching opportunities and the chance to learn from Associate Teaching Professor of History and Education Steve Cohen. “His way of thinking about history and education is so engaging,” she says.

Kersten also valued the community she found at Tufts and the discussions she shared with her cohort. “We gained a lot of practical, day-to-day knowledge, but we also learned about the larger implications of the education system and who it is and is not privileging,” she says. “All of us were working hard to be a part of the solution and make the system of education work for everybody in a more equitable way.”

Kersten has stayed connected to Tufts in different ways over the years. Scores of student teachers have completed their teaching placements at Somerville High, and the school has hired a number of Tufts graduates. For several years, Kersten coached the Tufts Ultimate Frisbee Team and has stayed in touch with many of the players.

In 2004, Kersten had the great privilege of participating in the Tufts Education Department’s “Project LOCAL (Learning Our Community’s American Lore),” an experiential learning initiative instructing high school students on how to conduct historical research in their local communities.

In 2006, Kersten was recognized as the “Gilder-Lehrman Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year,”  largely for her work completing local history projects with students, including a project on Somerville’s experience in the Vietnam War, which resulted in an exhibit at the local Somerville Museum.

“Learning history is a way of understanding the world around you and your place in it,” she says. “In my classes we talk a lot about trends and patterns—all of history is a variation on a theme.”

Considering the many students she has taught and mentored, Kersten reflects: “You put so much love and energy into your work, and often you don’t know if it’s sticking. It’s so rewarding when a graduate comes back and tells you that their experience prepared them well in some way. It’s always our goal to help students find their passion and a meaningful path ahead.”