The composition of the Falk School Board is set by the charter agreement between the Falk family and the University of Pittsburgh. The composition also reflects the expertise and perspectives (past, present, future) needed to achieve the mission and strategic objectives of the school.
The Board is chaired by a representative selected by the Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh (usually the Dean of the School of Education). Board members include the Dean of the School of Education, the Director of Falk Laboratory School, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, a representative from the School of Education teaching faculty, a representative from the Falk teaching faculty, and two representatives from the Falk family. Note: officers in the Falk Parent Organization also attend Board meetings, in ex-officio, non-voting status.
The 1930 Charter Agreement established the Fanny Edel Falk School Board with “the power of approval of the general purposes and activities with the school, subject to the final decision of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh." It further states that "the administration of details of the operation of the school shall be through the regular administrative channels of the University, and that all staff teachers in the school shall be accorded faculty recognition by the School of Education in such rank as the School of Education designates.” This arrangement means that our Falk School Board is charged with upholding agreements within the charter, though much of their work is advisory in nature.
To that end, the Falk School Board supports the school's mission and philosophy through oversight and evaluation of its leadership and planning efforts. To ensure a comprehensive community of learning and operational compliance with both charter and University regulations, the School Board’s primary areas of responsibility are to:
Contact: [email protected]
Role on the Board: Alumni Representative
Years served: 2025–Present
Occupation: Regional Account Manager for Spinmaster Inc.
Area(s) of Expertise: Strategic planning; marketing; sales management
Connection to Falk: Alumnus
Role on the Board: Parent Representative
Years served: 2021–Present
Occupation: President of Preservation Pittsburgh, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to helping communities preserve and celebrate their heritage
Area(s) of Expertise: In addition to his work with Falk School, Matthew Falcone has served on the City of Pittsburgh’s Historic Review Commission since May of 2015 as well as the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Board. He holds degrees in Integrative Arts and History of Art from the Pennsylvania State University and the University of York (U.K.), respectively. Matthew also serves as the President of Preservation Pittsburgh, a community-based non-profit dedicated to help communities preserve and celebrate their heritage. Formerly, Matthew worked as the Associate Dean of Faculty for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for roughly 12 years and has extensive experience in educational management, administration, teaching, institutional assessment, and curriculum development. As an art historian and experienced stained glass conservator, Matthew has a strong affinity for Pittsburgh’s rich history of publicly accessible art. Matthew lives with his husband and two daughters in Pittsburgh’s historic Deutschtown neighborhood.
Connection to Falk: Current Falk parent
Role on the Board: Falk Family Representative
Occupation: Educator
Areas(s) of Expertise: I am an educator with deep roots in progressive education spanning multiple generations. My great-grandparents were involved in the founding of The Park School in Baltimore, and my grandmother was instrumental in the creation of The Jerusalem Experimental High School, that I attended.
Connection to Falk: My own connection to the Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School is both professional and personal: my mother, Ellen Falk Hirsch, and my son, Benjamin Grossman, are Falk graduates.
Contact: [email protected]
Role on the Board: Falk Family Representative
Years served: 2025–Present
Occupation: Auction Director and Rare Book Specialist at Concept Art Gallery
Areas(s) of Expertise: Rare books; fine art; Pittsburgh Jewish history
Connection to Falk: Graduated from Falk School in 1999. Current Falk parent.
Contact: [email protected]
Role on the Board: School of Education Faculty Representative
Years served: 2022–Present
Occupation: Professor of Education and Senior Associate Dean, Pitt School of Education
Areas(s) of Expertise: Philosophy of education; research methodology; education leadership
Connection to Falk: Former Falk parent, 2010–2022.
Signature accomplishments: I have been an educator just over 35 years, including three years as a counselor in a residential high school and 32+ years as an administrator and faculty member in higher education. My scholarship applies philosophical ideas from ethics and epistemology to issues of social justice in education and research methods. In 2012, I published The Active/Ethical Professional: A Framework for Responsible Educators with Continuum Press and am working on a new book focused on race-conscious leadership ethics.
Role on the Board: Parent Representative
Years served: 2023–Present
Occupation: Professor of Civil Engineering (with an additional courtesy appointment in architecture)
Area(s) of Expertise: Expertise on infrastructure and experience with facilities operation to the Falk board. Goals as a board member include developing stronger links with the campus community with two goals in mind: 1) enhancing Wonderlab and Social Studies opportunities for Falk students, engaging other campus initiatives and programmes (academic and otherwise); and 2) having Falk School better represented in the Campus Master Plan.
Connection to Falk: Current Falk parent
Contact:
Role on the Board: Parent Representative
Years served: 2025–Present
Occupation:
Areas(s) of Expertise:
Connection to Falk:
Contact: [email protected]
Role on the Board: Director of Falk Laboratory School
Years served: 2021–Present
Occupation: Director, Falk Laboratory School
Areas(s) of Expertise: Educational leadership; early childhood education
Connection to Falk: Dr. Sarada served as Interim Director 2021–2022, Assistant Director 2019–2021, Director of Admissions 2014–2019, and Kindergarten teacher 1999–2016. A past President of the International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS), Jill actively works to support learning and collaboration among the educators of Lab schools with the broader educational community.
Contact: [email protected]
Role on the Board: Falk Faculty Representative
Years served: 2021–Present
Occupation: Middle School U.S. History Teacher
Areas(s) of Expertise: Teaching; curriculum; pedagogy
Connection to Falk: Teacher for 33 years. Working with young people for 33 years.
Contact: Contact executive assistant Megan Brennan at [email protected]
Role on the Board: Chair
Years served: 2023–Present
Occupation: Professor and Renée and Richard Goldman Interim Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Education; Executive Director, Council for the Study of Community Colleges; Fellow, American Educational Research Association; and President-Elect and Chair-Elect, Association for the Study of Higher Education
Areas(s) of Expertise: Leadership and strategic vision; collaboration and institutional support; equitable practices in education
Connection to Falk: Dean of the School of Education
Signature accomplishments: Accomplished scholar whose work focuses on equitable participation in higher education; transfer, access, and retention policies; minoritized student populations in marginalized institutional contexts; and racial equity and campus climate in postsecondary education pathways. As a researcher, has amassed more than $9 million in external funding on projects aimed at improving the field of higher education, with support from such organizations as he Lumina Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and National Science Foundation. Leads a variety of professional organizations, including as executive director of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges; member of the Community College Review Editorial Board; member for the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and a member of the Black Learner Excellence Expert Advisory Committee; and President-Elect and Chair-Elect, Association for the Study of Higher Education
