Mr. Marshall Carter, who joined Milton Academy in July 2008 as the K–8 principal, came to Milton from The Rashi School in Newton, Massachusetts, where he was the middle school director, managing all aspects of the 6-8 grade division within a K-8 setting.

As a member of The Rashi School’s senior administrative team, Mr. Carter helped to make Rashi’s middle school program a vibrant, stable and thriving academic, social and emotional culture that achieves excellent secondary school placement.  Mr. Carter chaired the technology committee in addition to teaching seventh grade Language Arts and eighth grade Social Studies classes. 

"I am very aware,” Mr. Carter says, “of the uncommon strength, commitment, and dedication among Milton’s faculty and families.  As an educator, I have long been committed to the K-8 model, and I am excited about connecting with students, parents, faculty and fellow administrators, listening to their ideas and hopes, and leading a collaborative vision for the K-8 division."

Mr. Carter’s teaching experience spans more than 15 years.  Immediately before his role at The Rashi School, Mr. Carter was a member of the faculty at Shady Hill School in Cambridge for seven years.  He taught fifth grade and eighth grade classes, and served as Assistant Director of Shady Hill's well-known Teacher Training Course, working closely with apprentice teachers as they honed their craft.  Prior to that, Mr. Carter taught at Campbell Hall Episcopal in North Hollywood, California and at Kent Denver School in Englewood, Colorado.  During his independent school career he has coached boys’ and girls’ soccer, directed and produced student theater productions, and advised student newspapers. 

Mr. Carter graduated from Bowdoin College with a double major in English and History and earned his Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.  An avid traveler and gardener, Mr. Carter also commits his time to community volunteer work through Christ Church Episcopal and Cambridge Camping Association.  He lives in Cambridge with his wife, Kendra, and their young daughter, Louisa.

Gretchen Larkin, K–8 Curriculum Coordinator

Ms. Gretchen Larkin, the Milton Academy K–8 curriculum coordinator, came to Milton from the Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts, where she had been since 2006.   Prior to that, she worked as the Educational Coordinator at Dedham Country Day School in Dedham and the K-6 Learning Specialist at the Advent School in Boston.

A graduate of Greenwich Academy, Gretchen earned her bachelor’s degree at Lake Forest College (IL) and her Master of Arts in Teaching with honors at Manhattanville College (NY).  She views the curriculum coordinator’s role as cultivating “faculty relationships carefully and collaboratively, and keeping an open mind to respect and embrace the differences among us all.”

An eager learner herself, Ms. Larkin sees ongoing professional development as essential to any educator’s success.  She has participated in many workshops and conferences on learning, brain development, and educational testing; she has also presented her own scholarly work at numerous conferences, participated as a facilitator at a Rob Evans Workshop, and served on an evaluation team for AISNE.