Executive Director
Humanities & Arts Faculty

Erin Bernard (B.A. Journalism, M.A. History, M.A.T. English Grades 7-12, C.P.S. Supervisor) joined The Bridge Way School in February 2023. With an array of experience in secondary education, postsecondary learning, and public history, Erin is devoted to serving our city’s youth and addressing issues of urban crisis with the core values of love, action, resilience, and empathy. She is a seasoned teacher leader, grassroots humanities innovator, published poet, and trauma-informed educator who enjoys problem solving, building with communities, and service learning. Her nationally-recognized and award-winning project, The Philadelphia Public History Truck, remains a driving inspiration in her development of rigorous, project-based learning connected to immediate issues of communities of memory.

As a woman in mental health recovery, Erin is a fierce advocate for people experiencing substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. In 2024, Erin completed Certified Peer Specialist training through the Department of Behavioral Health, bringing a peer mindset to her work as a leader in recovery education. She believes that discursive spaces such as gardens and art workshops are key in engaging youth and healing.

Deeply rooted in our city’s education community, Erin is a proud mom of three children engaged in Philadelphia’s public school system. She lives with her husband, kids, dog, and cat in South Philadelphia.

Director of Academics & Restorative Practice

Baba Romero brings over 30 years of teaching experience to The Bridge Way School, with a career spanning district, charter, alternative, and for-profit schools. He holds a Master of Education in Restorative Practices from the International Institute for Restorative Practices and is AP Literature certified through La Salle University. He also holds a University of Pennsylvania certificate in AI-assisted instruction and is fluent in Spanish.

Baba's approach to teaching is rooted in African-centered pedagogy, restorative justice, and culturally responsive instruction. He founded the English Department at Constitution High School and later chaired the English Department at Imhotep Charter High School, where he built his practice around Afrocentric teaching methods. He is the author of the novel Saving Sankofa (Editorial Nosotros, 2025).

Special Education Coordinator

Jamie has been an educator for the past eighteen years in the United States and abroad through Africa, Asia, and Europe.  She has her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Montclair State University, in NJ and her Master’s in Special Education from Saint Joseph’s University, in Philadelphia.  Upon graduation, Jamie decided to embark on her teaching journey abroad.  During this time she visited 53 countries, learned several languages and immersed herself into various cultures.  In 2020, Jamie returned home and decided to make her move to Philadelphia, where she then met her husband and started a family.  She is a mom to one daughter, avid traveler and photographer.  

Jamie has a passion for special education.  Her mission is to provide students with a supportive, nurturing and safe environment where students can flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.  Throughout her time as an educator, Jamie has supported several students and families dealing with their mental health and recovery.  She has and continues to serve as an advocate for epilepsy and autism.  Jamie is honored to be a part of Bridge Way’s community, helping guide students in their ongoing journey through their recovery.  It takes a village to teach a child! 

Spanish Teacher

Valerie Becerril is a passionate Spanish teacher who loves creating a welcoming, encouraging, and engaging classroom where every student feels valued and supported. She believes that every student has the potential to succeed and enjoys finding creative ways to make learning Spanish both fun and meaningful.

With a background in education and a bachelor's degree in Theology, Valerie brings compassion, patience, and enthusiasm to her teaching. She is especially passionate about helping students build confidence, discover their strengths, and recognize their potential.

Outside the classroom, Valerie is a proud wife and mother of two boys. She enjoys spending time with her family, serving in her church, leading worship, and creating lasting memories with those she loves.

School Resource Officer

Certified Recovery Support Specialist

Amber grew up in Northeast Philly and graduated from Archbishop Ryan High School.  Most of her life she struggled with mental illness and substance use disorder.  Amber is currently living a sober lifestyle.  She never knew what she wanted her career to be, so she stuck to waitressing and never thought she would get out.  Reaching recovery made her realize that she wanted to help people experiencing substance use and mental health disorders as well. Over time, Amber became a rehab tech and completed her Certified Recovery Specialist program. She also face paints on the side.  In her addiction, Amber’s little brother started a sock drive-turned-nonprofit— “Socks for the Streets” —for unhoused community members, and today she is an official board member. 

Amber shares she is still finding herself, but she has a wonderful, supportive family, a cute puppy, healthy relationships, and a chance to help others!  Amber love sstrolling through different parks on weekend, doing makeup, and watching series on tv.  Her life has dramatically changed from losing everyone and everything from her addiction and being unhoused in Kensington to mending relationships, gaining things back, achieving goals, learning to love herself, and having her family by her side! She wants to give others hope and support because, “Our past doesn’t have to define us! There are many roads to recovery and it might seem impossible, but I want to help others see that it is possible!”

The Bridge Way School’s Recovery Support program is funded by the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and provided in partnership with The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania.

Science Teacher

Paraprofessional

Paraprofessional

English Language Arts Faculty

Elesa Knowles joined our Bridge Way Community in August 2025 after working in Bucks County Public Schools for 9 years and earning both a Master's Degree in Education from Wilkes University in 2024-2025 and a Bachelor's in English Literature from Loyola University in 2012-2016. 

She spent 5 years in Baltimore working through internships in Baltimore County School and Immigration Programs. 

Her father, Joseph Charles Knowles, is a proud member of the Recovery Focus Learning and AA in Bensalem and has raised her to decenter alcohol and substance use to sustain a lifelong love of literature and reading. 

Recently, she has committed to publishing her speculative fantasy trilogy Thea Tapestry, in which the first entry will be published under Franklin Publishing in June 2026. She is excited and proud to help students assert themselves in writing and expand their horizons through becoming a new generation of readers.

Behavioral Health Technician

School Counselor

Tricia joined the Bridge Way School in Spring 2026 as the school counselor.  Previously, Tricia worked as an adjunct psychology professor and as an outpatient therapist, predominantly providing care to teens, young adults, and families.  Tricia received a B.S. in psychology and M.S. in community and trauma counseling from Philadelphia University (now known as Jefferson University) and is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Pennsylvania.  

Tricia is passionate about trauma-informed mental health care and education. She strives to create a warm and welcoming environment to support youth in overcoming mental health, substance use, and trauma related challenges.  The Bridge Way School offers the perfect environment for Tricia to bridge her experiences as a therapist and an educator in order to support students on their healing journeys and educate them about mental health.

Outside of school, Tricia enjoys spending time with her two dogs, family, and friends. She can often be found in one of South Philly's many coffee shops, doing some kind of outdoor activity, or watching Philly sports. (Go birds!)

Paraprofessional

Administrative Assistant

Ellie Schneidman is a third generation Philadelphian whose career jumpstarted after writing the history book for the non-profit Thorncroft Equestrian Center, one of the country's first therapeutic equestrian center, in Malvern PA. Ellie would go on to work at non-profits in different fields: international development, social impact, and education. In 2017, she moved to Los Angeles, CA where she earned her Masters in Communication Management from University of Southern California, Annenberg for Communication and Journalism. 

Missing her family and seasons, Ellie returned to Philadelphia in 2020, and revitalized her writing career and found a new, brighter life in her recovery community. After attending Bridge Way's annual fundraising breakfast, she was eager to find a way to contribute to The Bridge Way School. Today she does that as our new Administrative Assistant.  

Social Studies & Arts Faculty

Angela “Sadio” Watson is a recent addition to Bridgeway also affectionately known as “Mama Sadio”.  Mama Sadio is a professional educator, experienced in offering positive and nurturing learning environments.  Ms. Watson completed her teacher’s certification at Drexel in Social Studies, secondary education in 2021.  Skilled at assisting students of all levels grow, develop and grasp material with comprehensive knowledge of African-African American Studies and culture. She taught for the past four years as Advisor/History Teacher at Big Picture Philadelphia at El Centro de Estudiantes, where she taught African American history, US history, and Social Sciences.  Mama Sadio has taught multiple subjects as an educator at various schools including: Rights of Passage & African Dance at Imhotep Charter High School & Khepera Charter School, as well as 3rd & 4th grades at Lotus Academy.  Mama Sadio spent more than a decade teaching in various substitute teaching capacities for Kelly Services and more.

Mama Sadio’s objective and philosophy is to create a community in the classroom that supports the well-being, creativity, curiosity and discovery, critical and analytical minds of our students in the classroom through their learning of history.  Mama Sadio’s classroom emphasizes group discussion, team building with project learning, student voice, and cooperative learning.  Students learn how to address a social issue through analyzing art for social justice lens.  Mama Sadio supports and acknowledges the resiliency, social, and emotional needs of students by providing a structured and organized classroom; promoting clear and consistent boundaries; and holding students accountable by affirming high expectations in the classroom. 

Mama Sadio is also a keeper of traditional African folklore.   Angela is the founder of Camara Arts, 'keepers of tradition', an arts organization for youth in Rites of passage.  Sadio has received numerous awards including being a recipient of the 2018-19 Leeway Transformation Awardee and in 2016 an award from the Drum Tribute for teaching the Joy of African Dance.  Ms. Watson is a published author in the Encyclopedia of Africa and the Americas on the history of African dance here in America.  Ms. Watson completed her Master of Arts at Temple University’s Dance Research program in 2018, researching the history of Papa Ladji Camara's impact as the first teacher of traditional Manding Djembe music and dance in New York.  Angela has been performing, teaching, and studying African arts since 1989.  Angela performed in Japan, Africa, Bolivia, St. Johns, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, throughout the US receiving a foundation in Guinea folklore through the protege students of the legendary Papa Ladji Camara; with Papa Aziz Ahmed Abdulai & Dinese Bey.  Angela received her Bachelors in African Studies from Howard in 1997 and her Master's in Dance Therapy in 2001.  Angela was a Fulbright scholar from 1997-1998, studying the village style and ballet theater style dancing with the national ballets of Guinea.  Angela-Sadio is an Alumni Performer of Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble, Doc Gibbs, and Green Meadows Cultural show for kids. Sadio performs with Voices of Africa as primary choreographer & singer, Tyhimba, as well as performing as a guest artist with Balafon West African Dance Ensemble to name a few.    Angela-Sadio received in 2008 apprenticeship award to study traditional African song with Mama Kadiatou Conte from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, is a listed artist with PHC, has been an artist in Residence at the Paul Robeson House.  Angela-Sadio taught at multiple university & college level courses in African dance including: University of the Arts, Ursinus, Dickinson, & Muhlenberg College, including workshops in African healing dance at Drexel University, and guest instructor African Rhythms’ of UPenn.  As a community artist working with social justice and the arts Angela worked with the Bright Lights, FACT’s Folk Arts Charter School, the Church of the Advocate, amongst many places.  Angela-Sadio was a proud partner in the production that brought DanceAfrica Philadelphia, a model and pilot of the 40+ year old Festival "DanceAfrica" currently in NY, DC, Chicago, Pittsburgh, TX, and more.