Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Anna Baralt

Anna Baralt’s path through Shorecrest has been a 27-year journey of interesting detours, leading to her current role as Director of Technology and Media Services, a senior administrative role she's held since 2013. She began as a kindergarten teacher in 1997, but her introduction to the School came a bit earlier than that, thanks to a serendipitous meeting in graduate school. 

“I always thought I would open my own preschool,” Anna says. “I was working on my master’s degree in early childhood education, and Betty Gootson [former head of the Early Childhood Center, now known as The Experiential School] was in my class. I needed to do an internship and when USF couldn’t find me a placement, Betty offered me one at Shorecrest.” After completing her degree, she joined Shorecrest as a kindergarten teacher, a beloved role she held for eight years. 

As a Shorecrest parent to son, Cai '17, and daughter, Lilianna '21, Anna followed her growing interest in technology with a professional trajectory that included the positions of K-4 Instructional Technologist; the School’s first Director of Educational Technology; and finally, Director of Technology and Media Services, all while concurrently earning her Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida.  

While blazing a trail that facilitated excellence in all things technology related, Anna’s accomplishments included launching St. Pete STEAMfest; being the catalyst for Shorecrest earning the Apple Distinguished School status; and perhaps most importantly, leading an efficient, 48-hour transition to online learning during the 2020 pandemic. 

Through it all Anna has never wanted to give up direct interaction with students. “When I shifted from an instructional to a director role, I said, ‘I still have to teach.’ Being with the kids is wonderful, and it’s difficult to be a good coach to other teachers if you don’t know what’s going on in the classroom.”

Coaching seems to be embedded in Anna’s DNA, demonstrated by her passion for building and co-teaching middle school competitive robotics. “I love watching the kids blossom and grow; and seeing the creativity, problem-solving, and ah-ha! moments. You see them when they’re most vulnerable and when they have their biggest successes.” 

She’s now teaching some of those same students in the Seminar in STEAM, illustrating how her multifaceted career has enabled her to maintain strong connections with students throughout their educational journey. “I’ve had a continuity with the kids over the years in a way that I think is really unique. I did my dissertation with kids who were in Alpha and JK; and now they’re seniors. The sixth grade robotics team members are now seniors, and five of them are going to earn STEAM certificates.”

One of Anna's students, current senior Alexis Valance '25, was the 2024 recipient of the Core Values - Respect Award and invited Dr. Anna Baralt to share her award. In her 2024 Awards Day acceptance remarks Alexis said, "I’ve found it important to recognize Dr. Baralt with this award simply for all her contributions towards the Shorecrest community. Working with her through middle and high school, I’ve seen first-hand the effort she’s put into teaching, coaching all the robotics teams, managing the tech department, and establishing STEAM programs. Especially during COVID-19, Dr. Baralt was here every day to aid in online learning. Even juggling the FLL robotics teams in Middle School, she'd still come to our VEX competitions and be there to support us. Dr. Baralt does so much behind the scenes of Shorecrest that we don’t properly account for, which is why I choose to accept this award with her."

Throughout the years Anna’s versatility and flexibility have marked her willingness to temporarily fill a new role whenever she was asked, including third grade teacher, librarian and registrar, respectively. Those qualities, along with her demonstrated dedication to the Shorecrest community overall, earned her the 2019 Elizabeth Samuelson Community Spirit Award. In presenting the award, former Headmaster Mike Murphy H’20 remarked, "Like the award’s namesake, Anna models and exemplifies Shorecrest Core Values and builds a culture of community at Shorecrest in ways large and small." 

Anna reflects, “I love connecting with the teachers as much as I do the students.” Her wide-ranging expertise continues to touch multiple aspects of the Shorecrest experience, and the entire school community will continue to be the better for it.