Allison Abraham started The Newton School in 2009 as a way to assist local families whose needs were not being met by the current educational options. She currently runs all day to day operations while continuing to guide the strategy for the School. She serves as the School’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prior to this, she was a senior executive at companies such as Ameritech, American Express and iVillage, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Overstock/Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Ms. Abraham has a BA in Economics from Tufts University and an MBA from The Darden School at The University of Virginia. Her son graduated from The Newton School.

Sonja Lopez has been employed at The Newton School since it opened in 2009. Prior to this, she was a teacher at the Shire School, providing individualized, multi-sensory education to children in a small setting. Prior to this position, she was the Supervisor for the Education Division at the American Institute of Physics in College Park, Maryland for 20 years. In this role, she was responsible for developing, launching, and implementing projects that addressed and enhanced the undergraduate physics experience. Sonja is currently a classroom teacher, leads The Newton School’s Art program and is on the School’s Board of Directors.

Deborah Parks M.A., CCC-SLP has over 20 years experience with pediatric communication disorders, specializing in working with children who have executive functioning and social skills deficits. Deborah has been in private practice in Northern Virginia since 1992. Prior to this, she was employed by the Arlington County Public Schools as a Speech-Language Pathologist, working with elementary and middle school children. Deborah graduated summa cum laude from the University of California. She provided social skills classes and support to The Newton School for 15 years and retired to North Carolina in 2025. She remains on the School’s Board of Directors.