Meet the Team

Sandra Anthony currently serves as the Executive Head of Schools. Her expertise spans the landscape of kindergarten to high school in both brick and mortar schools and in virtual learning grounded in only the best practices of instruction, curriculum design and implementation, and assessment. Dr. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Education and a Master’s Degree in Administration from Georgian Court University. Her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership was awarded from Nova Southeastern University in 2002.

I am truly honored and excited to continue serving our incredible school community as the Elementary Assistant Principal. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of supporting students and families as a Classroom Teacher, Success Coach, MTSS Coordinator, and Assistant Principal. Each of these experiences has strengthened my passion for helping students grow, partnering with families, and ensuring every child feels supported and encouraged to reach their full potential. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida and my Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education.

As Elementary Assistant Principal, I am committed to creating a positive, welcoming, and student-centered learning environment where every child feels valued, challenged, and inspired to succeed. I believe that strong partnerships between school and home are the foundation of student success, and I look forward to working alongside you to help each student thrive. Our Shark community is built on tenacity, curiosity, adaptability, and strength, and I am excited to continue swimming alongside our students, families, and staff as we make this school year our best yet.

Outside of school, my husband and I are proud parents of our two children. We enjoy spending time outdoors, boating, visiting the beach, cheering on our favorite college football teams, and making lasting memories together as a family. I look forward to connecting with your family to make this a successful school year.

April Carter joins Virtual Preparatory Academy of Florida’s leadership team with nearly a decade of experience across early childhood, elementary, secondary, brick-and-mortar, and virtual education settings. She began her career in early childhood education before transitioning to Exceptional Student Education (ESE), where she served for three years as an elementary ESE teacher in a traditional school setting. She then joined Virtual Preparatory Academy of Florida as a Secondary ESE Teacher, supporting students in grades 6–12 before stepping into her current role as Coordinator of K-12 Programs. These experiences have given Mrs. Carter a strong foundation in supporting diverse learners, collaborating with families and staff, and creating meaningful opportunities for student success.

Mrs. Carter holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in Exceptional Student Education from Anderson University in Indiana and a Master of Education from the University of Central Florida. As a school leader, she is committed to fostering a positive, collaborative, and student-centered school culture. She is passionate about supporting students of all abilities, empowering educators, building strong relationships with families, and creating an engaging environment where every student feels supported and has the opportunity to thrive.

Mrs. Carter and her husband are proud parents of five daughters and live in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Together, they enjoy making family memories at Walt Disney World, especially camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, and spending time cheering on their daughters at gymnastics competitions.

Scott Schneider is an accomplished educational leader with more than 25 years of experience in public education, most recently serving as Chief of Schools for Duval County Public Schools. Throughout his career, he has served as a teacher, school principal, region superintendent, and district executive, leading transformational improvement efforts focused on student achievement, leadership development, and organizational excellence.

As Chief of Schools, Scott provided executive leadership and support to 159 schools, nearly 8,000 employees, and more than 125,000 students. His leadership contributed to historic district achievements, including Duval County earning its first-ever “A” district rating, record-high graduation rates, and significant academic improvement across historically underperforming schools.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Scott is a proud father of two and husband of 21 years. His commitment to family, service, and developing others reflects his belief that leadership is ultimately about people, relationships, and creating opportunities for others to achieve their greatest potential.

Dr. Amber Goulbourn now serves as the Director of Academic Accountability and Programs for Virtual Preparatory Academy of Florida. She started her career in Duval County as a teacher where she serviced various student populations. One of the aspects she enjoyed witnessing in the classroom setting was students reaching the “light bulb” moment once a concept “clicked”.

Dr. Goulbourn has served as a Teacher, Instructional Coach, Testing Coordinator, MTSS Coordinator, Assistant Principal in the elementary, middle, and high school settings, Interim Principal, and Director of Special Programs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, Master of Arts in Human Resources Management/Management Leadership, and Doctor of Education in Leadership. Every year she strives to collaborate with teachers to ensure scholars receive rigorous and quality instruction which will keep them engaged and create a joyful virtual experience.

Dr. Goulbourn resides in Northeast Florida. In conjunction with her work as an educator, she is a licensed real estate agent in the state of Florida and a financial professional who focuses on life/health insurance, debt consolidation, estate planning, and finance education. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Wendy Ross serves as the Operations Manager for Virtual Preparatory Academy of Florida. Wendy is an experienced virtual leader having served as Online Program Coordinator and Principal for Medford Online Academy, Vice Principal and Teacher for Oregon Virtual Academy, and an Advanced Math Teacher. Wendy holds a master’s degree in administration, a master’s degree in Secondary Education completed at the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Southern Oregon University.

As School Operations Manager, Wendy plays an important role in developing and ensuring the day-to-day operations of our school, supporting our mission and vision to deliver quality education to students. Wendy has a broad oversight our school and works to ensure compliance with our policies and standards. She enables teachers and academic staff to focus on their primary objective to create an environment conducive to learning and growth.

Mrs. Ross resides in Central Florida with her husband and daughter. She enjoys the outdoors, traveling, and being creative!

Mariana Suarez is the Testing Coordinator at Virtual Prep Academy of Florida and is entering her third year with the school. She began her journey at VPA as a Success Coach before transitioning into her current role, where she supports statewide testing operations and works closely with students, families, and staff to ensure a smooth testing experience. Mariana enjoys improving processes, using data to drive decisions, and helping students succeed. She is currently pursuing her MBA with a specialization in Data Analytics.

Tonya Dix joined Virtual Preparatory Academy of Florida as the founding ELL Coordinator in August of 2022. She has now added to her role of leadership support, Assessment Coordinator and Truancy Monitor. Tonya Dix started her career as a teacher in Hillsborough County. She moved to South Florida where she continued her career as a Teacher, Behavior Specialist, Assistant Principal, and Principal in Broward County. Her experiences as an educator span over 35 years in Kindergarten through Adult Education. Tonya Dix holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Saint Leo University, a Master of Arts degree in TESOL, and an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Tonya Dix resides on the Treasure Coast of Florida with her husband, Harry. They have one daughter, one son, a grandson and a dog, Zoey. When not working, she enjoys traveling, watching sports, attending comedy shows, and spending time near the water.