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2017 heart of the School Awards

WINNERS

Roxanne Forr

Cecil Elementary School


Roxanne Forr is in her ninth year as principal of Cecil Elementary School in Northeast Baltimore, and her 30th year at the school. Under her leadership, the students at Cecil have made remarkable academic gains; over 90% of her students qualify for FARMS and routinely perform amongst the top schools in the district academically. While maintaining an intense focus on student achievement, Ms. Forr has broadened her scope and has become a prominent figure in the community as well, advocating for neighborhood-level changes she knows are imperative to the success of her kids and their families. Ms. Forr has demonstrated her commitment to her kids and the community and produced extraordinary results.


“She’s like our mother – [she] always wants what’s best for us and always looks out for us” – Cecil Elementary Student



“She is constantly seeking to grow and innovate, despite the fact that she could easily rest on [her] successful laurels.” – Cecil Elementary School Community Member


Crystal Harden-Lindsey

Green Street Academy


Crystal Harden-Lindsey is in her fifth year as principal of Green Street Academy, serving students in grades 6-12 in West Baltimore. Under her leadership, Green Street has become a hub for the neighborhood. Supper is served for the community, a food pantry is open on Tuesdays, and locally grown fruits and vegetables are sold weekly. By design, Green Street primarily enrolls students from the community, and Ms. Harden-Lindsey played a leading role in the creation of the Westside Connection, a partnership to share resources with local elementary schools. Seeing no limits to her students potential, she has established reciprocal relationships as far away as China. She has built a culture of inclusion and positivity throughout the school, where students are consistently given opportunities to lead and become advocates for themselves and each other.


“Ms. Lindsey is my friend, my mentor, and my role model. I can’t imagine working for any other administrator.” – Green Street Academy Teacher/School Staff


“She loves us enough to praise us when we are doing great things and hold us accountable to our own greatness.” – Green Street Academy Teacher/School Staff


Samuel Rather II

Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary


Samuel Rather II is in his third year as principal of Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary in Northwest Baltimore. Mr. Rather is a leader that has an uncanny ability to uncover strengths in each person on his team and put them in positions to thrive. He gives teachers the leeway to take risks (when supported by solid theory or research), such as allowing one of his Kindergarten teachers to physically transform her classroom into an inviting space that feels more like a home than a classroom. Mr. Rather instills an emphasis on literacy throughout the school, making tremendous gains in this area. In fact, this year over 120 of his students have grown one full grade level in reading over just the first half of the school year. 


“He’s the best principal I’ve ever had and the best principal I can imagine. […] I’ve learned more from working under him than in any other professional situation in my life.” – Calvin M. Rodwell Teacher/School Staff


“Mr. Rather has made a point of working with teachers to identify opportunities for us to take the lead […] I have been learning and excelling in my new leadership role thanks to his expert tutelage.” – Calvin M. Rodwell Teacher/School Staff


Christopher Turk

George Washington Elementary


Christophe Turk is in his fourth year as principal of George Washington Elementary in Southwest Baltimore, and he clearly demonstrates how much he cares about his work on a daily basis. He starts each morning greeting his students and parents by name at the front door, delivering positivity (and quite a few handshakes and hugs) to all. During the day, he’s building partnerships, coaching his teachers and pushing them towards leadership positions, ensuring the building and classrooms are pristine, and constantly looking for ways to help his students (amongst many other tasks). Lately, Mr. Turk has been spending evenings as a leader of the advocacy effort of many principals in the district in support of appropriate funding for City Schools. He is tireless in his efforts to support the students of George Washington and kids across the district.


“The focus is always on the students and how the community, faculty and other dedicated professionals can work together to make a difference in their lives.” – George Washington Community Partner


“He is truly a great role model and speaks only positive things into his students by using the phrases ‘you can’, ‘you will’, and ‘you are." – George Washington Community Partner


Tammatha Woodhouse

Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High School


Tammatha Woodhouse is in her fifth year as principal of the Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood, an alternative high school in West Baltimore that serves students who have struggled to find success in other school environment. Ms. Woodhouse is the ultimate advocate for her students. She fights to ensure they have the resources they need and deserve. She has developed a litany of partnerships, including with the Usher New Look Foundation, the Big Sean Foundation, Northrup Grumman, AOL, UMBC, and the University of Maryland, College Park; each provides critical support to meet a need at the school. Ms. Woodhouse works tirelessly to give her kids first-class opportunities during their second chance at high school.


“Ms. Woodhouse deserves a Nobel peace prize for all [the] extra work she does just to make things run smoothly.” – Excel Academy Community Partner


“Ms. Woodhouse […] is a visionary and ahead of the curve in terms of leadership and pushing children with deficits into the realm of excellence.” – Excel Academy Teacher/School Staff


HONOREES

Heart of the School 2017 Honorees

Corey Basmajian

Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle School


Corey Basmajian is in his fourth year as principal of Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle School in West Baltimore. Mr. Basmajian places a strong emphasis on identifying and hiring talented individuals and then providing them with opportunities to grow. He empowers staff to take leadership roles, including participating in the hiring process for the school. He treats them with respect and recognizes their hard work and accomplishments, fostering an environment of praise and positivity. This translates into positive relationships with students as well, with marked decreases over the last four years in the number of suspensions and significant increases in student achievement.


“I have never felt more valued in a school, and this is my sixth year in the classroom in BCPSS and I have taught in multiple schools. I also have never had a principal who has supported me in my personal leadership both within the classroom and within the district at large.” - Windsor Hills Teacher/School Staff


“Corey Basmajian believes in his teachers, staff, and students. He delegates leadership. You don't have to be an administrator or teacher to be in charge of something. Everyone is important and has a voice.” - Windsor Hills Teacher/School Staff


Patricia Burrell

North Bend Elementary/Middle School


Patricia Burrell is in her ninth year as principal of North Bend Elementary/Middle School in West Baltimore and has carried on a family legacy of educating within City schools which started with her mother, a former principal. Ms. Burrell cares deeply about her students, staff, and families, which is evident by the culture resonating throughout this lively student-centered environment. Ms. Burrell promotes teacher leadership by allowing her staff to organize various clubs, extracurricular activities, and provide teacher mentor support to each other. She encourages student achievement by organizing a daily school-wide reading intervention program, creating reading nooks throughout the building, and providing resources for school activities through field trips, art/music integration, and reward/incentive events. She has implemented an open door policy which has built positive relationships and cultivates open communication with all stakeholders. 


 “I thank God each and every day for someone like her. I know when my children are away from me, she is [their] guidance, and protection.” - North Bend Parent


“Mrs. Burrell […] always does what's best for the school and the students no matter what it is. She is always trying to find a way to make the school better.” - North Bend Student


Amber Kilcoyne

Medfield Heights Elementary School


Amber Kilcoyne is in her third year as principal of Medfield Heights Elementary School in Northwest Baltimore. Ms. Kilcoyne believes in the power of cooperation and is an expert at fostering collaboration within her school. The staff works together daily to identify and address the unique needs of each of their students. Medfield utilizes restorative practices and asks children to meet and talk together to solve their problems. Ms. Kilcoyne also models the importance of teamwork in her interactions with the staff – when challenges arise, she engages her teachers to solve the problems together, as a school. Ms. Kilcoyne’s leadership style has helped create the positive, cohesive school culture evident in her school.


“Mrs. Amber is very humble & committed to what she's doing. She listens to both we the parents and our children […]I am very pleased with her and as a matter of fact, she and the teachers are the reason why we are still in the neighborhood.” - Medfield Parent


“Amber has heard every voice that has spoken and has handled difficult situations with grace. She makes everyone feel as if they matter, no matter their circumstances. I have witnessed her working day and night to make our school the great one that it is today.” - Medfield Teacher/School Staff


Danielle Tillman-Cromartie

Armistead Gardens Elementar/Middle School

 

Danielle Tillman-Cromartie is in her third year as principal of Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle School in East Baltimore. Ms. Tillman-Cromartie works hard to make her school welcoming to her community. When she was named principal, she thought the building wasn’t physically inviting, so she recruited some friends to help paint over the summer to add bright colors to the space. Understanding the power of communication and positivity, she implemented the Owl Card system as a strategy for sending good news home to parents. And to help new students feel welcome in the school, Ms. Tillman-Cromartie takes time to meet with them and walk around the school together prior to their first class. The students and parents clearly recognize her efforts, as enrollment and student achievement continue to rise, despite the many challenges, including being 193% enrolled!


“Ms. Cromartie is the most well-organized and well-liked principal I have come across during my time in teaching. Staff and students work to high expectations and high quality.” - Armistead Gardens Teacher/School Staff


“In addition to the great academic growth our school community has made, our school culture has changed from one of "status quo" to one that is data driven and student centered.” - Armistead Gardens School Community Member


Zaharah Valentine

Baltimore Design School


Zaharah Valentine is in her first year as principal of Baltimore Design School in Southeast Baltimore. In her short tenure, Mrs. Valentine has already instituted large-scale, meaningful initiatives that have fundamentally changed the culture of her school. She began this work by talking one-on-one with students and teachers to learn about the school and how she could help. She heard from students that they felt like they were always being penalized, so she instituted a PBIS system to shift the focus onto praising their positive actions. She found a need for academic support for teachers, which prompted coaching on creating engaging lessons and promoted weekly teacher collaboration. Through her efforts, Mrs. Valentine has earned the trust of her students and teachers, which is evident the moment you walk through the doors of her school.


“Principal Valentine has made her 5 year plan very clear, and her immediate implementation of that plan and goal of helping BDS achieve its vision has infected us all...pulling us all in as key players. I've seen the changes in my student. I've seen the changes in teachers. I've seen the changes walking into the school and through the halls.” - Baltimore Design School Parent


“She brought the school out of kind of crisis onto a pathway that brings hope and is inspiring to all who believe in this school. We are most grateful to have her wit, will and wisdom!” - Baltimore Design School Community Partner


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