HOS 2026 Winners | The Heart of the Schools

Three words: Performance, Culture, and Excellence. Principal Bettye M. Adams has developed a school full of "Runners" (as coined by Ron Clark), at The Historic Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary School – staff who will go the extra mile to ensure their students have what they need to succeed. Whether that is reimagining and investing in its infrastructure and programming for students and parents to elevate its standing in the community or celebrating its Centennial anniversary this year, with a Ripken Foundation STEM Center, a Maggie McIntosh auditorium, and a Baltimore Ravens gymnasium. Students are provided with experiences in the arts, both in-school and out – Principal Adams accepts nothing less than the best for her students. She is also proudly developing a cohort of instructional leaders. Her school has seen the highest MCAP math growth for Black students across the district, second highest math growth for economically disadvantaged children, and second highest ELA growth for students with disabilities. All this translates into a school that is closing in on their fourth star, which no doubt is coming soon!

At Baltimore Design School, Principal Brozene ensures all his students and staff are connected, which can be challenging when leading a school with grades 6 through 12. He expanded a Champion Team of school leaders, each of whom oversees one grade in the school (Mr. Brozene leads sixth grade), which allows for the development of a tight-knit community. This structure also leads to opportunities for intensive support (for both staff and students) and deep data analysis. The results are clear, with double-digit decreases in chronic absenteeism each year since COVID, the growth of their career pathways (adding at least one staff member per pathway under his leadership) and steady increases in math and ELA MCAP scores as well as AP scores. His kindness permeates the building, creating an atmosphere where students and adults are thriving.

Principal Plain knows how important it is to give every child a reason to be excited to be at school, starting with engaging instruction. She has worked hard to build a school culture where everyone believes in this vision, and the data shows she is succeeding! James McHenry has made significant growth in both ELA and mathematics, has seen chronic absentee rates drop by more than 20 points (including winning the Mayor’s attendance competition three times) and has grown their Gifted and Advanced Learning program from 19 students two years ago to 118 students today. The enrollment is trending in the right direction and there should be no confusion as to why – great things are happening at James McHenry!

Emanating calm and kindness, Principal Rivers has an uncanny ability to bring peace to turbulent situations. Perhaps this explains his career trajectory, as the school district has entrusted him with rebuilding cultures in three large high schools where his steady leadership brought focus and student-centered presence. Now at Carver Vocational Technical High School, Principal Rivers leads with compassion, ensuring that all members of the school community – adult and student alike – are treated with respect. He has also built a strong partnership with The Movement Team, establishing bonds with the community and supporting his students holistically, both inside and outside of his building.

Principal Zahrt leads a school where student voice isn’t a buzzword, but core to the experience for each young person. Students have the space to create their own student-run clubs, are trusted as young adults, have opportunities to express themselves, and get to engage in meaningful internships to grow in a self-directed manner. This ethos extends to staff, who regularly co-collaborate across departments on units and help identify and design changes in programming. This all stems from Principal Zahrt, and City Neighbors High is reaping the benefits – a 95% graduation rate, an increase of 30 percentage points in MCAP ELA scores, increased AP offerings and dual enrollment courses. It’s no wonder CNHS was the first high school to receive an 8-year charter renewal – amazing things are happening!

Principal Augustine has served as the principal of Clay Hill since its creation, building the school grade by grade. Serving a school population with 50% multilingual learners (MLL), she has placed an emphasis on making her school a safe space that is trusted by families. Each year, they set a goal that every family will meaningfully engage with the school at least twice; last year, they achieved this with 99% of their families and are aiming for 100% this year. This foundational trust, coupled with a strong staff and focus on academics has led to amazing successes: 12% MCAP Reading growth; 8% MCAP Math growth; 47% of their third graders (their first class of kindergarteners) achieving proficiency in both Reading and Math MCAP; and 98% of their MLL students demonstrating growth in their English proficiency. Principal Augustine has led the successful creation of an “atmosphere of love”, the founding mission of Clay Hill.

When asked how Woodhome is making such great gains in ELA, Principal Harding let us know, “there’s no secret – just synergy.” She believes in setting a vision for success and then unifying her team in that mission. From her first days as principal, she told her school (frequently) that they were going to achieve a third star. This was their rallying cry and helped lead to a 32-point drop in chronic absenteeism and marked gains in ELA. It should be no surprise that this year they achieved that third star! Their next big goal is to become a Blue Ribbon school. With Ms. Harding at the helm, it’s just a question of how soon they’ll get there.

Principal Jacox-Paige comes from a family of educators (her mother was a principal and her father a teacher) and knew from a young age that this was her calling. She cares deeply about the success of her students at Matthew A. Henson and leads from a place of urgency; she believes with every ounce of her being that her school must serve every student because they don’t get a second chance to build the foundation for success for their children – they have to get it right the first time. Principal Jacox-Paige is succeeding in moving Matthew A. Henson forward, leading the school out of CSI status and from one star, when she took over as principal five years ago, to three stars now. The “little school with the big heart” is on the rise!

Principal Myrick leads a diverse school, with students hailing from more than thirty countries, which is a perfect fit for her background in international relations. Now in her fourth year at the helm of Patterson High School, Principal Myrick initially focused on improving the school climate, both for teachers and students, with an emphasis on breaking barriers and ensuring all students felt like they belonged to One Patterson. With success in that area, observed by the increase in attendance by more than 20 percentage points, the school is now laser focused on academics and has seen a 14 point jump in ELA proficiency. Principal Myrick clearly loves her school, and they love her right back – in fact, they’ve already given her their own version of the Heart of the School Award!

Principal Sheppard, the leader of George Washington Elementary School, or “GDubb” as it is now known, has a strong background in elementary education and school operations, and it shows! In three short years she has transformed the look and feel of the school while building systems that support strong instruction and student growth. She has invested deeply in teacher development, which has contributed to double-digit MCAP growth in ELA and the school earning its third star on the Maryland Report Card. Though she is the only administrator in her building and wears many hats as a result, she remains connected to her staff, students, and community, continuously bringing back ideas that strengthen teaching and learning at GDubb. Her leadership is driven by a clear belief that every decision should move students closer to success.

2026 HEART OF THE SCHOOL AWARDS

AWARDEES

Bettye M. Adams

Darrin Brozene

Denita Plain

Craig Rivers

Cheyanne Zahrt

HONOREES

Emily Augustine

Monique Harding

Kedra Jacox-Paige

April Myrick

Tanisha Sheppard

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