City native named principal at East Baltimore Community School

The East Baltimore Community School, a partnership initiative for Johns Hopkins University, has named a new principal for the K-8 charter school. Katrina M. Foster, a graduate of the Baltimore City Public Schools and a former Teach for America corps member adviser, will lead the school that has become the centerpiece of redevelopment efforts in East Baltimore.

Foster, who was selected from a national search, is joining the school as it prepares for its move in 2013 to a new $43 million facility that will also include the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Early Childhood Center. The school is part of an innovative university-community initiative and was recently renamed the Elmer A. Henderson: A Johns Hopkins Partnership School (or Henderson-Hopkins). The new school and early childhood center are operated by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, in partnership with Morgan State University's School of Education and Urban Studies. 

Foster received a bachelor's degree in English from Pepperdine University, a master's degree in teaching from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and a postgraduate certificate in administration and supervision, also from Johns Hopkins. After college, the Baltimore native returned to her hometown in 2003 as a Teach for America corps member and English teacher at Frederick Douglas High School, where she received the Teacher of the Year award in 2004-2005.

An experienced urban educator and administrator, Foster has led teams of educators in producing high student achievement outcomes. Before joining EBCS, she led the middle school expansion at the New Era Academy, where she also played an integral role in that school's efforts to achieve Maryland School Assessment reading and math scores that remained higher than the district's average. Foster has also served as a curriculum specialist and corps member adviser for Teach for America, in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, respectively, and has been an instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.

"I'm honored and delighted to be the new principal of EBCS, especially at this exciting time," Foster said. "As a school leader, I believe it is my duty to motivate my teachers and students to excel. I am invested in their success, and it's my primary responsibility to uphold the school's mission and vision, maintain a supportive learning environment, and collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure that our children receive a quality college preparatory education."