Educator Connections: City Springs’ Ms. Jackson and Govans’ Principal Bernarda Kwaw
August 24, 2026
Sometimes career paths come full circle. Bernarda Kwaw, Principal at Govans Elementary School, has very fond memories of her days as a teacher and assistant principal at Collington Square Elementary School, one of Baltimore Curriculum Project’s (BCP) former neighborhood conversion charter schools. Her former students hold a special place in her heart.
This month, while attending the BCP New Educator Summer Institute, she was thrilled to see one of those students in attendance: La’Myrah Jackson, the new first grade teacher at City Springs Elementary/Middle School.
“I am ecstatic that she has chosen teaching as a career,” says Ms. Kwaw. “Someone once said, ‘Imitation is the highest form of praise.’ What better place to start than at a BCP school? Given the challenges that many students at Collington face, this career choice speaks volumes about Ms. Jackson’s determination and discipline.”
Ms. Jackson’s equally fond memories of Ms. Kwaw are helping to shape the kind of educator she wants to be for her students: “What I remember most about Ms. Kwaw from my time at Collington Square is how kind and encouraging she was. She was one of those people whose presence stayed with me even after I left the school. As I got older, I would actually find myself thinking about her and many of the teachers and staff members I had there, wondering how they were doing and where life had taken them. At the time, I obviously had no idea that my own journey would eventually bring me into education or that our paths would cross again in this way.”
After Collington Square, Ms. Jackson graduated from Forest Park High School in 2022, receiving a full scholarship through the Incentive Awards Program to attend the University of Maryland, College Park. She graduated this past May with a B.A. in Public Policy, with a concentration in Sustainability and minors in Sustainability and Education Policy. Ms Jackson is pursuing her M.Ed. at Johns Hopkins.
While this is her first year as a full-time classroom teacher, she has had several years of experience working with students through summer programs and after-school teaching positions.
We asked Ms. Jackson to share the impact of her full-circle moment from BCP student to BCP educator and her passion for teaching:
I really discovered my passion for teaching during summer 2023 when I had the opportunity to teach through ELEV8 Baltimore [City Spring’s lead community agency]. What made that experience even more meaningful was that I had actually participated in ELEV8’s after-school and summer programming myself at Collington Square. Years later, I found myself returning to the same program, but this time as an educator serving students like me. It became one of the first of many full-circle moments in my journey.
Being responsible for my own students, building relationships with them, and watching them learn and grow helped me realize how much I genuinely loved being in the classroom. I returned to ELEV8 the following summer and continued working with students throughout college. Over time, teaching became more than an interest; I realized it was something I could truly see myself building a career around.
I always knew that I wanted to come back to Baltimore. I love my city, and returning home after college was something that was always important to me. Education is so critical for our students and for the future of Baltimore. Once I realized that I was pivoting into a career in teaching, I knew there was nowhere else I would rather begin that career than my hometown. I wanted the opportunity to give back to and help strengthen the same school system that served me throughout my own childhood.
Returning to Baltimore City is extremely personal. I know firsthand how much of an impact a teacher can have on a Baltimore City student. I was once that student. My goal is to create a classroom where my students feel supported, challenged, loved, and genuinely excited to learn. I want my students to be able to look at me and see what is possible for them. I sat in Baltimore City classrooms, graduated from this school system, went on to college, and now have the privilege of coming back to serve the next generation.
As an educator and a leader, I hope my impact extends beyond simply teaching academics. I want to advocate for my students, their families, and the communities I serve while contributing to making our school system even stronger. Baltimore gave so much to me, and being able to pour back into the same city and school system that helped shape me is incredibly meaningful.
What drew me to BCP was its commitment to providing students with strong, structured instruction while still being deeply connected to Baltimore communities. I wanted to begin my career somewhere that would challenge me to grow as an educator while also providing the support and coaching I need as a first-year teacher. City Springs feels like the best place where I could do that while serving students in the city I call home.
I’m so excited to teach first grade! I can’t wait to build relationships with my students and watch how much they grow throughout the year. At this age, students are developing so many foundational academic and social skills, and I get to play a role in helping build that foundation. I’m also excited to become part of the City Springs community and continue learning from the experienced educators and leaders around me.