Govans Elementary School

Bernarda Kwaw is the principal of Govans Elementary. The Baltimore native began her 25-year career with Baltimore City Schools as a teacher at Collington Square Elementary for 10 years before becoming a staff developer and later an assistant principal. She served as the assistant principal at Govans Elementary for three years before taking on her role as principal.

“I’m enjoying my experience at Govans—like many families in Baltimore City Public Schools, the families here really care about their kids’ education,” she said. An involved staff and a sense of community are other highlights, she added.

Principal Kwaw plans to push students to mastery through a teaching method known as direct instruction. Students are grouped based on ability so that all students improve academically and no one gets left behind.

Principal Kwaw earned her bachelor's degree in education at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and her master’s in educational administration at Morgan State University in Baltimore. She lives with her husband and four children in Idlewood. When she is not focused on making Govans the best it can be or attending school events like the annual Back to School Bash or Winterfest you can find her at the beach.