Welcome from BFA's Upper School Principal

Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.

H. Jackson Browne

August 2008

Dear BFA Family,

I keep the above quote on my desk in my office – many of you may have had the chance to read it during our conversations together. It moves me to think beyond the lines of what others expect from me and from us as a community. Many of us face odds that seem greater than we can overcome. My commitment to you in my second year as your principal is to help us all rise above the odds to achieve at the highest possible levels regardless of our circumstances.

You welcomed me graciously and we accomplished much in our first year together. This year we can and must rise above even our own expectations. We welcome our first class of sixth and seventh graders as we transition into the first fully operational 6-12 charter school in Baltimore City. Many of our former staff have been promoted or taken on different roles and our incoming upper grades staff boasts diversity in age, experience and expertise. Our culture is stronger than ever and our commitment to excellence grows each day.

I welcome Mr. Daniel Russell, our Dean of Scholars, as he leads us in refining our school culture and climate. We are both charged with upholding the highest standards for our scholars and supporting our families and our community in the pursuit of our mission. We speak the language of social justice, activism, and positive transformation. As BFA stakeholders, our goal is to immediately engage in our communities to advocate for positive social change.

We are responsible for our success or our failure at BFA. I urge you to engage positively in your own learning and in the transformation of the BFA community. Every scholar must pass the high school assessments. Every scholar will graduate and gain acceptance into at least one college or university. Every scholar will live and breathe the BFA mission in order to ensure that we all play an integral part in the transformation of our lives and our communities.

I give thanks for your continued support and encourage you to reach out to any staff member with questions or concerns. Our goal is to be the best at what we do and we invite you to give of yourselves to engage in what promises to be a bright future at The Baltimore Freedom Academy.

In the pursuit of excellence,

Dana Hunter-

Principal, Upper School

Baltimore Freedom Academy