Each Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter school has a team of school leaders, including Assistant Principals, who help to ensure a thriving school culture and climate. The Assistant Principals, seasoned educators and former classroom teachers, oversee a myriad of daily tasks and issues in support of Principals, teachers, staff, students, families, and community partners.
In celebration of April’s Assistant Principal Week, we asked Rob Summers, City Springs Elementary / Middle School’s Assistant Principal, about his role and impact on school culture and achievement. Mr. Summers taught government/civics classes in Baltimore City Public Schools high schools for eight years before joining City Springs as an Assistant Principal for grades 4-8. A Baltimore native and Friends School of Baltimore graduate, he comes from a family of educators and is passionate about his calling.
Q: What inspired you to become a teacher and teach in urban public education?
Growing up, I was a big nerd in school. I had fantastic teachers who inspired curiosity about everything. I loved all subjects but particularly loved history and political science, which I pursued at Georgetown University. To this day, I am a history buff and read a ton of nonfiction. Going to Friends [a Quaker school] and raised in a family of educators, there was certainly a theme of public service. My mother worked in the Infant and Toddlers program in Baltimore County Public Schools. My dad teaches at Johns Hopkins University. My sister teaches at Bryn Mawr School, and my brother-in-law teaches at St. Paul’s Schools. My sister-in-law teaches at Dumbarton Middle School in Baltimore County.
For me, teaching as a career came together after college when I was looking for meaningful work. I knew I wanted to give back to my hometown, Baltimore. Teaching is such a great opportunity to be engaged in topics and subjects that I love and pass along my passion for those subjects to students but also really feel like I am contributing. The most important thing we can do to help our world be a better place is to educate and nurture our young people.
Q: What was your path to becoming an Assistant Principal and why City Springs?
From the moment I became a teacher, I recognized how critical collaboration is in education. Depending on what school you start at, you can feel that you’re kind of just tossed into a classroom and left on your own to figure it out. I recognized very quickly that I needed to be part of a strong team of teachers to be successful. We had to collaborate, look at data, and plan things together to support the culture that we were building.
What I really loved about teaching was working with other teachers to build a strong team. I found that collaborating with my colleagues helped me grow more than anything else. And through that process, I was able to support other teachers, too—helping them go from just delivering solid lessons in their own classrooms to thinking about the bigger picture: creating a full, connected experience for students throughout their day. When kids move from class to class, the more we, as teachers, work together and build that sense of teamwork, the stronger the overall culture becomes, for both students and the whole school.
As a teacher, I became a department head and was on the instructional leadership team. I was also doing a lot of work with curriculum writing and implementing a performance-based incentive system, which is a big cultural push that we were doing. We had also started Restorative Practices at the high school where I was teaching, and I developed a passion for creating new opportunities for students, like implementing career and technical education and internship programs.
All of this became my passion. Then I had the opportunity to come to City Springs and take these passions to the next level and be involved in all facets of the school. I was a resident principal for a year at City Springs with Dr. Richetta assigned as my mentor [Dr. Rhonda Richetta, City Springs Principal]. I loved it right away and have really made a home here. I feel like I can contribute a lot here, and that it’s an amazing community. I value the relationships that I have with students and parents and my colleagues. As Assistant Principal, I am involved in all kinds of planning and in fostering collegial collaborations that allow us to become bigger than the sum of the parts. This is my ninth year at City Springs, and this community still engages and inspires me.
Q: When you shifted to administration, why didn’t you stay at the high-school level?
I didn’t set out with the intention of moving to lower grades, but it ended up making a lot of sense. One of the biggest challenges I faced while teaching in Baltimore City high schools was that I was trying to teach really complex topics—things like government and citizenship, popular sovereignty, rule of law, rights and responsibilities, the Bill of Rights, and even some rigorous law electives with criminal and civil law. But I quickly realized that many of my students were still struggling with the basics. Before we could dive into those expansive ideas, I had to take a step back and help them learn how to read first.
What was so exciting about coming to City Springs is that it has Direct Instruction (DI). Students need the fundamentals, and that’s exactly what we’re teaching through our DI curriculum. We’re helping kids learn to read fluently, build their vocabulary, think critically, and bring all of those skills together. When they have that foundation, they can walk into high school ready to succeed in any subject. That’s what excited me about this work—being in a position where I could help set students up for success before high school, instead of trying to catch them up during it.
I’m so grateful for this opportunity. It feels incredibly meaningful to be part of a team that strives daily to truly prepare kids—not just for high school, but for college and career and life beyond.
I have a one-and-a-half-year-old son, and I’m constantly inspired by the academic rigor I see even our youngest students engaging in and loving. There’s so much joy in those early classrooms. It’s such a powerful reminder that we shouldn’t be afraid to challenge kids academically, even from a young age. When it’s done with care and intention, they rise to the occasion—and they thrive.
Q: What does your Assistant Principal role encompass?
I’m the administrator for grades four through eight. Beyond that, I’m involved in just about everything the school does. Number one is ensuring high-quality instruction, collaborating with teachers on curriculum, monitoring data, and ensuring that we’re remediating or giving scholars academic opportunities to get stronger where they have challenges and push them to higher levels.
I do a lot around the culture of the building, supporting Restorative Practices, ensuring that students feel like their needs are being met and that we’re taking care of their whole self. We’re not just teaching them to read. We’re teaching them our 8 Habits and 8 Attributes here at City Springs.
I’m also a strong advocate for families. Teachers are always on the front lines, of course, but when there’s a need for extra problem-solving, support, or new opportunities for students, that often comes to me. I’ve built a lot of great relationships with our parents—they know that if they bring me a concern, I’ll get them an answer and work with them to find a solution.
I also collaborate closely with our community partners—whether it’s coordinating volunteers, planning events, or working with donors who make generous contributions to support our work. More recently, I’ve taken on procurement too, which includes managing finances and ensuring we’re using grant funding effectively.
Q: Is there a typical day?
No, but I thrive on that. The common thread for me, no matter the role or the day, is that I get to take care of people. I get to support them—and that’s such a good feeling. It always brings me back to the idea of service.
I try to bring a servant’s heart to everything I do, helping everyone around me succeed. To me, that’s what success really means. It’s students growing, earning good grades, and being healthy and happy. It’s teachers feeling supported and empowered to push their students academically. It’s parents feeling included and knowing their children are being served the way they deserve to be. Serving the City Springs community is a privilege I don’t take lightly.
And I don’t mind at all that no two days ever look the same. I actually love that. It gives me constant opportunities to solve problems, learn, and grow. If things ever started feeling too routine, I’d start wondering why we weren’t pushing ourselves to do better.
That’s the mindset I try to model: we all have things we’re working on, whether we’re students, teachers, or administrators. We’re striving to be more effective, more reflective, more collaborative. There’s always room to grow, and I believe we have an obligation to keep reaching for our best and giving our best to one another.
Q: What are you learning by supporting your Principal?
Working for Dr. Richetta is a huge part of why I love being at City Springs. She’s been an incredible mentor to me and a significant part of why I have stayed here is because I want to learn from her and support her vision. She’s a legend, not just in Baltimore City Public Schools, but well beyond. We regularly have visitors from across the country and around the world who come to see the work we’re doing, whether it’s our Restorative Practices or how we implement DI.
She’s given so much to City Springs over the years, starting as a teacher and now leading as Principal. Her vision for the school is incredibly clear and thoughtful. At the same time, she’s deeply collaborative, wants to hear people’s ideas, and brings them into the process.
She’s also incredibly driven and focused, and I feel lucky to be able to help bring her vision—and the community’s vision—to life. A big part of why I take on so many different responsibilities is so she can stay focused on the big-picture work and the partnerships that are helping push City Springs to the next level. I’m proud to be her first-line support.
Q: What’s the best part of your job?
I know I keep saying it, but it really is a privilege to watch our students grow. I’ve been at City Springs for nine years now, which means I’ve known some of our 8th graders since they were in Pre-K. Getting to be part of their journey—cheering them on at sports games, stopping by class celebrations, congratulating them on academic milestones—it’s just incredible to see their talents unfold over the years. That’s hands down the best part of the job.
And honestly, sometimes you feel like a bit of a celebrity! A first grader will come in the morning and light up when they see me, greeting me with so much joy. That kind of positivity is contagious. And being there for students not just in the good moments, but also when they’re having a tough day—that’s when I really feel useful. It’s energizing to know that what I do matters and that just showing up and helping every day is making a difference.
Thank you, Mr. Summers, for your service and devotion to City Springs.
About Rob Summers
- Assistant Principal, City Springs Elementary / Middle School since 2016
- Teacher, Curriculum Writer, Department Head, Baltimore City Public Schools, 2008-2016
Education:
- Towson University, Certificate in Human Resources Development, Educational Leadership: Administration
- Johns Hopkins University School of Education, MA in Teaching: Secondary Social Studies
- Georgetown University, BA, Double Major: Economics, Government, Cum Laude, George F. Baker Scholar, John Carroll Fellow, John and Jean Paluszek Scholarship Recipient
- Friends School of Baltimore, 2-12 grade