Meet Sara Krauss, director of Sherman School Partnerships in the George and Betsy Sherman Center. Before coming to UMBC in 2021, Sara served in the Baltimore City Public Schools as a classroom teacher, math lead, and an Assistant Principal. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) and also an adjunct professor for teacher preparation programs. Sara is an advocate for educational equity, has a love for developing budding and experienced educators, and aspires to convert everyone she meets into a lover of math. Take it away, Sara!
Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?
A: Prior to UMBC, I was an educator and school administrator in Baltimore City Public Schools. I LOVE teaching, I LOVE the energy of a school building and interacting daily with families. However, after 15 years, I was ready to stretch myself in new ways and ready to make a greater impact.
Coming to UMBC and the Sherman Center, I was able to do all the things I loved in one job. I am an adjunct professor, I work in schools by providing academic programs in areas that I love (math and early childhood), and I support new teachers. Through my position, I have found my home living in the K-12 and higher education world, supporting communities and helping to bridge connections with UMBC and the Baltimore community.
“What I love about UMBC is that they encourage diversity, new ideas, and making new connections in everything they do.Sara Krauss
Director of Sherman School Partnerships
Q: Where have you found support in the UMBC community?
A: My team at the Sherman Center has supported my why since day one. It’s so special to work among colleagues who have similar whys, but bring different experiences. I feel like we are accepting of each other every day, while we also push each other to be better and encourage each other to think about new ways of approaching the work.
Q: What do you love most about working in the Sherman Center?
A: My colleagues in the Sherman Center are stellar. As a team, we get to elevate students, families, and communities in the greater Baltimore area. I love building relationships with other people and organizations and finding ways to make connections to help strengthen the greater Baltimore ecosystem.
Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Bulgaria for the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) conference, focused on improving early childhood education and development. I presented on “Why Universities Matter in Communities.” That experience was amazing to share the incredible work that UMBC is doing.
Pictured right: Krauss standing by a digital display announcing her presentation at the 2024 ISSA Conference in Bulgaria, “Why Universities Matter in Communities.”
Q: What would you tell someone who is considering a career at UMBC?
A: UMBC is one of the most diverse places I have ever worked, and what I love specifically about UMBC is that they encourage diversity, new ideas, and making new connections in everything they do.
Learn more about the George and Betsy Sherman Center
Established by a visionary gift to UMBC from George and Betsy Sherman, the George and Betsy Sherman Center is committed to excellent urban schools that transform lives in the communities they serve.
We believe that in every community, public schools have an extraordinary and unique capacity to offer opportunity and change lives. Within each school, committed teachers are the most important factor in whether the transformational power of education becomes real for students and families. Surrounding each school, community and family partners are essential for children to thrive, particularly in a child’s formative early years.
What we do:
- Support excellent teaching with an emphasis on STEM and Early Childhood;
- Build deep and transformative educational partnerships with schools and communities;
- Expand community and school capacity to provide strong early childhood experiences;
- Support pathways connecting students in partner communities with educational opportunities at UMBC;
- Apply engaged research to guide and assess our work.
Learn more about the George and Betsy Sherman Center.
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UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.