Dawn Foreman

Program Director

Dawn joined Turnaround for Children in 2017 as a Program Director. In this role, she drives implementation of Turnaround’s school improvement model in two Washington, D.C partner schools.

Prior to joining Turnaround, Dawn held a variety of positions within the K-12 system: she has taught grades pre-K -6, been a performance evaluation program specialist and an assistant principal. Most recently, Dawn was an elementary school principal in Alexandria City Public Schools then with District of Columbia Public Schools.

Dawn holds an M.Ed. in educational leadership and special education leadership certification from George Mason University and a B.S. in early childhood and elementary education from Bloomsburg University. Dawn is a national principal fellow with America Achieves.

What motivates you?

Making a difference in the lives of students. After being a school-based leader for 13 years, I am excited to be able to help principals and their school teams harness their power in changing the lives of students with whom they work, as well as to assist them with creating a calm, predictable school environment where joyful rigor lives each and every day.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Staying true to my childhood dream of being a teacher. From about age eight, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. In high school, my guidance counselor advised me against majoring in education and told me I had to “enter the man’s world.” I completed one semester in accounting before switching my major to education. After graduation, I was not able to get a teaching job in my hometown or surrounding areas. I became a sales person for Prudential Insurance and Xerox Corporation instead. Nevertheless, the yearning to make a difference in the lives of students drove me to leave my sales job and begin my teaching career in Texas in a small border town.