From Every Campus, A Champion: MCPS Announces Its Teacher of the Year Nominees

Teacher of the Year finalists from last school year — left to right, Superintendent Thomas Taylor, Meredith Luther, Pete Beach and Megan Campbell.

For this school year, every school was asked to nominate an exceptional educator for the MCPS Teacher of the Year Award. From this field, three finalists will be selected — one each from the elementary, middle and high school levels — and one winner will move on to compete for Maryland Teacher of the Year honors.

Check out the 2025–2026 list of MCPS.

• A. Mario Loiederman Middle School – Kayleigh Yankie
• Albert Einstein High School – Paula Pero
• Arcola Elementary School – Karen Crawford
• Argyle Middle School – Carlesha Douglas
• Ashburton Elementary School – Brittany Day
• Bannockburn Elementary School –Michaele Rea
• Bayard Rustin Elementary School – Julie Glass
• Beall Elementary School – Jaime Bolger
• Bel Pre Elementary School – Renee Gilbert
• Bells Mill Elementary School – Megan Lang
• Belmont Elementary School – Laura McCanna
• Benjamin Banneker Middle School – Hajur El-Haggan
• Bethesda Elementary School – Devon Kesterman
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School – Justine Lassar
• Beverly Farms Elementary School – Alison Savett
• Blair G. Ewing Center Kerri Valencia
• Bradley Hills Elementary School – Lisa Wallace
• Briggs Chaney Middle School – Lisa Esposito
• Brooke Grove Elementary School – Hillary Reed
• Brookhaven Elementary School – Peter Moore
• Brown Station Elementary School – Patricia Williams
• Burning Tree Elementary School – Amanda Luzi
• Burnt Mills Elementary School – Michael Varno
• Burtonsville Elementary School – Sarinya Rapeepun
• Cabin Branch Elementary School – Angela Italia
• Cabin John Middle School – Laura McCutcheon
• Candlewood Elementary School – Anne Strong
• Cannon Road Elementary School – Judie Dan Weisletten
• James E. Daly Elementary School – Jessica Hawkins
• Carderock Springs Elementary School – Justine Carr
• Carl Sandberg Learning Center Connor Brown
• Cashell Elementary School – Jodie Steiner
• Cedar Grove Elementary School – Dana Troup
• Chevy Chase Elementary School – Amy Gleason
• Clarksburg Elementary School – Timothy Wilson
• Clarksburg High School – Amanda Lawrence
• Clearspring Elementary School – Robin Weber
• Clopper Mill Elementary School – Linda Sheridan
• Cloverly Elementary School – Cynthia Zarchin
• Zadok Magruder High School – Bruno Neto
• Cold Spring Elementary School – Cheryl Sellitti
• College Gardens Elementary School – Nidia Tubiolo
• Cresthaven Elementary School – Aurelie Bell
• Damascus Elementary School – Jeanne Spiridopoulos
• Damascus High School – Barbara Scott-Grysavage
• Darnestown Elementary School – Barbara Linteris
• Diamond Elementary School – Nakeya Fleming
• Charles R. Drew Elementary School – Nicole Somlar-Manning
• Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School – Kathryn Archer
• Ronald E. McNair Elementary School – James Abbinanti
• Sally K. Ride Elementary School – Astrid Delgado
• DuFief Elementary School – Heather Kauffman
• Earle B. Wood Middle School – Lauren McShane
• East Silver Spring Elementary School – Eden Yosefe Gessesse
• Eastern Middle School – Karen Quintiere
• Fairland Elementary School – Nicole Fithyan
• Fallsmead Elementary School – Valerie Levin
• Farmland Elementary School – Kim Stimely
• Fields Road Elementary School – Alicia Privette
• Flora M. Singer Elementary School – Celia Taylor
• Flower Hill Elementary School – Laura Bookman
• Flower Valley Elementary School – Joslyn Stewart
• Forest Knolls Elementary School – Rachel Pino Elliott
• Forest Oak Middle School – Joanne Robbins
• Fox Chapel Elementary School – Stephanie Park
• Francis Scott Key Middle School – Kelly Labriola
• Gaithersburg Elementary School – Elizabeth Ramirez
• Gaithersburg High School – Lourdes Ferrer
• Gaithersburg Middle School – Catherine Cabrera
• Galway Elementary School – Doha Nassar
• Garrett Park Elementary School – Kara Blondino
• Georgian Forest Elementary School – Cassandra Flores
• Germantown Elementary School – Meegan Marino
• Glen Haven Elementary School – David Meyer
• Glenallan Elementary School – Alexandra Brooks
• Goshen Elementary School – Michael Lohmeier
• Great Seneca Creek Elementary School – Julee Lipsman
• Greencastle Elementary School – Danielle Jones
• Greenwood Elementary School – Tara Persaud
• Hallie Wells Middle School – Marny McGee
• Harmony Hills Elementary School – Elise Perkins
• Harriet R. Tubman Elementary School – Kristy Helms
• Herbert Hoover Middle School – Helen Maurer
• Highland Elementary School – Melanie Zimmerman
• Highland View Elementary School – Sherri Pfaff
• Jackson Road Elementary School – Sheila Harrigan
• James Hubert Blake High School – Sarah Friday
• JoAnn Leleck Elementary School at Broad Acres – Lucy Sood
• John F. Kennedy High School – Lane Jefferson
• John Poole Middle School – Kelly Aulls
• John T. Baker Middle School – Richard (RJ) Rose
• Jones Lane Elementary School – Carolyn Bauer
• Judith A. Resnick Elementary School – Paula Zabel
• Julius West Middle School – Alexa Serna
• Kemp Mill Elementary School – Kristen Domenick
• Kensington Parkwood Elementary School – Colleen Klipstein
• Kingsview Middle School – Todd Leff
• Lake Seneca Elementary School – Jill Roth
• Lakelands Park Middle School – Dominique Bourdet
• Lakewood Elementary School – Carrie Walker
• Laytonsville Elementary School – Alvaro Silva
• Little Bennett Elementary School – Heather Gleason
• Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School – Brooke Smock
• Longview School – Jennifer Ways
• Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary School – Janna Schrank
• Luxmanor Elementary School – Aaron Fairchild
• Maryvale Elementary School – Kristen Grundmayer
• Meadow Hall Elementary School – Rachel Hellman
• Mill Creek Towne Elementary School – Bonnie Hines
• Monocacy Elementary School – Corrine Selby
• Montgomery Blair High School – Michelle Elie
• Montgomery Knolls Elementary School – Kyong-Sook "Sooki" Brady
• Montgomery Village Middle School – Stephen Mcgillivray
• Neelsville Middle School – Rebecca Datta
• New Hampshire Estates Elementary School – Jennifer Smith
• Newport Mill Middle School – Natalia Alvarez
• North Bethesda Middle School – Jemi Lockett
• North Chevy Chase Elementary School – Sharon Mosley-Ramsey
• Northwest High School – Avi Silber
• Northwood High School – Brett Harwood
• Oak View Elementary School – Caitlin McCrimmon
• Oakland Terrace Elementary School – Liza Calcagno
• Odessa Shannon Middle School – Bronwyn Coltrane
• Olney Elementary School – Jacqueline Durham
• Paint Branch High School – Elizabeth Maione
• Parkland Middle School – Ariana Lulli-Gaegler
• Pine Crest Elementary School – Michelle Meyer
• Piney Branch Elementary School – Brandi Giles
• Poolesville Elementary School – Patricia Kraus
• Poolesville High School – Leslie Gum
• Potomac Elementary School – Mahvash Chaudhri
• Quince Orchard High School – Rebecca Yu
• Rachel Carson Elementary School – May Chieh
• Redland Middle School – Michael Privitera
• RICA – Bernard Jankowski
• Richard Montgomery High School – Amber Myren
• Ridgeview Middle School – Andrea Tao
• Ritchie Park Elementary School – Shira Hill
• Robert Frost Middle School – Katherine Mercado
• Roberto Clemente Middle School – Stephen Howington
• Rock Creek Forest Elementary School – Yamalis Nieves
• Rock Creek Valley Elementary School – Laura Pearce
• Rock Terrace School – Lavonne Reddick
• Rock View Elementary School – Tina Taupenot
• Rockville High School – Elizabeth Hill
• Rocky Hill Middle School – Robert O'Hern Crook
• Rolling Terrace Elementary School – Charles Silberman
• Rosa M. Parks Middle School – Matthew White
• Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School – Sandra D'aquino
• Rosemary Hills Elementary School – Amanda (Mandy) Joholske
• Rosemont Elementary School – Theresa Street
• Christa McAuliffe Elementary School – Belinda Rosario
• Sargent Shriver Elementary School – Stephanie Weaver
• Seneca Valley High School – Julianna Taylor
• Sequoyah Elementary School – Kerri Wallis
• Seven Locks Elementary School – Helena Barringer
• Shady Grove Middle School – Katherine Rodgers
• Sherwood Elementary School – Sharonah Greenhow-Boyd
• Sherwood High School – Gina Martin
• Silver Creek Middle School – Ariana Welch
• Silver Spring International Middle School – Delia Dunlap
• Sligo Creek Elementary School – Jessica Rodriguez
• Sligo Middle School – Beverly Parks
• Snowden Farm Elementary School – Cynthia Dembnicki
• Somerset Elementary School – William Thompson
• South Lake Elementary School – Adrienne McQueen-Howard
• Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School – Jacqui McCloskey
• Springbrook High School – Ryan Mahoney
• Stedwick Elementary School – Kristen Poole
• Stephen Knolls School – Christine Cassagnau
• Stone Mill Elementary School – Tabitha Paschall
• Stonegate Elementary School – Cynthia Dantzler
• Strathmore Elementary School – Whitney Claywell
• Strawberry Knoll Elementary School – Alicia Slocum
• Summit Hall Elementary School – Margaret (Meg) Schumacher
• Takoma Park Elementary School – Deborah Roberts-Harris
• Takoma Park Middle School – Laura Murphy
• Thomas Edison High School of Technology – Genevieve Swisher
• Thomas S. Wootton High School – Anthony Shadman
• Thomas W. Pyle Middle School – Allison Jacobs
• Thurgood Marshall Elementary School – Yumaitza Medina
• Tilden Middle School – Michael Barnett
• Travilah Elementary School – Rebecca (Kerry) Bowman
• Twinbrook Elementary School – Roxanna Lopez
• Viers Mill Elementary School – Karla September
• Walt Whitman High School – Joan Cline
• Walter Johnson High School – Kiara Campbell
• Washington Grove Elementary School – Jennifer Armstrong
• Waters Landing Elementary School – Jill Armogida
• Watkins Mill Elementary School – Kelly Edwards
• Watkins Mill High School – Jamie Andrews
• Wayside Elementary School – Gretchen Solender
• Weller Road Elementary School – Valerie Trueblood-Leavitt
• Westbrook Elementary School – Suzanne Brick
• Westland Middle School – Alyssa Walstein
• Westover Elementary School – Michelle Gibson
• Wheaton High School – Alexander Theoharis
• Wheaton Woods Elementary School – Teresa Hopkins
• Whetstone Elementary School – Elizabeth (Liz) Deery
• White Oak Middle School – Susan Lee
• William B. Gibbs, Jr. Elementary School – Danny Divver
• William H. Farquhar Middle School – Danielle Affinito
• William Tyler Page Elementary School – Stacy Watkins
• Wilson Wims Elementary School – Natalie Benco
• Winston Churchill High School – Curtis Hart-Southworth
• Wood Acres Elementary School – Kirsten Crabtree
• Woodfield Elementary School – Dana Estey
• Woodlin Elementary School – Clara Shniderman
• Wyngate Elementary School – Marina Asslanian