AACPS Names Semifinalists For Teacher Of The Year Award

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Anne Arundel County Public Schools announced the 15 semifinalists for its Teacher of the Year award on Dec. 21. The candidates are:

• Meghan Bellarin, physical education, Linthicum Elementary School
• Kathryn Bright, music, Jacobsville Elementary School
• Jing Dai, world languages, Meade High School
• Lauren Ebersberger, science, Magothy River Middle School
• Ashley Godich, science, Chesapeake High School
• Kellie Goforth, AVID, North County High School
• Alison Grava, English, South River High School
• Caitlin Oyinlola, special education, Meade Middle School
• Melissa Quigley, health, physical education, and dance, Broadneck High School
• Sarah Rippeon, language arts, Crofton Middle School
• Jessica Scanlon, first grade, Glendale Elementary School
• Sebastian Serrano, science, Annapolis High School
• Timothy Stedman, physical education, Crofton High School
• Lori Stuart, school counselor, Four Seasons Elementary School
• Sara Wagner, special education, Folger McKinsey Elementary School

School officials also named three semifinalists for the Anne Arundel County Independent Schools Teacher of the Year award. Those candidates are:

• Amanda Glover, fifth grade, St. Paul’s Lutheran School
• Myles Healy, English, St. Mary’s High School
• Jacquelyn Touhey, third grade, Rockbridge Academy

AACPS will honor these teachers at the 35th Annual Excellence in Education Awards Event on April 15, 2021. The following teachers were also nominated. They too will be recognized at the ceremony.

• Renee Austin, Severna Park Middle School
• Patricia Bartlett, Benfield Elementary School
• Bradley Bittinger, Southern High School
• Sonja Bolotin, Monarch Academy
• Jessica Caldwell, Southern Middle School
• Dionne English Chambers, Pershing Hill Elementary School
• Megan Creighton, Lothian Elementary School
• Maria Cummings, Monarch Global Academy
• Stacey Curry, Arnold Elementary School
• Terri Duswalt, Crofton Elementary School
• Tracey Greenberg, Central Elementary School
• Wendy Hedges, Chesapeake Bay Middle School
• Deborah Hock, Waugh Chapel Elementary School
• Lelia (Jean) Jackson, Old Mill Middle School South
• Dawn Jarman, Tracey’s Elementary School
• Fanta Kamara, Old Mill Middle School North
• Samantha Kelly, George T. Cromwell Elementary School
• Karen Kerr, Solley Elementary School
• Jacob Kruger, Quarterfield Elementary School
• Molly Lethbridge-Owens, Annapolis Elementary School
• Lisa Maddox, Marley Middle School
• Gregory Mueller, West Meade Early Education Center
• Melissa Nauman, Brooklyn Park Elementary School
• Leah Noreiga, Lindale Middle School
• Caroline Roskam, Windsor Farm Elementary School
• Marcus Villano, Bates Middle School
• Jenna Weckel, Shady Side Elementary School
• Rebecca West, Crofton Woods Elementary School

Whoever wins AACPS teacher of the year may also be considered for the Maryland Teacher of the Year title. The AACPS Teacher of the Year has been a finalist for the state award in five of the last six years, a press release said.

Two of the last three Maryland Teachers of the Year taught in Anne Arundel County. Teresa Beilstein of South Shore Elementary School earned the distinction earlier this year. Josh Carroll of South River High School took home the award in 2018.

Anybody interested in sponsoring the ceremony can contact Carol Ann McCurdy at cmccurdy@aacps.org or (410) 222-5829 for more information.

To learn more about the 2020 teacher of the year, click here. If you want to read about how the school system chooses the winner, check out Patch's explainer.

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