Prince George's Educator, Former Air Force Cryptologic Linguist A Finalist For MD Teacher Of The Year

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Seven local school system finalists vying for the title of 2027 Maryland Teacher of the Year have been announced, which includes an educator from Harford County.

The Maryland State Department of Education and Maryland State Board of Education disclosed the seven finalists out of 24 candidates on Thursday.

The Maryland Teacher of the Year will be announced during a gala reception and dinner at Martin’s Valley Mansion in Cockeysville on Oct. 9. The Maryland Teacher of the Year will compete for the National Teacher of the Year award, to be announced in April, and spend the 2026-2027 school year as a speaker and advisor on statewide education issues.

Maryland's Teacher of the Year finalists are:

• Alison Benkovic, Baltimore County Public Schools;
• Emily Brynes, Carroll County Public Schools;
• Michael James, Harford County Public Schools;
• Kacy Valentine, Howard County Public School System;
• Clara Allsup, Prince George’s County Public Schools;
• Alice Tickler, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools; and

• Dr. Chelsea Taylor, Wicomico County Public Schools.

“Maryland’s educators continue to raise the bar for excellence, and this year’s finalists exemplify that commitment in every way,” said Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools. “Their passion for teaching, their focus on equity and their unwavering belief in each student’s potential inspire all of us. We are proud to recognize their exceptional work and celebrate the difference they make every day.”

The finalists were chosen from among 24 school system Teachers of the Year across Maryland. The selection panel included leaders from key Maryland educational organizations representing principals, teachers, school boards, labor partners and families. Finalists were evaluated using "rigorous criteria that included student achievement, teaching philosophy, academic results, community involvement and knowledge of current educational issues," the school district said.

Allsup, the Teacher of the Year for PGCPS, is the daughter of immigrants and a PGCPS alumna, as well as a former U.S. Air Force cryptologic linguist.

Currently an English teacher at International High School at Langley Park, Allsup is a National Board Certified Teacher.

“Ms. Allsup embodies the very best of what it means to be a PGCPS educator,” said PGCPS Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph. “Her personal journey, her deep understanding of our multilingual learners and her belief in the potential of every student are a powerful reflection of the educators who serve our students every day. We are incredibly proud to see Clara represent Prince George’s County on the statewide stage.”

The daughter of immigrants from Egypt and Mexico, Allsup was born in Prince George’s County and attended PGCPS as a young student. Her parents instilled in her from an early age the transformative power of education and the opportunities it can create, the school district shared.

At International High School at Langley Park, Allsup teaches English to multilingual learners, provides professional learning for educators and leaders, helps design her school’s master schedule to expand academic support for multilingual learners and chairs the Recruitment and Intake Committee.

“I see my multilingual learners and my students as extensions of my family,” Allsup said. “They look like my family. They talk like my family. We just have a lot of cultural connections.”

Growing up navigating Arab, Latino and American cultures, Allsup said she sometimes felt as though she did not fully belong in any one of them. But it was in public school that she found a place where she could simply be a student, PGCPS shared.

“The public school system served everyone, regardless of their backgrounds or their beliefs,” she said. “I felt like it was a place where I could just be a student and belong. And that's what I strive to bring to my classroom. I really want school to be a place where all of our students can just be their authentic selves and belong.”

That belief is reflected in her classroom practice. Allsup works with colleagues to incorporate diverse texts that reflect students’ identities, teaches students about the evolution of American identity and the role of immigrants in shaping the country, and creates opportunities for students to build community through discussion, shared reading and debate. She also recognizes that multilingual learners are not a single group with a single set of needs.

“Students who are new to the country, students who are more experienced long-term multilingual learners and students with interrupted education all have different needs,” she said. “We have such a great opportunity to be the catalyst for change in students’ lives,” she said. “When an educator believes in them and helps, most importantly, to build their sense of academic identity as a student, that's where change begins to happen.”