Principal, Teachers Of The Year Celebrated By Howard County Public School System

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Public School System has announced its 2023 awardees for principal and teachers of the tear:

• Principal of the Year: Derek Anderson, Longfellow Elementary School
• Teacher of the Year: Dr. Laura Moore, Waverly Elementary School
• Teacher of the Year: Shannon Rembert-Gonzales, Thunder Hill Elementary School

On April 17, HCPSS Superintendent Michael Martirano and HCPSS leaders surprised each of the three recipients with the awards during visits to their respective schools. The three awardees also will be recognized at an upcoming Howard County Board of Education meeting.

Below is a description of each award winner as presented by HCPSS.

Derek Anderson, Longfellow ES Principal

Named the HCPSS 2023 Principal of the Year and is the HCPSS Washington Post Principal of the Year nominee

Derek Anderson began his HCPSS career in 2004. During his tenure with the district, he served at Swansfield Elementary School as a general education classroom teacher for three years and elementary technology teacher for four years. In 2011, Anderson transferred to Jeffers Hill Elementary School, where he served as an instructional team leader until 2013. He opened Ducketts Lane Elementary school as an assistant principal and served in that role until 2017 when he was named principal of Longfellow Elementary School.

Dr. Laura Moore, Waverly ES

Named a HCPSS 2023 Teacher of the Year and is the HCPSS candidate for Maryland State Department of Education Teacher of the Year

A national board-certified teacher, Moore has taught second grade at Waverly Elementary School since 2013. During her 10-year career with HCPSS, she has served as a classroom teacher, math committee leader and diversity, equity and inclusion liaison. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct professor at Bowie State University teaching elementary mathematics to aspiring teachers.

Shannon Rembert-Gonzales, Thunder Hill ES

Named a HCPSS 2023 Teacher of the Year and is the HCPSS nominee for the Washington Post Teacher of the Year

A graduate of Oakland Mills High School, Rembert-Gonzales began her career in education at Spring Hill Elementary in Huntington, West Virginia, where she taught reading, first grade and second grade. She returned to Maryland in 2014 to become a fifth-grade teacher at Phelps Luck Elementary School. In 2021, Rembert-Gonzales transferred to Thunder Hill Elementary School school as a third-grade teacher. Since joining THES, she became the third-grade team leader, a teacher-leader for the restorative justice implementation team, a leader for the community outreach team, an instructional intervention team case manager and a mentor-teacher for aspiring and new teachers.