Lauren Specht, assistant principal at Arthur Middleton Elementary School in Waldorf, has received the 2026 Connected School Leader Award from the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals (MAESP), a statewide honor recognizing school leaders who build meaningful relationships across their staff and school community, according to a Charles County Public Schools announcement.
Specht came to Charles County Public Schools in August 2024 after more than a decade of teaching and administrative work in Prince George’s County and Prince William County, Virginia. She started as a fourth-grade math and science teacher with Prince George’s County Public Schools, drawing on a Spanish-language concentration from her undergraduate degree at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania — then known as Lock Haven University — to teach some lessons bilingually, which she said helped raise her students’ proficiency levels. She taught in Prince George’s County for 12 years before moving to Prince William County Schools as a second-grade teacher.
After earning a master’s degree in leadership from McDaniel College, Specht spent two years as an administrative intern and four years as an assistant principal in Prince William County. A change in her personal life led her to look for work in Maryland, where she connected with Middleton Principal Nicole Hawkins over a shared educational philosophy. She put her Virginia home on the market in July 2024 and started at Middleton the following month.
“I felt like everything fell into place,” Specht said.
Hawkins, who was named Charles County Public Schools’ 2026 Principal of the Year earlier this year, said she and Specht are “fully aligned with the same ideals, high expectations from staff, leading with love, growth and support.” The pair runs a staff recognition system modeled on the school’s student-facing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program, including monthly staff drawings intended to build collaboration and trust. Specht credited Hawkins with giving her room to grow as a leader. “She allows me to grow as a leader in the capacity that I want to,” Specht said.
“Her ability to connect personally with others builds trust and fosters a culture where every voice matters,” Hawkins said. “Teachers feel supported, students feel seen and families feel welcomed as partners in the educational journey.”
Jackie Burch, an instructional resource teacher at Middleton, said Specht supported her through the transition from classroom teacher to her current role. “It has been a great growth experience,” Burch said. “She is always approaching students and staff with grace.”
MAESP’s Connected School Leader Award, presented to members who exemplify the power of connectedness in their schools, recognized 15 school leaders statewide this year. The Chronicle previously reported on three Anne Arundel County recipients; Specht is among the additional honorees from the same 2026 cohort. All will be recognized at MAESP’s fall conference in Ocean City, scheduled for Nov. 5-7.
“Through her compassion, collaboration and vision, she has transformed the school into a community bound by trust, respect and purpose — proving that when people feel connected, they achieve greatness together,” Hawkins said.
