ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Eighty-nine teachers from across Anne Arundel County Public Schools, from early education centers to high schools, are in the running for the district’s 2027 Teacher of the Year award.
AACPS announced the nominees Oct. 6. Each was nominated by people at their own school for commitment to student achievement, for building welcoming and inclusive classrooms, and for going above and beyond for children and families.
All 89 will be recognized, and the winner announced, at the Education Foundation of AACPS’ 41st annual Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 23, 2027. The same event will honor the recipient of the George Arlotto Leadership Award, the district’s principal of the year. Ticket information is expected in the coming months.
A path to the state title
Anne Arundel’s winner goes on to represent the county in the Maryland Teacher of the Year competition, and the district has done well there. Three of the last 10 Maryland Teachers of the Year came from AACPS: Mary Kay Connerton of Annapolis High School (2022-23), Teresa Beilstein of South Shore Elementary School (2018-19) and Josh Carroll of South River High School (2016-17).
The county’s current honoree is Joe Bigsby, a STEM teacher at Magothy River Middle School, who was named in April. Bigsby was among the 24 local Teachers of the Year the Maryland State Board of Education recognized in May, a group that includes Southern Maryland’s three honorees: Dr. Mary Macauley of Northern Middle School in Calvert County, Emily Leedy of J.C. Parks Elementary School in Charles County and Kinnon Williams of the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in St. Mary’s County.
None of those four advanced to the seven finalists for 2027 Maryland Teacher of the Year, which the Maryland State Department of Education announced Sept. 3. The finalists teach in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico counties, and the state winner was scheduled to be named Friday, Oct. 9, at a gala at Martin’s Valley Mansion in Cockeysville. The state honoree goes on to compete for National Teacher of the Year.
Closer to home, the Chronicle has recently covered other honors for Southern Maryland educators, including statewide recognition for a Middleton assistant principal and a Merrill Scholar mentor award for a Lackey teacher.
The 2027 AACPS nominees
- Tanya Atwell, Davidsonville Elementary
- Tabitha Bathras, Cape St. Claire Elementary
- Alexis Bedingfield, Crofton Middle
- Allison Beever, Woodside Elementary
- Shannon Bieler, North Glen Elementary
- Brooke Binder, Tyler Heights Elementary
- Toby J. Blanchard, Arundel Middle
- Kasey Bowling, Southern Middle
- Nanci J. Brillant, Northeast Middle
- Kristen Carannante, Glen Burnie High
- Colleen Carrabus, Eastport Elementary
- Jacqueline Chen, Southgate Elementary
- Renee Cornelius, Edgewater Elementary
- Natalie Cronin, Shipley’s Choice Elementary
- Lisa Ordoyne Custer, Point Pleasant Elementary
- Ashley Cuzzart, Crofton Elementary
- Elyse Donnelly, Manor View Elementary
- Claire Dunham, South Shore Elementary
- Sara Dunn, Ridgeway Elementary
- Nicole Fielder, Benfield Elementary
- Cayla Fickinger, Jones Elementary
- Jennifer Foard, Odenton Elementary
- Ashley Gressel, George T. Cromwell Elementary
- Abbey Groft, Fort Smallwood Elementary
- Nancy Guernsey, Two Rivers Elementary
- Ted Hall, Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center
- Krista A. Hankins, South River High
- Shannon Hanratty, Broadneck High
- Wendy Hargrove, Mayo Elementary
- Jennifer Heller, Lothian Elementary
- Corinne Herrera, Pershing Hill Elementary
- Samantha Hicks, Meade Middle
- Jessica Howell, Annapolis Elementary
- Cynthia Hoyle, West Meade Early Education Center
- Molly Hudson, Folger McKinsey Elementary
- Dennis Isomba, North County High
- Stephaen Jackson-Hood, Wiley H. Bates Middle
- James Jagodzinski, Brooklyn Park Middle
- Megan Jarboe, Deale Elementary
- Rebecca Joop, Meade Heights Elementary
- Courtney Jorgensen, Germantown Elementary
- Caitlin Keegun, Crofton High
- Sarah Kellett, Jessup Elementary
- Shannon Kelly, Northeast High
- Christopher Kick, Central Middle
- Robin Kick, Arundel High
- Alyssa Klaiss, Piney Orchard Elementary
- Jennifer Kobrin, Bodkin Elementary
- Russell C. Leone, Severna Park Elementary
- Mickey Lund, Old Mill Middle South
- Cymonne Marsh-Green, High Point Elementary
- Justin Marvel, Old Mill Middle North
- Hanna McGuire, Glendale Elementary
- Robert Miller, Chesapeake Bay Middle
- Angela Mitchell, Monarch Academy Glen Burnie
- Catherine Mitchell, Riviera Beach Elementary
- Jennifer Mitchell, Shady Side Elementary
- Katherine Moynagh, Severn Elementary
- Hillary Murphy, Magothy River Middle
- Kathy Murphy, Ferndale Early Education Center
- Jaday Myers, Corkran Middle
- Molly Owens, Tracey’s Elementary
- Rachel Peterson, Park Elementary
- Jennifer Raymond, Brock Bridge Elementary
- Kyndia Riley, Maryland City Elementary
- Sarah Roof, AACPS Virtual Academy
- Eric Russo, Southern High
- Meghan Sabat, Belvedere Elementary
- Corinne Sanders, Nantucket Elementary
- Jannel Schettini Luoma, Chesapeake High
- Lauren Schlossberg, Central Elementary
- Tracey L. Sellers, Meade High
- Susan Shim, Rippling Woods Elementary
- Mercedes Smith, Center of Applied Technology South
- Shelane Smith, Pasadena Elementary
- John Sniegoski, Lindale Middle
- Kelly Sokol, Windsor Farm Elementary
- Natalie Southard, Hilltop Elementary
- Alexandra Stewart, Glen Burnie Park Elementary
- Andrew Taylor, Oak Hill Elementary
- Alicemarie Torres, Annapolis Middle
- Hope Turner, Center of Applied Technology North
- Andrea Vanderwagen, MacArthur Middle
- Angela Wakshul, Broadneck Elementary
- Drew Welkie, Annapolis High
- Kristin Wier, Severn River Middle
- Emily J. Williams, Old Mill High
- Alivia Wirth, Waugh Chapel Elementary
- Jennifer Yellin, Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary
Questions about the Teacher of the Year program can go to Maneka Monk at mmonk@aacps.org or Meghan O’Brien at mwobrien@aacps.org.
