The Washington Post has recently announced finalists for its annual Principal and Teacher of the Year award, which go to the most excellent and dedicated educators from Washington region’s schools. The two MCPS finalists are a teacher from Montgomery Blair High School and the principal of Glen Haven Elementary school.
The two winners are principal Paul Pack from Liberty Elementary School in Loudoun County and teacher Daniel Reichard from Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School in Stafford County.
Kenneth Smith has worked at Blair since 2001, and he currently teaches U.S. government, African American studies, sociology, and media literacy in addition to sponsoring the Minority Scholars Program and Black CAP. Teaching at Maryland’s largest school, Smith notes that his main goal is encouraging students to reach new heights.
Furthermore, he is an avid proponent of social justice. Smith regularly attends school events including sports games, musical concerts, plays, and political rallies to form strong relationships with his students and understand them as individuals, in hopes of imbuing a sense of community within his classroom.
“I want my students to be more than independent learners and critical thinkers about content; I want them to be change agents that employ their newly gained knowledge to serve themselves in their communities,” Smith wrote in his nomination packet.
Glen Haven principal Mary Jane Ennis has been appraised for her staff trainings, demonstrating how to analyze results on assessment data to tailor lessons for students. According to MCPS, Ennis has fervently encouraged innovation among her staff and reached out to strengthen relationships between the school and community.
Finalists were chosen by their respective school system or board. The final winners were chosen by a committee including teachers, administrators, and parents. As winners, Pack and Waller will each receive a $7,500 prize.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Alice Zhu of Richard Montgomery High School