Annapolis, MD - Eighteen teachers from all levels of the school district were named today as semifinalists for the 2026 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year award. The semifinalists are:
- Theresa Bange, Severn Run High School
- Joe Bigsby, Magothy River Middle School
- Judith Diaz, Meade High School
- Samantha Emge, Marley Glen Elementary School
- Jamie Erickson, Lake Shore Elementary School
- Kathleen Fagan, Arundel Middle School
- Nik M. Jones, Belvedere Elementary School
- Noah Kiehle, Ridgeway Elementary School
- Michelle Magee, Overlook Elementary School
- Jessica Moran, West Annapolis Elementary School
- Mandi Quinn, Chesapeake Bay Middle School
- Veronica Rutkauskas, Pasadena Elementary School
- Somia Sharafeldin, North County High School
- Amy Sheasley, Piney Orchard Elementary School
- Kelly M. Spadaro, Nantucket Elementary School
- Katherine Stanton-Pawlikowski, Monarch Academy Glen Burnie
- Liz Welsh, Broadneck Elementary School
- Meghan Welsh, Broadneck High School
Eighty-eight Anne Arundel County teachers were nominated for the 2026 Teacher of the Year award. In addition to the semifinalists, the Teacher of the Year nominees are:
- Nelson X. Alvarez Morales, Woodside Elementary School
- Jennifer Basinger, AACPS Virtual Academy
- Demetri Bedel, Old Mill High School
- Kimberly Lawton Bloomfield, Severna Park Middle School
- Tabatha Brooks, Chesapeake High School
- Serena Brown, Glendale Elementary School
- Aimee Castaing, Tyler Heights Elementary School
- Erin Chester, Crofton Middle School
- Laura Christopher, Ferndale Early Education Center
- Emily Clark, Benfield Elementary School
- Joanne Clarke, Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary School
- Jessica Coyne, Northeast High School
- Heather Cummins, Old Mill Middle School South
- Matthew D'Agostino, Riviera Beach Elementary School
- Jenilee Denney, Mayo Elementary School
- Bethann Michelle Dixon, Lindale Middle School
- Nicole Drennan, Shady Side Elementary School
- Daniel Ells, Central Middle School
- Michelle Emond, Southern High School
- Inma Fernandez-Pacheco, Crofton High School
- Nicole Fornadel, Severna Park High School
- Lindsay Fuller, Germantown Elementary School
- Melissa Gardner, Edgewater Elementary School
- Andie Graziano, MacArthur Middle School
- Scott Gurien, Crofton Elementary School
- Starlyn Hacker, Brooklyn Park Middle School
- Matt Hall, Arundel High School
- Brenda Heim, Mary Moss at J. Albert Adams Academy
- Vicki Hill, Deale Elementary School
- Niki Hromanik, Marley Elementary School
- Jamie Hudgins, Jacobsville Elementary School
- Shawn Hurman, High Point Elementary School
- Karen Jones-Lantzy, Tracey's Elementary School
- Beth Joy, South Shore Elementary School
- Jason C. Kahler, South River High School
- Erika Klick, Odenton Elementary School
- Heather Kurdziel, West Meade Early Education Center
- Erika Ladd, Brock Bridge Elementary School
- Casey Lafferty, Park Elementary School
- Jen Lee, Folger McKinsey Elementary School
- Jenna Lerro, Annapolis Middle School
- Walt Lindberg, Pershing Hill Elementary School
- Kimberley Looper, Corkran Middle School
- Stephanie Marrone, George T. Cromwell Elementary School
- Hannah Martin, Old Mill Middle School North
- Lacy McDaniel, Center of Applied Technology-South
- Marissa Miller-Vasquez, Ruth Parker Eason School
- Lindsay O'Keefe, Annapolis Elementary School
- Kara O'Rourke, Four Seasons Elementary School
- Robert Palmer, Center of Applied Technology-North
- Heather Pickens, Glen Burnie Park Elementary School
- Rachel Place, Southern Middle School
- Clarelisa Rivera, Glen Burnie High School
- James Robison, Point Pleasant Elementary School
- Sheri Rosenberg, Waugh Chapel Elementary School
- Mary Smilek, Severn Elementary School
- Katelyn Smith, Manor View Elementary School
- Krystle Smith, Northeast Middle School
- Robin Smith, Maryland City Elementary School
- Lauren Snyder, Hillsmere Elementary School
- Kelly Shipley Spence, Jessup Elementary School
- Magdalena Stanulescu, Severn River Middle School
- Sandra Thomas, Chesapeake Science Point Middle/High
- Brian Vandegrift, Marley Middle School
- Angela L. Vogt, Wiley H. Bates Middle School
- Chris Wallace, Rippling Woods Elementary School
- Michelle Watts, Belle Grove Elementary School
- Cassidy Wilson, Chesapeake Science Point Elementary
- Alicia Winarski, Windsor Farm Elementary School
- Kellsie Wolcott-Guy, Hilltop Elementary School
The Education Foundation of AACPS will honor this year’s nominees at the 40th annual Excellence in Education awards on Friday, April 24, 2026. The event will include the announcement of the 2026 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year and celebration of the 2025-2026 Principal of the Year.
Information about tickets to this event will be available in the coming months.
The AACPS Teacher of the Year will go on to represent the county in the Maryland State Teacher of the Year competition. Jacqueline Sanderson, an English Language Development teacher at Belle Grove Elementary School, currently holds the title of 2025 AACPS Teacher of the Year, and was a finalist for the 2025 Maryland State Department of Education's Teacher of the Year award.
Questions about the Teacher of the Year program should be directed to Jenn Lombardi at jlombardi@aacps.org or Meghan O’Brien at mwobrien@aacps.org. Questions about the Excellence in Education event or the Education Foundation of AACPS should be directed to Joe Callahan at jfcallahan@aacps.org.
