Baltimore County Public Schools has announced that nine school educators and administrators have been chosen as this year’s finalists for the BCPS Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, and Assistant Principal of the Year.
Finalists in each group represent elementary, middle, and high school levels. The honorees will be recognized at a special event, Champions for Children Celebration Gala, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. At the gala, Baltimore County’s Teacher, Principal, and Assistant Principal of the Year will be announced.
“These are the very best educators and administrators anywhere, and we are honored to celebrate them, their talents, and their dedication to providing the best opportunities possible for our young people,” said Dr. Myriam Rogers, BCPS Superintendent. “Every day, they give their all to make sure every child has the potential and prospect for success. They inspire and motivate us, and we are fortunate that they are a part of Team BCPS.”
The BCPS Teacher of the Year finalists were chosen from 155 nominees. The selection committee included BCPS administrators, staff, students, Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO) representatives, and current BCPS Teacher of the year Stephanie Gerhold of Woodlawn Middle School.
The three finalists will be interviewed by the selection panel next week to choose the 2025-26 Teacher of the Year during the Gala, which will be livestreamed. The winner will represent the school system and its more than 9,500 professional educators in the Maryland Teacher of the Year program.
This year’s Teacher of the Year finalists are:
- Brittany Kolb, a Preschool/PreKindergarten special education teacher at Ridge Ruxton School and the BCPS Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
- Brittany Jakubowski, a Grades 6 and 8 English language arts and reading teacher at Catonsville Middle School and the BCPS Middle School Teacher of the Year.
- Nathaniel Eugene, an algebra teacher at Parkville High School and the BCPS High School Teacher of the Year.
Finalists for Principal of the Year were chosen after a rigorous review of the 883 nominations from BCPS staff, students, families, and the community. The three finalists participated in reviews by and interviews with adjudicators from staff and The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, Inc.
This year’s Principal of the Year finalists are:
- Scott Conway of Hampton Elementary School, the BCPS Elementary School Principal of the Year.
- Amanda Shanks of Dumbarton Middle School, the BCPS Middle School Principal of the Year.
- Kieran O’Connell of Franklin High School, the BCPS High School Principal of the Year.
Assistant Principal of the Year finalists were also nominated by BCPS staff, students, families, and the community. They were vetted by the same panel that assessed the principal finalist selection. There were 624 nominations for Assistant Principal of the Year.
This year’s Assistant Principal of the Year finalists are:
- Amber Cook of Elmwood Elementary School, the BCPS Elementary School Assistant Principal of the Year.
- Sheila Luechtefeld of Pikesville Middle School, the BCPS Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year.
- Angela Berry of New Town High School, the BCPS High School Assistant Principal of the Year.
The Champions for Children Celebration Gala will also celebrate a variety of other school supporters, including a “Rising Star” Teacher of the Year, Supervisory Leader of the Year, Supporting Services Employee of the Year, Community School Facilitator of the Year, Transportation Champion, AFSCME Employee of the Year, Volunteer Champion, and Business Partner Champion.
The gala takes place on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 4 p.m.
George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology is located at 938 York Road, Towson, MD.
