Belle Grove Elementary School English Language Development (ELD) teacher Jacqueline Sanderson has been named a 2026 Maryland Teacher of the Year finalist by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Sanderson, who was named Anne Arundel County Teacher of the Year in April, is one of seven finalists for the award. The others are: Jevons Liu, Baltimore City; Alonna Soward-Puryear, Frederick County; Natalie Pretzello, Howard County; Marcie Mamas, Queen Anne's County; Emma Cohn Matthews, Wicomico County; and Phillip Cropper, Worcester County.
AACPS has had finalists in nine of the last 11 years. Five AACPS teachers have earned the state award since the program began in 1986.
“Working with English Learners has shown me the power of every student’s voice and the importance of creating classrooms where all students feel seen, heard, and capable of achieving great things,” Sanderson said. “I am deeply grateful to be a Maryland State Teacher of the Year finalist and to be representing Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Multilingual students are an asset to our communities and the voices that will help shape our future. I’m excited for the opportunity to advocate for multilingual students and families and to inspire educators across the state to embrace every learner’s potential.”
Sanderson, who has taught in Anne Arundel County Public Schools for nearly 12 years and at Belle Grove Elementary for the last three years, serves as the school’s ELD teacher and is known for championing English Language Learners and strengthening staff capacity through advocacy and collaboration.
Sanderson inspires her students to reach their potential, elevates English proficiency, and coaches staff on designing access to grade-level content. Outside of the classroom, she has created and led innovative programs to support multilingual learners and strengthen school-family partnerships, including an arts integration club and a multilingual student news team.
At the county level, Sanderson has contributed to the adoption of district-wide ELD and math curriculum of a curriculum to ensure that every student can belong, grow, and succeed. She’s also a member of Maryland Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and is Nationally Board Certified.
State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright will announce Maryland’s Teacher of the Year during a gala reception on September 26, 2025.