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.