Seven outstanding educators from all levels of the school district were named today as finalists for the 2026 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year award. The finalists, the areas in which they teach, and their schools are:
Joe Bigsby, STEM, Magothy River Middle School
Samantha Emge, Library Media, Marley Glen School
Nik M. Jones, Second Grade, Belvedere Elementary School
Jessica Moran, Triple E, West Annapolis Elementary School
Mandi Quinn, English Language Arts, Chesapeake Bay Middle School
Amy Sheasley, Special Education, Piney Orchard Elementary School
Meghan Welsh, English, Broadneck High School
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell was joined by members of the Board of Education and the Education Foundation of AACPS as well as other school system leaders in surprising the finalists in their schools today to announce the news.
The Education Foundation of AACPS will honor all of this year's nominees at the 40th Annual Excellence in Education Awards on Friday, April 24, 2026. The event will include the announcements of the 2026 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year and celebration of the 2026 Principal of the Year.
The AACPS Teacher of the Year will represent the school district in the Maryland State Teacher of the Year program. AACPS has had three of the last nine Maryland Teacher of the Year winners: Mary Kay Connerton of Annapolis High School (2023), Teresa Beilstein of South Shore Elementary School (2020) and Josh Carroll of South River High School (2018). Including current Teacher of the Year Jacqueline Sanderson of Belle Grove Elementary School, AACPS has had a Maryland Teacher of the Year finalist in nine of the last 11 years.
The following Teacher of the Year nominees and semifinalists (indicated with an asterisk) will also be recognized at the event:
Nelson X. Alvarez Morales, Woodside Elementary School
Theresa Bange, Severn Run High 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
Judith Diaz, Meade High School*
Bethann Michelle Dixon, Lindale Middle School
Nicole Drennan, Shady Side Elementary School
Daniel Ells, Central Middle School
Michelle Emond, Southern High School
Jamie Erickson, Lake Shore Elementary School*
Kathleen Fagan, Arundel Middle 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
Noah Kiehle, Ridgeway Elementary 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
Michelle Magee, Overlook Elementary 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
Veronica Rutkauskas, Pasadena Elementary School*
Somia Sharafeldin, North County High 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
Kelly M. Spadaro, Nantucket Elementary School*
Katherine Stanton-Pawlikowski, Monarch Academy Glen Burnie*
Magdalena Stanulescu, Severn River Middle School
Sandra Thomas, Chesapeake Science Point Middle/High School
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
Liz Welsh, Broadneck Elementary School*
Cassidy Wilson, Chesapeake Science Point Elementary
Alicia Winarski, Windsor Farm Elementary School
Kellsie Wolcott-Guy, Hilltop Elementary School
Information about purchasing general admission tickets to the Excellence in Education event will be available soon.