Schools

How AACPS Chooses Teacher Of Year, Applications Now Open

Anne Arundel County Public Schools is searching for the next teacher of the year. Patch explains how the school system picks each winner.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Public Schools is looking for its next teacher of the year. Applications are now open.

All instructors who have taught at AACPS for at least five years are eligible. Teachers must remain with the school system for the entire school year to remain in consideration.

Each school is allowed to nominate one teacher who is chosen at the principal’s discretion. Principals must submit recommendations by 3 p.m. on Oct. 22. The nominees will then share their teaching philosophies and professional resumes by 3 p.m. on Oct. 29.

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A selection committee will comb through the applications and select about 10 semifinalists by December. The remaining contenders must then fill out a secondary information packet and host the selection committee for a classroom visit by the end of January.

The committee will then narrow the pool to five finalists by February. The last batch of candidates will interview with the selectors in March. AACPS will announce the 2020-2021 teacher of the year in April.

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The 2019-2020 teacher of the year was Emily Davis, a language arts teacher at Brooklyn Park Middle School. She was the seventh middle school teacher to win the award since it was created in 1986. Her full story is available here.

A complete description of the application process is posted on the school board’s website. Anybody with questions should email Marketing & Outreach Specialist Kathy Simms at kgsimms@aacps.org.

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.

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