When third-grade special education teacher Ashley Kapp introduced a game to her students at Olney’s Brooke Grove Elementary School to explore how light interacts with objects, she had no idea it would be such a hit.
The students loved when Kapp would play the game by pointing a flashlight at objects to see if they were transparent, translucent or opaque, she told Bethesda Today on Tuesday.
“Finding crafts and things like that has been my niche with helping them learn, but I was blown away by how much they liked that light game,” Kapp, 27, said. “It was really, really cool to see them get so excited.”
It’s activities such as the light game as well as the education she provides in Brooke Grove’s Learning Center that led Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to name Kapp as its 2025 Rising Star Teacher of the Year in early March. A first-year teacher, Kapp is one of several MCPS employees who have been recognized recently by the district for their achievements in education.
MCPS Rising Star of the Year
The MCPS Rising Star Teacher of the Year is an award that recognizes a full-time pre-kindergarten through grade 12 teacher who is in their first three years of teaching, according to the MCPS website. The winner demonstrates a “passion for the success of all students, creatively engages students in learning and contributes to a strong, positive partnership among” the community.
Teachers can be nominated by staff, administrators, parents, students or members of the public. The winner is selected by a panel appointed by the head of MCPS human resources.
Kapp, a graduate of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, told Bethesda Today she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. However, she never envisioned working in special education until she had her first MCPS job as a one-on-one paraeducator for five years.
“I met this kid, and he completely changed what my understanding of special ed was,” Kapp said.
According to a March 5 announcement from MCPS about the award, Kapp works in the Brooke Grove Learning Center, one of the district’s regional special education services that provide specialized teaching for elementary school students. Kapp primarily teaches self-contained classes in multiple subjects to third-graders diagnosed with autism. Self-contained classes are special education classes that are separate from general education classes.
Kapp said her favorite part of being a special education teacher is seeing the progress students make.
The MCPS announcement said Kapp’s “creativity and inspiration are at the heart of her teaching, bringing lessons to life in ways that ignite curiosity and joy for her students.”
Kapp said she’s been blown away by the response from MCPS staff who have reached out to congratulate her on winning the award.
“I’m just beyond honored to be able to shed light on not just special ed, but on MCPS special ed self-contained programs,” Kapp said. “I kind of feel like sometimes they’re overlooked. There are just amazing things that are going on in these programs.”
MCAAP Dr. Edward Shirley Award
The Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals (MCAAP) announced March 4 that MCPS athletics director Jeff Sullivan was awarded the Dr. Edward Shirley Award for Excellence in Educational Administration and Supervision.
The award, established by the administrators union, recognizes an administrator who “demonstrates exemplary leadership and dedication to education,” according to a statement from MCAAP.
“We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Sullivan’s outstanding leadership contributions to MCPS,” MCAAP President Christine Handy said in the statement. “His unwavering commitment to student success, professional excellence, vision, and athletic leadership makes him a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”
Sullivan, 47, began his MCPS career 26 years ago as a physical education teacher at Paint Branch High School, then later served as the athletic director at the Burtonsville school and at Clarksburg High School, according to MCPS. Sullivan joined the district’s central office athletics department in 2013 and has served as the systemwide director of athletics since 2017.
While Sullivan has helped introduce districtwide programs including pickleball and girls flag football, he told Bethesda Today he was most proud of the MCPS Student Athlete Leadership Council. The council was organized by MCPS Athletics Outreach and Development Coordinator Kathy Green and is a program Sullivan said he was proud to support.
“Leadership is not about doing everything yourself,” Sullivan said. “It’s about empowering others and giving them the spaces to thrive.”
Sullivan said he’s been “walking in the clouds” since he found out he won the award.
“I truly believe [the award] is a reflection of the collaboration and the dedication that exists across MCPS athletics and the culture that we’ve established,” he said.
MCPS Teacher of the Year finalists
MCPS announced the finalists for 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year on Feb. 19. The finalists include Meredith Luther, kindergarten teacher at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School in Chevy Chase; Megan Campbell, instrumental music teacher at Parkland Middle School in Rockville; and Pete Beach, social studies teacher at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.
The district will announce the winner of the MCPS Teacher of the Year award on May 6, and the winner will then compete for Maryland Teacher of the Year, which will be announced by the state education department in October.
