Parkland Middle School instrumental music teacher Megan Campbell wanted to be a teacher since her high school band teacher saw her potential and made sure to tell her.
“It just took somebody at the high school level saying ‘Hey, you’re good,’” the Rockville school teacher told Bethesda Today. “Having somebody say that, besides a private teacher or my family, it just struck like the magic third in a major chord.”
Now, after joining Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in 2015, Campbell was recognized as the MCPS Teacher of the Year Tuesday night during the MCPS Distinguished Service to Education Honors ceremony at The Music Center at Strathmore where several student and staff leaders were celebrated for their accomplishments.
The Teacher of the Year award honors a full-time prekindergarten to 12th grade educator “who consistently demonstrates high academic expectations for all students, fosters engagement across diverse backgrounds and abilities, cultivates a positive school culture, and builds strong connection,” according to a statement from MCPS. Campbell will go on to compete for Maryland Teacher of the Year and receive a one-year car lease from Fitzgerald Auto Malls.
Campbell told Bethesda Today after the award ceremony that her favorite thing about teaching instrumental music is the vulnerability that comes from trying to create “a beautiful sound of an instrument that fights back at you occasionally. She also said the teamwork ensembles build is special.
“Every day that my husband comes home and tells me about his job, I don’t know why anybody would work with adults when they could work with kids,” Campbell said to the crowd after receiving the award.
Campbell said feedback is especially important to help teachers become better educators because they’re always learning alongside their students.
Campbell said she was extremely grateful to the families and students who nominated her for the award and who wrote letters of recommendation. In a video shown during the ceremony, students said Campbell created a welcoming environment in the classroom, and without her they wouldn’t have stayed in instrumental music classes.
“I wish all teachers could feel this celebrated,” Campbell said.
The following teachers, staff and students were also recognized with awards during the Tuesday night ceremony.
- John Sparrow, a paraeducator at Poolesville High School, was recognized as the Supporting Services Employee of the Year. According to a statement from MCPS, Sparrow is described as the “heart and soul” of the Poolesville Global Ecology Program.
- German Diaz-Peña a senior at Rockville High School involved in Student Government Association and sports broadcasting was recognized with the inaugural Student Services Award. According to the MCPS website, the award honors students who “contributes a significant amount of time and expertise to MCPS programs, develops and/or implements exemplary programs or projects, and makes contributions that benefit the entire school system.”
- Kathy Hedge, the executive director of the Parent Education Program (PEP) Family Resilience Program was recognized with the Board of Education Community Partner award. According to MCPS, “PEP’s programs strengthen family relationships by offering parents tools and strategies to improve communication, reduce stress, and support their children’s academic and emotional needs.”
- Bridget Calhoun, a volunteer and parent at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, was recognized with the Board of Education School Service Volunteer award. According to a statement from MCPS, Calhoun has served as the school’s athletic booster club for the past three years.
- David Child, general manager of the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, was recognized with the Board of Education Business Partner award for his support of the Foundation for Hospitality and Restaurant Management.
- Ashley Kapp, a third-grade special education teacher at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney, was awarded the MCPS Rising Star Teacher of the Year. The MCPS Rising Star Teacher of the Year recognizes a full-time prekindergarten through grade 12 teacher who is in their first three years of teaching, according to the MCPS website.
- Frank De Las Casas, a building service worker at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, was recognized with the RAISE Champion of the Year award. The award recognizes someone who represents MCPS athletics’ core values.
- Jeffrey Sullivan, the MCPS systemwide athletics director, was awarded the Dr. Edward Shirley Award for Excellence in Educational Administration and Supervision. The award, established by the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals, recognizes an administrator who “demonstrates exemplary leadership and dedication to education,” according to a statement from MCAAP.
