HCPS Educator Wins MD Title For National Education Association Foundation In Teaching Excellence

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — A Joppatowne High School teacher has been chosen as the state recipient of the 2026 National Education Association Foundation Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence.

Erica Richardson, the 2024 Teacher of the Year at Harford County Public Schools, is one of only 48 public school educators nationwide to receive this honor. At Joppatowne High, she teaches homeland security and emergency preparedness criminal justice, world history and college sociology, and serves as the school's social studies chairperson and the Homeland Security Program coordinator.

Beyond the classroom, she is the senior class advisor and coaches football, girls’ basketball and track and field.

“Erica exemplifies the passion, dedication, and leadership that define outstanding educators,”
said Dr. Sean Bulson, superintendent of Harford County Public Schools. “As our 2024 Teacher
of the Year, she has already demonstrated the profound impact a teacher can have on students,
colleagues and the school community. This latest recognition as Maryland’s recipient of the
NEA Foundation Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence reflects her continued commitment
to preparing students for success and inspiring excellence both inside and beyond the
classroom.”

The Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence, presented annually by the NEA Foundation,
recognizes educators for excellence in classroom practice, leadership in the teaching profession,
community engagement and a commitment to equity and opportunity for all students.

Richardson will be honored alongside fellow recipients at the 2026 Salute to Excellence in
Education Gala in Washington, D.C., in February 2026. At the gala, five educators from
across the nation will be selected to receive the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence,
each accompanied by a $10,000 prize and documentary feature. One honoree also will receive
the NEA Member Benefits Award, the Foundation’s highest honor, with a $25,000 prize.