Franklin Elementary Educator Among Finalists For Teacher Of The Year

REISTERSTOWN, MD — Six educators have been named finalists in the Baltimore County Public School System's Teacher of the Year awards. Among them is one from a school in Reisterstown.

Alicia Freeman, who teaches at Franklin Elementary School, was one of five finalists for the honor.

Freeman teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Before she came to Baltimore County, she taught Spanish and ESOL in Baltimore City, and she was also a principal and director of admissions, according to Baltimore County Public Schools.

Her career with Baltimore County started in 2019, and she began teaching at Franklin Elementary School in 2021. She has degrees from Barnard College of Columbia University and Notre Dame of Maryland University, according to officials.

Here are the other finalists for 2022–2023 Teacher of the Year in Baltimore County:

• Zack Davis of Logan Elementary School, Dundalk; 4th and 5th grade teacher
• Tracey Dowling of Overlea High School, Overlea; mathematics department chair
• Brent Driessen of Deep Creek Elementary School, Essex; 4th and 5th grade teacher
• Muriel Olowokakoko of Powhatan Elementary School, Woodlawn; 4th grade teacher
• Heather Young of Charlesmont Elementary School, Dundalk; reading specialist

A committee of Baltimore County Public Schools administrators, staff and students as well as members of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO) helped select the finalists. The last Baltimore County Public Schools Teacher of the Year — Brianna Ross, of Deer Park Middle, who went on to win Maryland Teacher of the Year — helped in the selection process as well.

“Congratulations to our finalists and all those superlative educators who were selected by their
schools this year to represent them as teacher of the year,” Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Darryl Williams said in a statement. "Especially in the past year, we have seen once again how important and inspirational a gifted teacher can be to students not only in their own classroom but across a school, a community, a county, or a state. We are fortunate to have so many amazing teachers here in Baltimore County.”