Owings Mills High Principal Honored for Her Support of Arts Education

From Baltimore County Public Schools:

TOWSON, MD — Abbey Campbell, principal of Owings Mills High School, is one of three Maryland educators honored with an Alvin and Louise Myerberg Arts Leadership Award.

The award was presented during the Fifth Annual Arts Leadership Recognition Awards Breakfast and Forum, hosted by the Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) Alliance and held on Nov. 2 at the American Visionary Art Museum. In recognition of her honor, Campbell’s school, Owings Mills High, received $500 to support its arts programs.

According to AEMS, “the awards are designed to recognize and honor principals for their excellent arts education leadership and for providing a creative learning environment for outstanding student achievement.”

Of the 15 nominees for the arts leadership award, three were from BCPS. In addition to Campbell, Harvey Chambers of Windsor Mill Middle School and Maralee Clark of Lyons Mill Elementary School were nominated.

In a support letter for Campbell’s nomination, Cathleen M. Russell, visual and performing arts department chair at Owings Mills High, identified a number of reasons why Campbell deserved recognition.

“A few years ago,” Russell wrote, “students were often not able to enroll in an arts course freshmen year due to automatically being placed in a physical education class. Mrs. Campbell voiced a concern that students were not feeling connected to the school, or “finding a niche” in which they felt welcomed and gave them a sense of belonging. She sees our classes not only as strong academic programs that support schoolwide goals of academic language acquisition and higher level thinking practice, but [also as] places where students gain confidence and make discoveries and connections within themselves and others.”

Russell noted that under Campbell’s leadership, the music, theater, and multimedia broadcast programs at Owings Mills High have grown, a new dance program has been added, and the visual arts department has added a clay program and a digital arts course.

“We are supported and encouraged to take time to observe teachers in other buildings, attend workshops, and even conferences,” Russell wrote. “Mrs. Campbell also allows us to host many enrichment events for the county such as professional development days, ensemble rehearsals, and assessments for both choral and instrumental programs. Our successes are celebrated with artwork on display throughout the school, space in the monthly newsletter, handwritten notes of appreciation, freedom and priority to schedule numerous events in the school calendar, and a consistent message that we, as teachers, and our programs, matter to both students and the school.”

The applications and letters of recommendation for Chambers and Clark highlighted that both of these principals serve as tireless cheerleaders for arts integration, generously support upgraded technology and equipment for arts education, and facilitate multiple opportunities for students to showcase their skills in the arts.

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