Teacher, Principal Of Year Finalists Announced In Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County Public Schools on Monday announced the finalists for its 2025-26 teacher, principal and assistant principal of the year awards.

Each honor is down to three finalists after judges received hundreds of nominations.

The Teacher of the Year finalists are:

• Brittany Kolb, a Preschool/PreKindergarten special education teacher at Ridge Ruxton School and the BCPS Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
• Brittany Jakubowski, a Grades 6 and 8 English language arts and reading teacher at Catonsville Middle School and the BCPS Middle School Teacher of the Year.
• Nathaniel Eugene, an algebra teacher at Parkville High School and the BCPS High School Teacher of the Year.

The Principal of the Year finalists are:

• Scott Conway of Hampton Elementary School, the BCPS Elementary School Principal of the Year.
• Amanda Shanks of Dumbarton Middle School, the BCPS Middle School Principal of the Year.
• Kieran O’Connell of Franklin High School, the BCPS High School Principal of the Year.

The Assistant Principal of the Year finalists are:

• Amber Cook of Elmwood Elementary School, the BCPS Elementary School Assistant Principal of the Year.
• Sheila Luechtefeld of Pikesville Middle School, the BCPS Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year.
• Angela Berry of New Town High School, the BCPS High School Assistant Principal of the Year.

“These are the very best educators and administrators anywhere, and we are honored to celebrate them, their talents, and their dedication to providing the best opportunities possible for our young people,” BCPS Superintendent Myriam Rogers said in a press release. “Every day, they give their all to make sure every child has the potential and prospect for success. They inspire and motivate us, and we are fortunate that they are a part of Team BCPS.”

There were 155 nominations for teachers, 883 for principals and 624 for assistant principals.

The finalists will now undergo interviews.

BCPS will announce the winners at the Champions for Children Celebration Gala at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23 at Towson's George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology.

The gala will also will also celebrate the “Rising Star” Teacher of the Year, Supervisory Leader of the Year, Supporting Services Employee of the Year, Community School Facilitator of the Year, Transportation Champion, AFSCME Employee of the Year, Volunteer Champion and Business Partner Champion.