Maryland Teacher of the Year Awarded New Car

Being the 2012 Maryland Teacher of the Year has its perks.

On Tuesday, Joshua P. Parker, the English, reading and world languages department chairman at Windsor Mill Middle School, received a 2012 Honda Civic for earning the teaching distinction.

That's only part of what Parker gets for being named the state teacher of the year.

He also received—or will receive—$9,000, a week at National Space Camp and a four-day trip to the Teacher of the Year conference in Dallas, according to a news release from Baltimore County Public Schools. Plus, Parker will attend other forums and conferences in Washington, D.C., and Princeton, N.J., and receive a Smart Board and materials from SMART Technologies valued at more than $15,000, according to school system announcement

For the past 11 years, the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association has sponsored the teacher of the year program, and has provided the recipient a brand new car, according to the press release.

Parker is a native of Dayton, Ohio, who taught at and Dundalk Middle schools before he came to Windsor Mill Middle School. He's a graduate of Towson University and the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, and "has created summer and after-school programs for students and coached Black Saga teams at Dundalk Middle," the press release stated.