MOCO Teacher Of The Year Award Goes To Music Educator

SANDY SPRING, MD — Johnathan Dunn, a choral teacher at Sherwood High School, was awarded the 2021-22 Montgomery County Public Schools teacher of the year.

He was one of three finalists for the award last week. He thanked his colleagues, principal, students and parents of his students when he was announced as the winner Thursday. He spoke of how the educators during his own childhood changed his life.

"As someone who endured very difficult time as a kid, school was painful," said Dunn when he accepted the award. "I hated going to school every day and I did it for years."

Dunn said he wouldn't have made it without his piano teacher.

"If it weren't for the fact that she spoke to me in a way that was clear, that was evident that my life had value, that there was something in me that was special, I wouldn't be here," said Dunn.

Irma Najarro, a dual-language fourth grade teacher at Washington Grove Elementary School and Michael Edwards, a world studies and global humanities sixth grade teacher at Julius West Middle School, were the two other finalists for the award.

Dunn is now entered into the race to become Maryland's Teacher of the Year.