Kerri Anderson Named MoCo Schools Teacher of the Year

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Montgomery County High School math teacher Kerri Anderson was named the Montgomery County Schools District Teacher of the Year at the annual award breakfast on Tuesday, November 1.

Anderson has worked at the school since her college graduation, and also serves as the high school Beta Club Sponsor and Girls Soccer Coach. “I have been able to watch Ms. Anderson transform from being a teacher just out of school to the teacher she is now, and every year, she grows and gets better,” Montgomery County High School Principal Scott Barrow commented. “One thing that stands out about Ms. Anderson is her relationship with students. Every morning, there are usually 15-20 kids in her classroom, just hanging out and visiting. They all want to be around her.” Anderson will now go on to compete for the state Teacher of the Year title, which would allow her to take the year off and travel across the state to discuss education with teachers and other stakeholders.

Other TOTY MCES

Montgomery County Elementary School (MCES) Teacher of the Year was awarded to Response to Intervention (RTI) Teacher Kaneesha Love. “Mrs. Love, if there was one word to describe you, to me, it would be ‘personal,’” MCES Principal Eric Burns remarked. “You make all of your students personal; regardless if they are the lowest level learners or the highest level learners, they become personal to you.”

He added, “You want your students to succeed; you want your students to grow. There is no student that steps foot in your classroom that you do not put your all into helping.”

MCMS

Montgomery County Middle School (MCMS) 8th Grade Math Teacher Abril Mills accepted the Teacher of the Year Award for the middle school. Mills has been teaching at MCMS for many years, and also serves as the middle school Beta Club sponsor. “The continuous growth each and every year in Mrs. Mills is incredible,” said Dr, Barrow, who is also MCMS principal. “She has actually grown so much that she has added on additional roles as the Junior Beta Club sponsor and the sponsor for our entire 8th grade. We are so grateful for all she does.”

SPOTY

This year was the school’s inaugural year for the issuance of the Support Person of the Year (SPOTY) award, which celebrates a classified employee from each school building.

MCES

The MCES SPOTY Award was issued to Paraprofessional Olga Kirolos. “If there is one thing that definitely stands out about this lady, it is that she is definitely an encourager,” MCES Principal Eric Burns shared. “One of the first things that Mrs. Olga came up to me and said when I stepped up as principal was that she was praying for me. She cares about her kids; I hear often about what is going on in her life. More so, she cares about the kids that are not her biological kids.”

He continued, “Those students are her students, they are her children. She has impacted so many of our current and past students, and she continues to let her love and support overflow everywhere she goes.”

MCMS/MCHS

The SPOTY Award for the Montgomery County Middle/High School was presented to Paraprofessional Phyllis Morris, who floats throughout the building to perform any task necessary. “She has the chance to work with all different grade levels and make impacts on numerous students,” Dr. Barrow commented. “She works a lot one-on-one with students to make those impacts one conversation at a time, one student at a time, to build those relationships with students.”

Board Office

The Montgomery County Board Office SPOTY Award was presented to Data Collections Manager Patricia Osting. “She is so good about making you feel like the only person in the room when you need her help,” Assistant Superintendent Dr. Beverly Faircloth commented. “She stops what she is doing and focuses all of her energy on assisting you with whatever you need.”