Human Resources and Development → Awards & Recognition → Montgomery County Teacher of the Year Award
Megan Campbell, Parkland Middle School
Megan Campbell, instrumental music teacher at Parkland Middle School, was named the 2025–2026 MCPS Teacher of the Year during the Distinguished Service to Education Honors celebration at The Music Center at Strathmore on May 6. She will now compete for Maryland Teacher of the Year.
At Parkland, she teaches 10 percent of Parkland’s 1,195 enrolled students. Her students are racially and ethnically diverse, and she also teaches students with varying abilities. The number of students enrolled in band and orchestra at Parkland has increased by more than 75 percent. Her students perform regularly at school and community events, and she organizes a trip to Hersheypark every year for her students to perform competitively.
Campbell’s students have earned at least Excellent ratings at every adjudication event since she began teaching there, with her 2023 band and her 2024 orchestra earning Superior ratings. She contributed to the founding of the MCPS Marching Band Showcase and initiated the Middle School Massed Band Performance of the national anthem. She also manages Senior All-County Orchestra and coaches the woodwinds for the Albert Einstein Marching Titans. She began her career at John F. Kennedy High School. She grew that program, introduced her students to the competitive marching band world and led the Marching Cavaliers to fourth in the state in their division at the state championships.
The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Teacher of the Year Award honors a full-time prekindergarten through Grade 12 teacher who has a demonstrated record of high academic expectations for all students, engaging students of all backgrounds and abilities, contributing to a positive school culture, and connecting with the school community. The MCPS Teacher of the Year goes on to represent MCPS as the nominee for the Maryland Teacher of the Year Award.
The nominee:
Is a current full-time prekindergarten through Grade 12 teacher in MCPS.
Has at least six full years of teaching experience, including three or more years in MCPS.
Must maintain MCPS teaching position throughout the 2024-2025 school year.
Is not a previous recipient of this award. (Previous nominees who did not win may be re-nominated.).
If selected, the recipient agrees to accept the role and fulfill the obligations of the MCPS Teacher of the Year.
Who Can Nominate a Teacher?
Nominations may be submitted by staff, students, former students, parents, administrators or the general public. Teachers may not nominate themselves. Nominees may be asked to contribute to the development of the nomination packet. Nominators should work with school and community members to create a strong application package.
Winner Selection and Announcement - A panel appointed by the chief of Human Resources and Development will select the recipient.
Requirements
Nominations must be supported by at least one of the following: a student; a staff member, a parent/guardian, or community member. A minimum of six years’ experience as an MCPS teacher is also required.
Nomination Deadline & How to Submit: (Check back in October 2025)
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources and Development (OHRD) at 240-740-7012.