Prince George’s County taps visual arts educator as teacher of the year
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Version 0 of 1. Prince George’s County has named a visual arts teacher with a 10-year career in the school system as its 2016 teacher of the year. Amanda Espina, of Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy, was tapped for the honor at a celebration in Greenbelt Thursday night. School officials said she was nominated for the award by colleagues who praised her professional skills, devotion, love of children and support of other educators. Espina started her work in Prince George’s in 2006 as an interrelated arts teacher at Overlook Elementary School and moved in 2009 to Benjamin Foulois, a k-8 school in Morningside that draws students countywide for its arts specialty program. “Ms. Espina exemplifies the qualities I believe to be necessary in a teacher,” said principal Matthew McCrea in a statement. “She works constantly to invest her students in the goals of the visual arts program, a program that she has built from the ground up as a founding teacher at Benjamin Foulois. Her students’ results demonstrate the excellence she has guided them to.” School officials say her students’ work has been featured at local and state levels, and last year the Prince George’s school board named one of her students as best student artist. Lately she is working with a nonprofit group to provide a gallery experience for students. A leader at her school, Espina co-chairs committees including one on character education. She works with the University of Maryland, College Park, to mentor new teachers and is coordinator of the school district’s visual arts department art show. “With a renewed focus on integrating art throughout our curriculum, I am thrilled that one of our outstanding visual arts teachers has been selected as this year’s teacher of the year,” said Kevin M. Maxwell, the school system’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “Having such talented teachers in our classrooms is key to our success in raising academic achievement.” Espina earned a bachelor’s degree in art education and studio art at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she also earned a master’s degree in arts integration. She will go on to compete statewide for Maryland Teacher of the Year as the nominee from Prince George’s County. The statewide winner is selected in the fall. In Prince George’s, school officials say that fourth-grade teacher Mary Rowley, of Ridgecrest Elementary, was runner-up for the award. Finalists were Brandie Cole from Judith P. Hoyer Montessori and Cullen Waller, from Benjamin Foulois. |