Social studies teacher Amber Myren was recently recognized as the finalist for Richard Montgomery’s 2026-2027 teacher of the year.

Recently, selected through the nomination process that recognizes one teacher from each school, Ms. Myren represented RM at a county level, an honor that she never had expected. “Oh, it was definitely a surprise for me,” Ms. Myren said. “I was at dinner… I got a call from Ms. Deeny… she explained that I was nominated and I was really excited.”

And then right after the call, a waiter brought her dessert. “I was so confused why,” she said. It ended up being one of the former students who had worked there as a chef. “It was just an amazing memory,” she said.

The nomination for the MCPS Teacher of the Year award starts at the school level. According to MCPS, each school chooses their own teacher of the year, who goes on to represent the school on a county level. There is a committee within the school that chooses the schoolwide nominees, and they make the final say in who gets the award and countywide nomination. Candidates for the award must be full-time teachers, and they have to have six years of teaching experience. Also, three of those years must have been within MCPS. The award is a high honor, recognizing these educators who have gone above and beyond for all the people around them.

Once the school-level nominees are selected, the final countywide winner is chosen through a lengthy review process. There are over 200 nominees from each school in MCPS. From this large group, three finalists are selected, from the elementary, middle, and high school levels. These finalists are chosen by a committee of MCPS administrators, who review the nominees, recommend finalists and sometimes even go into classrooms to see the candidates in action.

This year, the 2026-2027 award cycle, MCPS named Michelle Ellie, an English teacher at Montgomery Blair High School, as the MCPS teacher of the year.

Beyond her big excitement of the nomination, Ms. Myren sees this recognition as an opportunity to highlight others as well. Rather than just focusing on herself and her own achievement, she rather uses her platform to bring attention to her students, especially her English language learner students. “Being nominated is really nice, because I feel like I get to put a spotlight on my English language learner students and all of the hard work they’ve been doing,” she said. “I just think my students deserve the world. I’m so happy they’re here.”

Social studies teacher Todd Stillman has worked alongside Ms. Myren for her whole career at RM. “Ms. Myren is an amazing and inspiring teacher,” Mr. Stillman said. He says that she has created a space for EML students where they feel safe and confident in practicing English while still actively participating in class. He notes that one of the greatest things about Ms. Myren is her compassion. “Every kid in the class feels seen, heard and valued,” he said. By doing this, she creates an environment where students are comfortable to learn and thrive, and provides a space of belonging for all students.

Jessica Neufeld, who works in the ESOL office, has worked closely with Ms. Myren for four years, and the two have worked together to create lessons and teaching structures to support emerging English speakers.

She says that Ms. Myren’s classroom has a food pantry, which is always stocked with snacks and basic necessities. This addresses a major issue in schools: food insecurity. “Every learner feels valued and empowered,” Ms. Neufeld said. “By balancing high-level instructional scaffolding with genuine emotional intelligence, she builds a foundation of trust that allows both students and peers to take risks and grow.”

With the big honor, Ms. Myren believes that it also comes with a sense of responsibility she is carrying for the community. She believes that being the finalist not only represents herself, but should shadow all the teachers and staff who have supported and inspired her throughout the years. “The biggest responsibility is to move this forward and celebrate a ton of teachers and all the great work that they’ve done because they truly change people’s lives.” Ms. Myren said.