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News & Notes- June 2026 Great things are happening in Maryland! |
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President's Report |
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Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket |
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MAESP Members, As we close another successful school year, I want to thank you for your dedication, leadership, and commitment to students, staff, and families across Maryland. Your work continues to make a tremendous impact in schools and communities every day!
This spring brought many celebrations and accomplishments for MAESP! Congratulations to Flower Hill Elementary School for being featured in Principal Magazine for its outstanding focus on student town halls and student voice. We also proudly celebrate Maryland’s 2026 National Distinguished Principal, Dr. Josh Fine and our three 2026 NAESP National Gold Star Schools: Tyler Heights Elementary School, Arnold Elementary School, and Indian Queen Elementary School!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Connected School Leader Conference and participated in our Zone Chats throughout the state! Your collaboration, support, and shared leadership continue to strengthen our organization. We are also grateful to the many members who represented Maryland nationally through NAESP webinars and spring events!
This season highlighted the importance of advocacy, as some MAESP members met with Maryland’s Attorney General to discuss concerns regarding student discipline and behavior in the early grades. We remain committed to supporting school leaders and advocating for safe, supportive learning environments for all students!
Finally, it was an honor to see MAESP represented at the inaugural Maryland School Leadership Honors celebration in Annapolis recognizing principals from across our state on May 1st for National Principal's Day!
Thank you for another wonderful school year filled with service, resilience, and leadership. It has been an honor to serve as your MAESP president, and we're looking forward to Justin Holbrook's presidency beginning August 1st! I hope you take time this summer to rest, recharge, and celebrate all that you have accomplished!
With gratitude,
Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket |
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Executive Director's Message |
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Dr. Christopher Wooleyhand |
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Happy June! You are almost there! I hope this month goes smoothly and that you have made plans to disconnect and re-energize over the summer. As you reflect on the progress and achievements of this school year, give yourself grace AND credit for the amazing job you do. Your commitment, resilience, and innovative leadership make a profound difference in the lives of students, families, and communities across our state.
While we have two more months with our current board, I would like to thank them for their dedication throughout the long school year. Serving on our board of directors and executive board is a commitment of time and energy that is greatly valued. Special thanks to Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, Dr. Joshua Fine, Justin Holbrook, Sue Myers, and Dr. Glen Messier for their consistency and contributions as our MAESP Board of Directors.
Thanks to each of our executive board members, zone reps, and committee chairs for their willingness to add these responsibilities to their already full plates. Finally, thanks to our awesome membership coordinator, Blaine Hawley, for growing our numbers and keeping them connected to MAESP.
Great things are happening in Maryland. Thanks for all you do!
With appreciation, Chris Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D. Executive Director |
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NDP Announced! |
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Congratulations to Dr. Josh Fine, who was surprised with the 2026 National Distinguished Principal Award at his school on April 23rd. During his tenure at Flower Hill Elementary School, Dr. Fine has led a transformation in literacy achievement marked by substantial and measurable gains. Under his leadership, primary reading performance on district benchmarks increased by 25%, and literacy outcomes for Emerging Multilingual Learners rose to levels that significantly outpaced both state and district proficiency rates.
A cornerstone of Dr. Fine’s success has been his focus on supporting multilingual learners. He redesigned ESOL instruction into a fully inclusionary model, strengthening teacher collaboration and embedding English language development directly into general education classrooms. This shift increased student access to high-quality language instruction throughout the school day and contributed directly to the school’s sharp rise in literacy achievement.
Dr. Fine’s commitment to equity and restorative practices led him to establish a full-time position dedicated to guiding staff and student learning around race, equity, and restorative approaches—contributing to reduced suspensions for students of color. Dr. Fine’s leadership extends to his service as an Expert Review Team Member with the Maryland State Department of Education, a role he has held since 2022. In this capacity, he conducts in-depth school visits to support school and district leaders in identifying effective practices and areas for growth that enhance student outcomes and well-being.
Collectively, these contributions reflect Dr. Fine’s deep commitment to elevating the profession of school leadership, shaping policy that centers students and educators, and driving improvement efforts that strengthen Maryland’s entire educational landscape.
Congratulations, Dr. Fine. Maryland is proud of you! |
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Member Spotlight! |
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Do you have good news to share? Members are encouraged to send "Member Spotlight" items to chriswooleyhand@maesp.org |
Thanks, Sue! |
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MAESP is fortunate to have MANY strong leaders who have contributed to our organization over the years. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who has held more leadership positions with MAESP than Sue Myers. Sue has served as president, treasurer, NAESP rep, federal relations coordinator, awards committee chair, PD committee member, fall conference planning committee member, and as the Anne Arundel County rep. In addition to all that, Sue was named a National Distinguished Principal in 2014. At our recent board meeting, Sue was recognized for her efforts with the MAESP Service Award. Her contributions and service to her Maryland colleagues are greatly appreciated. We know she is excited to spend more time with her husband, Dave, and the grandchildren. We wish her all the best as she retires this month. |
State House Event |
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The Wallace Foundation and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller reached out to a few of Maryland's finest school leaders inviting them to the State House on May 1st in Annapolis to celebrate National School Principals Day. The first annual Maryland School Leadership Honors Celebration featured a panel that our own Dr. Ryan Daniel and several prominent leaders served on to discuss the current challenges faced by Maryland school leaders. Dr. Daniel, Dan Notari, Ed Cosentino, Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, and Justin Holbrook received citations signed by Governor Moore. It was a great event and attendees left feeling they were heard by the Lt. Governor and that she would advocate on their behalf. Our hope is that this celebration becomes an annual event. |
NAESP Announces Gold Star Schools- 3 Maryland Schools Recognized! |
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On May 10th, NAESP announced their 2026 Gold Star Schools. Congratulations to these three Maryland schools and their strong leaders who were among the inaugural group to receive this distinguished award :
Tyler Heights Elementary School Annapolis, Maryland Principal Julia Walsh
Arnold Elementary School Arnold, Maryland Principal Shauna Kauffman
Indian Queen Elementary School Fort Washington, Maryland Principal Aundrea McCall
NAESP’s National Gold Star School® program recognizes outstanding elementary and middle-level schools where learning communities work collaboratively to grow and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement of performance. Selected through a competitive process, National Gold Star Schools are recognized for their accomplishments, based on NAESP’s framework of the Three Pillars of the Principalship: established culture, empowered people, and optimal systems.
For more details, click here. |
Thanks MAESP PD Team |
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A BIG thanks to our Professional Development Committee! Dr. Dana McCauley, Dr. Debra O'Byrne, Dr. Sedrick Smith, and Justin Holbrook did an amazing job this year bringing quality professional development opportunities to our members. We held our Connected School Leader Conference in April and the positive responses confirmed that the agenda the committee built offered attendees the chance to connect and grow together.
Attendees had the opportunity to engage with the revised K-8 math standards; share the challenges of supporting immigrant families; and collaborate around current topics in school leadership. Throughout this school year, the committee worked hard to provide speakers on the following topics: early career principal leadership (led by Ethel Hosendorf), MSDE updates; ACES; mental health; Artificial Intelligence; PD for the adult learner; and the challenges of supporting immigrant families. Their efforts are greatly appreciated! |
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Flower Hill Elementary Highlighted in March/April Principal Magazine
Dr. Joshua Fine's efforts at building a sense of community were highlighted in the March/April edition of Principal Magazine. Once a month, his school holds Town Hall meetings for grades K–2, 3–4, and 5. Every meeting focuses on one of the school’s five virtues, starting with a short, age-appropriate lesson on teamwork, kindness, perseverance, empathy, or responsibility before allowing students to engage in peer-to-peer discourse based on a sample scenario or prompt. Way to go, Dr. Fine! Click here to read the article. |
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Baltimore Banner Extols Armistead Gardens Literacy Efforts
Principal Justin Holbrook and the literacy team at Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle were recently celebrated in a Baltimore Banner article for their efforts at improving student performance. The article sang the praises of literacy coach, Ecaterina Bittner. In the article, Holbrook noted that gains in achievement in other subjects have come because the school has Bittner work with math and social studies teachers from elementary to middle school. Great job to Justin and his amazing staff! |
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Board of Directors Meets With AG Brown |
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On March 30th, Attorney General Anthony Brown invited members of our Board of Directors to meet with him to discuss the racial disparities in the incarceration of African Americans and other marginalized groups in Maryland prisons and jails. The Attorney General highlighted the work of Maryland's Equitable Justice Collaborative which is researching the multitude of factors that lead to overincarceration and its disparate effect on persons of color and disadvantaged communities.
AG Brown was interested in hearing the stories of our school leaders and the day-to- day challenges they face related to school discipline and the justice system. Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, Dr. Glen Messier, Dr. Joshua Fine, and Sue Myers spoke eloquently about the need for more resources, personnel, and training to help us fight the school to prison pipeline.
The Attorney General also shared the collaborative's plan and their 18 recommendations for reform. Mr. Brown thanked Maryland school leaders for their efforts and shared that he values their role in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and reforming school disciplinary policies. |
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Upcoming Events/Meetings
June 24th 1:00 - 2:00 PM Virtual Only- We need you for this!
July 13 - 15 NAESP National School Leaders Conference Orlando, Florida
September 26th
November 5-7 MAESP/MASSP Fall Conference- Maryland UNITED
January 23, 2027
February 23, 2027 Assistant Principal & Aspiring Leader Conference
March 20, 2027
April 16, 2027 Connected School Leader Conference
May 22, 2027
June 23, 2027 MAESP General Membership Meeting
July 22-24, 2027 NAESP National Conference Denver, Colorado |
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Membership Platform & Website
If you haven't created a MAESP member user login, please visit this link:
When you create a login, you open up the ability to edit your contact information, register for events, locate other members, refer new members, and access resources from MAESP, and NAESP. It's quick and easy, so please, do it today!
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Join us in Orlando!
July 13-15
Fresh look. Bold ideas
NAESP’s 2026 National School Leaders Conference – Powered by NAESP™️
This conference was designed with you in mind. Your time is limited, your responsibilities are immense, and every day, you're making decisions that shape the lives of students, staff, and families.
You'll attend sessions that actually speak to the challenges you're facing, focused, high-impact learning across the leadership areas that matter most. You'll connect with colleagues who understand your world, share strategies you can put to practice immediately, and return home energizes, equipped, and supported. |
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MSDE & Legislative Updates |
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MSDE Launches Statewide Digital Teacher Recruitment PlatformMSDE and TEACH.org partner to support the next generation of educators
BALTIMORE — The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), in partnership with TEACH.org, has launched TEACH Maryland, a new digital platform to recruit and support future educators.
Partnering with TEACH.org, a national leader in digital teacher recruitment, the new TEACH Maryland platform supports aspiring educators at every stage—from high school students to career changers—by making it easier to explore teaching and find a path that fits their goals.
Research shows teacher quality is the most important in-school factor for student success and qualified teachers make a lifelong impact on children, families and communities. As part of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state is investing in teachers—growing teacher salaries and career opportunities and recruiting talented people from all backgrounds to enter the profession with a goal to transform public education into a world-class system.
TEACH Maryland serves as a central hub for anyone interested in becoming a teacher—offering clear guidance, free resources, scholarships and personalized support to help individuals explore the profession and take the next step. Free resources include:
Through a coordinated public awareness campaign across digital and broadcast platforms, TEACH Maryland will also work to elevate the teaching profession and inspire more people to consider a career in education.
About TEACH |
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Meet Our New Partner |
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Just Right Reader accelerates reading achievement through Science of Reading resources, family engagement, and a commitment to personalized learning. Our library of 1,000+ decodable books in English and Spanish – aligned with all core phonics programs – gives students the explicit, systematic phonics practice they need to become stronger, more confident readers.
Our Take-Everywhere Literacy Packs™ deliver personalized, data-driven practice that extends beyond the classroom. Each book includes an embedded QR code linking to a short phonics video, available in 14+ languages - making it easy for teachers to reinforce lessons and parents to support learning at home.
Just Right Reader books create joyful reading experiences, while building students' fluency and confidence one perfectly matched book at a time!
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A BIG Thanks to our Business Partners! |
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