Havre de Grace High’s Kimberly A. Schmidt Named 2009-10 Harford Teacher of the Year

Veteran HdG social studies teacher to compete for state title

Kimberly A. Schmidt, social studies teacher at Havre de Grace High School, was named the 2009-10 Harford County Public School Teacher of the Year during a surprise announcement at the Harford County Teacher of the Year Banquet on Thursday, April 23rd at the Bayou Restaurant in Havre de Grace.

Board of Education of Harford County President Patrick L. Hess along with Interim Superintendent of Schools Patricia L. Skebeck, made the announcement on Thursday evening at the banquet/program that included guests County Executive David R. Craig, Maryland State Teacher of the Year Director Darla F. Strouse, members of the Maryland delegation, the county council, as well as school administrators, educators, students, family and friends.

“All ten of our finalists including Mrs. Schmidt represent all of the exceptional teachers we have in Harford County,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools, Patricia L. Skebeck. “Having such talented educators teaching our students is the key to our success in raising academic achievement, and I am very proud of their accomplishments.”

Mrs. Schmidt is a dedicated educator, having been in the field for over 18 years, all but two of which were served in Harford County Public Schools, and she has worked to increase student achievement in many ways.

“[Kimberly] has the knowledge, the talent, and the belief that every student will achieve to their potential, no matter what obstacles they may face,” said current Havre de Grace High Principal, Patricia Walling, who nominated her for the award.

She graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in History Education in 1991 and began her teaching career as a middle school social studies teacher at Old Court Middle School in West Baltimore. In 1993, she began teaching at Havre de Grace Middle School and in 1996, Kimberly accepted the position of department chairperson at Fallston Middle School where she taught eighth grade U.S. History.

From 1997-2005, she served in a variety of central offi ce leadership positions for HCPS before moving back to the classroom in her current role at Havre de Grace High School teaching government and U.S. History where she has been since 2005. Throughout her career with HCPS, she has served on School Based Instructional Decision Making (SBIDM) teams, school improvement teams (SIT), the Maryland Geographic Alliance and the MSDE Reading in the Content Area Task Force.

“I can attest to her passion, dedication and competency in working to transform the classroom into a positive and enriching learning experience for all students,” said Mary A. Boswell-McComas, instructional facilitator for Havre de Grace and Aberdeen high schools, who has worked with Mrs. Schmidt for over 10 years. “She is a remarkable role model for her students and her peers in modeling professionalism.”

Additionally, she has worked on countywide curriculum development and assessment projects, served on the citizen advisory committee and the Mentor Teacher Network through MSDE. She also served on the Harford County Public School Central Instructional Leadership Team (CILT) and the Middle School Reform Committee.

Kimberly has her Master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which she completed in 1995 in Historical Studies and has started work on her doctoral degree in Innovation and Leadership at Wilmington College.

As the Harford County Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Schmidt will receive free use of a new Nissan Rogue for a year courtesy of Jones Junction, a Dell laptop computer and printer, a watch from Talles Jewelers, an engraved globe and plaque; in addition she will be awarded many dinner and bank gift certifi cates, local merchant gift cards and, $1,200 from HAR-CO Credit Union provided to all 10 finalists.

Mrs. Schmidt will also compete for the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year to represent Maryland’s teachersas an education spokesperson. The state winner will be announced at the Maryland Teacher of the Year Gala in October.

Visit www.hcps.org for more information in 2009-10 HCPS Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Kimberly A. Schmidt, as well as the other Harford County Teacher of the Year finalists.