Havre de Grace Elementary’s Kristin Schaub Named 2013-2014 Harford County Public Schools Teacher of the Year

From Harford County Public Schools:

Kristin M. Schaub, fifth grade teacher at Havre de Grace Elementary School and nine-year educator, was named the 2013-14 Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Teacher of the Year during a surprise announcement at the annual Harford County Teacher of the Year Banquet. The dinner banquet for 180 guests, provided by HAR-CO Federal Credit Union, was held on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, at the Bayou Restaurant in Havre de Grace.

Board of Education of Harford County President Francis F. “Rick” Grambo, III, along with Superintendent of Schools Robert M. Tomback, Ph.D., made the announcement on Wednesday evening during the program that included guests Harford County Council President William K. Boniface, County Executive David R. Craig, members of the Maryland senate and delegation and the county council, as well as school administrators, educators, students, family and friends.

“Ms. Schaub and all of our finalists represent the high quality teaching and instruction that the students of Harford County are afforded,” said Superintendent Tomback. “Our teachers are passionate, dedicated and inspirational professionals that set high expectations for our students and help them achieve those goals by making them career and college ready. I am proud of their accomplishments.”

Once a special education student, on her graduation day from high school, ranked tenth her class, she realized it was her teachers who helped transform her life. She knew they had challenged her, encouraged her and believed in her, and they were her every day heroes. They were who she aspired to be from the very beginning. While it was her teachers who inspired her to enter the profession, she remains a teacher today because of the lives she has impacted and hopes to continue to impact. She believes, in her heart, that her students’ future will be similar to hers.

“A candidate for Harford County Public Schools Teacher of the Year should exceed expectations and truly impact her children and school community in a very powerful way,” said Havre de Grace Elementary School Principal Renee L. Villareal, who nominated her for the award. “Kristin Schaub does just that. She turns everyday math, science and reading lessons into unforgettable learning experiences. She weaves rigorous expectations into these lessons and truly differentiates her instruction to meet the needs of each and every child in her class.”

Ms. Schaub has served as a teacher at Havre de Grace Elementary School since 2004. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in instructional technology from Towson University in 2004 and 2012, respectively.

Ms. Schaub prides herself on the sense of family she creates among her students by providing them a risk-free classroom to value each individual and support them through their greatest challenges. Her data-driven teaching strategies produce purposeful instruction, allowing her students to achieve success. More than 95 percent of Ms. Schaub’s math students scored proficient or better on the 2012 Maryland State Assessments (MSA), with 80 percent of those students scoring in advanced levels. Likewise, more than 80 percent of Ms. Schaub’s reading class scored proficient or better on the MSA. Serving a Title I school where nearly 70 percent of the population lives in poverty, Ms. Schaub’s preparation and delivery are showing incredible results.

In addition, Ms. Schaub attends Parent Teacher Association meetings and Family Involvement Team meetings. She regularly attends and participates in after-school functions, including Havre de Grace City Council meetings where students are recognized monthly. Ms. Schaub can often be found applauding her students at school plays, cheering them on at their sporting events and coaching them through speech festivals. She also actively pursues opportunities to motivate others in the teaching profession. Ms. Schaub has served as a grade level chair of a team of non-tenured teachers, as a mentor to Towson University and Harford Community College interns and as the School Improvement Team facilitator. She is a demonstration teacher and opens her classroom doors for others to observe and learn.

As the Harford County Teacher of the Year, Ms. Schaub will receive free use of a brand new 2012 Nissan Rogue AWD for one year courtesy of Jones Junction, a Dell laptop computer, a watch from Saxon’s Diamond Centers, a Kindle reader courtesy of Freedom Federal Credit Union and an engraved apple. In addition, she will be awarded many dinner and bank gift certificates, local merchant gift cards and $1,200 from HAR-CO Federal Credit Union provided to all five finalists.

Ms. Schaub will also compete for the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year to represent teachers across the state as 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 on the 2013-14 HCPS Teacher of the Year, Ms. Kristin M. Schaub, as well as the five Harford County Teacher of the Year finalists.