Teachers of the year

Each year, Maryland’s 24 local school systems honor their best teachers through the Teacher of the Year program. For the 2025-2026 year, five alumni from MICUA member institutions were named Teacher of the Year at the county level: Hood College graduate: ALonna Soward-Puryear (Frederick County); Johns Hopkins University graduates: Jevons Liu (Baltimore City) and Natalie Pretzello (Howard County), who graduated from the Peabody Institute; McDaniel College graduate: William Voshell (Calvert County); and Notre Dame of Maryland University graduate: Cheryl Fracassi (Kent County). On September 26, 2025, at the annual Maryland State Department of Education Teacher of the Year gala, ALonna Soward-Puryear was named the Maryland Teacher of the Year!

For the last seven years, the Maryland Teacher of the Year has received a degree or certificate from a MICUA institution.

Of MICUA's 13 members, 11 prepare highly qualified teachers for Maryland primary and secondary education classrooms through State-approved teacher preparation programs. Over the last five years, MICUA institutions have awarded nearly 11,300 Education degrees and certificates. Across all degree levels, last year MICUA institutions awarded 44% of the Education degrees, at or above the bachelor’s degree, in the State.