Get to Know Sophia Quirk, Instructional Facilitator, Community Schools and Title I

February 27th, 2026

The HCPSS Get To Know series features school system leaders who answer a mix of personal and professional questions in an effort to let employees, students and families get to know them better.

Why did you choose to work in education?

I’ve always known I’d wanted to be an educator. I was first inspired to become a teacher by my second grade teacher at Guilford Elementary School, Mrs. Schlossberg. She was a true gem and made such a profound impact on my life, and the lives of all her students, making us all feel special and important. I wanted to be able to positively impact the lives of students also and I’ve striven to accomplish this in my various roles in education.

What is your role at HCPSS?

As an Instructional Facilitator in the Office of Title I and Community Schools, I support Community School Site Coordinators at 12 fantastic schools across the district. In my role, I support professional development, guide the strategic implementation of the Community School strategy, strengthen the development of effective Family-School Partnerships, and build the systems and processes to make the work continue to grow and lead to positive outcomes for our students, staff and families.

What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

The best professional advice I’ve ever received was two-fold: to always keep decisions that I make student-centered and to always lead with compassion and grace. While working in education as a teacher, administrator, and facilitator, I’ve tried to keep in mind that our work involves, engages, and impacts many different humans, in many different walks of life. The work is personal and not always perfect, but remembering the “humanity” behind what we do helps to presume the best in others.

What’s one fun or surprising fact about you?

If I didn’t go into education, I would have gone into medicine to follow the footsteps of my mom who practiced family medicine in the Howard County community for years. I recently heard a new question to ask our youth that was profound to me — instead of asking ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ ask ‘Who will you help?’ If we could all influence ourselves and our students to consider framing our actions and decisions to ones that prioritize serving others, we could all make a positive impact on our communities.

What is on your bucket list?

Travel, travel, travel! Seeing the world and learning new things are highest on the list.

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?

The most interesting place I’ve ever visited is South Africa. While there this past summer, my family and I were able to go on a Safari adventure and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Being able to view so many animals in their natural habitat was incredible and I highly recommend going on Safari if you ever get the opportunity!