HCPSS Names First-Ever ESOL Teachers and Administrator of the Year

June 7th, 2024

HCPSS has named its first-ever English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teachers and Administrator of the Year.

• ESOL Administrator of the Year: Allison McCoy, Mt. Hebron High School
• Secondary ESOL Teacher of the Year: Laura Cometa, Wilde Lake High School
• Elementary ESOL Teacher of the Year: Misty Shappell, Ducketts Lane Elementary School

The three were recognized for demonstrating exemplary teaching and leadership for HCPSS’ Multilingual Learners, as defined by the following criteria:

• positive student impact
• innovative and creative ways of teaching/leading
• cultural sensitivity and inclusivity
• collaboration with colleagues, parents, and the community to support multilingual learners
  ongoing professional development
• community engagement to promote the importance of language learning and cultural understanding

The award recipients were nominated by their colleagues, co-teachers, and/or administrators. The nominations, as well as letters of support from colleagues, students, parents, and administrators and/or artifacts from teachers’ classrooms, were reviewed and scored by an award committee composed of secondary and elementary school administrators, Multilingual Family Registration Center staff, Multilingual Achievement Liaisons, and parents.

McCoy, Cometa and Shappell were surprised with their awards at their respective schools on May 29. They will also be recognized at the June 6 Board of Education meeting.

Below are excerpts from nomination letters submitted in support of McCoy, Cometa and Shappell:

For Allison McCoy:
“Allison demonstrates first-class leadership in helping to support and build capacity in our staff members and teams and believing in what they can do … She is open and willing to listen to many new ideas our team brings to her and provide input to help us continue to create new opportunities for our students.”

“The emphasis placed on the importance of relationships and social and emotional wellbeing are evident on a daily basis when you observe Allison with our students.”

“[Allison’s] open-mindedness has enabled her to create a culturally sensitive and inclusive environment for staff and multilingual learners.”

For Laura Cometa:
“Laura makes it her job to know each and every one of our multilingual learners personally. She gets to know about students’ interests, aspirations, home lives, and the challenges they face.”

“Laura’s influence goes far beyond her own classroom. She has spearheaded a schoolwide focus on multilingual learners that has deepened our staff’s knowledge, empathy, and capacity to teach multilingual learners.”

“Laura fosters an inclusive learning environment for multilingual learners that celebrates multilingualism, diversity, and cultural pride, not only in her classes, but across our school.”

For Misty Shappell:
“Misty Shappell excels in fostering a culturally sensitive and inclusive learning environment. She recognizes and values diversity that multilingual learners bring to the classroom.”

‘Through her innovative and creative teaching methods, [Misty] has transformed the learning experience for our students, making language acquisition not only accessible but also enjoyable.”

“Mrs. Shappell is passionate about community engagement and has played an integral role in promoting the importance of language learning and cultural understanding beyond the classroom walls.”