HCPSSHCPSS Names 2026 Principal and Teachers of the Year
April 20th, 2026
Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Superintendent William J. Barnes on April 20 announced the recipients of the school system’s annual principal and teachers of the year award:
- Principal of the Year: Dan Notari, Cradlerock Elementary
- Teacher of the Year: Samantha Mathis, West Friendship Elementary School
- Teacher of the Year: Kacy Valentine, Lake Elkhorn Middle School
Each recipient was named during surprise visits at their respective schools, and will be recognized at an upcoming Howard County Board of Education meeting. The three also serve as the HCPSS nominees for Washington Post Principal of the Year, Washington Post Teacher of the Year (Mathis) and Maryland State Department of Education Teacher of the Year (Valentine).
Principal of the Year: Dan Notari, Cradlerock Elementary
Dan Notari’s HCPSS career spans more than two decades. During his tenure with the district, he has served at several different elementary schools in several different roles (teacher, leadership intern, assistant principal, and principal). He assumed his current role as principal of Cradlerock Elementary School in 2024, having previously served as principal at St. John’s Lane Elementary School.
Notari was selected as Principal of the Year for a variety of reasons, including his collaborative and supportive leadership.
“He celebrates successes and provides guidance when challenges arise, creating a culture of growth and continuous improvement throughout the school. He invests time in coaching teachers and school leaders, helping them grow in confidence and skill,” observes one of his nominators.
“He acknowledges the challenges educators face while also motivating them to show up positively and do their best work for their students. He builds capacity in his school-based leaders by being supportive and motivational, so that they are able to carry on his leadership ideas throughout all parts of the school building,” adds another nominator.
Notari was also lauded for his commitment to building strong relationships with students, staff, and families and for his consistent, positive presence within the school.
As one nominator noted, “[Mr. Notari] greets individuals by name, with a smile, and makes genuine personal connections. He listens to students, staff, and families, and sets the tone for each day with positive energy and a willingness to jump in wherever support is needed.”
“He is present in classrooms, attends meetings, analyzes data, supports teachers, and celebrates student successes. He knows when to push, when to guide, when to laugh, and when to lead by example. The culture he creates ensures that students feel known, staff feel valued, and families feel connected,” says another nominator.
“Teachers and students see Mr. Notari giving his all each and every day,” adds another nominator. “You will see him leading data meetings, beautifying our school with paint touchups, welcoming families in the car loop, walking through the school and making personal connections with each person he sees, singing on the announcements, and modeling effective classroom strategies. He closes out each day by saying, ‘Thank you for a great day here at Cradlerock…THE BEST School in the whole entire world!’ and it just makes everyone want to come back the next day to do even better than the day before.”
Summarizing Notari’s impact, one nominator says, “Dan ensures that the school is a place where people want to be every day, and is a place where all people feel motivated to do their best work.”
Teacher of the Year: Samantha Mathis, West Friendship Elementary School
Samantha Mathis began her career in HCPSS in 2012 at West Friendship Elementary School. Since then, she has taught second, third, and fourth grades and served as an instructional team leader, mentor teacher, and School Improvement Committee member. In addition, she has served on reading and math committees and is an active member of the WFES Parent Teacher Association.
Mathis was selected as Teacher of the Year for several reasons, including her exemplary pedagogy, curricular expertise, team spirit, and outstanding ability to inspire students to learn.
“Ms. Mathis manages to achieve the perfect balance between fun and structure,” says one of her nominators. “She creates real life scenarios that her students can easily relate to. She often tries to take them outside, to make lessons more hands-on, engaging, and connected to the real world.”
Mathis was also recognized for her exceptional commitment to building meaningful relationships with her students.
As one nominator wrote, “Ms. Mathis takes the time to get to know all her students to ensure they feel important—within the classroom, and their own lives. She actively demonstrates her care for them every day.”
Teacher of the Year: Kacy Valentine, Lake Elkhorn Middle School
An HCPSS alum of Atholton Elementary School, Clarksville Middle School and Hammond High School, Kacy Valentine has deep and longstanding ties to the HCPSS community. She began her professional career in the district in 2004 as an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Lake Elkhorn Middle School (LEMS), a position she continues to hold today. She currently also serves as the seventh grade ELA Instructional Team Lead.
Among the many factors that distinguished Valentine as a Teacher of the Year were her exceptional content knowledge, leadership, collaborative spirit, and ability to provide creative, engaging and differentiated instruction.
Valentine’s strong belief in every student’s potential also set her apart.
“[Ms. Valentine] consistently recognizes the unique strengths, needs, and identities of her students, and she invests deeply in helping each of them see their own potential. Whether in the classroom, on the field, or through schoolwide PRIDE initiatives, she fosters an environment where every student feels valued, capable, and empowered to grow,” wrote one nominator, adding, “Her belief in her students is steady and sincere, and they feel it.”
In addition, Valentine was recognized for her outstanding character.
As one nominator writes, “Beyond her many roles, initiatives, and accomplishments, what truly sets Kacy Valentine apart is who she is at her core. She is compassionate, hardworking, dependable, and relentlessly student-centered. She models integrity, kindness, and professionalism everyday. She is the teacher we hope to see in all teachers-the one who changes lives, builds community, and inspires excellence simply by being who she is.”