West Frederick Middle’s Jennifer Perez Ryan was named the 2021-22 Frederick County Public Schools Teacher of the Year this morning at a surprise ceremony attended by students, teachers, administrators and community and education leaders.
This is the most prestigious award bestowed to a FCPS educator. Perez Ryan will serve as the FCPS representative in the Maryland State Teacher of the Year program.
“We were thrilled to recognize Jennifer Perez Ryan this morning as the FCPS Teacher of the Year,” FCPS Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban said. “Since Perez Ryan arrived at West Frederick Middle, she has gone above and beyond to support students and consistently advocates for what is best for her school community.”
Perez Ryan, who is bilingual, is in her third year at West Frederick Middle, where she is an English Learners teacher. She has served as the eighth-grade team leader and the social studies department chair.
Perez Ryan is the LGBTQ Club Advisor at West Frederick Middle. She recently led a workshop program for teachers that explored the topic of racism, guiding them with strategies to help navigate uncomfortable conversations in the classroom.
Perez Ryan has served on the FCPS Racial Equity Committee since 2019 and was named the 2019 Frederick Center Ally of the Year for her support of LGBTQ students.
Prior to serving at West Frederick Middle, Perez Ryan taught middle school English and History at the Alameda Unified School District in California from 2015-17. From 1999-2010, Perez Ryan served as an educator at Windsor Knolls Middle, where she served as part of the School Improvement Team and as the Student Government Association Advisor and Yearbook Advisor.
Not only is Perez Ryan a teacher in the West Frederick Middle community, she is also a parent, with two daughters attending the school. They were part of the morning celebration, joining Alban, Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner, Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor, Board of Education member Karen Yoho, Frederick County Teachers Association President Missy Dirks, and Frederick County PTA Vice President Whitney Cummins.
Perez Ryan was grateful to receive gifts from community organizations supporting the FCPS Teacher of the Year, including Stauffer Funeral Homes and the FERKO Maryland Federal Credit Union.
Perez Ryan is the first West Frederick Middle educator to be named FCPS Teacher of the Year. All FCPS schools were eligible to name a Teacher of the Year. A full list of 2021 FCPS Teacher of the Year nominees is posted online, as are details about the FCPS Teacher of the Year program.