May 3, 2023
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
301-952-6001
communications@pgcps.org
UPPER MARLBORO, MD — Fort Foote Elementary Principal Dr. Ryan Daniel and Robert Goddard Montessori teacher Karuna Skariah represented Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) as finalists for The Washington Post Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year awards, respectively.
“Dr. Daniel and Ms. Skariah are shining examples of our world class educators and school leaders who are the standard for excellence,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Chief Executive Officer. “They truly deserve recognition as among the top leaders and educators in our region.”
Dr. Ryan Daniel
Dr. Daniel joined PGCPS in 2007 as a classroom teacher and information technology coordinator at Forest Heights Elementary School in Oxon Hill. She has also served as a math resource teacher, lead teacher, mentor teacher, assistant principal and principal of Chillum Elementary School.
“Dr. Daniel is highly respected among her district peers and works diligently to facilitate a vision for excellence,” said Dr. Sheena Hardy, PGCPS Instructional Director. “She nurtures and sustains a culture of equity, professional growth and high expectations.”
Beyond her school community, Dr. Daniel is President of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals and a Center for Diversity Leadership Senior Fellow for the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Karuna Skariah
Skariah has taught gifted education at Robert Goddard Montessori School in Seabrook since 2000 and currently serves as Instructional Program Coordinator. In this role, she is a member of the principal’s leadership team, provides professional development and classroom support and assists with monitoring schoolwide progress towards instructional goals.
“Ms. Skariah demonstrates strong leadership qualities through her contributions at local, state and national levels and is dedicated to ensuring equity for all students,” said Deatrice Womack, Robert Goddard Montessori Principal. “When testing students for giftedness, she tenaciously screens students of color, special needs and multilingual learners to ensure they are not overlooked by standardized cognitive tests.”
Outside the classroom, Skariah, a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), has mentored more than 35 NBCT candidates. She was a panelist for the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) 2015 National Summit on Teacher Leadership and served as a member of the USDE delegation the following year at the International Summit on the Teaching Profession. Skariah was honored by the Maryland State Department of Education for achievements in gifted education and she is a past finalist for Prince George’s County Teacher of the Year. Skariah is also a National Geographic Educator Certification Ambassador.
Winners are featured on The Washington Post website.
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