MCPS Honors Outstanding Educators and Leaders Supporting Emergent Multilingual Learners

Annually, MCPS’ Division of Multilingual Education recognizes educators and school leaders who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the success of Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs).

The English Language Development Awards (ELD) honor individuals who go above and beyond through strong instructional leadership, advocacy and dedication to student achievement.

The 2026 Award Recipients: 

School Leaders for Emergent Multilingual Learners

• Elementary: Dan Walder, Diamond Elementary School
• Middle: Darryl Johnson, Rocky Hill Middle School
• High: Vilma Najera, Watkins Mill High School

Teachers for Emergent Multilingual Learners

• Elementary: Kristina Angel, Watkins Mill Elementary School
• Middle: Dr. Julia Abreu, William H. Farquhar Middle School
• High: Adrienne Helmick, Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Two-Way Immersion Andy Gomez Award

• PreK-5: Liza Calcagno, Oakland Terrace Elementary School

The awards also recognize students who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership and educational perseverance. 

Meet the recipients and learn more about their impact. 

Dr. Julia Abreu, William H. Farquhar Middle School

Dr. Julia Abreu is the recipient of the 2026 Middle School Educator for Emergent Multilingual Learners award for her tireless advocacy and visionary leadership.

Dr. Abreu models exceptional co-teaching and department leadership, championing a building-wide vision that wraps its instructional arms around every multilingual learner. She consistently designs high-quality, culturally responsive instruction that guarantees academic equity across all content areas. Extending her impact beyond academics, Dr. Abreu serves as the chair of the Culture and Community Committee, where she has enriched the school fabric by creating high-visibility events, such as Hispanic Heritage Night and International Night. Her deep commitment fosters an inclusive, deeply connected community where all students can thrive.

Kristina Angel, Watkins Mill Elementary School

Kristina Angel is the recipient of the 2026 Elementary School Educator for Emergent Multilingual Learners award for her compassionate, driven advocacy.

Angel elevates classroom instruction by integrating high-leverage strategies — such as direct vocabulary teaching, visual aids and discourse sentence stems — into math and literacy planning. This year, she stepped up as a vital leader for the first-grade team during a colleague’s maternity leave, proactively checking in on fellow teachers and equipping them with key language strategies for students outside her own caseload. By consistently translating her own professional development into actionable staff training, Angel ensures that every multilingual learner in her building has the scaffolding to succeed.

Liza Calcagno, Oakland Terrace Elementary School

Liza Calcagno is the recipient of the 2026 Two-Way Immersion Andy Gomez Award for her extraordinary commitment to bilingual education and holistic student growth.

Having taught her current fourth graders previously in kindergarten and second grade, Calcagno has fostered a continuous, family-like bond that empowers her students to become confident, risk-taking bilingual learners. She masterfully pairs rigorous, student-generated academic content with a “sí se puede” attitude, cultivating a positive learning environment through unique visual structures, such as her Spanish trait-framed reflection mirror. An ultimate collaborator, Calcagno actively brings insights from national social justice and dual-language conferences back to her staff, while fostering a joyful school culture as co-chair of the Social Committee.

Adrienne Helmick, Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Adrienne Helmick is the recipient of the 2026 High School Educator for Emergent Multilingual Learners award for her visionary and impactful leadership.

In her three years as the ELD Resource Teacher, Helmick has proven to be a relentless advocate for equity, leading a comprehensive, data-driven initiative that increased student growth on the WIDA ACCESS assessment. She has significantly strengthened building-wide capacity by designing and co-facilitating professional development focused on effective academic language instruction and successful ELD co-teaching models across content areas.

Through daily collaboration, coaching and strategic co-planning, Helmick empowers teachers and administrators to better support EMLs and their families. Her deep expertise and dedication ensure that language equity remains at the forefront of school and district-level practices.

Darryl Johnson, Rocky Hill Middle School

Principal Darryl Johnson is the recipient of the 2026 Middle School Leader for Emergent Multilingual Learners award for his transformative, equity-driven leadership.

By pioneering specialized EML Team Leaders in math and literacy and implementing unified writing frameworks, Johnson drove significant growth in WIDA ACCESS scores, leading to a 10% exit rate last year, with 17 students reaching English language proficiency and successfully transitioning out of the program, while many others made substantial progress toward that milestone. His structural innovations include institutionalizing collaborative teacher planning, embedding trauma-informed practices through external partnerships, and centering student voices in school decision-making.

Beyond the classroom, Johnson revolutionized family engagement through collaborative home visits, translated Principal Coffees and an annual “Celebration of Success” honoring EML milestones. His intentional school design ensures that every multilingual learner transitions from surviving to thriving. 

Vilma Najera, Watkins Mill High School

Vilma Najera is the recipient of the 2026 High School Leader for Emergent Multilingual Learners award for her exceptional, systemic impact on student success.

Under Najera’s leadership, the school achieved meaningful academic growth and increased graduation rates among EMLs over the past two years. By partnering with central office specialists, she implemented a sustainable learning progression grounded in the WIDA framework, embedding language support across all content areas so that all students write and speak daily. Her strategic focus on schoolwide professional development, collaborative planning and targeted co-teaching for newcomers has successfully expanded EML participation in the rigorous International Baccalaureate program. Najera’s passion has established her school as a model of excellence.

Dan Walder, Diamond Elementary School

Dan Walder is the recipient of the 2026 Elementary School Leader for Emergent Multilingual Learners award for his transformative, equity-driven leadership.

Diamond has consistently exited an impressive 25–35% of its EMLs annually, leading the county in language acquisition. Walder has fostered a culture of true language equity by institutionalizing collaborative planning tools for ELD and classroom teachers, using the EML Data Dashboard to target student needs, and embedding schoolwide literacy strategies into daily instruction.

Beyond academics, he has revolutionized community engagement by co-creating a comprehensive translation system for school correspondences, directly resulting in increased student attendance. His data-driven leadership ensures that every multilingual learner at Diamond has the opportunity to voice their thoughts and thrive.