Nominations Open for Maryland's 2027 Superintendent of the Year

Nominations for the 2027 Maryland Superintendent of the Year Award are open for submissions. All nominations must be received by August 31, 2026 to be considered.

August 06, 2026

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PRESS RELEASE: 

Who can make a nomination?

• Self-nomination by a superintendent; or

• Nomination via school district employee, board member, or community partner with consent of the superintendent.

  • It is not necessary for the superintendent to complete the application at the time of nomination; however, they must indicate they are aware and supportive of the nomination.

How can nominations be submitted?

Nominations should be submitted to the Executive Director of PSSAM (Mary Pat Fannon) by email at marypat.fannon@pssam.org and need only consist of the nominee’s name. Nominations will be kept confidential. PSSAM's Executive Director will confirm the superintendent’s acceptance of the nomination.

What are the selection criteria for Superintendent of the Year?

The selection criteria are aligned with the AASA Superintendent of the Year application. Each State Superintendent of the Year nominee will be judged on the following criteria:

• Leadership for Learning: Creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in his or her school system.

• Communication: Strength in both personal and organizational communication.

• Professionalism: Constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills while providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others on the education team.

• Community Involvement: Active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national, and international issues.

  
  

Each applicant will provide examples of significant contributions and evidence of attainment of these criteria:

What are the eligibility criteria?

The superintendent must have completed a minimum of three years as a superintendent in Maryland (this includes time as a Maryland interim superintendent, as applicable). Experience does not have to be in the same district. Prior awardees are ineligible.

How will selection be made?

Selection of the Maryland Superintendent of the Year will be made by a full membership vote, open to each sitting superintendent with an opportunity to review all applications.

What is the selection timeline?

● July 16, 2026 – Nomination announcements distributed to Superintendents

● July 16 - August 31, 2026 – Nominations are on a rolling basis and directed to the

Executive Director at any time until August 31

● August 31, 2026 – Applications are due

● September 2 - 16, 2026 – Review of applications & full membership vote

● September 16, 2026 – Voting closes at midnight

● Week of September 21, 2026 - Applicants notified of their status

● October 16, 2026 – Deadline for Maryland winner to complete the national

application (the Maryland and national applications are aligned)

● October 29, 2026 – Maryland State Superintendent of the Year announced at the annual

Maryland Negotiating Services (MNS) Fall Conference and PSSAM Retreat, Ashore

Hotel in Ocean City (MNS is an affiliate of PSSAM)

● December 2026 – National finalists notified

● January 2027 – Four finalists participate in a national briefing and interviews at the

National Press Club

● February 24-27, 2027 – National Superintendent of the Year is announced; All State

Superintendents of the Year are honored on stage at the 2027 AASA National

Conference on Education (Atlanta, GA)

For any questions regarding the nomination process, please contact Mary Pat Fannon (Executive Director of PSSAM) at marypat.fannon@pssam.org