On February 9, 2023, one of our very own, Assistant Principal Ricardo Hernandez, was awarded the title of Assistant Principal of the Year by The  Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals. 

PB faculty and staff were called into the auditorium after school for a “staff meeting” that served as the ruse to surprise Mr. Hernandez. As he took his seat, little did Mr. Hernandez know that his family, the Executive Director of MASSP, Addie Kaufman, as well as Dr. Christine Handy, President of the Montgomery County Association of Principals, were waiting in the front to honor him. 

Recalling his initial reaction, Mr. Hernandez stated, “It was very surprising just because I know how many great administrators there are not just in MCPS but across the state and across the nation.” Mr. Hernandez, who has been spreading his light and leadership at PB for eight years, began his educational career as a teacher before switching to administration. As for why he moved to administration he noted, “You can impact lives on a much greater scale and I was kind of drawn to that. I loved teaching; it was great and I was just able to expand it that much more when I became an administrator.”

Mr. Hernandez was overwhelmed with gratitude and slightly teary-eyed as he accepted the award with his wife and one of his two sons by his side. As for what the award means to him, he stated, “I just think it makes me hungrier to keep doing it and do it better.” When discussing the future of his career, he noted, “Eventually, maybe I’ll be in a position to maybe run a building of my own; but until then, I’ve got a pretty big charge ahead of me and I’m gonna keep doing it.”