Human Resources → Awards→ Washington Post Principal of the Year Award

The Washington Post Principal of the Year Award

2025 MCPS NOMINEE

Dr. Joshua Fine, principal at Flower Hill Elementary School

Dr. Joshua Fine, principal at Flower Hill Elementary School since 2020, has transformed the Gaithersburg school by increasing literacy achievement across all demographic areas and significantly outpacing state and district proficiency levels for Emerging Multilingual Learners. In the winter of 2021, he was approached about participating in a structured literacy pilot program for kindergarten, first and second graders and he jumped at the chance. He knew that changing to an evidence-based instructional approach would yield positive outcomes. In the past two years, student achievement has significantly increased across races and service groups. The program, for first and second graders, allows students to have support with their language acquisition skills and teaches them how to read and write in an environment that provides targeted instruction.

Similarly, when contacted by the math department requesting a math coach to support different teams with collaborative planning and instruction, he also did not hesitate. He continually wants to try different ideas and approaches.

Fine believes that collaboration and teamwork are key to student academic success. He is always open and willing to sit down with teachers to hear new ideas on how to make learning engaging and fun for students. He has an open-door policy with parents and students; he also holds monthly town hall meetings with students.

He is rarely in his office because he is often in the bus loop, hallways and classrooms greeting and visiting with students and staff. His positive energy, innovative style and fierce advocacy on behalf of students are contagious.

Fine is the president of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals, and a member of the Maryland Department of Education’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Expert Review Team.

He began his career as a middle school social studies and ESOL teacher before serving as an assistant school administrator. He has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from American University, a master’s in urban education policy from Brown University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

About the Award 

Each year one Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) principal is selected to receive the Washington Post Principal of the Year Award. The award program recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment for their staff and students. The Principal of the Year Award is intended to encourage excellence in school leadership and inspire positive organizational improvements in local school systems. 

Eligibility

In order to be eligible, nominees must:

• be a current principal in Montgomery County Public Schools
• be a full-time principal in grades pre-kindergarten through 12
• have a minimum of two (2) years' experience as a principal, including one (1) or more years in MCPS
• maintain their position as MCPS principal throughout the 2024-2025 school year.
• not be a previous recipient of this award. (Previous nominees who did not win may be re-nominated.)

Nominations

Nominations may be submitted by staff, students, former students, parents, administrators or the general public. Principals may not nominate themselves. Nominators should work with the nominee, the school staff and community members to create a strong application package.

Principal of the Year (POY) Nomination Criteria

Nominees must be principals who demonstrate:
• Leadership Excellence: Earns the respect of their staff and students, inspires excellence and creativity, and provides an innovative vision for the future of the school.
• Collaboration: Establishes meaningful relationships throughout the educational system and community, and fosters a collaborative school culture that emphasizes working together within the common framework of strong educational values.
• Listening: Maintains a continuous and open dialogue with students and parents as well as faculty and staff, and considers a variety of feedback and ideas when making decisions.
• Lifelong Learning: Keeps abreast of developments in the field of education.
• Support: Continues to play an active role in the classroom, the lunchroom, the hallway, at morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. Creates an environment in which staff and students can flourish and grow.

Nomination Submission

Nomination Deadline & How to Submit:  (Check back in October 2025)

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources and Development (OHRD) at 240-740-7012.