Elizabeth (Beth) Thomas Named Administrator of the year!
Beth a retired High School Principal and former MCAAP Board of Directors High School Cabinet Chair was recognized by the Maryland School Counselor Association and was honored in being named Administrator of the year.
As former principal at Quince Orchard, a job she retired from on Jan. 1, Thomas was instrumental in empowering and enriching the school counseling program in several ways.
- Encouraged the team to implement initiatives that promoted access and equity for all.
- Ensured counselors had the resources, time and technology to serve students.
- Built a caring school culture that prioritized relationships, supported a sense of belonging for students and staff and focused on mental health.
- Dedicated time for the Student Well-Being Team to meet weekly to discuss individual students, collaborate on supports and document multi-tiered levels of support.
- Supported the counseling team as they created a yearlong calendar focused on social-emotional well-being, student lessons, and outreach to parents and caregivers.
- Created a work-based learning team to advertise internships and apprenticeships while providing support for students to earn credits.
- Developed an attendance review process with actionable steps to engage students in their learning.
- Reviewed policies and procedures, such as the 504 process, and advocated for adjustments to expectations placed on counselors to allow for a stronger focus on direct student support.
- Created a dedicated counseling position to focus solely on enrollment, support and advocacy for Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs).
- Collaborated with county and city partners, such as Identity, Street Outreach Network and EmpowHER, to create impactful student groups.
