English teacher Clara Allsup was named as Prince George’s County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. The awards ceremony took place Thursday at the University of Maryland Golf Course, where Allsup was honored for her work as an educator.

The teacher has spent her entire 8-year teaching career so far at the International High School at Langley Park. Dr. Shawn Joseph, interim superintendent of PGCPS, said that Allsup is well-suited to the job and deserving of the award.

“She is committed to ensuring that our kids get excellence and they have access to a great education, Joseph said. “She teaches students whose education had been disrupted, and they really need strong, capable teachers to help them both with the language and the content, and she is one of our best.”

Allsup said the award is an honor, but more importantly it will push her to “think kind of where do I go from here? Because, as we all know, teachers are lifelong learners, and I’m very excited to kind of see what opportunities I can open, not just for myself, but for learners across all Prince George’s County.”

She also believes that this award gives her a voice in the school district that she may not have had before. She would also like to connect with the previous winners of the Teacher of the Year award, “because multiple voices are stronger,” to advocate for PGCPS students.

One specific cause she might rally for: Allsup said that if money was no object she’d like to see teachers’ positions be full time for 12 months to accommodate more training and development.

“Teachers are lifelong learners,” she said.