Marcy Leonard, beloved principal of Wilde Lake High School, entered retirement this summer after decades of working as a teacher, administrator, and principal. For Leonard, working in education has always come natural to her. “My mom was an elementary school teacher. I grew up in a household where education was important and valued,” Leonard said.
Leonard also recognized early in life that she had a talent for helping struggling students understand academic concepts. “When I was in high school and teachers were explaining things that my friends had trouble understanding they would come to me and I would explain it to them in a different way and then they would understand the material. I realized then, that I could be a teacher.” Leonard said.
One of Leonard’s biggest achievements as a teacher was finding ways to close achievement gaps for underprivileged students. Per the scholarly article, “Which Achievement Gap,” by Sharon Anderson, Elliot Medich, and Donna Flower, the “Achievement Gap,” is typically defined as, “differences in scores on state or national achievements between various student demographic groups.”
For Leonard she prefers the term, “Opportunity Gap.” She said, “The challenges show up as an achievement gap but the gap starts with disparities in opportunity. To close the opportunity gap we need to recognize that not every student is going to have the same opportunities coming in.”
Leonard believes that the best way to acknowledge and improve disparities in opportunity is for educators to get to know their students and see what challenges they face outside of school. For instance, many students hold responsibilities beyond just getting their homework done. Many high school students work jobs to support themselves and their families.
Per the Walden University article, “Nearly 30% of high school students are employed for at least a portion of the school year.” Leonard states that when a teacher is aware of a student working, they will collaborate with the student to help them balance their academics with their job.
Ashleigh Thur, a Wilde Lake High ’24 graduate, recalled how Leonard didn’t just care about academics but also about students’ interests and lives. “Ms. Leonard cared deeply about students’ well-being and pursuits outside of the classroom.” Thur said.
Leonard said that when educators get to know their students’ personal stories, it helps students feel valued as individuals rather than merely as someone who is just there to pass a class. “Everybody that is in the classroom is a human and they are worthy of dignity and respect.
When a student is having trouble in class it’s important to understand the root cause of the issue. Is it just that the academics are challenging and it’s easier to check out? Are they not getting enough rest or proper nutrition? Everybody’s got a story, there is no one-size-fits-all.” Leonard said.
Leonard also acknowledged that many students she taught over the years were the first in their families to navigate the academic system. She recalled a student who graduated high school during the summer. The student was struggling a lot and expressed to Leonard that she didn’t think she could get her diploma but persevered and ultimately earned enough credits to graduate. Leonard said that the student had expressed interest in going to nursing school. “I asked her if she was going to be the first in her family to go to college and she said she was the first in her family to graduate high school,” Leonard said.
Leonard believes that by supporting kids academically and meeting them where they are, educators help them transform their lives for the better and build generational wealth for themselves and their families.
One of Leonard’s most unforgettable experiences as principal of Wilde Lake High School was navigating the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Her main concern during this unprecedented time was the safety and well-being of her students. “We wanted to make sure that during our students’ time away from the school that they had everything they needed. Was there enough food at home? Were they safe and healthy? How could we make sure they have everything they need? Then it was to find ways to make community and make connections,” Leonard said.
Leonard emphasized that in order for students to stay connected and still feel supported despite the school building being closed, educators maintained constant communication with them. “Educators would check in with the students as much as they could. We would reach out to students to find out what was the best way to communicate with them.
Since a lot of our students were on social media we used that to stay connected with them as well.” Leonard said. Leonard also said that as soon as Wilde Lake received approval to open the building again they started giving students the option to return to in-person learning and many did.
While Leonard has enjoyed her time as an educator and highly recommends teaching to anyone considering it, she also recognizes the challenges that teachers face. According to a poll conducted by the Maryland State Associate, nearly half of Maryland educators have to work a second job to be able to support themselves. “Salaries are hugely important in helping teachers feel valued. Teachers should be able to make a living teaching alone instead of needing to work a second or third job.” Leonard said.
Leonard also believes that teachers are given a lot of responsibilities with insufficient time to accomplish time. “We expect teachers to design lessons all 180 days of the school year five to six times a day, grade assignments, make individual lesson plans for students, and fill out other roles to keep the school running like being coaches.” Leonard said.
One idea that Leonard believes could help teachers balance their time better is by having teachers teach for half the day and use the other half to take care of their other responsibilities. She also encourages teachers to use all of the resources available to them to make their jobs easier. She said, “Teachers should reach out to people that are there for them. Use the leaders and administrators to help them with everything that they have going on in their plate.”
Despite the challenges that come with teaching, Leonard believes it is one of the most rewarding jobs one can have. “It’s amazing to wake up everyday and know you’re making a difference in the world. You’re investing in the next generation.” Leonard said.
Leonard’s professional career includes serving as a social studies teacher at Wilde Lake High School, before returning and becoming principal from 2019-2024. Leonard also served as principal of Althon High School from 2005-2007 and as principal of Hammond High School from 2010-2017.
Leonard served in a special post as Community Superintendent of Howard County Public Schools from 2017-2019. There, she provided instructional leadership, supervision and principal evaluation for 26 elementary, middle and high schools, overseeing a $77 million budget.
Leonard received multiple prestigious awards. These awards include the Howard County Magazine Principal of the Year, The Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader Award, and the Maryland Parent Teacher Association Educator of the Year Award.
Leonard has left a long-lasting impact on all of the students she served throughout her time in education. “Ms. Leonard has inspired so many students and shown us that we can all succeed, no matter what we may believe,” Thur said.
This article was written by freelance reporter Michelle Calderon.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Marcy Leonard recently took a new position with The Howard County Library System. See related article below for update.)
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