The National Association of Secondary School Principals announced Thursday that Kimberly Winterbottom, principal of Marley Middle School in Glen Burnie, is one of three finalists for the organization’s Principal of the Year Award in 2023.

The annual award recognizes outstanding secondary school principals’ contributions to their schools, staff, students and the profession, the NASSP said in a news release announcing the finalists. The winner will be announced later this month.

“I am incredibly honored to be named a finalist and I share this recognition with so many because no leader does this alone, at least not well.” Winterbottom said in a news release from Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

Winterbottom has been the principal at Marley Middle School for nearly a decade but started her career in AACPS in 2009 as an assistant principal at Southern Middle School, followed by two years as the principal.

When she arrived at Marley, her students were the lowest-performing in the district’s annual math and reading assessment scores out of the county’s 19 middle schools. Under her leadership, the students at Marley outperformed 16 of the middle schools in math assessments. Sixth-grade students’ scores in language arts grew from 14.6% proficient to 40.2%.

Winterbottom’s focus on safety and inclusion was also a factor in Marley Middle’s turnaround, cutting behavior referrals by more than half, according to AACPS.

“Being a principal is not easy,” Winterbottom said in the release. “Every day, there are numerous challenges and obstacles that must be addressed. No day is the same and I love that about my career.

Although she enjoys challenges and solving problems, it’s the opportunity to collaborate with others that she loves most about her job, she said.

In May, the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals named Winterbottom the state’s principal of the year. The organization highlighted her leadership qualities, data-driven approaches to increasing student achievement, and ability to build partnerships with parents and colleagues.

Winterbottom’s own educational foundation was built in the same school system she now serves. She attended Bodkin Elementary School and Chesapeake Bay Middle School before graduating from Chesapeake High School.

The other finalists in the running for the national principal of the year honor are Sham Bevel of Bayside Sixth Grade Campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Andrew Farley from Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

“Ms. Bevel, Mr. Farley, and Ms. Winterbottom are game-changing principals whose focus on equity and excellence has transformed their schools,” NASSP Chief Executive Officer Ronn Nozoe said in a statement. “... They’ve reshaped what education means for their kids, ensuring that every student is not only academically challenged but emotionally nurtured. Their accomplishments have set the gold standard for what a 21st-century education can and should be, and we’re thrilled to spotlight their groundbreaking work.”