B-CC math teacher named county Teacher of the Year

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

B-CC math teacher named county Teacher of the Year

by Bradford Pearson | Staff Writer

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Christopher Orlando, a math teacher at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, was named Montgomery County Teacher of the Year Tuesday at a ceremony at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

Orlando, 37, of Washington, D.C., teaches a range of math classes at the school, including AP Calculus and IB Math. He has taught at the school for seven years.

‘‘Kids just love being in his class,” said Kate Harrison, a spokeswoman for Montgomery County Public Schools. ‘‘And when students are having a good time they react with good grades.”

Orlando was recognized, in part, due to the accomplishments of his students. In six years of teaching AP Calculus, 53 percent of the 328 students in his classes scored a perfect ‘‘5” on the AP test, and 96 percent passed the test. He also serves as senior class advisor.

Three teachers were named finalists for the award: Orlando, Stephanie Colby-Lee, a science teacher at Westland Middle School in Bethesda, and Lori Martioski-Taylor, a chemistry teacher at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.

Each of the three were given the Greenblatt Excellence in Teaching Award earlier this year, named after former Montgomery County Board of Education President Marian Greenblatt.

Orlando is now eligible to be named Maryland State Teacher of the Year.