Chris Turner

As a kindergartener, Chris Turner knew that one day she would become a teacher. During her undergraduate years at Towson State University, she majored in English with a concentration in Secondary Education. Realizing early that she loved the students even more so than her content, she started teaching in Baltimore County Public Schools in a middle school classroom. And 24 years later, the enchantment of teaching has not faded. A first-generation college graduate in her family, Chris continued her education at Johns Hopkins University with a major in Technology Leadership and at Loyola University with a major in Administration and Supervision. An English department chair with a department of 22 teachers at the largest Baltimore County high school, she has provided leadership for English teachers including backmapping and standards-aligned assessments as well as supporting the school as a whole with reading and writing initiatives. She has presented state- and county-wide on AP Language-related topics as well as on technology to provide student feedback. She has also been a lead teacher in developing curriculum in BCPS for over 10 years as well as a presenter and organizer for county-wide professional development. Chris is a Nationally Board-Certified teacher of English and has held this certification for 18 years and is currently mentoring other NBCT candidates. She was awarded Baltimore County’s Outstanding Educator of the Year (2010), Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce Award for Excellence in Education (2011), and Maryland State Advisory Council on Gifted and Talented Education Teacher as Leader (2015). She currently teaches AP Language and AP Seminar at Perry Hall High School and graduate-level English Methods at Loyola University, inspiring a brand-new cadre of teachers as she was inspired years ago.