Poolesville High School Principal Mark Carothers has been named a 2026 Leadership Champion by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP).
Carothers received the Student-Centered Leadership Champion Award, which recognizes school leaders for cultivating and sustaining a safe, healthy and positive environment where students are known, accepted, respected and cared for. According to MCPS, the recognition also highlights Carothers’ work to strengthen student engagement and promote strong relationships throughout the school community.
The award comes after Carothers received another statewide honor earlier this year. This past spring, he was named the Wayne Perry High School Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC), recognizing his commitment to elevating student voice and leadership.
MASSP’s Leadership Champion Awards recognize principals and assistant principals in five categories: Excellence in Equity and Inclusion, Community Engagement, Student-Centered Leadership, Inspirational Leadership, and School Culture and Climate. Nominees are reviewed by a committee of peers using criteria based on the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders.
Carothers is one of 10 educators selected as 2026 Leadership Champion honorees. The group will be recognized during MASSP’s leadership conference in November. Carothers has served as principal of Poolesville High School since July 2019, after being appointed to the position on July 11, 2019.
