Kristin Shields has been a principal for ten years, serving the past five at Mount Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary, a Title I school where she has created an environment of academic excellence. In the 2014-2015 school year, the school’s PARCC scores far exceeded the state average for Level 4 math proficiency in grades 3-5 and in reading for grade 3, and exceeded the county average for math in grades 3-5 and in reading for grades 3 and 5. In addition, eighty-eight percent of students were reading on or above grade level. Shields initiated Kidtalk, a platform for sharing academic or behavioral concerns at weekly meetings so appropriate interventions can be developed immediately. She hired three retired teachers and additional assistants for increased staffing during reading and math instruction and regularly visits classrooms herself to reinforce writing skills as the “writing doctor.” A vital part of the community, Shields reaches out with events like the Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Dinner, and helped secure a free, seventeen-year lease for a Mount Hope family living in extreme need by building a relationship with a local businessman. A school team banded together to furnish this home in time for the first day of school. Shields was named the Charles County Principal of the Year in 2014 and holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a M.S. in School Administration from Bowie State University.