For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 16, 2020
Award highlights her extraordinary contributions to public education
ROCKVILLE, MD, July 16, 2020—Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro has been selected by the Montgomery County Board of Education to receive the Distinguished Service to Public Education Award in the category of Individual Pioneer for her tireless work and dedication to improving the lives of students in Montgomery County.
The Montgomery County Board of Education established the Awards for Distinguished Service to Public Education in 1997 to recognize and show appreciation to individuals, groups, and organizations that have made exemplary contributions to public education in Montgomery County.
The Individual Pioneer Award is presented to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to public education, and whose impact has had a profound system-wide effect on Montgomery County Public Schools over the years.
Throughout her public service career, Councilmember Navarro has been a strong advocate for the children of Montgomery County. In 2019 as Council President, Nancy Navarro initiated the Montgomery County Early Care and Education Initiative. This four-year action plan with $7 million in earmarked funding will expand quality early care and educational opportunities for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, including adding seats for approximately 600 children in the first year.
Councilmember Navarro also spearheaded the unanimous passage of the Racial Equity and Social Justice Act to foster and ultimately achieve equitable opportunities in education for all students. Before joining the County Council in 2009, Navarro served on the Montgomery County Board of Education (2004-2009) where she served two consecutive terms as president. In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed her to the President's Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, where she served on the Early Childhood Education Committee.
“This is an incredible honor, coming at a time of profound trauma in our county and country, with disparities exacerbated by heart-breaking inequities,” said Councilmember Navarro. “I appreciate the recognition by the Board of Education, and I am inspired and energized to continue the work of enshrining racial equity and social justice in Montgomery County, in the name of our children.”
Councilmember Navarro is the chair of the County Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and is a member of the Council’s Education and Culture Committee. Navarro is the first Latina elected to the Montgomery County Council and the only woman on the Montgomery County Council. Navarro is also a highly decorated leader, and in 2019 Washingtonian Magazine named her as one of the 150 most powerful women in the Washington metropolitan area. To learn more, visit Councilmember Navarro’s Council website here.
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Release ID: 20-304