Bio/Overview: Mullenholz came to the Department as a Staff Development teacher at Twinbrook Elementary School in Montgomery County, Maryland. Given his experience with school improvement planning, professional development programming, and the support of new and veteran teachers, Mullenholz spent his year as a 2011 Washington Fellow working with the Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Teacher Quality. Prior to this, Mullenholz spent his entire professional career at Twinbrook Elementary, a Title I school with a diverse population of learners and a fantastic group of staff members. After completing his undergraduate teacher training at Mount St. Mary’s University, Mullenholz was given a contract by Montgomery County Public Schools and went to work as a fifth grade teacher at Twinbrook Elementary School that August. In 2012, Mullenholz is pleased to return to serving as a teacher leader in Montgomery County.

Educational Values/Philosophy: Growing up in a large family, Mullenholz never had aspirations to teach: he figured his career path was somewhere in the legal field, as he saw himself as a solid debater when dealing with his parents during his teenage years. Mullenholz has a strong belief in equity for all students, latching onto the Secretary’s idea that education is the civil rights issue of his generation and that the quality of teaching that a student has access to is the determinant factor in that child’s future. All students should have an effective and compassionate teacher standing in front of them.  .

Achievements: While at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Mullenholz was chosen as a Maryland Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Teaching Candidate, was asked to speak in conjunction with the Mount Saint Mary’s Education department on a number of occasions. For his work in the areas of special education and assistive technology, he was selected as a recipient of the Kurzweil Educational Systems Teaching Excellence Award honorable mention.

Leadership Experience: As a 2011 Washington Fellow, Mullenholz helped organize two major gatherings of the Race to the Top states to align their efforts to raise standards for students with their teacher evaluation and support plans. The focus of these national convenings was to shift the discussion around teacher evaluation to one of engagement and development. As a fifth grade teacher at Twinbrook, Mullenholz served as team leader, was voted by his peers as Elected Faculty Representative to the union, wrote or co-wrote several grants that secured funding or materials for teachers and students, and piloted Twinbrook’s special education inclusion program. Mullenholz also authored curriculum while participating in a professional development partnership between MCPS and the Smithsonian Institution called The MCPS Corps of Historical Discovery funded by the Teaching American History Grant. Mullenholz played a major role in his school’s transition from a self-contained environment to a fully-inclusive one for all students with disabilities.

Affiliations: Mount Saint Mary’s School of and Human Services alumni council, Mount Saint Mary’s University “Mount Teacher Institute” planning committee.

Education: Mullenholz earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Mount Saint Mary’s University, and completed a Master’s in Education Administration and Supervision at Johns Hopkins.

Areas of Interest/Expertise:

• Professional Development
• Title I Schools
• Special Education Inclusion
• Teacher and Leader Effectiveness
• Standards and Assessments
• Traditional Teacher prep
• Principal Leadership