Vicki Panos worked with students to ‘build on success’

Veteran mathematics teacher enshrined in ‘Hall’

Harford County native Victoria “Vicki” C. Panos knew from a very young age that she wanted to become a teacher after finishing school.

“Throughout my life, I had many excellent teachers who served as role models for me and solidified my dream to become a teacher,” Ms. Panos said.

Ms. Panos was born and raised in Bel Air, Harford County. Her grandmother owned a Candy Kitchen on Main Street (now a coffee shop) where Ms. Panos’ father was born. She attended Bel Air elementary, middle and high schools and graduated in 1965.

Ms. Panos then attended Towson State College, graduating in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education. After graduation, she began her teaching career in Baltimore County at Towson Town Junior High School, where she taught for eight years. During this time, Ms. Panos continued her education and earned her Master’s equivalency from Towson State College.

While Fallston High School was under construction, Ms. Panos, still living in Bel Air, applied for a position at the new school. In 1977, she was hired as a Personal Assistance Team (PAT) – a team of teachers aimed at helping students who were struggling with success. PATs taught science, math, social studies and English to two groups of seventh and 12th grade students.

As construction continued at Fallston High, the school’s new team of teachers and students conducted classes and learning at the nearby Southampton Middle School for the first few years.

After several years on the PAT, construction was complete and Fallston High opened its doors. At the time, Fallston High School housed grades 6-12. Ms. Panos relocated to the new building and taught Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry to grades 9-12. Many of her students were low-level with extremely low self-esteem.

“I loved seeing students be able to do something they were not able to do before. Learning they could do things they never thought they could,” Ms. Panos said. “I encouraged them further and we would build on success.”

Mr. Thomas Owen, who nominated Vicki for the Hall of Fame, worked with her for several years at Fallston High School. “She was a very quiet, unassuming woman who never sought credit for all her hard work with students, but nevertheless gained the respect of her peers,” said Owen.

And rightfully so. Ms. Panos went above and beyond her duties as a teacher. During her teaching career, she assisted with the development of a new mathematics curriculum and was a member of a committee where she shared various ideas, proofread exams for students and even created final exams for particular courses. She also was a member of the eligibility committee for extracurricular activities, including athletics.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Panos coached softball and girls basketball for six years, leading the softball team to state semi-finals in 1982. Ms. Panos enjoyed coaching because she loved being outdoors and getting to know the students outside of the classroom. She, too, was an athlete in high school and played softball and field hockey. After several years of coaching, she decided to stop because students did not seem to want to practice.

“Highly organized, the master of her course content, and always cheerful in her interaction with others, Vicki was a dependable, enthusiastic and loyal professional whose classroom demeanor was professional in all situations impacting upon the welfare of her students, colleagues and school community. She was simply outstanding in her commitment to the welfare of others,” said Frank Stultz who worked with Ms. Panos at Fallston.

During her last five years of teaching, Vicki developed an ongoing hearing problem, which proved extremely difficult in working with students in a classroom setting. After 22 years with Harford County, and a total of 30 years in education, Ms. Panos made the decision to retire in 1999.

However, for several years after retirement, she continued to work with non-tenured teachers in mathematics, conducting informal observations and helping the teachers develop style. Even now, she continues to tutor students in need of additional academic help in mathematics. Vicki is an active bowler, watches sports, reads and enjoys doing puzzles.

Vice President of the Board of EducationLee Merrell presents Ms. Panos with her certificate.

Interim Superintendent Pat Skebeck congratulates Ms. Panos.