Two distinguished educators join HCPS Hall of Fame during summer 2015 induction

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Donna M. Clem

        Donna M. Clem was raised in Buffalo, New York. She attended the State University of New York at Fredonia where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Education in 1974. She later attended the University of Buffalo, Loyola College, George Washington University and the College of Norte Dame for graduate studies in education and science. Ms. Clem had a very influential biology teacher in 10^th grade that sparked her interest in pursuing a career in education, specifically biology. But she was passionate about science from an early age, and was the only female in her high school physics class. She believes her interest in science stemmed from her parents; her mother was a naturalist who involved her in many activities involving science and her father had a passion for numbers and engineering.

        Ms. Clem relocated to Maryland after being offered a position at Aberdeen High School. She taught at Aberdeen High School from 1974 to 1999, where she was able to teach a variety of subjects, including Biology, Physics, Advanced Science, Applied Science, Environmental Science and Biochemistry. She then transferred to Edgewood High School where she taught Biology and AP Biology from 1999 to 2004. In 2004 she returned to Aberdeen High School where she served as a Biology and Science, Research and Technology teacher for the Science and Mathematics Academy until her retirement from HCPS in 2010.

        During her career with HCPS, Ms. Clem served as a classroom teacher, a department chair and a coordinator. What she enjoyed most about her job was working with students, inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to teaching in the classroom, Ms. Clem coached track and field, ran school clubs and hosted science-related events and activities.

        Among many other initiatives, Ms. Clem developed the HCPS biology and elementary science curricula. The program that she is most proud of being involved with is the Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High School. She served as a SMA Faculty Advisory Committee member, a steering committee member and as coordinator. Throughout her career, Ms. Clem belonged to numerous professional organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Association of Science Teachers, the National Education Association, the Association for Science Teacher Education, and the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology. She was the recipient of many awards, including the 2003 HCPS Teacher of the Year, the Sigma Xi Teaching Award (1995) and the nomination for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics (1986, 1995).

        After nearly 40 years of dedicated service to the students of Harford County, Ms. Clem retired in 2010 to spend more time with her family. Following her retirement, she worked for the Maryland State Department of Education as the coordinator of STEM initiative from 2010 to 2013, when she retired once again. Currently, she enjoys gardening, cooking and traveling.

        Ms. Clem and her husband Rodney have been married for 39 years. They have two children, Travis Clem of Baltimore and Ashley Clem of Los Angeles, California.

        Ms. Clem was nominated for induction into the Harford County Public Schools Educator Hall of Fame by Dennis Kirkwood, a former HCPS supervisor of Ms. Clem’s, with endorsements from Mark Herzog, former HCPS supervisor, and Sarah Voskuhl, a former HCPS colleague.

Margaret “Peg” Goodson

        Margaret “Peg” Goodson was born in Orange, New Jersey, and was raised on Long Island, New York until the second grade when her family relocated to Bethesda, Maryland. She graduated from Walter Johnson Senior High School in Montgomery County. Ms. Goodson received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Towson University in 1970, and her Master of Arts in Reading Education in 1978. She went on to earn her 30+ in Administration and Supervision from Towson University and Loyola.

        Ms. Goodson began her career with HCPS at Riverside Elementary School as a 5^th grade teacher, where she taught for 15 years. She then served as a reading specialist at George D. Lisby Elementary School at Hillsdale for half a year before moving to Bel Air Elementary School as teaching assistant principal for 3.5 years. Ms. Goodson moved from the classroom to the administrative ranks when she took the position of principal of Norrisville Elementary School, where she stayed for 3.5 years before becoming principal of Emmorton Elementary School for six years. Following Emmorton Elementary School, Ms. Goodson moved to the school system’s Central Office where she served as the Human Resources supervisor for eight years before retiring from the school system.

        Ms. Goodson always knew she wanted to be a teacher; she was the child who lined up her stuffed animals to instruct. When she first started college she intended to become a history teacher but later pursued a degree in elementary education. She comes from a family of educators – her father, uncle and aunt taught in schools. What Ms. Goodson enjoyed most about teaching was witnessing how much students could achieve with careful, targeted instruction. She was surprised as a 5^th grade teacher how some of her students struggled to read. Working with those students and seeing how far they came is what influenced her to get her master’s in reading. Ms. Goodson also enjoyed the fun she shared with her students, both instructionally and out on the softball field where they played almost every day during recess. She loved the feeling of being a family with her students and finding new and interesting wasy to present instruction and keep them engaged.

         As a teacher at Riverside Elementary, she was selected to pilot the 5^th grade Family Life curriculum in 1971. She was also one of the teachers selected to pilot the Harford Glen residential program in 1980. Ms. Goodson is especially proud of being selected as the principal to open the brand new Emmorton Elementary School when it opened in 1994. During her time in Human Resources, she developed the first Elementary Interview Day and the Elementary Transfer Fair in order to help principals staff their schools in a timely way. She took pride in giving principals sound hiring advice and being quick to make teacher offers for principals to try and secure the best candidates. Throughout her career, Ms. Goodson was a member of the Harford County Reading Council (HCRC), Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Harford County Elementary School Administrators Association (HCESAA), and the Association of Public School Administrators and Supervisors of Harford County (APSAHC).

        After nearly 40 years of dedicated service to the students of Harford County, Ms. Goodson retired in 2008 to gain a little more personal time back in her daily schedule. Following her retirement, she worked for Towson University with student teachers for 4.5 years before she retired once again. Currently, she enjoys traveling, going to Orioles games, knitting, gardening, reading, volunteering the Harford County Public Library and the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and spending time with her family.

        Ms. Goodson’s husband is a lifetime Harford County resident and former teacher and administrator for HCPS; her daughter, Shelby, is an HCPS elementary assistant principal. Her sister Jan is a real estate agent in Calvert County; and her sister Ginny is retired from the Federal Government. Her local grandchildren are Owen, 4, and Ashlynn, 2, and she is very proud that they will be entering HCPS in the near future. She also has three grandchildren in Atlanta – Preston, Chloe and Jade.

        Ms. Goodson was nominated for induction into the Harford County Public Schools Educator Hall of Fame by Patricia Skebeck, her former HCPS supervisor, with endorsements from Linda Chamberlin, Belinda Cole and Richard Russell, former HCPS colleagues.

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