Teri Johnson. Via MCPS.
A Germantown school principal has died suddenly.
Teri Johnson was principal of Lake Seneca Elementary School. Her career with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) dates back to the 1970s.
“Ms. Johnson’s sudden death has left us all with a heavy heart and a deep sense of loss. She was an exceptional leader and an integral part of our school community,” MCPS Acting Deputy Superintendent Dr. Betty Collins wrote in a letter to the Lake Seneca Elementary community on Tuesday.
Johnson was very recently diagnosed with “a very serious illness” and had just begun receiving treatment, Collins wrote.
“Despite the very quick attention she received from her medical team, Ms. Johnson passed away on Sunday, February 18. As a respected longtime educational leader and a pillar of the Lake Seneca Elementary family, this news will have a great emotional impact on our entire school community: staff, students and families alike.”
Johnson was appointed principal in 2006, according to MCPS. Her career with the school district dates back to 1976 when she was a kindergarten teacher at the former Rocking Horse Road Elementary School. She also taught at Viers Mill and Waters Landing elementary schools before becoming assistant principal at Fox Chapel Elementary School. She was acting principal at Lake Seneca before becoming principal, per MCPS.
“Ms. Johnson was a role model for all of us,” Collins wrote. “She was a student-centered principal who put the needs of her students first. She knew her students well and provided them with the support they needed to grow and thrive. Her leadership was marked by compassion, understanding, and care. Her dedication and hard work have left a lasting impact on our school community.”
