Once a Bengal, Always a Bengal: Teachers Who Will Not Return to Blake 2025-2026

As the school year approaches, many students are hearing news about staff members who will not return to Blake this year. On another note, many departments have no teachers leaving at all. This includes English, PE/health, and social studies.

Dr. Williams and Mr. Keil will depart from the Blake science department this school year. Mr. Keil said that he’ll “miss Blake a lot” and will move to another MCPS high school closer to his home. He reminisced and mentioned that he will miss “the stellar arts program, especially the musicals, and the nerdy art kids.” He nodded to his “fantastic colleagues, especially the hardworking educators in Blake’s science department,” and will miss them most of all. Mr. Keil praised the chemistry department and how much he has learned from them. He is thankful for how they’ve helped him grow in his career. Dr. Williams, after his first year at Blake, is moving to Denver, Colorado, closer to his friends and family. He’s excited to see the mountains and go on more hikes. As for Blake, Dr. Williams says his students will stick with him as he ventures on. He marveled about how he’s “met so many really great cool young people over the last year” and “will be rooting for them as they move forward in life!”

The world languages department will see Mrs. O’Toole and Mr. Mejia move on to new placements. Mrs. O’Toole has been teaching at Blake for 11 years and feels “ready for a new opportunity to grow professionally.” She said the trip to Spain she took with students back in 2019 was a definite highlight out of all the positive experiences in her time at Blake. “Meeting [her] husband here was pretty good too,” she joked. She reflected and revealed that she “loved working at Blake and will miss [her] colleagues and students very much.” 

Finally, the math department will see Mrs. Mineart-Feasley go. She has had a few rough experiences throughout her years at Blake, and grew “increasingly concerned with the school’s direction over the past few years.” More specifically, a lack of administrative measures to implement proposed solutions to address significant challenges, “particularly regarding student behavior in the hallways and broader community expectations.” A growing number of students have shown a lack of respect toward staff members. Mrs. Mineart-Feaslty added that “it becomes difficult to maintain a positive and productive school culture” when these behaviors go unaddressed. She has experienced multiple situations where “students have expressed to [her] that because [she is] not their assigned teacher, they feel no obligation to treat [her] respectfully.” Although there have been challenges, Mrs. Mineart-Feasley acknowledged that the most rewarding part of her time at Blake has been forming relationships with students. She’s “especially cherished spending time with them in the mornings and during lunch,” and moments like those have “consistently brought [her] joy and purpose.” She takes “pride in the academic growth and progress of [her] Algebra 1 students” and “watching them develop their skills and confidence year after year has been incredibly fulfilling.” Mrs. Mineart-Feasley will continue her career in education and move on to an exciting new opportunity. “One that allows [her] to more fully utilize both [her] mathematics and special education background to better support students,” something she is truly passionate about. She believes “that working in a smaller school environment with additional resources and support, compared to what is typically available in public schools,” will enhance her ability to meet students’ needs more efficiently, while also contributing to her growth as a professional. Mrs. Mineart-Feasley is hopeful that this new role will help her “rediscover the joy and fulfillment that initially drew [her] to education.”

Overall, though there may have been a few ups and downs, it seems as if each teacher has cherished certain components of their time at Blake. It is interesting to dive deeper into how Blake is perceived from a teacher’s perspective. Especially one who has chosen to part ways with the school. The Blake Beat thanks each staff member for their meaningful contributions during their time at Blake. You all will be missed! Once a Bengal, always a Bengal.