At Greencastle Elementary School in Silver Spring, they call her “Momma Moore.” But on Tuesday, Estelle Moore was recognized by a different group. She was honored by the National Education Association during Teacher Appreciation Day.
Moore has been teaching 55 years, 52 of those years with Montgomery County Public Schools. Currently she teaches second grade, and she has no intention of retiring.
“You ever hear about dying with your boots on?” she asked before acknowledging her goal of teaching until she is 90. That would make her the oldest teacher at MCPS. She claims to be in excellent health. “I bet I could outwalk some of you,” she declared.
Though she’s in her 80s, her oldest son, Charles Moore Jr., said his mother “would be very unhappy” if he revealed her exact age. He only would say, “she’s older.”
“She’s not going to retire til you take the pencil, the chalk and now the Dry-eraser from her hands,” he said.
Estelle Moore with husband Charles Moore Sr. and son Charles Moore Jr.
Student Testimonials
While she uses a walker, which she said was temporary, and talks very softly, Moore commands a strong, but reassuring, presence in the classroom.
“I felt welcome to her class. She was calm. Her class was very peaceful. You could focus. You could learn” said Emmanu Osakwe, a fifth grader and former student of Moore. “She really helped me a lot,” said the 10-year-old. “She taught me how to make a snowman, the paper one.”
Dream Todd, a third grader and former student, said she loved when students did something positive, they received a fake dollar bill with Moore’s photo on it. Then, on Fridays, they got to spend their money at her store.
Teacher Appreciation Ceremony
Tuesday morning, the elementary’s school’s first and second graders gathered for what they were told was an attendance assembly. They cheered mightily as they learned which classes had the highest attendance in April.
Then the stage curtain was pulled to reveal dignitaries surrounded by balloons in the school colors. National Education Association President Becky Pringle handed Moore an oversized $5,000 check.
NEA presides over 3 million teachers. Pringle said her union wanted to honor Moore partly for her longevity and partly for her work in the classroom. “You could tell she was a teacher who had high expectations.” Moore’s focus is to make sure every student succeeds, “meeting them wherever they are.”
Following all the cheers and applause, Moore said, “Love is reciprocal. You know where you love someone, they want to love you back. I love you too.”
Local Recognition
Moore also received a citation from the Maryland State Education Association and an engraved paper weight from Superintendent Thomas Taylor.
“We are so proud of you. We are so thankful to have you amongst us,” said Montgomery County Education Association President David Stein. “Momma Moore. You are our inspiration. I am just so inspired by you.”
Teaching, according to Moore, “is not just a privilege. It’s an honor to be a teacher.” A teacher can “make a difference in the life of children.” She continued, “I love what I do. I love making a difference in the lives of children.”
She said she plans to spend the $5,000 “to buy something for my kids.”
Inside Moore’s Classroom
She welcomed MCM into Room 120, where all the students were quietly doing their work. She introduced each student by name.
“We are family,” Moore said.
She noted that the students were “well mannered, respectful and hard workers.”
Moore’s students join in the celebration
Taking on the Challenges of Teaching Today
Teaching and her students have changed through the years, she said, “It isn’t easy to stay in this role with the world changing,” she said. “It takes a village.”
Greencastle Principal Kurshanna J. Dean called the day “overwhelmingly exciting, because Mrs. Moore is a wealth not only of knowledge but of influence in our community. She has her pulse on everything.”
Charles Moore Sr., Moore’s husband for almost 60 years, said he’s been retired for “a long time.” He admires her dedication and helps her at the beginning of every school year to set up her classroom.
Shepherd Brown, a senior accountant at NASA, was in Moore’s third grade class during the 1997-1998 school year. “She really got me into math at a young age. She mentored me,” he said.
“She noticed that in first and second grade I was a little disruptive,” which led to him being diagnosed with an attention disorder. “I have to focus a little more than other people,” he said. “Without that, I don’t necessarily believe I’d be as successful as I am.”
Then Moore was ready to return to teaching her students. She turned toward them and declared, “I have what has been given from above.”
Moore continued, “If we can make a way for the children, then our country will survive. This is our future.”
Greencastle Elementary 2nd grade teacher, "Momma Moore" is honored by National Education Association President Becky Pringle during Teacher Appreciation Day. @mymcmedia @mceanea @mcps pic.twitter.com/guhS4aEd70
— suzanne pollak (@SuzannePollak) May 5, 2026
