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VCS announces Teacher of the Year nominees
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Oct. 25, 2024 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

VCS announces Teacher of the Year nominees 

DELAND – Volusia County Schools is excited to announce the 70 nominees for our 2026 Teacher of the Year. The nominees, who were selected by their peers, were recognized this month at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach. 

“I want to thank all of our Teacher of the Year nominees for going above and beyond in educating our students and getting them ready for the future,” Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said. “This is no small achievement, and I hope each of you knows how inspired we are by the care and dedication you bring to your classrooms.” 

What’s next? The Top 5 – who are chosen by a committee made up of parents, business owners, community members, teachers, and administrators – will be announced before Thanksgiving. 

The winner will be announced on Jan. 11 during a banquet, presented by FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools and sponsored by AdventHealth, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. 

Who is the current Teacher of the Year? Emily Fagerstrom of Champion Elementary School is our 2025 Teacher of the Year. The math instructional coach represents Volusia County in the state’s Teacher of the Year program. 

Here are the current nominees: 

Teacher 

School 

April Travis 

Atlantic High  

Deborah Treur 

Beachside Elementary 

Darlene Fontanez 

Blue Lake Elementary 

Shawnda Shaughnessy 

Campbell Middle 

Gloria Silva 

Champion Elementary 

Ann Dalton Brown 

Chisholm Elementary 

Katie Evans 

Citrus Grove Elementary 

Tiffany Luper-Magee 

Coronado Beach Elementary 

Melissa Tse 

Creekside Middle 

Rachel Jefferis 

Cypress Creek Elementary 

Jennifer Ray 

DeBary Elementary 

Ray Knowles 

DeLand High 

Jill Ramroth 

DeLand Middle 

Michael P. Daly 

Deltona High 

Dariel Auerbach 

Deltona Lakes Elementary 

LaRhonda Pride 

Deltona Middle 

Lauren Colwell 

Discovery Elementary 

Semoia Reid 

Edgewater Public 

Holly Arnold 

Enterprise Elementary 

Bridgette Grant 

Forest Lake Elementary 

Erika Ward 

Freedom Elementary 

Barbara Watson 

Friendship Elementary 

Shilpa Sharma 

Galaxy Middle 

Janet Stone 

George Marks Elementary 

Cari Zillmann 

Heritage Middle 

Alexus Huber 

Highbanks Learning Center 

David Michael Bell 

Hinson Middle 

Rhonda Gordon-Blackwell 

Holly Hill School 

Ragan Reynolds 

Horizon Elementary 

Tricia Dowdell 

Indian River Elementary 

Jane Failer 

Longstreet Elementary 

Denise L. Blumberg 

Mainland High 

Payten Ford 

Manatee Cove Elementary 

Elaine Saxton 

McInnis Elementary 

Erica L. Negedly 

New Smyrna Beach High 

Donna Fletcher 

New Smyrna Beach Middle 

Steven Sanders 

Orange City Elementary 

Lauren Huhta 

Ormond Beach Elementary 

Ashley Martin 

Ormond Beach Middle 

Evette Vazquez 

Osteen Elementary 

Sarah Carter 

Palm Terrace Elementary 

Ann Busse 

Pathways Elementary 

Jose Alfredo Cortés 

Pierson Elementary 

Rose Mayr 

Pine Ridge High 

Sandra Gilbert 

Pine Trail Elementary 

Jasmine Myrtil 

Port Orange Elementary 

Christy Salvatico 

Pride Elementary 

Kelly Quintrell 

Read-Pattillo Elementary 

Andrea Erthal 

River Springs Middle School 

Devon Robinson 

Riverview Learning Center 

Kimberly Ann Griffith 

Seabreeze High 

Joan Strapp 

Silver Sands Middle 

Jade Johnson 

South Daytona Elementary 

Tamar Richards-Rogan 

Southwestern Middle 

Sheila Jones 

Spirit Elementary 

Kristin Julia Jackson 

Spruce Creek Elementary 

Jeremy Davies 

Spruce Creek High 

Diana Bergery 

Starke Elementary 

Julie Lettau 

Sugar Mill Elementary 

Cindy A. Verdi 

Sunrise Elementary 

Meg Pokorny 

Sweetwater Elementary 

David Hughes 

Taylor Middle High 

Michelle Ginn 

Timbercrest Elementary 

Kelli Chehaitli 

Tomoka Elementary 

Danaya Durrance 

Turie T. Small Elementary 

Leanna Parrish 

University High 

Michelle Beasley 

Volusia Online Learning 

Jeannine N. Dilligard 

Volusia Pines Elementary 

Tasney N. Thomas 

Westside Elementary 

Jeff Leder 

Woodward Avenue Elementary 

 
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Volusia County Schools’ vision is to create life-long learners prepared for an ever-changing global society. The VCS Strategic Plan: https://www.vcsedu.org/strategic-plan
 
Media Contact:
Danielle Johnson
Specialist, Community Information
Volusia County Schools
386-734-7190, ext. 20234

Media Contact:

Community Information Services
Volusia County Schools
communityinformationservices@groups.volusia.k12.fl.us
(386) 734-7190 ext. 20230