District Newsroom
- Press Release
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 |
Media Contact:
Community Information Services
Volusia County Schools
communityinformationservices@groups.volusia.k12.fl.us
(386) 734-7190 ext. 20230