Teacher of the year finalists announced

Both the Orange and Seminole county school districts announced their finalists for annual teacherof-the-year honors this week, nominating a combined eight teachers for the top teaching prizes.

The teacher of the year winners later chosen from each of the school districts, and from those across Florida, will then vie for the state’s annual teacher of the year award, which in recent years has come with a $20,000 prize.

The finalists in Orange are: April Cooke of Rock Springs Elementary School; Jennifer Drone of of Keene’s Crossing Elementary School, Laura Emig of Avalon Middle School, Rob Paschall of West Creek Elementary School and Rebecca Wesolowski of Westpoint Elementary School.

The finalists in Seminole are: Caitlyn Baumann of Casselberry Elementary School, William Furiosi

of Oviedo High School and Sherri Watson Hyde of Rock Lake Middle School.

Seminole will announce its winner at a ceremony Feb. 7 in Lake Mary.

Orange will announce its teacher of the year Jan. 10 in Orlando.

Florida’s teacher-of-the-year gala is typically held in July in Orlando, honoring top teachers from all of the state’s school districts.

This year, Dakeyan Chá Dré Graham, a high school music teacher in Hillsborough County, was named Florida’s teacher of the year.

Last year, both Orange and Seminole’s top teachers were among the five finalists for the state award, which went to a Glades County instructor.

In 2017, a Lake County math teacher won the state’s highest teaching honor.

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Dakeyan Chá Dré Graham, center, a Hillsborough County high school music teacher, was named Florida’s teacher of the year at a gala ceremony in July. The Orange and Seminole county school districts have named their finalists for the annual competition. The winners will be honored at next year’s state gala.