The Florida Teacher of the Year Program celebrates the women and men who have dedicated their lives to educating future generations. Each year, Florida’s school districts have the opportunity to recognize and celebrate 74 teachers as District Teachers of the Year. These top educators are selected for many reasons including extraordinary student gains, community involvement, teacher leadership and instructional practices. Five District Teachers of the Year are named Teacher of the Year Finalists and, from those, one statewide winner is selected as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education.

Meet the Florida teachers who were chosen for the honor of Teacher of the Year Finalist.

2024 Florida Teacher of the Year Finalists

Adrianna Swearingen - Northside Elementary School, Bay County

Adrianna Swearingen, a media specialist at Northside Elementary School in Bay County, has an inspiring and captivating teaching style. While serving as an educator for the past seven years, Swearingen has focused on developing her students into the next generation of leaders. She facilitates student-run morning broadcasts and pioneers the Accelerated Reader Program, cultivating an environment of confidence in her students. When not in the classroom, she volunteers her time to the Northside Elementary Technology Club, Lego Club and Yearbook Committee. Transitioning from a classroom teacher to a media specialist in 2021, Swearingen was a key factor in Northside Elementary’s overall school grade increasing by 12 percentage points, English Language Arts (ELA) learning gains rising 21 percentage points, and learning gains for the lowest quartile of students in ELA growing a whopping 41 percentage points. Swearingen holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida State University.

Kimberly Crowder - Hamilton County Elementary School, Hamilton County

Kimberly Crowder is a reading intervention teacher at Hamilton County Elementary School in Hamilton County. Her classroom motto, “be a problem solver,” has established Crowder as a mentor for her students and fellow teachers. Since 2007, Crowder has served in many different roles, including teacher, teacher leader, reading coach and curriculum coordinator. As the reading interventionist, Crowder provides instructional support for students with unique abilities, manages curriculum materials, assists colleagues with lesson plans and reviews complex individualized education program reports. She is described as a compassionate leader who is dedicated to her craft and upholds the highest standards for the profession. Crowder holds a Bachelor of Social Work with a Minor in Child Development from Florida State University.

Sarah Whiddon - North Wauchula Elementary School, Hardee County

Sarah Whiddon, a fourth-grade teacher at North Wauchula Elementary School in Hardee County, is known for her innovative approach in the classroom. She integrates creative learning activities to engage her students and hosts virtual interactive cultural experiences with students from across the world. In addition, Idsardi serves as grade chair for the fourth-grade team. When she is not in her classroom, she can be found volunteering for North Wauchula’s after-school activities, including planning Accelerated Reader Parties, managing the Cool Cat TV morning show and coaching the Battle of the Books team. Idsardi truly has a servant’s heart and exemplifies this through her day-to-day life, from being a licensed foster parent to organizing tutoring services for children in vulnerable neighborhoods. Idsardi holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Florida.

Jennie Goffe - Clewiston High School, Hendry County

Jennie Goffe has been an agricultural teacher at Clewiston High School in Hendry County for the past ten years. Goffe champions Career and Technical Education, which provides students industry skills while preparing them for the workforce. Her students earn an average of 150 workforce certificates annually. Through her agricultural program, Goffe and her students manage a 480-acre farm, which includes taking care of over 60 animals, maintaining a greenhouse, harvesting crops, caring for pastures and growing sugarcane. After Hurricane Ian, Goffe initiated a joint effort for Clewiston High School students and community members of Hendry County to assist those in need in Fort Myers Beach. The effort included cleaning up hard hit areas following the devastation caused by the natural disaster. Goffe holds a Master and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Communications from the University of Florida.

Kayla Jackson - Memorial Elementary, Highlands County

Kayla Jackson began her teaching career at Memorial Elementary School in Highlands County when it first opened its doors in 2008. Jackson currently serves as a fifth-grade math and science teacher and has been recognized as a high impact teacher multiple years in a row, indicating her students have achieved significant learning gains on state assessments. Jackson is a leader at her school and in the district. She is a mentor to new teachers, supports the student of the month program, leads professional learning for her colleagues and serves on the school’s curriculum leadership team. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of South Florida.

2023 Florida Teacher of the Year Finalists

Seema Naik - Eagle Ridge Elementary School, Broward County

Seema Naik is passionate about science and related topics, and she has opened the world of STEM and robotics to countless students. Mrs. Naik blends innovative project-based learning with research-based instructional strategies to motivate students and achieve success in the classroom. She also founded Eagle Ridge Elementary School’s first Robotics Club in 2017, and continues to lead it today. Her commitment to excellence, classroom performance and service to students is supported by an outstanding personal education journey, which includes a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a master’s degree in environmental engineering and an Alternative Certification for Educators from the Teaching & Leadership Center at Florida Atlantic University.

Melissa Matz - Lakeside Junior High School, Clay County

Melissa Matz has served as the Lakeside Junior High School Math Department Head and leadership team member since 2015. She is the chairperson for the Lakeside’s School Advisory Committee, a cooperating teacher for college interns, and a school representative for district curriculum-map writing. Ms. Matz maintains that building rapport with each of her students is an essential step in the process of teaching math. She makes it a point to speak with each student as they enter her classroom, and she takes the approach that stepping outside of one’s comfort zone and taking positive risks is how extraordinary gains are achieved.

Trinity Brooke Whittington - Bell Elementary School, Gilchrist County

Trinity Brooke Whittington has lived in the Gilchrist community her entire life. She has served as a fourth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher for the past five years and focuses on creating engaging lessons that affect her students in positive ways. Mrs. Whittington also teaches about service by leading school-wide efforts to provide blankets to the local nursing home, and by starting a library swap program to promote literacy. Her personal academic journey includes earning a bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Deelah Jackson - Samoset Elementary School, Manatee County

Deelah Jackson is considered an integral part of the Samoset Elementary School community, and she is especially passionate about teaching math. She’s known for engaging her students with high-quality lesson plans, as well as singing and movement to drive the lessons home. Mrs. Jackson is a member of the Samoset school advisory council, and the school’s emergency response team. She was also a police officer prior to embarking on her teaching journey and holds a degree in elementary education from Ball State University.

Jennifer Jaso - Sarasota Middle School, Sarasota County

Jennifer Jaso is a social studies teacher who is highly regarded for her ability to build relationships with students and work with them to develop critical thinking skills amid content knowledge. She holds several leadership roles, including department chair, professional learning community leader and History Day coordinator. Dr. Jaso is a long-standing presenter at the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference and the Florida Council for the Social Studies Conference. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Florida State University, as well as a Doctor of Education from Argosy University.

2022 Florida Teacher of the Year Finalists

James Schmitt

Mandarin High School, Duval County

James Schmitt, a history teacher at Mandarin High School in Duval County, is passionate about creating self-learners in his classroom. He created Teachers Teach Teachers, a learning community for educators across the district. The community showcases instructional practices and coaches teachers as they implement new strategies. Prior to Mr. Schmitt joining the education profession, he served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Sarah Ann Painter

Eisenhower Elementary School, Pinellas County

Sarah Painter is a fifth-grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School in Pinellas County. She is inspired by her students and their ability to overcome any obstacle in order to be successful. Ms. Painter organized common planning and collaboration for the fifth-grade teachers throughout the district and created an open-door policy for colleagues to observe her instructional practices. She is the chairperson for the School Advisory Council, the representative for English language arts and the Connect for Success liaison at her school. She has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida.

Kari Johnson

Fruitville Elementary School, Sarasota County

Kari Johnson, from Fruitville Elementary School in Sarasota County, has been a Kindergarten Teacher at Fruitville for the past 15 years. She was recognized for outstanding literacy instruction, which led to her classroom becoming a model for her school and district. Ms. Johnson serves as a member of the school’s positive behavioral support committee, a mentor to novice educators and the leader for her team and professional learning community. She has a Master’s Degree in Elementary Reading and Literacy from Walden University.

Brittany Brown

Wildwood Elementary School, Sumter County

Brittany Brown is a third and fourth grade English language arts teacher at Wildwood Elementary School in Sumter County. Brittany is passionate about supporting her students academically through the positive relationships she has built with each of them. Ms. Brown serves as the AVID site member for her school and the district English language arts representative. She established the Reading Superstars program to recognize students making outstanding gains. She holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University.

Francisco Garaitonandia

Citrus Grove Elementary School, Volusia County

Frank Garaitonandia, an art teacher at Citrus Grove Elementary School in Volusia County, has dedicated his 18 years in education to providing a creative spark to motivate his students. Mr. Garaitonandia created a Kindness Mural Project at his school to honor and support kind acts. The project brought together students, staff and community members. In addition, he has promoted the integration of art into multiple subjects by presenting STEAM workshops throughout Volusia County. In 2016, Frank was a nominee for the Hispanic Excellence in Education Award. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Florida.