Congrats to the 2026 Teacher of the Year Nominees!

Volusia County Schools’ 70 Teachers of the Year were announced and honored in a special outdoor ceremony hosted by VCS, FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools, The Daytona Tortugas, and presented by AdventHealth, the official healthcare champion of VCS.

Each of Volusia's public schools completes a formal process to select its Teacher of the Year. The winners, chosen by their peers, are nominated to compete for the honor of Volusia County Schools’ 2026 Teacher of the Year, to be announced on January 11, 2025. The current Volusia County Teacher of the Year is Emily Fagerstrom from Champion Elementary in Daytona Beach.

Fagerstrom and 2024 & 2023 VCS Teachers of the Year Vonda Morris & Madison Miller were among the VIP speakers at the all-star-themed Teacher of the Year reception held at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. School Board Chair Jamie Haynes brought greetings on behalf of the School Board, and Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin praised the Teachers of the Year for empowering a culture excellence. FUTURES Board President Eric Fraine thanked the many sponsors who make the Teacher of the Year program possible including AdventHealth represented by CFO Cory Domayer, CPA, also the FUTURES Foundation Board Past President.

The 2026 Teacher of the Year Nominees and their schools are:

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