Volusia TOTY wins Invested in Excellence Award

Florida’s Local Education Foundations  Honor Volusia County Educator With Statewide 2024 ‘Invested in Excellence’ Award

Emily Fagerstrom, Volusia County Schools current Teacher of the Year, received statewide recognition and an award of $2,000 from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations  (Consortium) and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) at the Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Gala in Orlando July 25. She was chosen from among 67 county-wide teacher of the year honorees as the Consortium’s annual “Invested in Excellence” recipient for seeking additional resources and developing new strategies to innovate learning for

Ms. Fagerstrom began her career in Volusia County schools as a substitute teacher and was named First Year Teacher of the Year at Port Orange Elementary in 2015. She was named math instructional coach at Champion Elementary in 2021 where her principal credits her for leading “seismic shifts” in improving students’ mathematical understanding and performance.   

She was nominated for the statewide award by the FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools, a member of the Consortium.

Mariota Theodoris, FPL; Emily Fagerstrom, Volusia County Teacher of the Year; Mary Chance, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations

In their nomination, FUTURES noted the significant impact Ms. Fagerstrom had from a classroom grant she was awarded by the foundation this past school year.  They also lauded her initiative in organizing her school’s inaugural Math Night at her local Publix Supermarket where students and their families demonstrated the practical use of math skills in real-life contexts, making learning both fun and relevant.

“We sponsor this award with our business partner FPL to celebrate a local district teacher of the year who facilitates over-and-above resources and experiences for students,” said Mary Chance, president of the Consortium. “Ms. Fagerstrom clearly epitomizes a teacher leader who does just that and is deeply invested in excellence.”

The Consortium represents Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations, including FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools. Established in 1987, the Consortium now represents 62 member foundations with 1,200 business and community leaders serving as volunteer board members. Collectively, they raise more than $100 million annually to innovate learning, power potential and celebrate success in local public schools.

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